'Clover Twig stood at the garden gate, staring in at the witch's cottage - and the cottage stared right back. The windows were like black eyes - small, dark and sunken - and ivy dropped over them like hooded eyelids.'
Clover Twig is clever, neat and responsible. She also needs to find a job to help out her lovable and chaotic family. So when she sees a sign saying 'Wonted. Strong Gril to Cleen. Aply Mrs Eckles, Hous in the Woods', she knows this is the job for her, even though Mrs Eckles is (perhaps) a witch, even though the gate is rude to Clover, and it seems that the house in the woods, can, well . . . fly.
