Waltey

Prevod

Ko se je čarovništvo razmahnilo po Novi Angliji, je tudi mesto Haddam v Connecticutu imelo svoj delež grdih stark, ki jih je skušalo poboljšati s pridigami in potapljanjem v vodo, namesto da bi jih pobijalo. Trdili so, da ima dobra žena Ta-in-ta za svojega čarovniškega pomočnika črnega mačka, da gospa Ta-pa-ta ob viharnih nočeh jezdi na metli ter vrešči in žlobudra v dimnike kmečkih hiš, in da se stare vešče zbirajo na plesih v krajih Devils' Hop Yard, Witch Woods, Witch Meadows, Giant's Chair, Devil's Footprint in Dragon's Rock. Kmetje so se še posebej bali sključene stare coprnice z rdečo kapuco, ki se je le redko prikazala pred mrakom, a jih je, če so se pozno vračali domov, pogosto čakala čepe na hišnem pragu. Lica, posuta z bradavicami, so se ji gubala v režanju, med ustnicami sta štrlela dva rumena podočnika, iz oči pa ji je sijala svetloba, ki je ohromila vsakogar, v kogar se je zazrla. Ob viharnih nočeh je bobnala in ropotala po oknih, v soju ognja in sveč pa je bilo videti njen obraz, kako kuka skozi šipe.

Pri slapovih Chapman Falls, kjer je potok z drgnjenjem izdolbel kotanje v skalah, se je zbiralo po dvanajst haddamskih čarovnic. V teh kotanjah so varile strupe, izrekale uroke in se v rezkih jezikih pogovarjale s poglavarjem zlodejev, ki je sedel na robu soteske, z repom, naslonjenim na ramo kakor z žezlom, njegovo telo pa je izžarevalo rdeč sij.

V Devils' Hop Yard je stal mogočen hrast, ki nikoli ne požene listja in ne rodi želoda, saj je začaran vse od takrat, ko je ena od čarovnic v podobi vrane sedla na njegovo najvišjo vejo, se ozrla na vse štiri strani neba in odletela. Tisto noč je listje odpadlo, vejice so se posušile, drevesni sok se je nehal pretakati in mah je začel kakor brada poraščati njegove skeletne veje.

Čarovnice so se v ptičji podobi pravzaprav pojavljale kar pogosto in kmet po imenu Blakesley je eno izmed njih v tej podobi ustrelil. Lovil je na travniku, ko je zaslišal šumenje kril in nad seboj zagledal ptico z dolgim vratom, modrim perjem in nogami, podobnimi koščenim rokam. Oglašala se je tako srhljivo, tako predirljivo in tako podobno posmehljivemu smehu, da ga je spreletel srh. Ptica je sedla na odmrlo drevo in streljal je nanjo. Z novim smehu podobnim krikom mu je zakrožila okoli glave. Trikrat je ustrelil, vselej z enakim izidom. Nato je sklenil preveriti, ali je nadnaravna, saj nič zlega ne more kljubovati srebru — razen kongresa. Ker ni imel krogel iz te kovine, je s srajce odrezal dva srebrna gumba ter ju s kosom blaga in molitvijo potisnil v cev. Tokrat je ptica zakričala od groze in se skušala, a zaman, dvigniti z veje. Ustrelil je. Bitje je z gumbom v telesu omahnilo in padlo na desni bok. V istem hipu je stara ženska, ki je živela v koči pet milj stran, vstala od kolovrata, zajela sapo in se zgrudila na desni bok — mrtva.

Izvirnik

When witchcraft went rampant through New England the Connecticut town of Haddam owned its share of ugly old women, whom it tried to reform by lectures and ducking, instead of killing. It was averred that Goody So-and-So had a black cat for a familiar, that Dame Thus-and-Thus rode on a broomstick on stormy nights and screeched and gibbered down the farm-house chimneys, and there were dances of old crones at Devils' Hop Yard, Witch Woods, Witch Meadows, Giant's Chair, Devil's Footprint, and Dragon's Rock. Farmers were especially fearful of a bent old hag in a red hood, who seldom appeared before dusk, but who was apt to be found crouched on their door-steps if they reached home late, her mole-covered cheeks wrinkled with a grin, two yellow fangs projecting between her lips, and a light shining from her eyes that numbed all on whom she looked. On stormy nights she would drum and rattle at windows, and by firelight and candle-light her face was seen peering through the panes.

At Chapman Falls, where the attrition of a stream had worn pot-holes in the rocks, there were meetings of Haddam witches, to the number of a dozen. They brewed poisons in those holes, cast spells, and talked in harsh tongues with the arch fiend, who sat on the brink of the ravine with his tail laid against his shoulder, like a sceptre, and a red glow emanating from his body.

In Devils' Hop Yard was a massive oak that never bears leaves or acorns, for it has been enchanted since the time that one of the witches, in the form of a crow, perched on the topmost branch, looked to the four points of the compass, and flew away. That night the leaves fell off, the twigs shrivelled, sap ceased to run, and moss began to beard its skeleton limbs.

The appearance of witches in the guise of birds was no unusual thing, indeed, and a farmer named Blakesley shot one of them in that form. He was hunting in a meadow when a rush of wings was heard and he saw pass overhead a bird with long neck, blue feathers, and feet like scrawny hands. It uttered a cry so weird, so shrill, so like mocking laughter that it made him shudder. This bird alighted on a dead tree and he shot at it. With another laughing yell it circled around his head. Three times he fired with the same result. Then he resolved to see if it were uncanny, for nothing evil can withstand silver--except Congress. Having no bullets of that metal he cut two silver buttons from his shirt and rammed them home with a piece of cloth and a prayer. This time the bird screamed in terror, and tried, but vainly, to rise from the limb. He fired. The creature dropped, with a button in its body, and fell on its right side. At that moment an old woman living in a cabin five miles distant arose from her spinning-wheel, gasped, and fell on her right side-dead.

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