The April Witch is a 1952 fantasy short story by American writer Ray Bradbury.

Plot summary

Cecy Elliott is a 17-year-old girl born into a magical family. She has the ability to assimilate with other living plants or animals. Purely benevolent and innocent in nature, Cecy tells her parents that she wishes to feel love, despite their warning that she will lose her magical abilities if she falls in love with a human. She accepts the risk and voyages to visit and drop into a girl, Ann.

She within Ann goes to attend a dance with Tom, who had previously been involved with Ann. Tom is aware of Ann’s inconsistent behaviour during the dance, and begins to see Cecy through the disguise. At the end, Cecy finds herself believing Tom is worth losing her powers, and so manages to communicate to him to come find her as she leaves Ann. The story ends with Tom’s fingers curling on a paper with Cecy’s address that she managed to write while in Ann’s form.

Reception

Boucher and McComas described the story as one of Bradbury’s “reassuringly lovely flights of fancy”