The witch sisters were probably born on a piece of scrap mat board from the bin under the cutting table. Like bluish wisps of Bond Street smoke from my father's pipe, the sisters materialized into our childhoods. They were among his most lasting and private creations.

The stories were told in varied places. Some on the front porch swing, accompanied by a sound track of rain and thunder as we watched the really "good" storms. Some in the station wagon on the road to Tippecanoe, Brown County, or LaPorte. And of course in countless bedrooms, where the audienced squeezed into a single twin bed, even though there were always at least two in the room.

They are especially remembered on Halloween.

The three sisters were named Granchubula, Rasstassable and Singesingeable. We were able to see their pointy hats and warts and flowing black dresses, all drawn on mat board or brown wrapping paper.  Purple was always added somewhere to their clothing. My father didn't spare any detail, and he often told the stories as he drew the pictures. Sometimes he would make an elaborate drawing first, enticing his audience into the tale. The stories were alternately scary and funny.

Granchubula was the matriarch and the oldest sister. She looked after Singesingeable, the middle sister, and Rasstassable, the youngest. They lived in an old tree in Mrs. Jacob's huge wooded property next door. It was said to be a gnarled oak tree with a huge knot at its base. My sisters would occassionally gather the courage for a foray to see if they could find it. Of course, my father wouldn't give away the exact spot.

The witch sisters worked by day in what was known as "The Broom Room".   It was a six story room for making broomsticks. It had all the required materials - straw, sticks, and whatever else was needed - all carefully illustrated. The Broom Room was the place where naughty children were taken by Granchubula. Their punishment was to spend a certain number of hours or days making brooms with the sisters. When they finished making the brooms, they'd be tested; flown up into the cavernous space. The punshment seemed to be fairly adminsitered by Granchubula, but resented by the younger sisters. In fact, Granchubula was often found admonishing her sisters for inapproriate acts; some unseemly even for witches.

Everyone's favorite witch was probably Singesingeable. She always carried fire - whether it was a lantern, torch, or matches.   She was resentful and confrontational, and would always throw fire on those that got in her way. Or she'd burn things up. We loved her. Rasstassable lived in the shadow of the other sisters and unfortunately I can't seem to remember much about her.  But she had some big personalities in her family and it was easy to get overlooked.

The memories of the sisters are becoming somewhat foggy, like the Halloween scenes they lived in. But, in retrospect, the most remarkable part about the witch sisters is that a father of seven would find the time and the energy to give them life - and to share his creativity and excitement with all of us. Which we still all have, thanks to my dad.

#childhood imagination

The Witch Sisters