The Witch of the Wall
Bridget Sippel, Group 2: Fiction, German Swiss International School
ome here Marsh! We better get back to the hotel, there are lots of tourists and it’s getting late.”
I led Marsh carefully down the winding path of the Great Wall to our hotel below. Suddenly, a
woman pushed past me and my hands slipped off of Marsh’s leash. I ran through the crowd of
tourists, but it was no use, I had lost Marsh.
wha
It became dark, and the moon in the sky was as white as Marsh’s fur. After walking for
t felt like hours, I called Marsh’s name one more time. There was no response, so I sat
down, and started to cry.
“
C
Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand touch my shoulder and someone whispered, “Don’t cry, come with me, I will
help you find your parents.” I looked up and wiped away my tears. I could see an old man in a Chinese suit that
glistened in the moonlight, and a small, round hat was set firmly on his head. His face was wrinkled, but kind
and he had a magical twinkle in his eye.
I struggled to say, “I’m not looking for my parents. I’m looking for my dog, sir.”
He smiled and said, “You can call me Mr. Wu.”
“
My name is Susan,” I replied.
Then he said in a more serious voice, “If you’re looking for your dog, you’d better listen to me.” He stood
up and walked down the path. I quickly followed him as he began the story.
“
A few years ago, there was an emperor called Wang,” he began. “Emperor Wang hired a woman to
capture all the runaway animals on the Great Wall so they wouldn’t disturb the tourists.” He cleared his throat
and continued in a hushed tone, “Some people call her the Witch of the Wall, because she captured animals,
took them to her hideout and some people even thought she made them into stew just to get rid of them. Her
hideout is in that tower just ahead.”
“
But wouldn’t someone notice her?” I asked.
“
Of course not!” he replied. “Why do you think she would pick a place where people could see her?
There is a secret door that leads into her hideout,” Mr. Wu explained.
It only took a few minutes to get to the tower, but finding the secret entrance was going to be a challenge. I
leaned against the walls and stomped on the floor, but nothing happened. Suddenly I heard Mr.Wu whisper,
”
Over here, I found it!”
It was gloomy inside the cave and the walls were damp and covered in creeping moss. Along the walls of
the dimly lit tower there were a few torches. “Let’s take one of these torches to light our way.” Mr.Wu jerked
one of the torches towards him, and suddenly the walls separated, revealing a hidden door.
We cautiously entered the room, but before I could get a good look around, Mr.Wu yanked me behind a
large wooden chest. He was trembling as he pointed to a figure and said, “It’s her, the Witch of the Wall.”
She was more frightening than I had imagined. She had sharp eyes and tangled hair. I saw lots of dogs,
cats and even pandas stacked in cages in the corner. Suddenly I saw Marsh, locked up with two other dogs. Mr.
Wu rushed to block the witch’s view as I sprinted towards the cages. I unlocked all the cages and the animals
dashed out. I scooped up a frightened Marsh and let him bury his face in my arms as I made a run for the door.
The cool morning air hit my face as I stumbled out of the tower. I stood at the entrance to the tower, hoping
Mr. Wu would come out soon. Suddenly my parents rushed up to me along with a police officer. My mother
covered me in hugs and kisses. My father suggested we go back to the hotel to speak with the police officer. As
they pulled me away, I searched frantically for Mr. Wu, be he was nowhere to be seen.
I still think about Mr. Wu, I wonder if he ever got away. I hope he is okay. I will never forget how he
helped me save Marsh.
* * *