Therapeutic Bedtime Stories for Children - Free complete book donated by authors. Part 7

Attack of the Hobgoblins
Part Two

That night, Rosador and Norrin had slept in Fumblekins’ cave. Rosador had slept in the nest that had been made up especially for Norrin, while Norrin had shared Fumblekins’ nest for the night. Woken early by the morning light filling the mouth of the cave, Rosador decided it was time to return home.  She had sent a message to her parents by pigeon post, telling them of her narrow escape along the river. In return, her mum had sent her over a fresh cloak to fly back to Cloakwood Forest with. This was her way of making sure her daughter would get home quickly! 

Rosador looked over at her sleeping friends. Norrin was fast asleep, lying flat on his back, his body spilling out across the sides of the nest. A smiling expression of pure contentment lit up his face. On close inspection, Rosador could only just see poor Fumblekins, almost hidden from view underneath Norrin’s massive bulk. His little face was just visible, managing to occupy a little space between Norrin’s arm and body.
Rosador giggled to herself. Not wanting to disturb her two friends, she quietly wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and did up the magic buckle around her neck. Within moments the young elf was flying home.
As the morning sun continued shining into the cave, the next one to awake was Fumblekins. He was surprised to see that Rosador’s nest was empty. However, she had left a little note inside it, wrapped around some scrumptious sweets, saying ‘bye’ to her buddies.
“Flapping heck – what a beautiful morning!” Fumblekins’ mum exclaimed, as she too arose from her nest. Soon, the cave was a hive of happy activity. Fumblekins made a big jug of dandelion coffee, and went and sat in the nest next to Norrin, who still had a duvet wrapped around him.
Norrin opened an eye, and slowly sat up.
“Here you are!” Fumblekins said, passing him a cup of steaming hot coffee.
Norrin took several very loud slurps of the hot liquid. Fumblekins’ mum looked over in alarm. Fumblekins raised his eyes to the ceiling, as if to say, “Don’t worry, he’s always like this!” His mum understood, and continued making breakfast.
“Hey,” Fumblekins said to Norrin, “I wrote down a few ideas when I found out you were coming to stay.”
He put his little round spectacles on and looked at his list. “Maybe you can help us make a big hole in the cave floor?” he asked Norrin excitedly. “We need somewhere cool to put our plant milk and our seeds and stuff.” Norrin breathed a long sigh. Suddenly, he clapped his hands over his ears, looked down and started saying, “Orrrgh! Not lisnin’. Not lisnin’ at all.”
All that could be heard was the sound of the mountain trees rustling in the breeze. Fumblekins was wise. He knew when it was best to say nothing and leave a gap. He just quietly sat there, allowing Norrin to settle down. Norrin suddenly got a grip on himself.
“Hang on,” Norrin blurted out, “yesterday you saved my life. Today I don’t even wanna ’elp you. I’m sorry, Fumblekins. I am. I need to learn, I do ...” His voice trailed off.
“It’s okay, Norrin,” Fumblekins replied, “I understand. I used to feel just like you, until I went to Cloakwood School. I used to get all worried and upset, and I used to think ‘what’s the point?’ Then I’d go to bed thinking about my worries, and then I couldn’t sleep properly. At Cloakwood School I learnt stuff that I never got taught at Fulture School. I started realising I had some wrong thoughts and ideas about myself. The good thing is that now I can watch my dark fairy thoughts when they come and be a nuisance. I can watch them and know they aren’t true. Don’t you worry, Norrin; we’ll soon have you flying high!”
“S’pose so,” Norrin answered slowly.
Suddenly they could hear the flapping of wings approaching the cave. It was Alanisoar.
“I don’t know what to do,” she cried out, landing smack bang in the middle of Norrin’s nest, scattering broken twigs all around.
“Bloomin’ cheek,” Norrin thought, before remembering it wasn’t his nest.
“It’s that hobgoblin, Shutterbore, or Clutterbore, or whatever his name is,” Alanisoar whispered breathlessly. “Well, he was being a nuisance along the river. He was stealing fish from the bears. Then big white Grizzles came along. He watched Clutterbore closely, and whacked him down with one mighty swipe of his big claw. Clutterbore swam away down the river to get away, but he only just made it. He’s badly injured. One of his arms is bleeding heavily. What shall we do? All the fultures are very angry with what Clutterbore and his friends did to Norrin and Rosador on the river. I’m scared of asking them for help in case they do something horrible to him.”
“We have to help him,” Fumblekins said.
“But ’e shouted out ’orrible fings at me and Rosador and ’e frew that big boulder wot sunk the boat,” Norrin said.
“We still have to help him. There’s always a bigger picture going on that we can’t always see. Come on, you two!” Fumblekins urged.
Fumblekins and Alanisoar flew down into the valley with Norrin not far behind, urgently bounding over huge rocks with massive strides.
Before long, the three friends came across a trail of blood. The trail led them quickly to Clutterbore the hobgoblin, who was lying injured on the riverbank. Clutterbore tried to draw his body away from Alanisoar and Fumblekins as they drew closer to him. He thought the fultures had come to harm him; to get him back for what he had done to Rosador and Norrin along the river.
“We’re ’ere to ’elp ya. Stay still,” Norrin commanded, quickly stemming the flow of blood from Clutterbore’s arm with a bandage.
“Why you ’elpin’ me then?” Clutterbore asked.
“Just stay awake, Clutterbore,” Fumblekins urged him.
Norrin shouted out to the trees nearby, “ ’Obgoblins, I know ya there. Instead of ’idin’ away not ’elpin’, come an’ ’elp us carry Clutterbore.”

Within a few moments, the three guilty-looking hobgoblins emerged from the trees. Their heads were hung down in shame. Just as they were about to reach Norrin, they heard a thundering roar. Their faces froze with fear. The huge hairy white shape of Grizzles the bear came charging down the valley towards them. Showing his teeth, he angrily rushed towards the group. The three hobgoblins ran back into the trees. Norrin, Fumblekins, Alanisoar and Clutterbore were standing in the path of the giant bear.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, the skies above blackened. Everyone looked up. Powerful wings beat down into the clearing below. It was Fulture King’s two royal guards! They landed squarely in front of Grizzles the bear. Grizzles took one long look at the guards’ sharpened claws and scary beaks. Within seconds, he turned and ran back in the direction from which he’d come.
“You can come out now,” Norrin called out towards the trees. The three hobgoblins came back out of the wood.
“’Ow come you lot ’elped me?” Clutterbore asked. “ After all them bad things wot I’ve done to you?” Everyone listened intently for a reply.
“Because you don’t know what you’re doing most of the time, that’s why,” Fumblekins explained. “You have lots of bad feelings about yourself that make you do unkind things to others. It isn’t the real you that’s doing those horrible things.”
Clutterbore looked down at his feet.
“I thought I ’ad friends,” he said. “I ’ave friends when I’m bein’ a bully an’ showin’ off to everyone. The other ’obgoblins love it, don’t ya?” he said, looking at the three cowardly hobgoblins who were now deep in thought.
“When I ’elp ya steal fish an’ eggs an’ that. They like that, don’t ya? But then ...” he said, his voice trailing off sadly, “when I try and be good and kind, they don’t wanna be friends no more.” His eyes filled up with big tears which he quickly dabbed away with a grubby hand.
It was now late morning and the fultures were getting a bit peckish. The royal guards had brought some sweets over from Fulture King’s massive store of food in the royal cave. They had been going to waste since the king had gone to Cloakwood School.
“So, Fumblekins, ’ow do ya settle at night then?” Norrin asked his friend, who was busy tucking into the sweets.
“I often play my flute and sing gently to myself,” Fumblekins answered. “And when I have dark fairy thoughts, I write and draw them away in my special bedtime book. When I close my book, I close any worries away too. I learnt loads of stuff like that at Cloakwood School,” he said excitedly. “I found out about the way we’re all part of nature. The way that we all need and depend on our surroundings, and how to love and respect them. Now I look at my reflection in the pond and wonder ‘who is that amazing fulture?’ and I remember, ‘Oh yes, it’s me!’ Don’t ever be afraid to love yourself, Norrin, or you may be unable to love others. And I often think about all the things that make me feel good, like helping my friends, hugging my mum, laughing and running and feeling the sunshine on my face. Going to Cloakwood School’s one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Fumblekins said.
Norrin felt that he’d like to go and join Fulture King at Cloakwood School, and stay there a bit longer this time. Without doing naughty things! Now, at last, he was ready to understand all the things that Fumblekins was sharing with them. Even Clutterbore, Alanisoar and the two royal guards felt that they would like to go there too. The way things are going, everyone at Wellness Island will be squeezed into that little school!
This evening as you settle to sleep, imagine you are Fumblekins. You’re feeling relaxed, confident and strong. Close your eyes and take in a deep breath. Blow all the way out and say to yourself, “I like myself just as I am!” Even better, say to yourself, “I love myself just as I am!”
Sleep Tight and Night Knight. TM
ooOoo