A Children's Story

DEEP IN THE FOREST
Deep in the forest, a long time ago, lived a poor woodcutter called John. He had two dogs. One was called Bingo and he was brown as a berry.....and the other one was Jasper who was dark as a blackbird. Every day the man went out with the two dogs to search for wood. He was very poor but cheerful so he whistled a happy song as he walked along.
In the middle of the dark forest he sat down to eat his meal, a piece of cheese and a chunk of bread. As he munched his cheese he heard a little voice.
"Oh! Please give me some bread and cheese -I'm hungry and have nothing to eat"
He looked up and to his surprise there was a little goblin sitting in the tree above his head. He wore a red cap on his tiny head and his jacket was blue.
"Of course you can have some" smiled the woodman "There is plenty for two." So he gave the goblin half of his meal.
The two dogs growled at the little man as they were frightened of him, but their master told them to be quiet. Still, they sniffed the little man suspiciously.
"What can I give you in return?" said the goblin
"Oh I want nothing, thank you" laughed the kind man and he asked the goblin where he came from.
"I live in the dark forest and I guard the fairies' treasure" he said "But they left me alone for many days and there is no food left."
"Shall we find the fairies" said the man whose name was John,
"Yes please" replied the goblin
"Well" said John “let us set out at once and find them or you will starve."
At once he called to the two dogs and carrying the little imp on his back, began to look for tracks that showed where the fairies had been.
Let me tell you a secret. The goblin was a wicked spirit who wanted the fairies gold. But he tricked John into helping him.
They walked on into the shadows of the great forest where many beasts live. Wolves and bears and other savage things. John began to feel afraid and kept his dogs near him, but the little sprite said "Do not be frightened -I will protect you”
"How can that be" said John "with your little body you are not strong enough."
The goblin laughed "I use magic to help me -see I have three charms. I can move things with a click of my fingers." And he snapped his fingers and a tree in front of them jumped aside. The wolves of the forest began to creep towards the group as they went on. Bingo and Jasper barked fiercely to show they were brave but they were secretly very afraid.
Then the moon came up and its soft light showed a path which led towards a little wooden house in the middle of the trees.
"There is the house where the treasure is hidden" whispered the goblin "but an ogre stands guard.”
"How can we get inside?" asked John "We are just ordinary folk and cannot fight an ogre."
"But I will cast a spell on him" laughed the little man "and he will be as still as stone, so we can get inside the house."
Just then, a big voice shouted from the house
"Who is there? WOO HOO IS THERE?"
The Ogre stepped out. He was as large as an elephant and had legs as big as tree trunks, arms like lumps of wood with claws at each end.
The goblin snapped his fingers and the giant stood still as a stone statue. He could not move at all and he could not roar or shout.
"Quick" shouted the goblin "go and get the gold and jewels for me."
John did not ask why the imp did not go himself, but he rushed inside and looked around. On a table made of ivory sat a box with a velvet cover. A strange music filled the little cabin and made John feel sleepy.
He peeped inside the box and saw mounds of gold and rich jewels. But as he went to fill his pockets he began to fall asleep.
The fairies had put a spell on the house to stop anyone from stealing the treasure.
"Quick! Quick!" screeched the goblin "get me my treasure, you dolt."
He danced up and down with fury as John began to droop into a dreamy sleep.
The two dogs Bingo and Jasper took hold of their master with their teeth and dragged him away from the cottage.
As soon as John reached the open air he began to think about what the goblin had said. He realized he had been tricked into helping the wicked little man to try to steal the fairies' gold. So he thought of a plan to stop the imp and save the treasure.
He knew the goblin had only one wish left. So he said "Let us hide in a tree and wait for the fairies' return then you can catch them and take the jewels"
"That's a good idea" said the goblin “I shall make a hollow in this tree" he pointed to a tree next to the cottage "and we can hide there" With a click of his fingers he did so and climbed inside. John called the dogs and Jasper and Bingo began to bark and snarl at the little man hidden inside the hollow.
"Be off, you stupid curs, or I'll wish you into frogs or worms" shouted the imp. But he could do nothing because his magic skills had been used up.
Now John brought firewood and logs from the forest and put them all round the tree to burn the wicked little spirit.
"O kind John" pleaded the goblin "I shall give you jewels and gold to let me out -please send your dogs away."
"My dogs are my true friends" replied John "They know a bad spirit and I see now what I must do." So he lit a big fire around the tree and soon the tree and the goblin inside were no more.
"Come on my good boys" he said "let's get back to work."
And to this day, if you listen very carefully in the forest, you can hear the "Tap Tap Tap" as the woodman chops his trees.
The fairies gold is still safe and one day-maybe -I will tell you where it is.