When King Digaling hears mysterious clanking noises coming from the basement of Castle Dingaling, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that his home is haunted, summoning Wacky Witch to solve the problem. Discovering that it is the Midnight Knight, intent on stealing the royal gold, who is the true culprit, Wacky Witch's hex has an unintended consequence: hiding the great chest of treasure—even from herself! Now the day on which King Dingaling gives out his own weight in gold to his subjects has arrived, and the chest is nowhere to be found. Can Wacky Witch fix her mistake and save the day again...?

Published in 1973, Wacky Witch and the Mystery of the King's Gold is the second picture-book I have read featuring this somewhat befuddled magic-maker, following upon the 1971 Wacky Witch: The Royal Birthday. The character starred in a twenty-volume comic book series that ran from 1971 through 1975, put out by Gold Key, the comics imprint of Western Publishing Company. Western also owned Whitman Books, which published Wacky Witch: The Royal Birthday, as well as Little Golden Books, which published this title, as well as two paperback picture-books (Wacky Witch's Cookbook and Wacky Witch: Ghastly Guests) in 1996. Although I don't think Wacky Witch is destined to become one of my favorite witchy heroines, I am pleased to become better acquainted with her, as part of my "witchy-witches" project. The story here is simple but entertaining, and the artwork colorful and immediate, in a cartoon-like way. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy witchy fare done in a more humorous, comic book vein. ( )