Halloween

hit the supermarket shelves more than a month ago. Yes, it is all about the marketing. 
Sweets, chocolates, masks, tricks and other treats have all been prominently displayed.
    "What am I going to do about it?" one mother of two young children asked me. They are school going age. Their friends are already over excited about potential "celebrations". We both agreed that the whole business of "trick and treating" is something that has come from North America for the purpose of making money and that it is potentially dangerous.
But, children hate to miss out. Their mother felt she had to do something.
   "What if I get the cauldron out?" I said. We have a bowl that they used once before as a cauldron for a school play. "You can bring them around here around about six - before everyone gets started."
   "And do what?"
   "Well, you can pick up the book you wanted and I'll put a note on the cauldron and some frogs in the cauldron. We can say something like "The Witch's cat has a really bad headache. She left you two frogs in the cauldron. Your mother says you can have them if you are very quiet."
    "Oh, good idea!"
I expect to see two small children coming in later today. The older of the two will be able to read the note to the younger one. It will be something to talk about at school tomorrow. They will know it is just a bit of fun. They won't have too much sugar to deal with but they will have a small, sweet treat. 
The approved frogs come in packets of fifteen. I'll put the other thirteen in a box "cauldron" on the fence and hope the "trick and treaters" ignore us.