a stranger tried to abduct her

Dear Miss Crimebuster

While walking home from school, my 12-year-old daughter was approached by a man who tried to persuade her to get into his car. She was frightened, but ran to the nearest house and asked for help. We told the school, but it has knocked her confidence and given her nightmares. Will he be caught? Lucy, 38, Bedford

Dear Lucy

Report the incident to the police. The would-be abductor isn’t local, but the cops can warn other schools to keep a look out. Stay calm, and suggest you meet her at the school gates or that they walk home in twos. She’ll also be guided by a caring friend, who’ll help get her confidence back.

Who doesn’t remember the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth as they chanted, ‘Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble’? Macbeth met them on a blasted heath, and they set the dark and fateful tone of the play. By their prophecies, the witches actually brew up tragedy. They’re one reason why cauldrons are seen as sinister. And many believe the entire play is cursed, so superstitiously call it The Scottish Play.