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Continued .  .  . 

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The masts of his ship were from rowan tree made
And, protected from witchcraft, he was not afraid.
      'Your homeland is being destroyed,' it was said,
       And with this thought in mind, homeward he sped.

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The sails of the gallant ship gleamed in the sun,
But the witch saw it coming and wasn’t outdone.
      She summoned her friends - evil witches most feared -
      And off to the beach they quite soon disappeared.

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'Bring shipwreck, disaster and death to this youth!'
Were the words the queen used, but to tell you the truth,
      With a mast made of rowan, their spells had no power,
      So she sent out an army of men in the hour.

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Faced with brave warriors, her army was slain
And the prince and his men headed homeward again.
      Then something horrific rose from the sea bed:
      A creature that filled every person with dread.

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The fearless young prince drew his sword from his cloak,
But before he could strike, the creature then spoke:
      'Put down your sword, give me kisses – yes, three -
      And before the sun sets then I’ll surely be free.'

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His brave friends cried out: 'Heed not what is said!
Come back to your ship and to safety instead.'
      But something just struck at the chords of his heart
      And he three tender kisses on the beast did impart.

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His men gave a cry when they saw a strange sight –
Though not one that caused either terror or fright.
      Instead of the creature, the one who stood there
      Was Margaret, their princess, quite radiant and fair.

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There was yet one more task to be done on that day,
So they sped to the castle with no more delay.
      The prince and princess were cheered by the crowd.
      'That witch will pay dearly for this,' they both vowed.

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The prince, in his absence, had learned magic well
And the time had now come to cast his special spell.
      The cowering witch, at the end of her road,
       Became, very soon, a repulsive old toad.

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So beware if you walk on Northumberland’s coast.
There’s a creature most fearsome, which isn’t a ghost!
      It’s the most awful toad that you’ll ever have seen,
      But whose former life was as a witch and a queen.

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