Pink Witch’s Shop

It was a warm autumn night. The lights in the houses of the small and charming town were going out one by one. The children living in the town had already fallen asleep and had taken a stroll in the dream world. It was difficult for the adults who always slept after the children to let go of their thoughts and fall asleep… Street lamps and the stars in the sky were illuminating the night.
A tabby cat was sitting on the garden wall. He arched his back and curled his paws. Unmoving, he was staring at the empty lot across the road, as if waiting for something to happen. A big black cat chasing a mouse in the garden stopped chasing when he saw this. He jumped next to the tabby cat and asked why he was staring at this empty lot at this late hour of the night without moving. Tabby said:
"She's coming tonight."
***
"Good evening! Can you give me two hundred grams of mommy cookies with cinnamon?" 
Pink Witch was almost tumbling down from her chair in surprise. Marshgnome and Mallowgnome looked at each other. Pink Witch straightened up, peering intently at the man under her glasses. Al¬though the young man looked serious, his gaze was childlike. Pink Witch raised her nose: 
“Where did you get the idea that we were selling mommy cookies?” 
The man looked around in embarrassment. He read the labels on the jars. 
"Excuse me! I am so sorry! I thought you were sell¬ing mom cookies. My mother was very precious to me. I miss her and the cookies she made so much. Mine are not that tasty. I got married last year. Unfor¬tunately, my wife can't bake cinnamon cookies like my mom…” 
Pink Witch smiled at the young man. “I see… your poor wife must be doing her best, just like you. I'm sure she bakes you nice cookies. But there is a lot of longing in your heart. The feeling of longing for your mother is very heavy. If you blow us a little 'longing', we'll give you a little 'forgetfulness'… What do you think?” 
The young man was delighted, because he loved his wife. He didn't want to offend her because of the cookies. The Pink Witch carefully lowered the forgetfulness jar from the shelf. Before opening the cover, he called Mallowgnome: "Can you bring the 'longing' balloon?" 
Then he turned to the young man: 
“You have to blow very carefully. If you blow too much... you will forever lose your childhood memo¬ries and the sweet longing for many more precious memories. This would not be good.” 
Mallowgnome brought the red balloon from the secret compartment at the back and handed it to the man. “Just four breaths,” he said. The young man blew the balloon four times. With her long fin¬gers, Pink Witch carefully opened the "forgetfulness" jar. She took a pinch and sprinkled it on the young man. There was nothing in sight, but the lost child expression in the man's eyes had vanished…