The King of the Land wants his people to be good. His Counsellor, the Giantess Mrs Roper suggests four witches to solve the worries of people, would enable them to be good. The King agrees and appoints a witch in each corner of the Land. Mrs Roper found the four witches and put the oldest one, Grimwitch, underneath her castle in the air to watch her and make sure she did her job. Grimwitch and her cat Snaky without a tail, placed their wigwam in a space they cleared in the wood under the castle. Snaky kept asking for a tail, but Grimwitch didn't give him one until she was so cold, she gave him a furry one that could keep them both warm in her bed. She liked the tail so much she magicked one for herself, much bigger and better than Snaky's. Delighted with her tail, that she used to hold her safely on her broomstick, she overestimated the speed she could go and crashed into a thorn bush.Snaky had to rescue her, one of many rescues he had to do.