There was a little girl, you see, who was quite curious and sometimes, just a little bit stubborn. When she made up her mind about something, it was very hard to change it.

Her parents often told her, "Be a good girl, listen to us." But sometimes, she just wanted to do things her own way.

Now, in their town lived a woman named Frau Trude. The little girl's parents warned her, "Stay away from Frau Trude's house. Strange things happen there. She is not... kind." They told her stories about Frau Trude being different, maybe even a little bit wicked. "Don't go near her," they said firmly.

But the little girl was *so* curious. What was so strange about Frau Trude? Why couldn't she just peek? One day, even though her parents had told her "No!" very clearly, she decided she would go anyway. "I'll just take a quick look," she thought to herself, even though she knew she shouldn't.

So, off she tiptoed towards Frau Trude's house. As she got closer, she felt a little shiver. The house looked dark and quiet. She knocked on the door. Tap, tap, tap.

The door creaked open, and there stood Frau Trude. She looked at the little girl with sharp eyes. "Well, hello there," she said. "Why are you so pale?"

"Oh," stammered the little girl, "I got a little scared on my way here."

"Oh?" said Frau Trude. "And what did you see that scared you?"

"Well," the girl said, "I saw a man all dressed in black."

"Ah," said Frau Trude, nodding. "That was just the man who brings the coal."

"And then," the girl continued, her voice a little shaky, "I saw a man dressed all in green."

"Yes, yes," said Frau Trude. "That was the hunter in the forest."

"And then," the girl whispered, looking nervously at the steps leading up to the door, "on your steps, I saw a man dressed all in red, like blood!"

"Ho ho!" Frau Trude chuckled, a strange little chuckle. "That was the butcher."

"But then," the little girl said, her voice trembling now, "I looked up at your window... and I saw... I saw the Devil himself, with a head made of fire!"

Frau Trude's eyes widened, and a not-very-nice smile spread across her face. "Aha!" she cried. "So you saw the witch in her proper clothes! I knew you would come. I've been waiting for you!"

And with a wave of her hand and a strange little word, POP! Frau Trude turned the curious, stubborn little girl into a block of wood.

Then, she picked up the block of wood and tossed it onto the crackling fire in her fireplace. "There," she said, warming her hands. "That gives a nice bright light."

1683 Views