The Bat's Warning
Once upon a time, in a forest where magic whispered through the trees, there lived an old witch named Grizelda. She was known throughout the land for her terrible temper.
"I'm the most powerful witch in all the forest!" Grizelda would shout whenever something upset her, which happened quite often.
One evening, as the sun was setting, a small brown bat named Pip fluttered to Grizelda's cottage window.
"Excuse me, Miss Witch," squeaked Pip. "The animals of the forest asked me to tell you something important."
Grizelda frowned. "What is it? I'm very busy making my magic potions!"
"Well," said Pip nervously, "your angry spells are causing problems. Yesterday, you turned the river purple because a fish splashed you. The day before, you made all the flowers sing because a bee buzzed too close."
"So what?" snapped Grizelda. "I'm a witch! I can do as I please!"
Pip sighed. "The forest council is meeting tomorrow. They might ban you from using magic if you don't control your temper."
"BAN ME?" Grizelda's face turned as red as a tomato. "We'll see about that!"
As Pip flew away, Grizelda stomped around her cottage, knocking over bottles and jars. She was so angry that sparks flew from her fingertips.
"Nobody bans Grizelda from anything!" she muttered. "I'll show them all!"
Little did she know, her angry magic was about to lead her on an unexpected adventure.
The Magic Bun
The next morning, Grizelda decided to bake a magic bun that would make everyone respect her power.
"I'll mix in toad slime for strength," she muttered, tossing ingredients into her cauldron. "Butterfly wings for beauty, and thunder clouds for power!"
She stirred and stirred until the dough was ready. Then she shaped it into a perfect bun and placed it in her oven.
"This magic bun will show them all!" Grizelda cackled.
But while the bun was baking, Grizelda fell asleep in her rocking chair. She dreamed of ruling the forest, with all the animals bowing to her.
Suddenly, she woke up to a strange sound.
"Hello there! I'm ready for adventure!"
Grizelda rubbed her eyes. There, sitting on her table, was the bun she had baked. But it wasn't just any bun. It had a face, tiny arms, and little legs!
"What in the world?" gasped Grizelda.
"I'm Benny the Bun!" said the bun cheerfully. "You made me with so much anger that I came alive! But I don't feel angry at all. I feel happy!"
Grizelda was shocked. "You're supposed to be powerful and scary! Not... happy!"
"Sorry to disappoint you," Benny replied, hopping around the table. "But maybe being happy is better than being angry all the time?"
Grizelda frowned. This wasn't going according to plan at all.
"Come on," said Benny. "Let's go for a walk! The day is beautiful!"
Before Grizelda could stop him, Benny hopped out the door and into the forest.
"Wait!" called Grizelda, hurrying after him. "Come back here this instant!"
The Magic Mat
Grizelda chased Benny the Bun through the forest, her pointy hat nearly falling off as she ran.
"Slow down!" she panted. "My old legs can't keep up!"
Benny stopped in a beautiful meadow filled with flowers. "Look what I found!" he called.
In the middle of the meadow was a colorful woven mat. It had strange patterns that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.
"Don't touch that!" warned Grizelda. "It might be dangerous!"
But Benny had already hopped onto the mat. To their surprise, the mat began to rise a few inches off the ground!
"Wow!" exclaimed Benny. "It's a flying mat!"
Grizelda's eyes widened. "A magic flying mat! I've heard of these, but I've never seen one before."
Just then, they heard a gentle neighing sound. A beautiful bay horse with a flowing mane approached them cautiously.
"Hello," said the horse. "My name is Maple. I see you've found my magic mat."
"Your mat?" asked Grizelda suspiciously.
Maple nodded. "Yes. I use it to travel around the forest and help animals in need. But yesterday, the wind blew it away while I was helping a family of rabbits."
"Well, it's mine now!" declared Grizelda. "Finders keepers!"
Benny looked disappointed. "But Grizelda, it belongs to Maple. She uses it to help others."
"I don't care!" snapped Grizelda. "I'm the most powerful witch in the forest, and I want this mat!"
As soon as those angry words left her mouth, the mat stopped floating and dropped to the ground with a thud.
"That's strange," said Maple. "The mat only works with a kind heart. When someone feels angry or selfish, it loses its magic."
Grizelda stared at the mat, then at Maple, then at Benny. For the first time, she began to wonder if her anger was causing more problems than she realized.
The Cay Tree's Wisdom
Grizelda sat on a fallen log, feeling confused. The magic mat wouldn't work for her because of her anger. Her magic bun had turned out happy instead of powerful. And now all the forest animals were afraid of her.
"Maybe I should go to the Cay Tree," suggested Maple. "The oldest and wisest tree in the forest. It might have answers."
"What's a Cay Tree?" asked Benny, bouncing excitedly.
"A very special tree that has lived for a thousand years," explained Maple. "Some say it knows all the secrets of the forest."
Grizelda hesitated, then nodded. "Let's go."
They traveled deeper into the forest until they reached a clearing. In the center stood the most magnificent tree Grizelda had ever seen. Its trunk was wider than her cottage, and its branches reached up to touch the clouds.
As they approached, the bark of the tree shifted until it formed a kind face with deep, wise eyes.
"Welcome," rumbled the Cay Tree in a voice like rustling leaves. "I've been expecting you, Grizelda."
"You have?" Grizelda was surprised.
"Yes. For many years, I've watched you use your magic in anger. But magic works best with love, not anger."
"But I'm powerful when I'm angry!" protested Grizelda.
"Are you?" asked the Cay Tree gently. "Your angry spell created Benny, but he turned out happy. Your angry words made the magic mat stop working. Perhaps true power comes from kindness, not anger."
Grizelda thought about this. She remembered how lonely she'd been in her cottage, how no animals or people ever visited her because they were afraid.
"I don't know how to be kind," she admitted. "I've been angry for so long."
"Start small," suggested the Cay Tree. "Help someone each day. Use your magic to heal instead of harm. The path to change begins with a single step."
Just then, Pip the bat fluttered down and landed on a branch.
"The forest council meeting is about to start," he squeaked. "They're going to decide about banning your magic."
Grizelda took a deep breath. "Take me to the meeting," she said. "I have something important to say."
At the council meeting, all the forest animals fell silent when Grizelda arrived with Benny, Maple, and Pip.
"I've come to apologize," Grizelda announced. "My anger has caused problems for everyone. From now on, I promise to use my magic only to help, not harm. I'll bake healing buns instead of angry spells. I'll help animals in need. And I'll learn to control my temper."
The animals looked at each other in surprise. Then, one by one, they began to cheer.
From that day forward, Grizelda kept her promise. Her cottage became a place of healing and help. Benny the Bun stayed with her, bringing joy and laughter to her days. Maple taught her how to use the magic mat, which now worked perfectly for Grizelda's kind heart.
And whenever Grizelda felt anger bubbling up inside her, she remembered the Cay Tree's wisdom: true power comes from kindness, not anger.
The End