The Wicked Witch of the

Singing SandsA Folktale from the Kalahari Desert

Retold by Lloyd Davis

Illustrated by Katie McCormick

In this folktale, an African herdsman tries to keep his sons safe from a child-stealing witch. He comes up with a clever plan to foil the witch, but she is very cunning. Can the herdsman match wits with the witch and win?

Other Folktales in Springboard 4:

Gulnara Momotaro,LittlePeachling

8.8 9.2T

he Wicked W

itch of the Singing S

andsS

pringboard 4

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Contents

Chapter One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Chapter Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Chapter Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The Wicked Witch of the

Singing SandsA Folktale from the Kalahari Desert

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Chapter One

Keeping the children safe

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Once, a long, long time ago, there lived a wicked witch

who liked to steal children. The wicked witch lived across

the far side of the shining white singing sands. The

singing sands warned the witch of anyone approaching.

The sound of just one step on the sands could be heard

a hundred miles away.

Everyone knew about the witch and feared her.

A desert herdsman feared that the witch would come

and take away his three sons. His three sons were all

the family he had. The herdsman’s wife had died and he

was bringing up the boys alone. Each day, he had to go

into the desert to herd his goats to the grazing lands.

Each day, he warned his sons about the witch. His sons

were very careful, but he still worried.

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One day, the herdsman had had enough of worrying.

So he decided to build a house in a tree for his family.

He chose a large acacia tree with a tall, smooth trunk.

He built their home high in the acacia tree’s spreading

branches. There were no steps up to the house. There

was only one entrance and this entrance could only be

reached using a rope ladder.

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With the rope ladder as the only way up or down, the

herdsman felt sure the boys would be safe up in the

tree. Whenever he came home, he gave a special signal –

three whistles – so that the boys would know their father

was back. When they heard the whistles, they lowered

the rope ladder to let him climb up to the house in the

acacia tree.

Each day, the herdsman said to his sons, “While I’m

gone, do not let anyone up into the house. You’ll know

it’s me when you hear me whistle three times. When

you hear the three whistles, lower the ladder and I’ll

climb up.”

The boys promised not to let anyone enter their home

in the acacia tree, and each day, when their father had

gone into the desert, they spent the day playing in the

shady branches. They were happy. Every evening, as

soon as they heard their father’s whistle, they let down

the ladder for him and he climbed up to the house to be

with his children.

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Chapter Two

The wicked witch appears

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