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t is Autumn in the Ramtops. As befits a witch Desiderata Hollow knows she is about to die. 
What sets her apart is that she is also a fairy godmother. She makes her final preparations which includes naming her successor. Unfortunately she has neglected to tell her successor. What is also 
pertinent is that every fairy godmother has a counterpart. Many miles away, in Genua, Lilith looks into her mirrors. she is searching for something, and her mirrors stretch across Discworld; any reflecting surface will do, even a puddle.
The Witches of Lancre meet on Bear Mountain. Desiderata has sent her apologies. They need some new blood injected into the coven and only Magrat Garlic is a possible candidate. Nanny Ogg goes to Desiderata`s cottage only to find Granny Weatherwax already there seemingly searching for something. Granny uncovers a mirror, and immediately smashes it - she has recognised the face looking back at her and it is not Granny Weatherwax.
The Autumn farthing from Ramtop Post
A later image of Magrat as Queen of Lancre
Meanwhile Magrat has received Desiderata`s legacy - exactly what the other two were pretending not to look for. It is her magic wand, with instructions to travel to Genua, find Ella Saturday and ensure that she does not marry the prince. With a bit of headology she is told not to go with the other witches. Magrat believes in a vegetarian diet and no alcohol. She has been studying under those higher up in the Ramtops; the types who write to or visit Mrs Cosmopolite of Ankh-Morpork hoping for a snippet of wisdom such as if you pick it, it will never get better
A letter addressed to
Mrs Cosmopolite from
a corresondant appropriate
to this story
The three set off on their broomsticks with Greebo, Nanny Ogg`s cat - a cat only the owner can love. A stopover with dwarfs due to a snowstorm sees them traversing the mountains by underground river. This peace mode of travel comes to an abrupt end just above the waterfall which Guy de Yoyo claimed to have found, ignoring the fact that many peoples woke up to see it each morning for centuries.
They spend the night in an inn visibly decorated with garlic and retire to bed after a supper of garlic sausage and garlic bread. Greebo patrols outside. A bat about to transform is interrupted by a paw pinning it to the ground. The witches awake to celebrations outside the inn. The innkeeper mimes biting someone`s neck pointing to the castle looming over the town.
The $1 Guy de Yoyo stamp,
part of the Great Explorers series
The witches continue their journey. They must skirt Nothingf’jord, because at a meal break they 
are s
erved sandwiches without a top layer of bread, with sides of pickled herrings. Eventually they come to the Vieux River where they board a paddleboat powered by trolls. Nanny loses their cash to card sharps and Granny has to win it all back - and then some. To avoid retribution it is back to broomsticks
Lilith in Genua uses her mirrors to keep watch on the trio. The Duc, a rather louche individual watches her. She can track the witches` progress down river from puddle reflections. Lilith has replaced the Baron of Genua with the Duc, but it is her pulling the strings now
The 2 Crognae stamp for Unadopted design for the original 1$ stamp from Genua sea-mail from Nothingf`jord 
.They pass over lands where stories seem to coming to life. There is a castle covered with brambles and a sleeping princess, a little girl in a red cape visiting her grandmother, and three bears sharing a house. But eventually they find a yellow brick road leading to Genua and have an incident with a flying farmhouse. They land on the outskirts of Genua in a swamp.
Mrs Pleasant, cook at the castle goes down to the market shopping. The black cock is perched on a roost, meaning the voodoo doctor is there. Mrs Gogol tends her gumbo cauldron, and tells her that soon there will be three visitors to the city looking for Ella. Mrs Pleasant should lead them to her.
The first Genuan $1 shows the swamp;
possibly the view from Mrs Gogol’s floating shack
The old Baron who was killed by Lilith is in fact Ella`s father while the Duc is in fact a frog turned into a princ
e by Lily. The Baron`s will was forged. Lilith needs to get him hereditary acceptance as ruler, so the Duc should marry Ella. When the princess kisses the frog the story is firmly on track.
Genua is a very orderly city. Apart from a rather fairy tale like castle, all the streets are nice and clean, and no-one seems to know about witches. The threesome do not get the respect they deserve. The citizens have to play out the roles life has chosen for them. A toy-maker is punished because he doesn’t whistle and that is what toy-makers are supposed to do, and an innkeeper for being too skinny. Well there is one witch at least and she is in charge.
Genua`s fairy tale castle featuredo
n the first $5 stamp.
It is intended for the mail coach
service to Ankh-Morpork, or for The second $1 stamp from Genua shows
a long distance clacks message typical pot of gumbo bubbling away
The Taverns are full because Fat Tuesday is nigh. After a night in a barn Magrat slips out to find Ella to fulfill her mission. It should be easy because Ella does not want to marry the prince. Nanny meanwhile finds a kindred spirit at the castle in Mrs Pleasant who takes her to Mrs Gogol`s home in the swamp, who feeds her gumbo. She meets Saturday, Mrs Gogol`s zombie. Mrs Gogol wants what is right and and it needs to be done with mirrors. It is revealed that Lilith is Granny Weatherwax`s wayward sister who left home at a young age.
It is Samedi Nuit Mort in Genua, and tomorrow Ella is due to be married to the Duc. The witch
es spend the evening sabotaging arrangements. Ella is being guarded by two elegant women, converted from snakes, but Margrat can get inside to slash the wedding dress. They get the coachmen blind drunk, turn the coach into a pumpkin, and set the horses free. Lilith manages to salvage the situation and the coach, with Ella, sets off for the ball. Granny turns Greebo into a human; dashing, tall and dark, complete with eye-patch, wide grin, and leather trousers. Greebo stops the coach, because the new coachmen and horses are really mice and rats. If they all just escaped with Ella, Lilith would follow them, so Magrat impersonates Ella and goes to the ball with Greebo. The other two witches gain entry from the bedrooms, while Lilith and the Duc arrive at the ball. Nanny Ogg meets would be lothario Casanunda, but is immune to his seduction as she is too busy trying to stop Lilith.
The Wincanton post label issued to coincide with the first
Genua stamps. It shows Baron Saturday
Leg
ba the black cock leads Ella to safety at Mrs Gogol`s shack in the swamp, but Lilith confronts the witches convinced that she is doing good by making the Genuans live a fairy story. The three are locked, up Mrs Gogol sends Baron Staurday to break them out, powered by the swamp through his cloak and top hat. Lilith tries magic on Saturday but it just bounces off him; you cannot lill someone already dead. The Duc though, reverts to frog form and is sqwished. Lilithe flees up to her room of mirrors in the castle tower, while Granny and Mrs Gogol dispute who should rule Genua and who should deal with Lilith. granny says you cannot replace fairy godmothering with voodoo, and it was a family dispute.
Granny smashes one of Lilith`s mirrors making the reflections unbalanced. Around Discworld goes the disruption until it returns to the tower and Lilith`s own reflection reaches out and grabs her. All the mirrors shatter. Finally Ella gets her birthright and rules Genua.
Legba the black cock on the
Genua 1 cent stamp
Ella Saturday on the 2c stamp from the The sport of the Queen Ella stamp,
Year of the Reciprocating Llama held in the right light, shows a
ghostly image of a witch in the mirror
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