***
Bouncey the Elf
and the Goblin Goldmine
One day, Bouncey the Elf, decided to go for a walk in the forest. Packing his backpack with a bottle of pop and some of his favourite biscuits, he was soon ready to go on his trip.
Bouncey set off by crossing the bridge over the River of Dreams. He had only been in the forest for a few minutes, when he heard the sound of something moving through the bushes.
He stood still and watched. A baby deer came into view. The fawn stopped and with big, round startled eyes, looked around. Then it ran off down a little path not far from where Bouncy stood.
After waiting for a few minutes, Bouncey decided to follow the baby deer. He trotted down the path for some time - first turning to the right - then to the left, until he came to a small stream.
As Bouncy watched, the little fawn had a drink, then it jumped over the small stream and went to what he thought was a big bush.
'Oh look,’ Bouncy thought to himself, realizing it wasn’t a bush. What he thought were branches were actually the giant antlers of a daddy deer.
The animals were both very pleased to see each other and rubbed noses. Then, without a sound, they disappeared into the forest.
Bouncey looked around and realized he had no idea where he was. He was lost.
So Bouncey began to look for the right path. Suddenly, he heard a noise - strange, funny sounds. Feeling afraid, Bouncey knew right away what it was.
‘Oh! No! not Goblins!’ he said to himself in alarm.
Hiding behind a small bush, he saw two strangely dressed Goblins go by.
They wore funny looking hats, with candles fixed to them and they each carried a sack and a hammer.
The Goblins then went behind a big tree.
So, Bouncey being Bouncey, crept after them and saw a large cave behind the tree.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light - the two Goblins were lighting the candles on each of their helmets.
He watched carefully as they disappeared into the cave
When the candlelight was very faint, Bouncey crept to the cave entrance. There were little stone steps cut into the floor.
Very quietly Bouncey set off, down a long dark tunnel carved into the rock.
Crash! Thud! The sound of banging echoed all through the tunnel.
Bouncey looked through the gloom of the tunnel and could see a light in the distance. He could just see the shadowy forms of the Goblins. They had lit another candle and had stuck it in a crack in the tunnel wall.
He crept nearer, they were banging the wall of the tunnel with their hammers and big lumps of rock fell to the floor of the cave. The rock was shiny and it glittered and gleamed in the candlelight, a bright yellow colour. Bouncey could hardly believe his eyes.
It must be gold, he thought gleefully.
As he watched, the Goblins knocked more of the shining yellow rock onto the floor of the cave.
When they had a big pile, they stopped and filled their two sacks. Then, turning round, they started back the way they had come.
Fortunately, just in time, Bouncey quickly found a little hollow in the wall of the tunnel, to squeeze into.
He held his breath, as the Goblins staggered by him, with their heavy loads, muttering to each other all the time, their low voices slowly fading in the distance.
He was very glad to see them go. Goblins are really greedy, mean and nasty creatures. They can smell the best gold deep underground and they always wanted to keep it for themselves.
Now Bouncey knew that the Elf King would like some of the glistening golden rocks.
So when all seemed clear, Bouncey went over to the pile of gold rock, which he could only just see in the gloom of the now small candle flickering in the tunnel wall.
He put two big rocks of gold into his backpack and quietly and slowly made his way back to the entrance of the cave and climbed out.
Carefully, looking and listening for any sign of the Goblins, Bouncey made quite sure that they had gone.
Spotting a little track he hadn’t seen before, he followed it through the forest until he came to the path that the little baby deer had used earlier that day.
Before long he had reached the stream and then the place where he had first seen the little fawn.
‘Goody! I know where I am now,’ he said to himself.
Bouncy happily skipped and bounced his way back to the Elf Village, even if he had a much heavier backpack.
When he arrived at the Elf Village gates, the guards told him to go straight to the Elf Kings’ Palace.
So Bouncey went into the Palace and found the Elf King waiting for him.
‘Hello, Bouncey’ said the Elf King cheerfully. ‘What have you been up to today?’
Bouncey smiled but didn’t say a word. Still smiling he took off his backpack and turned it upside down in front of the Elf King.
Out fell his bottle of pop and a packet of biscuits.
The Elf King started to laugh - but then… the two large gleaming gold rocks dropped onto the floor - with a loud thud! The Elf King was astonished and very, pleased.
He knew that Goblin gold is much more precious than any other gold - it is so much brighter
‘We can make some wonderful things with this.’ said the Elf King with a big smile. 'Like necklaces, rings and maybe golden plates. Well done, Bouncey well done.’
Bouncey had then to tell the Elf King, all over again, his exciting adventure with the Goblins.
As a reward, the Elf King allowed Bouncey to go down to the royal kitchens, to choose whatever he fancied.
Bouncey was soon enjoying a meal of a chocolate milk–shake, a honey and peanut-butter sandwich and then, a huge strawberry ice - cream cornet, covered with chocolate syrup.
A few days later, the Elf King sent him a present of a very special golden goblet, which had been made from the Goblin gold.
Whenever Bouncey drank from it, he thought of his adventure in the forest, which had led him to the Goblin’s gold.
For some reason though, he never could find that Goblin goldmine again. Perhaps he needed the little fawn to show him the way!
Bouncey the Elf and Friends Bedtime Stories Page 3
