Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood

Summary
There is nothing in this book that would be considered offensive to younger readers. There was this mother with seven children--each one named for a different day of the week. And she needed to go to the store and decided that each child could have one treat. They gave her their requests and she gave them a few rules to follow while she was away. One, never talk to a stranger. Two, don't play with fire. The children remembered to lock the door, but then began to play like children do once their parents have gone out. All of a sudden, a witch named Heckedy Peg tapped at the window. She claims she has broken her leg, and asks to come in. The children remember the rule about not talking to strangers, but decide to let her in anyway. Once inside the house, the witch asks if they might light her pipe. The children recall their mother asking them not to touch fire, but a light a few pieces of straw anyway, and light her pipe. However, once it was lit, Heckedy Peg threw the pipe to the floor and turned the children into treats. With her newly acquired treats in hand, she makes the journey from the house to her cottage where she set up her dinner made from children named after days of the week. The mother then came home carrying her children's treats in hand and panicked as she noticed her children missing. Luckily, a little bird instructed her to follow him for he would take her to her children. He led her to the cottage where the evil witch lived. Upon arriving, Heckedy Peg refused the mother's entry. She claimed the mother's shoes and feet were too dirty. So the mother told Heckedy that she'd cut them off, but only tucked her feet under her dress and the witch finally let her in. The mother demanded her children back, and Heckedy Peg directed her to the table. She said the mother had to identify which treat was which child the first time, otherwise the children treats would become dinner. At first, the mother was dumbfounded. Thankfully, she remembered what each child wanted and identified each child treat with its compliment. She was right! And Heckedy Peg was miffed. The children turned back into themselves and were thankful their mother knew them so well. But that isn't all. Heckedy Peg could not go unpunished, so the mother chased the witch off a bridge and no one ever heard from her again. This story discusses the importance of listening to your mother and the power of a mother's love.