little strange, and she does dress in funny, long, black robes, but Kristy is fairly certain she isn't a witch. (She's never been able to convince Karen of that, though.)
"What kind of potions is she working up?" Max asked Karen.
"Witch potions."
"You mean . . . ?" Hannie began.
Karen nodded her head. "Yes. To turn people and animals into witches. To turn us into witches."
"Us?" shrieked Amanda. "Well, how could she ever get us to take the potions? We'd have to drink them, wouldn't we?"
"Yes," replied Karen."
"And we wouldn't be stupid enough to drink something Morbidda Destiny gave us, would we?"
Karen remained undaunted. "Witches have their ways," she said mysteriously.
All seven children turned wary eyes to Mrs. Porter's house, as if expecting to see a bat fly out a window or something. Of course, nothing happened.
Finally, David Michael said, "Well, now I'm thirsty. Kristy, can we make some lemonade?"
"I don't think we have any mix," she told her brother.
"Hey, could we make real lemonade?" asked Hannie, inspired. "It would be fun! All you need is lemons and water and sugar. And ice."
"It would be fun," Kristy replied, "but you need lots and lots of lemons to make enough lemonade for eight people. I'm sure we've only got two or three. We hardly ever use them."
"Darn," said Karen.
"I've got plenty of lemons," spoke up a hoarse voice. "You children come on over here and I'll show you how to make real lemonade."
Eight heads swiveled slowly in the direction of the Hallo ween house. There stood Mrs. Porter, frizzy gray hair, frumpy black clothes, and all.
Kristy thought it was to the kids' credit that not one of them screamed, but she realized later that they were simply frozen with horror.
"Please?" croaked Mrs. Porter. "I hardly ever have guests."
Kristy looked from the terrified children to Mrs. Porter. She couldn't help but remember the time she'd been baby-sitting and Mrs. Porter had brought over the remains of a mouse, saying that Boo-Boo had killed it and
left the insides on her front porch. On the other hand, Mrs. Porter had also brought over a wedding present when Kristy's mom and Watson had gotten married. Kristy kept thinking about what Mrs. Porter had just said: "I hardly ever have guests." She began to feel sorry for her. So she made one of the snap decisions she's famous for. "Come on, you guys. What fun! Real lemonade! Thanks, Mrs. Porter."
Mrs. Porter's mouth cracked into a crooked smile. "How lovely. Guests," she said. "Come over in five minutes and I'll have everything ready. Heh, heh, heh." She whisked around, her robes swinging out behind her, and dashed toward her house.
"Kris-teee," Karen wailed softly. "You're not making us go over there, are you?"
"We are all going over. We'll have some nice lemonade," Kristy replied, putting Shannon and Boo-Boo in the house.
"Not me," said Amanda, following Kristy. "Max and I are going home. You're not the boss of us."
"That's true," said Kristy. "And I'm sure the other kids won't think you two are 'fraidy cats if you go home now."
"We aren't 'fraidy cats!" cried Max.
"Right," said Kristy.
"Well, we aren't!"
"Neither . . . neither are we/' spoke up Karen, apparently meaning herself, Andrew, David Michael, Linny, and Hannie.
"Of course not. I didn't say you were. Now — I'm ready to go to Mrs. Porter's. Who's coming with me?" asked Kristy.
Reluctantly, all of the kids followed her to Mrs. Porter's porch. They waited nervously on the front steps, and in a minute she appeared with a pitcher of lemonade and a stack of paper cups.
"Here we go," she said, and began to pour. She also began to cackle. Karen looked ready to faint, but Mrs. Porter gave a tiny smile. (Kristy almost thought she saw Mrs. Porter wink.)
"I thought you were going to show us how to make this," said Karen warily. She gazed around the sagging front porch.
"Was I?" said Mrs. Porter. "Well, 1 brewed it up pretty quickly." She reached into the house and pulled a broom onto
"What kind of potions is she working up?" Max asked Karen.
"Witch potions."
"You mean . . . ?" Hannie began.
Karen nodded her head. "Yes. To turn people and animals into witches. To turn us into witches."
"Us?" shrieked Amanda. "Well, how could she ever get us to take the potions? We'd have to drink them, wouldn't we?"
"Yes," replied Karen."
"And we wouldn't be stupid enough to drink something Morbidda Destiny gave us, would we?"
Karen remained undaunted. "Witches have their ways," she said mysteriously.
All seven children turned wary eyes to Mrs. Porter's house, as if expecting to see a bat fly out a window or something. Of course, nothing happened.
Finally, David Michael said, "Well, now I'm thirsty. Kristy, can we make some lemonade?"
"I don't think we have any mix," she told her brother.
"Hey, could we make real lemonade?" asked Hannie, inspired. "It would be fun! All you need is lemons and water and sugar. And ice."
"It would be fun," Kristy replied, "but you need lots and lots of lemons to make enough lemonade for eight people. I'm sure we've only got two or three. We hardly ever use them."
"Darn," said Karen.
"I've got plenty of lemons," spoke up a hoarse voice. "You children come on over here and I'll show you how to make real lemonade."
Eight heads swiveled slowly in the direction of the Hallo ween house. There stood Mrs. Porter, frizzy gray hair, frumpy black clothes, and all.
Kristy thought it was to the kids' credit that not one of them screamed, but she realized later that they were simply frozen with horror.
"Please?" croaked Mrs. Porter. "I hardly ever have guests."
Kristy looked from the terrified children to Mrs. Porter. She couldn't help but remember the time she'd been baby-sitting and Mrs. Porter had brought over the remains of a mouse, saying that Boo-Boo had killed it and
left the insides on her front porch. On the other hand, Mrs. Porter had also brought over a wedding present when Kristy's mom and Watson had gotten married. Kristy kept thinking about what Mrs. Porter had just said: "I hardly ever have guests." She began to feel sorry for her. So she made one of the snap decisions she's famous for. "Come on, you guys. What fun! Real lemonade! Thanks, Mrs. Porter."
Mrs. Porter's mouth cracked into a crooked smile. "How lovely. Guests," she said. "Come over in five minutes and I'll have everything ready. Heh, heh, heh." She whisked around, her robes swinging out behind her, and dashed toward her house.
"Kris-teee," Karen wailed softly. "You're not making us go over there, are you?"
"We are all going over. We'll have some nice lemonade," Kristy replied, putting Shannon and Boo-Boo in the house.
"Not me," said Amanda, following Kristy. "Max and I are going home. You're not the boss of us."
"That's true," said Kristy. "And I'm sure the other kids won't think you two are 'fraidy cats if you go home now."
"We aren't 'fraidy cats!" cried Max.
"Right," said Kristy.
"Well, we aren't!"
"Neither . . . neither are we/' spoke up Karen, apparently meaning herself, Andrew, David Michael, Linny, and Hannie.
"Of course not. I didn't say you were. Now — I'm ready to go to Mrs. Porter's. Who's coming with me?" asked Kristy.
Reluctantly, all of the kids followed her to Mrs. Porter's porch. They waited nervously on the front steps, and in a minute she appeared with a pitcher of lemonade and a stack of paper cups.
"Here we go," she said, and began to pour. She also began to cackle. Karen looked ready to faint, but Mrs. Porter gave a tiny smile. (Kristy almost thought she saw Mrs. Porter wink.)
"I thought you were going to show us how to make this," said Karen warily. She gazed around the sagging front porch.
"Was I?" said Mrs. Porter. "Well, 1 brewed it up pretty quickly." She reached into the house and pulled a broom onto
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