Chapter: 03. The Witches
A. Choose the correct answer for these questions.
What was the narrator’s age at the beginning of the story when he went to live with his grandmother? What natural feature was the car tumbling down into after it skidded off the road? How did the grandmother try to help herself and the boy forget their great sadness? What unique detail distinguished Ranghild Hansen’s abductor? What was the last item Solveg Christiansen was seen with before her transformation into the painting? B. Answer the following questions with reference to the context.
“Heaven shall take my soul, but Norway shall keep my bones.”
a. Who says this line?
* The narrator’s grandmother says this line.
b. What does this line reveal about the speaker’s feelings towards Norway?
* It reveals her deep love and attachment to Norway, indicating that she never wishes to leave it, even in death.
c. What tragic event prompts the speaker to make this statement?
* The death of the narrator’s parents prompts her to say this, as it means the narrator must now stay in Norway with her. “I am trying to make sure you don’t go the same way.”
a. Who is the speaker of this sentence?
* The narrator’s grandmother is the speaker.
b. To whom is the speaker saying this?
* She is saying this to her seven-year-old grandson, the narrator.
c. What “way” is the speaker referring to, that she wants to prevent the listener from going?
* The “way” refers to the fate of the five children who vanished or were horribly transformed by witches, suggesting she wants to protect him from such a similar terrible end. C. Think and Answer.
Describe the atmosphere inside the grandmother’s living room as she tells the chilling stories. How do the descriptions of the room and the outside weather contribute to making the stories more impactful? The atmosphere in the living room is initially cozy and intimate, with the boy “crouched on the floor at her feet.” However, it quickly turns eerie and tense. The descriptions of “huge snowflakes falling slowly” outside and the world being “as black as tar” through the undrawn curtains create a stark contrast between the apparent safety indoors and the vast, dark, menacing world outside, making the stories of lurking witches feel much more real and immediate. The grandmother reassures the boy that witches won’t come through his window or climb drainpipes. What does this specific reassurance tell us about how witches operate in this story, and why might it still leave the boy (and reader) feeling uneasy? This reassurance tells us that witches in this story do not typically use crude, obvious methods of entry like breaking into homes. Instead, their danger lies in their deceptive and insidious nature, luring children away subtly, as seen with Ranghild and Solveg. It leaves the boy (and reader) uneasy because while he might be safe in his bed, the outside world, where he will eventually have to go, remains teeming with witches who operate in far more cunning and terrifying ways than simple break-ins. If you were the narrator, how would you feel about your grandmother’s stories about witches? Would you be fascinated, terrified, or both? Explain why. Student’s answer will vary but should show understanding of both emotions. Example: If I were the narrator, I would feel both fascinated and terrified. I would be fascinated because the stories are so imaginative and strange, like the boy turning into granite or the girl into a chicken, which are things you never hear about. However, I would definitely be terrified because my grandmother insists these things are real and still happening, making me constantly wonder if I might be next or if a witch is hiding nearby, even if she told me I was safe in bed. 
Answer key