When their cow Lucy goes missing, Tim and Rose set out to track her down, eventually finding themselves in the nearby forest. Here they encounter a variety of magical adventures, finding shelter overnight with Binkle-bonk the tree goblin, being towed across a river by Mud-wiggle the worm, and joined on their journey by the talking Dingle-mouse. When the three travelers are captured by the evil Bedjelly the witch, who threatens to turn them into sausages, Dingle-mouse escapes and runs off in search of his massive eagle friend Jim. With Jim's aid, as well as the helping hand of God, the children escape, Badjelly is destroyed, and all ends happily...

Originally created by comedian, poet, playwright and actor Spike Milligan as a fairy-tale for his two young children, Badjelly the Witch was first published in 1973. The story, which is on the long side for a picture-book, is hand-lettered by Milligan, and contains his own illustrations. Although sometimes unimpressed by celebrity-authored children's books - what can I say? they often seem to owe their publication more to their creator's name, than to any particular virtue of storytelling - I found this title charming. It's a madcap story, full of quirky characters and matter-of-fact magic. I understand that it was made into a children's play in New Zealand, where it is a perennial favorite, and has been broadcast many times on the radio. Because of the treasured place it holds in many New Zealanders' childhoods, I decided to add it to my 'New Zealand children' shelf, even though I would normally only do so if the book were originally published in that country. Leaving that aside, I also understand it has been made into a movie by the BBC, and that the moviemakers insisted on leaving God out of the story. How terribly sad, not to mention disrespectful of Milligan's vision. Recommended to fairy-tale lovers young and old, and to fans of Spike Milligan. ( )

what more can you say? i grew up with this story being told every sunday morning on ZB, and it made me shiver everytime badjelly climbed the stairs to the tower holding the kids...
own the book and cd, and have passed it onto my kids to enjoy. ( )

From back cover: "Badjelly the Witch can turn children into sausages or chop them up to make boy-girl soup. She can turn policement into apple trees and bananas into mice. In fact, she is the wickedest wirth in all the world!"