The Super Pickle's Twelfth Adventure - The Twelve Pickles and the Witch
Deep in the Beishan Mountains, there indeed lived an old witch. This witch had a terrible breath odor because she hadn't brushed her teeth for years. Her servants couldn't endure her bad breath and would either fall sick or run away after just a few days of work. Due to the lack of service, the old witch had no choice but to live alone. She resided deep inside a cave in the mountains, and unless she came out herself, it was hard for anyone to find her. However, there was a sign near where she lived: all vegetation around her place was dead, as they had been killed by her foul breath.
One day, a peddler carrying a basket of pears happened to pass by her cave entrance. Just then, the witch came out. Seeing the pear seller, she wanted some pears and called out, "Pear seller!" The pear seller smelled a foul stench and immediately felt nauseous. As the pear seller was feeling unwell, the witch asked again, "How much are your pears?" The pear seller fainted from her bad breath, and the two baskets of pears instantly turned black and rotten from her foul smell.
The witch looked and said, "Why are all the pears rotten?" Then she saw the pear seller lying unconscious next to the baskets and said, "Why is he sleeping?" Then she went back into her cave.
Once, Lord Earth wanted to discuss something with the witch but couldn't bear her foul breath. Later, he had no choice but to have people bring dozens of buckets of water and let her brush her teeth for half a day before they could talk for a few sentences.
Pickle wandered in the mountain for three days and waited for another two days before finally seeing the witch. Although he had heard about the witch's foul breath, when he actually met her, he still couldn't help but feel nauseous. Thinking of Rose, Pickle forced himself to endure the discomfort and smiled as he greeted the witch, saying, "Grandma, I've heard that you possess limitless powers. I specially came to visit and have some questions to ask." The witch replied, "If you want to ask me questions, then serve me for three months first."
Living alone in the cave, the witch was quite lonely. When Pickle heard that he had to serve her for three months, he almost fainted on the spot. Having only been with the witch for three minutes, he already couldn't take it. How would he survive three months? But if he didn't endure it, how would he obtain the magical recipe, become a superman, and marry Rose? Thinking this way, he decisively agreed.
To endure these difficult three months, he thought of a method: wearing a mask. When the witch saw him working with a mask on, she immediately became unhappy and said, "Pickle, do you look down on me?" Quickly, Pickle replied, "No, it's because I am too ugly and fear that you might be uncomfortable looking at me, so I wore a mask." Hearing this, the witch was pleased and rewarded him with a piece of moldy cake to eat. He pretended to be very happy while eating it and then ran to the restroom to vomit.
Finally, after enduring the difficult three months, the witch, impressed by Pickle's sincere service, asked what his request was. Pickle told her that he wanted a pair of wings that could fly in the sky and swim in the water. The witch informed him that he needed a swan's wings and must remove them within three minutes after the swan's death. The witch could sew these wings onto his body, but it would be extremely painful. After sewing, for half a year, he would need to continuously flap his wings. Each movement would cause excruciating pain, but he must endure it; otherwise, both the wings and he would die from infection. It was a risky process, and the witch asked if Pickle was willing.
Hearing this, Pickle hesitated a bit due to fear. The witch smiled and let him go home to think it over.
Pickle returned home and hurriedly went to see Rose. After a long time apart, Rose was still as beautiful as ever. However, Pickle noticed that there was wind swirling around her, and yellow jackets were circling nearby. Pickle immediately became nervous. With so many competitors around, he realized that if he didn't quickly become a superman, it might be too late. So, without wasting any time, he went back up the mountain to find the witch. The witch said that if he truly wanted to proceed, he would need to serve her for another three months. Without any other options, Pickle served the witch for another three months.
Afterward, he went through great lengths to find a dying swan and followed the witch's instructions to sew the wings onto his body within three minutes after the swan's death. After this grueling ordeal, Pickle was no longer just Pickle. His whole body was swollen, and he dragged a pair of barely alive wings, making him look like neither a bird nor a vegetable, but rather a monstrous creature. From then on, he endured unimaginable pain every day, living a life worse than death. In the midst of extreme pain, thoughts of Rose seemed distant. The excruciating pain often caused him to faint. Through wave after wave of severe torment, he experienced both life and death, gaining profound insights into life, love, and existence. More importantly, his repeated encounters with God gave him the ability to understand the language of all animals.
Finally, after six months, Pickle not only grew a new pair of wings physically, but also matured mentally from the suffering. He was no longer the naive young man but had become a profound, mature, wise thinker.
On the day the bandages were removed, Pickle soared into the clouds, fully experiencing the freedom and height of life. He felt that he had not only surpassed himself but also transcended nature. Originally a pickle that came from the soil, he now soared in the blue sky—a feat no other pickle would believe.
Next, he went to the sea, learned from sharks, and trained with whales. With the help of his fin-like wings, he also mastered the ability to fight the waves in the ocean.