Tiny True Tales

Water Witching

My grandmother — bless her soul — was a bit of an eccentric. She once showed me how her mother would take Y-shaped branches, V-part between her hands, hold it parallel to the ground, and walk the fields by her house. She claimed wherever the stick pointed downward, water could be found.

I thought she was crazy.

A few days ago, I visited a known underground stream. Recalling grandmama’s water witching, I broke the branch of an oak, cleared the leaves, held it in my hands, and stood above the ground water.

The branch moved downward.

Now, I’m wondering if I’m crazy.