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Bruno was looking a bit bewildered, but he allowed himself to be led up on to the platform, where he stood beside The Grand High Witch and said, ‘OK, where are my six bars of chocolate?’
I saw the witch who had let him in quietly putting the chain back on the door-handles. Bruno didn't notice this. He was too busy asking for his chocolate.
‘The time is now vun minute before half-past thrrree!’ announced The Grand High Witch.
‘What the heck's going on?’ Bruno asked. He wasn't frightened, but he wasn't looking exactly comfortable either. ‘What is this?’ he said. ‘Gimme my chocolate!’
‘Thirty seconds to go!’ cried The Grand High Witch, gripping Bruno by the arm. Bruno shook himself clear and stared at her. She stared back at him, smiling with the lips of her mask. Every witch in the audience was staring at Bruno.
‘Tventy seconds!’ cried The Grand High Witch.
‘Gimme the chocolate!’ shouted Bruno, becoming suddenly suspicious. ‘Gimme the chocolate and let me out of here!’
‘Fifteen seconds!’ cried The Grand High Witch.
‘Will one of you crazy punks kindly tell me what all this is about?’ shouted Bruno.
‘Ten seconds!’ cried The Grand High Witch. ‘Nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… thrrree… two… vun… zero! Vee have ignition!’
I could have sworn I heard an alarm-clock ringing. I saw Bruno jump. He jumped as though someone had stuck a hatpin deep into his bottom and he yelled ‘Ow!’ He jumped so high that he landed on a small table up there on the stage, and he started hopping about on the top of this table, waving his arms and yelling his head off. Then suddenly he became silent. His whole body stiffened.
‘The alarm has gone off!’ shrieked The Grand High Witch. ‘The Mouse-Maker is beginning to vurrrk!’ She started hopping about on the platform and clapping her gloved hands together and then she shouted out,
‘This smelly brrrat, this filthy scum
This horrid little louse
Vill very very soon become
A lovely little MOUSE!’
Bruno was getting smaller by the second. I could see him shrinking…
Now his clothes seemed to be disappearing and brown fur was growing all over his body…
Suddenly he had a tail…
And then he had whiskers…
Now he had four feet…
It was all happening so quickly…
It was a matter of seconds only…
And all at once he wasn't there any more…
A small brown mouse was running around on the table top…
‘Bravo!’ yelled the audience. ‘She's done it! It works! It's fantastic! It's colossal! It's the greatest yet! You are a miracle, O Brainy One!’ They were all standing up and clapping and cheering and The Grand High Witch produced a mouse-trap from the folds of her dress and started to set it.
Oh no! I thought. I don't want to see this! Bruno Jenkins may have been a bit of a stinker but I'm dashed if I want to watch him having his head chopped off!
‘Vhere is he?’ snapped The Grand High Witch, searching the platform. ‘Vhere has that mouse got to?’
She couldn't find him. Clever Bruno must have jumped down off the table and scampered off into some corner or even down a small hole. Thank heavens for that.
‘It matters not!’ shouted The Grand High Witch. ‘Silence and sit down!’
