The Brixen Witch
Authors: Stacy Dekeyser
“Stacy DeKeyser deftly updates the Pied Piper’s tale. The story scuttles with rats, of course, and you end up reading it on your hind legs.”
—Richard Peck, Newbery Medal–winning author of
A Year Down Yonder
“With lilting language and a unique voice, DeKeyser spins a tale like no other. I loved it!”
—Barbara O’Connor, author of
How to Steal a Dog
“A surprisingly powerful retelling of the ancient story of the stranger with a magical musical instrument.”
—Zilpha Keatley Snyder, three-time Newbery Honor winner
A MYSTERIOUS WITCH LIVES
on the mountain above the village of Brixen. Rudi’s never seen her, and nothing much is ever said about her. It’s bad luck to talk of such things.
One day Rudi finds a golden coin on the mountain and slips it into his pocket. Immediately the weather turns icy and a storm chases him home. Or is it the witch chasing him? The storm rages all night, and an eerie singing comes from the coin. His grandmother tells Rudi he must return the enchanted coin. But when he tries to bring it back, he loses it just as the snows come.
Rudi is plagued all winter by horrible dreams, and in the spring rats appear in the village: rats in the square, rats in the churchyard, rats everywhere. Nothing the villagers do will get rid of them. Is this the witch’s revenge? Then a stranger arrives, promising to get rid of the rats. But what if his price is too terrible to bear?
Rudi will need to be very smart and very brave to turn all this bad luck around. Luckily, he gets a little help from his savvy grandmother and a bold young girl in this twisty tale full of mayhem and magic.
S
TACY
D
EKEYSER
is the author of the young adult novel
Jump the Cracks
as well as two nonfiction books for young readers. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Visit her online at stacydekeyser.com.
JACKET DESIGN BY DEBRA SFETSIOS-CONOVER
JACKET ILLUSTRATION COPYRIGHT © 2012
BY GREG CALL MARGARET K. MCELDERRY BOOKS
SIMON & SCHUSTER
NEW YORK
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Stacy DeKeyser
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
M
ARGARET
K. M
C
E
LDERRY
B
OOKS
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Book design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover
The text for this book is set in Cochin.
The illustrations for this book are rendered in Illustrator.
Manufactured in the United States of America
0512 FFG
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DeKeyser, Stacy.
The Brixen Witch / Stacy DeKeyser.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Twelve-year-old Rudi stumbles upon a witch’s lair while out hunting, takes a gold coin he finds there but loses it again, then must deal with the witch’s servant who promises to end the town’s rat infestation only if he receives that gold coin, in a story reminiscent of The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
ISBN 978-1-4424-3328-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4424-3330-4 (eBook)
[1. Witchcraft—Fiction. 2. Community life—Fiction. 3. Rats—Fiction. 4. Magic—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.D3682Bri 2012
[Fic]—dc23
2011033680
F
OR
S
TEPHANIE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I
am grateful to an entire community of book lovers, especially these in particular, who helped this book come into the world:
To my first readers, Dori Chaconas, Kim Marcus, Audrey Vernick, and the Tuesday Writers of West Hartford, Connecticut, for their honest feedback, steadfast friendship, and positive vibes.
To the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, for its generous Artist Fellowship.
To Tracey Adams and everyone at Adams Literary, for their passion, energy, and unwavering faith.
To everyone at Margaret K. McElderry Books, especially Karen Wojtyla, who has been exactly the right midwife for this book. Her enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and deft touch have reminded me at every step how lucky I am to be part of MKM’s literary legacy.
To all my family for their support, especially Kelly, Tom, and Steven, whose love, good humor, and patience allow me to do what I do.
RUDI BAUER ran for his life and cursed his bad luck. He would never have touched the gold coin—much less put it in his pocket—if he’d known it belonged to a witch.