Clove, lemon and rosemary soap
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Story invented by our children.
For as long as anyone can remember, the Witch of the Mountain has lived in a secret cave under Mount Orford in the Eastern Townships. Though human in appearance, she has amazing powers that allow her to hide her comings and goings; simply by touching an animal print, carcass or even its fur, she can transform into that animal.
Under the cover of darkness, she roams the ridge trail at such speed that she can cross the Orford summit road several times unseen, leaving in her wake a strong smell of spice not unlike pepper. She could live on just greens and roots, but a weakness for meat – preferably red – drives her to take foolish chances. Tearing into game of any size with her long pointy teeth was her great pleasure.
One year during hunting season when food was more scarce, she climbed down from the mountain to be closer to the houses. She spied a black cat that looked very tasty. She caught and ate it. Delicious! This delectable taste still a fresh memory led her to venture close to the houses more often. Soon it became clear that she found white, spotted and tabby cats to be just as delicious. Ever since, more and more stray cats have been disappearing in the night...
Everyone will recall that in the 1960s the government sold Mount Orford to a private company at about the same time that Autoroute 10 was built from Montréal to Magog. The Witch of the Mountain was none too pleased by the dynamiting. Nervous and on edge, she took to scaring hikers at night. She would brush up against them, letting out terrifying howls that some thought was a coyote.
Eventually, with more and more campers venturing into the wilderness, she was forced to move out of her cave. This sent her into a rage so intense that she set off a massive thunderstorm, flooding many homes on the shores of Lakes Orford, Stukely and Fraser.
In the end, the Witch of the Mountain accepted she had to share the mountain, but as a reminder to visitors that their presence was a privilege, she took great pleasure in maintaining a microclimate between Stukely and Magog, sending down heavy rain, ice storms, flurries and blowing snow, depending on her mood.
So remember: visit or settle the area at your own risk and peril.
