Soloman was still standing around outside the hut, while the weird sisters, Gismonda and Gasmina, kept close watch on him. Soloman didn’t know where to look so he just kept his eyes on his hands, staring at them, as if he’d never seen them before.
“What’s so special about your hands?” Gismonda squeaked.
“Ah, erm, nothing much,” Soloman replied, “I, I, er, actually my hands are special. Or should I say my fingers are. I play the violin, you know?”
“No, we don’t know and we’re not interested,” she said.
Soloman felt he had to talk. Keep these hags occupied. As long as they were listening to him, they wouldn’t harm him, he thought.
“It’s my job. I play the violin in streets and people give me money.”
The two weird sisters didn’t look impressed.
“Well, our job is a hundred million times more difficult than yours. Any idiot can play the violin. What does it take? Even three-year-old children can hold a stick in their hands and run it over a few strings. A bit of strumming and you’re off. Terrible screeching sound. With my beautiful fingers, I’d have played the piano, if I’d had a chance. Now there’s a real instrument. That’s difficult to learn. Not the violin,” Gismonda said looking at her sister who nodded in agreement.
“Well said, sister. You’re spot on. Only one person in a hundred million can do what we do. What do you think of that?” Gasmina said, turning to Soloman.
“I think that... erm..., I think that’s... Sorry, what is it you do?”
“Ah, Ah. Now we’ve got him interested, haven’t we?” Gismonda said looking at Gasmina again.
“We can see the future. That’s what we can do. Yes, see the future,” she repeated.
By now Soloman was feeling really irritated. They had said horrible things about him and were coming up with all this rubbish about future telling.
“All right, if you can tell the future tell me how long I’ve got to stand here with you two,” he challenged them.
“Calm down, young man. You are getting above yourself. Haven’t you realised that you are in our domain here and that means you are totally in our power. We decide what’s to be done with you. Nobody asked you to come here. You trespassed on our land and you have to take the punishment,” Gismonda said.
“But this is a forest. It belongs to everyone,” Soloman insisted.
“It belongs to everyone,” Gasmina repeated.
“No, it doesn’t, you idiot,” Gismonda said to Gasmina.
“No, it doesn’t, s-s-sorry,” Gasmina apologised to her twin sister for having said the wrong thing.
“I’ll have no more of your cheek, young man. Let’s tie him up!” Gismonda suddenly shouted.
Gismonda was on to Soloman in a flash, grabbing him from behind and holding his wrists tightly together.
“Gasmina, go and get some bendy twigs from the undergrowth and tie his wrists together,” Gismonda said.
Gasmina ran off and was soon back. She tied Soloman’s hands together finishing off in three neat knots.
“His feet, too!” Gismonda shouted.
“Yes, quick,” Gasmina shouted back.
They knocked Soloman down to the ground, got hold of his feet and wound twigs around those too.
“That should do it,” said Gismonda, “that’ll teach him to answer back.”
“Get off me. Untie me!” Soloman shouted out.
“Let’s stuff something in his mouth to stop him talking,” Gismonda said.
They looked around.
“Some leaves, perhaps?” said Gasmina.
“No, please. Leave me alone. Let me go...” Soloman pleaded.
“You’re joking. We have no pity. None at all. So don’t try making us feel sorry for you. That’s just not the way we are,” said Gismonda.
“If you don’t put leaves in my mouth, I promise not to answer back. I promise not to be cheeky, I promise not to...” he begged.
“We can’t be sure of that, and we don’t trust anyone. Go get the leaves, Gasmina, while I keep an eye on him. Yours was a brilliant idea. Hurry now,” Gismonda panted.
Gasmina went off to look for suitable leaves and soon came back with a pile of them bundled up in her black ragged apron.
“Here you are, sister,” she said.
“Lovely,” Gismonda answered. “Let’s stuff them into his mouth. Nice and tight, until we can stuff no more in.”