Goblin catching is hard work!

Good grief! They’re everywhere! I stood out in the yard for several minutes with the Lens to my eye. The unreality of it all washed over me. There was a little creature with a grassy back skittering back and forth over the snow. There was a face that magically appeared in my oak tree. I heard the chuffing of a squirrel and looked up to see a very tiny goblin in her nest. He was hopping up and down squeaking and chattering while the squirrel flicked her tail and chattered back. I decided this little guy looked like an easy first catch.

I climbed up to the first branch of the tree and poured out a small amount of the herb blend. As soon as the drop of liquid was on it the tiny thing sniffed the air and locked eyes with me. The squirrel was still chuffing away. Like lightening he zoomed down the tree! I barely had time to get out the locket device. The instant I opened it it began whirring madly. My heart pounded as I blue arc of light shot out of the center of it right to the little goblin. He was frozen in his tracks. I stared at him for almost a full minute before I remembered I needed to trap him.

This was WAY too easy I thought as I scooped him up. Then the little blighter bit me! Hard! A little drop of blood welled out of the spot where he bit me. After a bit more biting and a lot of cursing on my part he was safely in a box.

I took him inside. He was squeaking away at me. I found that I could make out what he was saying. It wasn’t very nice. I put his box down on the counter and attempted to explain why I had caught him. He was not amused. But after several attempts at chatting he revealed he knew little of Dr. Abdelkader and the museum, only that all the creatures within it were terrified and knew something awful was happening. He revealed that he was a hobgoblin and preferred to live close to people anyway.

One thing was for certain he was terrified about going back. After more squeaky discussion he agreed it was best he would be placed with a human Guardian.

So I picked up the book and looked up his species. To my surprise it sped to the page containing the entry on Hobgoblins. It read:

Hobgoblins: Diminutive goblins who prefer to assist humans in their ousehold concerns. Similar to the Brownie but somewhat smaller. Favored tasks include the threshing of wheat and the churning of milk. Hobgoblins are easily offended and when put off by their human hosts can be quite destructive. They are brown or brownish green, a little hairy, and naked.

After I completed my reading the book paged itself to the very back where it was blank. The words “Specimen #1” appeared. I took this as an invitation to write what I had observed:

“Hobgoblin named Drit. Found in birch tree arguing with squirrel. Had no information about the doctor or the Museum itself but says he likes cats.”

Now to find him a home….

Specimen 1 from the Museum of Goblinology

If you would like to be Drit’s Guardian, click here!