The parish priest of Gerrikaitz did not believe in witches. For that he went over every day to the parishioners:
- Ignorant and gullible creatures, there are no witches, there never have been and there never will be… Because witches are the devil's imagination to frighten candid souls like you. Witches are a superstition, the invention of an evil spirit to make fun of humanity. Stupid creatures, these parishioners who let themselves be bamboozled by old ramblings! They would have done better to learn catechism properly and stop stupidities.
The parish priest of Gerrikaitz
But no, at least someone was whispering that there were witches in the village because a cow had been found dead or because a child was sick and the gossip soon reached the ears of the priest.
- There are no witches, there are no witches… In the whole world there is not a single witch. But, how am I to tell you? he moaned in a new sermon. There are no witches, there are no witches, get it in your head once and for all!
One day, from his pulpit, in defiance of the persistent belief in witches of his parishioners, after having shouted once more denying their existence, our parish priest returned home and went to bed without supper.
He fell asleep immediately but it was not a peaceful and restful sleep but restless and sweaty, he stirred in his bed surrounded by heavy and heavy shadows.
Suddenly a noise woke him with a start, forcing him to sit on his bed as if pushed by a spring. He calmed down for a moment when he realized that what had woken him up were the church bells indicating midnight.
However, when the echo of the final blow dissipated in space and the religious was about to go back to bed, a detonation made him straighten up. Immediately, as if sprung from millions or even billions of bewitching throats, he heard this sentence:
- Ba gatituk! (We are here !)
Terrified, trembling with fear, his body drenched in cold sweat and feeling surrounded by a million little shining and threatening eyes, the priest whispered:
- Witches are witches… and they are coming for me!
Immediately, raising a trembling hand to his forehead to sign himself, implored fervently:
- Help me, my god!
Immediately, the darkness of the room returned to normal for this hour. No sound altered the stillness of the night.
Recovered, a moment later he abandoned his bed and went to the window. Nothing special on the outside. Everything was in order, as always. Finally he decided to go to bed despite the fact that that night he could not find sleep.
Since then, and to the surprise of his parishioners, the good priest never denied the existence of witches again, and when someone mentioned them, he limited himself to signing himself and quickly moving away invoking a prayer. leaving them with their gossip.
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