Metamorphosis
I remember thinking to myself, There is no escape for me now! Even if I make a run for it andmanage to dodge¹ the lot of them, I still won't get out because the doors are chained and locked! I'mfinished! I'm done for! Oh Grandmamma, what are they going to do to me?
I looked round and I saw a hideous² painted and powdered witch's face staring down at me,and the face opened its mouth and yelled triumphantly³, "It's here! It's behind the screen! Come andget it!" The witch reached out a gloved hand and grabbed me by the hair but I twisted free andjumped away. I ran, oh how I ran! The sheer terror of it all put wings on my feet! I flew around theoutside of the great Ballroom⁴ and not one of them had a chance of catching⁵ me. As I came level withthe doors, I paused and tried to open them but the big chain was on them and they didn't even rattle⁶.
The witches were not bothering to chase me. They simply stood there in small groups,watching me and knowing for certain that there was no way I could escape. Several of them wereholding their noses with gloved fingers and there were cries of, "Poo! What a stink⁷! We can't standthis much longer!"
"Catch it then, you idiots!" screamed The Grand High Witch from up on the platform.
"Sprrread out in a line across the room and close in on it and grab it! Corner this filthy⁸ littlegumboil and seize it and bring it up here to me!"The witches spread out as they were told. They advanced towards me, some from one end,some from the other, and some came down the middle between the rows of empty chairs. They werebound to get me now. They had me cornered.
From sheer and absolute terror, I began to scream. "Help!" I screamed, turning my headtowards the doors in the hope that somebody outside might hear me. "Help! Help! Hel-l-l-lp!""Get it!" shouted The Grand High Witch. "Grrrab hold of it! Stop it yelling!"They rushed at me then, and about five of them grabbed me by the arms and legs and liftedme clear off the ground. I went on screaming, but one of them clapped a gloved hand over my mouthand that stopped me.

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