Suddenly The Grand High Witch’s face came into view, peering under the bed. I popped my head back behind the bedpost. “So there you are, my little frrroggies,” I heard her saying. “You can stay vhere you are until I go to bed tonight, then I shall thrrrow you out of the window and the seagulls can have you for supper.”
Suddenly very loud and clear there came the sound of my grandmother’s voice through the open balcony door. “Hurry up, my darling!” it shouted. “Do hurry up! You’d better come out quickly!”
“Who is calling?” snapped The Grand High Witch. I peeped round the bedpost again and saw her walking across the carpet to the balcony door. “Who is this on my balcony?” she muttered. “Who is it? Who dares to trrrespass on my balcony?” She went through the door on to the balcony itself.
“Vot is this knitting-vool hanging down here?” I heard her saying.
“Oh, hello,” came my grandmother’s voice. “I just dropped my knitting over the balcony by mistake. But it’s all right. I’ve got hold of one end of it. I can pull it up by myself, thank you all the same.” I marvelled at the coolness of her voice.
“Who vur you talking to just now?” snapped The Grand High Witch. “Who vur you telling to hurry up and come out quickly?”
“I was talking to my little grandson,” I heard my grandmother saying. “He’s been in the bathroom for hours and it’s time he came out. He sits in there reading books and he forgets completely where he is! Do you have any children, my dear?”
“I do not!” shouted The Grand High Witch, and she came quickly back into the bedroom, slamming the balcony door behind her.
I was cooked. My escape route was closed. I was shut up in the room with The Grand High Witch and three terrified frogs. I was just as terrified as the frogs. I was quite sure that if I was spotted, I would be caught and thrown out over the balcony for the seagulls.
There came a knock on the bedroom door. “Vot is it this time?” shouted The Grand High Witch.
“It is we ancient ones,” said a meek voice from behind the door. “It is six o’clock and we have come to collect the bottles that you promised us, O Your Grandness.”
I saw her crossing the carpet towards the door. The door was opened and then I saw a whole lot of feet and shoes beginning to enter the room. They were coming in slowly and hesitantly, as though the owners of those shoes were frightened of entering. “Come in! Come in!” snapped The Grand High Witch. “Do not stand out there dithering in the corrri-dor! I don’t have all night!”
I saw my chance. I jumped out from behind the bedpost and ran like lightning towards the open door. I jumped over several pairs of shoes on the way and in three seconds I was out in the corridor, still clutching the precious bottle to my chest. No one had seen me. There were no shouts of Mouse! Mouse! All I could hear were the voices of the ancient witches burbling their silly sentences about “How kind Your Grandness is” and all the rest of it. I went scampering down the corridor to the stairs and up one flight. I went to the fifth floor and then along the corridor again until I came to the door of my own bedroom. Thank goodness there was no one in sight. Using the bottom of the little bottle, I began tap-tap-tapping on the door. Tap tap tap rap, I went. Tap tap tap… tap tap tap… Would my grandmother hear me? I thought that she must. The bottle made quite a loud tap each time it struck. Tap tap tap… tap tap tap… Just so long as nobody came along the corridor.
But the door didn’t open. I decided to take a risk. “Grandmamma!” I shouted as loudly as I possibly could. “Grandmamma! It’s me! Let me in!”
I heard her feet coming across the carpet and the door opened. I went in like an arrow. “I’ve done it!” I cried, jumping up and down. “I’ve got it, Grandmamma! Look, here it is! I’ve got a whole bottle of it!”