The Goblin 'Iwouldeat!'




There was once an old woman who used to go into the forest to gather firewood . One day, when she had filled her shawl with brushwood and dry pine-cones, she sat down in a clearing to rest. Suddenly, an acorn came tumbling to the ground in front of her, and out jumped a tattered little imp . "I am the goblin Iwouldeat!", he shrieked at the old woman. "Give me some food or I shall eat you instead!" The old woman had only a crumb left over, so she threw it to him; but the goblin flew into a rage and said, "Do you not know that I cannot bear to eat bread? I shall eat you!" And he opened his mouth wide and moved towards the old woman; but she took to her heels.

For a long time she did not dare to set foot in the forest, but in the end her cottage grew so cold that she had to set off to gather wood again. When her shawl was full, she sat down to rest. Then the little goblin again lept out of his acorn and screeched, "I am the goblin Iwouldeat! Give me food or I shall eat you up!" The old woman took out a jar of honey from her apron, and the goblin plunged his head into it greedily. The old woman quickly turned the jar over on top of him and hurried off home.

Since then the honey-jar has lept about the forest, with a voice inside it saying, "I would eat, I would eat!"
~The End






Guess where this doorway leads!






This little knight shall take you back!




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