It tells how young Puritan girls are caught doing something suspicious while dancing in the forest (Decter, 54). To avoid punishment, the girls accuse several neighbors of having bewitched them. People accused of witchcraft are brought to justice. Either they have to lie and say they did witchcraft or say they didn't. Lying is the best thing to do in the situation they find themselves in. This is really an established reason, either way, they are breaking the rules of their religion. But if they lie, they have a better chance of not dying so quickly, they will just be sent to prison but will be tried for execution. If they say they didn't do it and the court thinks they are lying, they will be hanged immediately. This is all based on social dynamics. The reason people lied and scapegoated others is so they wouldn't be punished for witchcraft. Most of the people who accused people of this were those who practiced witchcraft, for example all the girls who danced in the forest. They blamed people for their actions so that they would not be punished for it and attention would be diverted from them. The result of all this reproach is that the entire village descends into hysteria about the witches. Those called to testify about their knowledge of or participation in witchcraft and communist activities were in fact guilty.