Terrytop
Beginner · ≈ 4 min story · 3 min read
A miller boasts that his daughter can spin straw into gold, and the king locks her in a room full of straw to prove it. A strange little goblin offers to save her, but his price is her first child. Years later, when she is queen with a baby of her own, the goblin returns to collect, giving her three days to guess his name. Her servants follow him deep into the forest, where he dances around a fire and sings out his secret: Terrytop. The queen keeps her child, the goblin storms off into the trees, and his path happens to lead past a little cottage with three bowls of porridge and three small beds, just as a lost girl named Goldilocks comes wandering along.
Once upon a time, a miller told the king that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king was amazed. “Can she really turn straw into gold?” The king locked the girl in a room filled with straw and ordered her to spin it all into gold.
The poor girl was frightened. “How can I possibly do this?” Just then... a strange little goblin appeared. “I can spin all this straw into gold.” The girl looked at him hopefully. “But what will you want in return?” The goblin smiled. “If you promise to give me your first child, I will spin the straw into gold.”
The girl was scared, but she had no other choice. “I promise.” The goblin began to spin. Round and round he worked... And by morning, every piece of straw had turned into shining gold! The king was amazed. Later, the girl married the king and became a queen. She lived happily for some time. But one day, she had a baby. The queen held her little baby close.
“My precious child...” Then suddenly...
the goblin appeared again. “I have come for what you promised me.” The queen's heart sank. “Please! Don't take my baby.” The goblin thought for a moment. “I will give you one chance.” “You have three days to guess my name.” “If you guess it correctly, you may keep your child.” The queen agreed. For three days, she guessed many names.
But every guess was wrong. “I don't know his name!” On the third day, the queen sent her servants deep into the forest to find the goblin. They searched everywhere. At last... they found him. The goblin was sitting alone in the forest, dancing around a fire. He thought nobody was watching. “I am so clever!” “No one knows my name is Terrytop!”
The servants quickly hurried back to the queen. “We know his name!” That night, the goblin returned. “Well, Queen... what is my name?” The queen smiled. “Is your name Terrytop?” The goblin froze. “How did you know?” The queen had guessed correctly! The goblin became furious. “No! No! You cannot know my name!”
He stomped his feet and ran away into the forest. The queen hugged her baby tightly. Her child was safe. And Terrytop disappeared among the trees. But the forest was much bigger than he realized. As he ran deeper and deeper... he passed a little cottage. He stopped. “Who lives there?” Inside the cottage was a warm table... three bowls of porridge... and three little beds.
But no one was home. And somewhere nearby, a little girl named Goldilocks was wandering through the forest... She was lost. She had no idea where she was going. Then she spotted the little cottage. “What a pretty cottage!” She walked toward the door. But what would she find inside? Three bowls... Three beds... And three very surprising owners. moral: We should be honest and careful about the promises we make. We should also use courage and wisdom when facing difficult situations.
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