A Conversation

 Once, there was a little girl who stood behind the village fountain and listened to two witches talking. The topics of conversation were wide-reaching, which is to say that they were about the whole of the world and all the big things in it.

    The first witch was all a' fluster with 'oh-the-shames' and 'hell-in-a-hand-baskets' and 'woe-to-those-fellows-who-nevers.' The second witch said many 'yes-buts' and 'I-agree-but-have-they-considereds' and 'but-don't-you-think-that-if-theys.' And so on they went, dissecting and diagnosing, taking the world apart, sure that it could not be put back together. The contents were quite gloomy, and the little girl grew certain that things were not well in the world.

    After a time, however, the witches walked away, lighter and brighter as though the conversation had solved the world's problems. 

    The little girl looked after them, confused.

    But, of course, it was nice that the witches were happy. 

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