A Witch Saves the World

 Once upon a time an empire threatened to impress the world. One small village, however, went undetected by its lure. How it did so is a story of perspective. For one woman's evil empire is another man's status quo. And it is her job to do life differently.

    The key was this: when the world turned large and looming, the village didn't know. They had food to grow and clothes to mend, bread to bake and fish to catch. Their village witch had an idea that the world was growing sour. But there was no need to trouble anyone with the notion until it was time. 

    The empire came knocking, and the witch told the village. But she also said, 'Let them come. There is little we can do to keep them out, and it is better for our minds to be occupied with living.' And so her village did as she suggested.

    The plan of the village spread to another village, one closer to the heart of the empire, through a traveling peddler. And then from that village to another. And from that village to yet another. 

    One by one each of the villages ignored the empire's soldiers to make food and drink and cloth and home. Sometimes villagers died. Sometimes many villagers died. Sometimes a soldier left the empire's army, settling in a village. And the villages kept to their tasks all the same.

    One day, after a few years, there were more villagers than soldiers in every single village.

    One day, after several years, there were only one or two soldiers in each village.

    And one day, after many years, there were no more soldiers. There were only farmers and bakers, weavers and seamstresses, witch healers and cobblers, blacksmiths and laundresses.

    They called it life. They were very good at living it.

    

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