Chapter 5: Little Witch Tales: The Deer Mother

“The thing is - the greats never go by one single name.” She booped the deer's nose. “Names shapeshift, and what we call someone today is nothing more than a prelude within an endless trilogy. The best characters, the greats, are always changing.”

In episode 5 of the Pointy Hat Press podcast, hosts Kristin Lisenby & Caitlyn Barone narrate The Deer Mother,  an original fairy tale from the Little Witch Books library. The Deer Mother is a hopeful tale about the return of the sun, the way of the Fae, and a horned heroine roaming the pages of winter.

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Read the latest from Little Witch Books

Telling the Bees: An illustrated fairy tale about a little witch, a curious invitation, and a sticky, springtime tradition.

On the next new moon, join Little Witch and her coven beneath the Elder.

It’s time to tell the bees.

Alongside Persephone and the Fairies, join Little Witch for high tea with the hive! As you and the bees sip honeyed potions, Madam Spider spins riddles and Little Witch describes a curious dream – one about a moonstruck hare, moving at your own pace, and the origin of fairy tales.

What does it mean to ‘tell the bees?’

Many moons ago, magick was part of everyday life. Bees brewed honey and pollinated flowers, but they also worked as household psychopomps, fuzzy messengers that carried our stories between worlds. 

Back then, bees were not mere insects but divine couriers, and upon reaching important milestones, families toasted their good fortune with the hive. The buzzing might go on for days (the bees loved any excuse for a party), but once the hoopla died down, a team of pollinators would set out for lands unseen and deliver meaningful news to spirits long gone.

Today, the ritual of telling the bees appears in animistic and magickal communities, and according to Little Witch, a happy hive is a fruitful spell, sweetening the boundaries of heart and home. 

Peruse our library of free *digital* tales, including this one, The Deer Mother.

Digital stories that receive the most love might find their way into future books…

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Music & Fx: Like a Bird, Letra. Melodic Logos, Soft Twinkle, Sweet String Pluck, Bell
Cristian Lucchetta - Practical Magic, Magical Portal, Open, Atmospheric Choir, Stardust Chimes, Wind Gust

The Pointy Hat Press podcast was created by Kristin Lisenby & Caitlyn Barone, and is produced by Julio Montero. Manuscript submissions are currently closed, but you can follow the PHP Literary Coven on Substack, or at @pointyhatpress and @littlewitchbooks. For wholesale inquiries, please contact [email protected].