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 mock humanity. Stupid creatures, these parishioners who allowed themselves to be bamboozled by doting old ladies! They would have done better to learn the catechism properly and stop being stupid.
The parish priest of Gerrikaitz
But no, at least someone whispered 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 priest's ears.
– There are no witches, there are no witches… In the whole world there is not a single witch. But how should I tell you? he shouted in a new sermon. There are no witches, there are no witches, get it into your head once and for all!
One day, from his pulpit, in defiance of his parishioners' persistent belief in witches, after shouting once again denying their existence, our priest returned home and went to bed without supper.
He fell asleep immediately but it was not a peaceful and restorative sleep but restless and sweaty, he stirred in his bed surrounded by heavy and heavy shadows.
Suddenly a noise woke him up with a start, forcing him to sit up on his bed as if pushed by a spring. He calmed down for a moment when he realized that what had woken him were the church bells indicating midnight.
However, when the echo of the final blow dissipated in space and the monk was about to lie down again, a detonation made him stand up. Immediately, as if springing 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:
– The witches, they are the 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 that hour. No sound disturbed the tranquility of the night.
Recovered, a moment later he abandoned his bed and went to the window. Nothing special outside. Everything was in order, as always. Finally he decided to go to bed even though he couldn't sleep that night.
Since then, and to the surprise of his parishioners, the good priest never again denied the existence of witches, and when someone mentioned them, he limited himself to crossing himself and quickly stepping aside invoking a prayer. leaving them with their gossip.
