The witch
Once, people lived peacefully and wisely, kind-hearted in their hearts and humble in their minds, benevolent towards others and without a dark thought of evil. They lived well and possessed everything they needed for a beautiful life.
But there came a time when a sickness spread across the lands, a sickness that infected the mind and was driven by the power of shimmering gold. People began to strive for it and lived in lavish circumstances; greed and gluttony, envy and constant indulgence became part of human nature. The gap between the rich and the poor widened incessantly; the rich stole from the poor, exploited them, and enriched themselves at their expense. What once defined a good person—his humility, kindness, generosity, and wisdom, even the peace that dwelled within him—had become corrupted and forever lost.
At that time, there was a small, old witch who observed the spectacle unfolding in the world, watching with vigilant eyes. She could no longer bear to witness what people were doing to each other and to themselves; their anger and cruelty took hold, and the witch feared the worst. She felt pity but also hope that not all was entirely lost. Determined, the little witch set out to appeal to people’s reason and restraint, seeking to converse with them. She wanted to reassure herself that people still had goodness within them and that not all was lost.
However, wherever she went, no one wanted to speak with her, and no one paid her any attention. What mattered was gold, greed, envy, and rage. Slowly, the little old witch began to doubt her endeavor, so she devised another plan. She went from door to door, begging for help, a place to stay for the night, or even just a piece of bread, after all, one couldn’t simply leave an old woman helpless on the street. She hoped to awaken people’s compassion and kindness. Only a very few people opened their doors to the old witch, offering her a bed for the night or giving her something to eat. Those who helped her didn’t have much themselves but were still willing to give something away to help someone else. To these people, the little old witch granted a wish they had free. But all the others, those who turned away from the old, little witch, refused her plea for help, and even mistreated her, stirred in her a deep sense of hopelessness, which soon turned into deep sorrow and anger. After some time, the old, little witch was so consumed by hatred and anger towards people that she herself abandoned her last hope and succumbed to the sickness. She raged across the lands, cursing the people with a curse that would punish them until Judgment Day for their terrible deeds and behavior.
Whenever a person showed their ugliest side, consumed by greed, envy, and rage, they transformed into a wild animal. The more a person transformed, the harder it became to turn back, until they finally retained the animal form permanently and forgot their memories of existence as a human. It was a lesson and a warning for those who refused to learn. Soon, all people knew of the witch’s curse and welcomed her enthusiastically wherever she went. They treated the old, little witch like nobility, showering her with belongings, food, and gold. But the witch realized that people’s hearts were still black, corrupted by the sickness.
But before the old witch could cause any more harm, the people united against her and drove her away. Out of fear for her life, the witch fled far away, to a land that no one knew anymore. She vowed to take revenge and to curse all people to the end of time; they did not deserve to be happy and healthy.
But it never came to that. Shortly thereafter, the little, old witch had to rest after her long and exhausting flight, and she rested by the side of a road that led into the unknown. There was no village or soul in sight for miles. The world could be so peaceful and beautiful if it weren’t for the people who took everything and destroyed whatever they got their hands on. The little, old witch lay down in the grass and closed her eyes; she was tired of her life. She took her last breath and died lonely and abandoned by the roadside, her spirit sick and consumed by all the anger and sorrow that people had caused her. On a road that led nowhere, surrounded by complete solitude. Possessed by a sickness she had wanted to cure. Soon, the little, old witch was forgotten again, but her curse would endure forever.
