beatrix bobbit back to school

Beatrix Bobbit was home from Witch Camp, and none to thrilled to be back. The main problem was that she was home because summer was almost over. Which meant she was going back to school.

While gathering toadstools in the woods behind her house for a potion, Beatrix bemoaned her situation to Penny. "I was finally learning all the witch things I needed to know! And, now, I have to go back to school?! This is totally unfair."

Penny merely twitched her nose from her basket and laid her head between her smiley carrot and smiley cabbage toys.

"Beaaaaa, where are you?" Sybil squealed from further in the woods.

"Toadstools!" Beatrix replied with a grin. Moments later, Sybil came prancing into view in green leotard, carrying a large bouquet of dandelions. "Well done, Syby! Drop them in the cauldron."

After Sybil obliged, Beatrix began slicing toadstools into the milky liquid inside. Dandelion fuzz clung to the top of the potion, until the final toadstool fell, creating bubbles and fizzing.

"Oooooh so fun! Is it ready?" Sybil asked.

"Almost," Beatrix walked over to Penny, said, "Sorry," then plucked fur from the top of her head. True comfort was the last ingredient, and Beatrix couldn't think of anything more comforting than Penny.

Once Penny's fur was added, a plume of smoke rose from the cauldron and a warm wind enveloped them. Beatrix and Sybil both breathed it in, were waiting for the effects to kick in when...

"Girls? Dinner," Mrs. Bobbit exclaimed.

"WHERE IS PENNY? SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO EAT FOUR MINUTES AGO?" Mr. Bobbit bellowed loudly.

With a sigh, Beatrix said, "Fine, we'll finish this after dinner. Come on."

"What's the potion for again, Bea?"

"Protection. Against school."

Sybil bobbed her head, and Beatrix reached for her sister's hand while clutching Penny's basket on her elbow. Then, she snapped her fingers twice, and they appeared outside the backdoor.

"Oh my! I told you not to do that anymore at night. Please," Mrs. Bobbit had her hands stuffed inside a floral apron. Mr. Bobbit grunted, and gently tugged Penny's basket from Beatrix to ensure she wasn't another second late for her dinner of freshly cooked carrots and garden peas.

After Penny was situated with a bowl on a black tile next to Mr. Bobbit's chair, they all sat down for dinner around the white kitchen table.

"So, girls are you excited for school to start?" Mrs. Bobbit looked expectantly at Sybil, who she could always count on for a positive, non-witchy answer.

"I don't know," Sybil sighed so loudly Mrs. Bobbit leapt from her chair at once.

"Sybil, dear, what's wrong?" Mrs. Bobbit placed her hand on Sybil's forehead, and began peering into her tiny ears and large blue eyes. "Jack this is serious!"

"I know, I told them Penny can't be late for her meals, and here she is starving. Five minutes past dinnertime..." Mr. Bobbit grunted.

"Not the rabbit! Sybil!"Mrs. Bobbit shrieked.

"What's wrong with Sybil?" Mr. Bobbit looked up from Penny at last.

"Nothing's wronggggg, I just don't know if I'm excited to go back to school," Sybil said with some difficulty, as Mrs. Bobbit was holding her mouth open and pulling at her tongue.

"All kids hate school, Judy," Mr. Bobbit said exasperatedly, and scooped carrots from his own plate into Penny's now empty bowl.

"Not Sybil," Mrs. Bobbit fretted, then turned to Beatrix. "What did you do?"

"Well-" Beatrix began but was cut off by a look from Sybil.

"Bea didn't do anythingggg! I'm just sad that I won't get to play with Bea and dance all day. That's all," Sybil's blue eyes watered, and Mrs. Bobbit hunched over and wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter.

"Oh, Sybil, dear. There, there. It's going to be alright," Mrs. Bobbit was patting Sybil's head now.

"What if you homeschooled us?" Beatrix asked with a starry glint in her eyes.

"Wh-what I can't, no," Mrs. Bobbit babbled.

"Great idea, Beatrix! Problem solved," Mr. Bobbit stood from the table, scooped Penny into his arms, and walked out to the garden for their evening stroll.

"Glad that's settled, come on Syby, we've got things to do! We don't need that potion anymore," Beatrix slung her cloak over her shoulders.

"Oh yay, I'm so happy! Thanks, Mommy!" Sybil kissed Mrs. Bobbit's cheek and followed Beatrix to the woods in a succession of twirls.

"I never said," Mrs. Bobbit said to herself. "Oh well, I better get going with lesson planning," Mrs. Bobbit sighed.

She padded to the library, a cozy nook off the living room with hot air balloon wallpaper and stacks of books piled in nearly every corner. The only open section was home to a tufted green armchair. Mrs. Bobbit plopped down with a stack of books, a crisp pad of paper, a large smile and began to plan.

Outside, Beatrix and Sybil held hands and exchanged a knowing glance as they watched Mr. Bobbit waltz with Penny near the rose bushes.

"Doesn't look like a stroll to me. He's got good rhythm though," Beatrix observed, then snapped her fingers to transport them back to the woods. And the brew waiting on them.

When they arrived, though, the cauldron was empty. Instead the clearing was alive with a vibrant, whirling wind that sparkled with dandelion fuzz and hummed a melodic song.

Bea Bea

Little witch you be

Free from school

And all the rules

Now you'll learn

What you yearn

Sybil was turning in the wind, dancing on her tip toes. Beatrix's cloak rippled around her in magnificent waves. Until suddenly, a loud POP interrupted the spell. A silver haired witch appeared.

"Hello, Beatrix!" Broomstick Betsy tipped her black hat in greeting.

"Broomstick Betsy...how...I mean what are you doing here?" Beatrix asked, puzzled.

"I recognized your wind, thought you might need my help. How can I be of service?"

Beatrix was momentarily unable to speak. So surprised by Broomstick Betsy's appearance, that she merely tugged at her black braid.

"We just found out we're going to be homeschooled! Maybe you can help Bea with witch lessons," Sybil spoke for her sister.

Beatrix smiled at her sister, said, "But, I thought I was making a Potion of Protection. Not one of Summoning."

Broomstick Betsy held up a finger to the nearly stilled wind, "Ah, that's a very good Potion of Protection. It knew exactly what you needed, after all. Well, come on then! Let's start planning these lessons. Beatrix would you fly us to the house?"

Beatrix looked sheepishly at the ground. Watched the dandelion fuzz begin swirling around the hem of her cloak, humming and lifting.

"The wind," Sybil whispered in awe.

Sure enough, the wind picked up speed until Beatrix's feet rose from the ground, and she came to a hover. "Take my hands!" She giggled at Sybil and Broomstick Betsy.

With hands clasped, Beatrix furrowed her brow, and allowed the wind to lift them all into the air, above the trees, and forward towards the stone cottage.

The full moon above shone on the garden as they approached, casting a spotlight on Mr. Bobbit who was stepping and swaying with such grace, Sybil remarked, "I didn't know Dad could dance like that."

After Beatrix guided them gently down to the spongey ground, she ran inside to find Mrs. Bobbit. Mrs. Bobbit was still in the library, sitting crosslegged on the floor surrounded by books and pads of paper. Her hair was uncharacteristically ruffled and her cheeks were bright and pink.

"Mom? Everything okay?" Beatrix asked, taking a tentative step closer.

"Oh, yes, Beatrix, dear. Yes, indeed. We'll use cupcakes for multiplication and gardening for exercise and we'll read aloud from Alice in Wonderland and write poems and --" Mrs. Bobbit looked up suddenly then, quite flushed. Beatrix had never seen her so unabashedly happy.

Broomstick Betsy cleared her throat then, and peered around Beatrix.

"Oh good! You made it," Mrs. Bobbit said to Broomstick Betsy.

"Of course, thanks for calling, Judy," Broomstick Betsy replied with a wink.

"You called her?! When?" Beatrix asked.

"Oh sh sh, don't you worry about that dear. Now, where's Sybil. SYBIL?"

"Heeeerreeeee!" Sybil bounced.

"Now, dear, what about dancing? Shall we call one of your teachers for a daytime lesson?" Mrs. Bobbit asked sweetly.

"Eh urm haw," Mr. Bobbit grunted, startling the lot of them. "I thought, maybe, I could, you know. Since I'm here...I could help with Sybil's dancing lessons."