A long time ago, when even the lords walked, Luca lived in a small village near a distant forest. She was no ordinary girl, for she could see witches. For the story goes that in the woods near the village lived a wicked, evil witch.
But this witch has never been seen by anyone except Luca. She only appeared among the people through magic, so no one could recognise her. Sometimes she turned into a beautiful leanness, sometimes into an old hag, sometimes into a dog. No wonder they didn't recognise him.
But Luca not only had the ability to see witches, she also had magical powers. As you know, Luca's grandmother was a fairy, and that's where she got her special magic. But even her mother could not see witches, even though she was a descendant of a fairy.
They often wondered how they could help people, because the wicked witch often made someone's life miserable. Then one year they decided that from Luca's name day, 13 December, each person in the village would make a chair made of exactly 7 pieces. But this strange three-legged chair was not just any chair, the last one had to be in place by Christmas.
Meanwhile, before Luca put a new piece of the chair in place, he would always say the same incantation:
Luca's chair, get ready,
Get it together for Christmas!
Seven pieces should be your body,
may you find magic in yourself!
Who prepares you, then stands on you,
See who is hiding!
By Christmas Day, everyone had their chair ready. After dinner, they dressed up and went to church for midnight mass. They knew that the wicked witch would do everything she could to spoil this holy festival.
Everyone in the church put up a chair and then stood on it. Only one old lady in the back row had no chair. However, anyone who looked at her immediately recognized that it was not a nice old lady sitting in the pew, but the wicked witch.
When the witch realised what had happened, she immediately got on her broom and flew as far as she could. She was never seen again. However, they have made the chair every year since then so that a witch will never come near them again. And Christmas has been celebrated happily and peacefully ever since.
