Do not follow strange creatures
Do not listen to their call
A friendly form with sweet promises
Will soon have you enthralled

Her mother warned of familiars
Of a witch’s faithful servants
creatures that heeded wicked orders
and stole children from their parents

The girl followed the small black cat
She had never walked so far from home
Though she did not recognise the route
It was better than walking alone

It led her to a small house
Made of something sweet
The cat pushed open the door
and sat at the witch’s feet

Between work and forced feeding
The days passed in a blur
But the girl had a friend
That whispered beneath a purr

The day finally came
The witch stoked the coals
Waiting for the oven to heat
The girl knew her role

The cat rubbed against the witch’s legs
A move the witch ignored
At last, it was time to cook
And she opened the oven door

The cat remained still
braced against withered feet
The girl pushed as she was told
and the witch fell to the heat

The cat pushed open the door
and told the girl that she had only dreamt
It knew better than to keep the child
For familiarity breeds contempt