Random Story To Tell

The merchant’s daughter, who was very beautiful, lay quietly hiccoughing and sneezing between silken sheets. The shutters were closed and it was quite dim in the room, but Antipka could see what he wanted to see – the stove. Bending down on hands and knees, he peered under it and called, “Come out. I know you’re there. I can see you.”

“No fear,” came the hobgoblin’s voice. “You might try to catch me, and I’ve never been so happy.

The food’s good here and there’s plenty of opportunity for doing mischief. By the way, what do you think of the purple spots, eh? Pretty good for a first attempt, don’t you think? And I’m going to turn the merchant’s money into dead leaves tomorrow!”

“I’ve no time to talk about that now,” whispered Antipka, “and nor have you. If you want to get away in time, that is.”

“Get away?” repeated the hopgoblin, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Get away from her,” replied Antipka. “You know she’s got out, don’t you?” And now they say she’s after you.”

“You’re lying,” cried the hobgoblin, but there was a quiver in his voice.

“If you don’t believe me, you can look out the window,” said Antipka, quietly. “But please yourself.”

With that he flung back the shutters and let the light stream into the room. The hobgoblin crept out from under the stove and scrambled up on to the window-sill. And there to his horror, in the courtyardm were all the merchant’s server pointing towards the road and calling:

“She’s coming! Antipka’s wife is coming!”
“Can’t you hear she scolding and shouting?”
“She’s in a terrible temper!”
“Wait till she catches that hobgoblin!”

The hobgoblin began to quake with fear. “What can I do? Where can I hide?” he cried.

“Take my advice,” said Antipka, “and jump down the hole again. It’s the only safe place for you now that she is out.

Almost before he had time to finish the hobgoblin had dashed out of the room, to the amazement of the merchant and his wife. And what is more, the hiccoughs and the sneezing stopped and the merchant’s daughter sat up, smiling and completely cured.

next chapter

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