A Witch Who Forgot
In the middle of the Whispering Woods lived a little witch named Hattie. She wasn’t scary at all. Her hat was floppy, her broom squeaked when it flew, and she preferred baking pumpkin pies to stirring potions.
But one morning, when Hattie opened her spellbook, the pages were blank. She tapped her wand. She whispered the words she thought she knew. Nothing happened.
“Oh no,” Hattie gasped. “I’ve forgotten all my spells!”
Her cat blinked at her. Her broom gave a squeaky groan. Hattie sank into her chair. “What kind of witch forgets her magic?” she whispered.
A Walk in the Woods
A robin fluttered onto the windowsill. “Why are you looking so glum, little witch?” it chirped.
“I’ve lost my spells,” Hattie sighed. “My magic is gone.”
The robin tilted its head. “Maybe your magic isn’t lost. Maybe it’s waiting to be found in the forest.”
Hattie wasn’t sure what that meant, but she slipped on her boots, tucked the empty spellbook under her arm, and set off. Her broom clattered along behind her like a squeaky friend who refused to be left behind.
Helping Others
The forest was full of rustling leaves and mushrooms that glowed faintly in the shade. Soon, Hattie saw a squirrel struggling to carry three heavy acorns.
“Would you like help?” she asked.
“Yes, please!” squeaked the squirrel.
Hattie carried the acorns to the hollow. The squirrel’s eyes shone. “That felt like magic,” it said.
Hattie blinked. “But I didn’t use a spell.”
“Kindness is a spell of its own,” said the squirrel before disappearing into the tree.
Hattie opened her spellbook. To her surprise, one glowing word appeared: Kindness.
The Hedgehog in the Brambles
A little further on, Hattie heard crying. She found a hedgehog tangled in a patch of brambles.
“Oh, you poor thing!” she said. She carefully pulled the thorns away and set the hedgehog free.
The hedgehog smiled weakly. “You were brave to help me. That’s magic too.”
When Hattie peeked at her spellbook, another word glowed on the page: Bravery.
Her heart gave a hopeful flutter. Perhaps she hadn’t forgotten everything after all.
Small Deeds, Big Magic
By the river, Hattie helped a duckling back into the water. She shared her biscuit with a hungry rabbit. She even tied a loose knot in a fox’s satchel so his things wouldn’t spill.
Each time she helped, her spellbook wrote down a new glowing word: Sharing. Friendship. Caring.
Hattie’s broom gave a squeaky chuckle. “Seems you’re remembering your magic after all.”
Hattie smiled. “Maybe true spells don’t live in words. Maybe they live in what we do.”
The Festival Night
That evening, Hattie remembered the Harvest Festival. She had promised to light the sky with sparkles for the children, but she no longer knew the magic words.
“Oh no,” she whispered. “They’re all waiting for me.”
Across the river, villagers gathered with lanterns. Children pointed at the sky, eager for the fireworks to begin.
Hattie opened her spellbook. It glowed with the words she had earned: Kindness. Bravery. Sharing. Friendship.
She lifted her wand. “If real magic comes from the heart,” she said, “then let these spells shine.”
Bright sparks flew into the night, swirling like golden fireflies. They shaped themselves into stars, pumpkins, and little birds. The children clapped and laughed.
“Hattie’s magic is back!” the villagers cheered.
Hattie laughed too. “I didn’t forget. I just needed to remember what magic really means.”
That night, her spellbook was full again—not with tricky words, but with glowing spells she could never lose.
The End.
If you’d like to learn more about encouraging kindness in children, explore PBS Parents: Teaching Kids to Care.
Ready for another cozy read? Try The Hedgehog Who Learned to Hug, a sweet bedtime story about friendship and bravery.
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