I had three sons, and they were close to one another. Too close! It got so I didn’t trust them. They were hatching a plot against me. Oh, I was sure of it. They wanted my power.

So I acted first. I turned my eldest into an eagle, and sent him flying over the rocky mountains above the house. Before the second could open his mouth I changed him into a whale. The last I saw of him was a water spout way off in the sea.

My third son slipped away. I don’t know where he got to, and that bothers me. Damn. It really bothers me!

Enchantress Who Bewitches Her Sons in The Crystal Ball, Grimms. Picture by Edward Gorey.