Huggle the Dwarf

Jack and I climbed over the rocky outcrop and through the thorny bushes. It was difficult going and very painful, wherever we had unprotected skin we got scratched, badly. Eventually we got through the tough and vicious bushes and broke out into a little dell. It was a pretty clearing with a little spring bubbling up and sparkling like diamonds in one corner. So we had a drink of the clear, fresh water and then lay down for a rest on a mossy bank. The grass was closely cropped as if by rabbits or goats and as we lay there taking in the beautiful spot, Jack suddenly said:

“Hey! Isn’t that a door over there?” I looked the way he was pointing and could see nothing other than rocks, bushes and grass.

“Look, there by those tall berry bushes, it almost looks like a path leads up to it.” He said urgently and then pointed again.

At last I saw what he meant, there was indeed a little doorway, perhaps four feet tall and two feet wide with an arched top. Now that I had seen the carefully concealed door it seemed obvious. But made of ancient oak planks and hidden in the shadows amongst the undergrowth and ivy it was very difficult to see.

Just as we were staring curiously at the door, it opened!

Jack grabbed my sleeve and pulled me back into the bushes. From there we watched the little door gradually swing outwards and a small head appear. It had a blue pointed hat falling down to one side and seemed very hairy, it also had a very long and bushy beard.

The little man looked this way and that, making sure there was no one about before opening the door fully. He then stepped out into the dell and stretched himself. Even throwing his arms out and up the little man could not have been over three feet tall. In addition to his blue hat he also wore a tight-fitting red shirt that emphasized his round tummy and yellow hose upon his legs. The bright colours made him appear a jolly little figure.

After stretching and yawning the dwarf (for that was what he obviously was) turned back to the doorway and brought out a pair of boots. He sat down upon the ground an pulled them on, taking ages to thread and tie the long laces. At last he was done, (Jack and I were backed into very thorny bushes, remember, and very eager to extricate ourselves) and, fetching a short, stout walking stick (or was it a thin club?) and a nap-sack, the jolly dwarf set off to the south, walking briskly. He disappeared into the bushes down what must have been a well-hidden path.

We waited for a few minutes before crawling back out into the open, rubbing sore scratches and aches from lying so still in cramped positions.

“Let’s check where he went first.” I said.

Jack nodded his agreement to this and we went to the spot where the dwarf had disappeared into the bushes. There was indeed a secret path, when we pulled aside a leafy branch there was a sweet little track winding away through the thorny bushes. We would have to stoop to get through but it would be a lot better than the way we had entered the little dell, straight through the thorns!

Jack was keen to see the dwarf’s house so we returned to the door. The little man had left it wide open! Maybe he did so to air his underground home. Whatever the reason it was just too tempting for us. With hardly any hesitation at all we entered the cute little doorway. We both had to stoop to get in.

Inside it was dark and gloomy, and our (relatively) large bodies blocked the daylight coming through the doorway. Ahead there seemed to be a tunnel going down deeper underground and there were two more little wooden doors, one on the left and one on the right. These were very similar to the front door; made of wooden planks and with an arched top. Both were also shut. Jack tried the left hand door, he turned the knob and it opened easily, we ducked and stepped through into a little room.

It was light and comfortable looking, the rounded walls perhaps carved out of the rock and then plastered. The light was coming in a round window on the left hand side. It took me a while to understand this; I went over to the window and looked through. I could see the dell but only through a thin curtain of brambles. Clearly the window was, like the front door, cut into the side of an earthy bank. But it was hidden behind brambles so that we had not seen it from outside. What a marvellous secret cave this was turning out to be!

Jack had, meanwhile, been exploring the room. Everything was about half normal size. There were two small arm chairs, a couple of dinky tables and a tiny fireplace in one wall opposite the window. He was picking up little curios and knick-knacks that were lying here and there. There were a few books, a couple of well-used pipes (for smoking herbs we thought), some metal plates and goblets for eating and drinking (again half normal size) and sweet little knives and spoons.

It was a truly magical little place, we were too big to fit in the chairs, so we sat on the rug and soaked up the charming atmosphere. The room was cool and comfortable and although the little round window did not let in much light it did not matter. We had been hot and sticky from our battle with the thorn bushes and were relieved to rest in somewhere so shady.

After we had rested a while and begun to feel hungry. We got up and talked about exploring the rest of the dwarf’s underground house. Just as we were doing so there was a crash as the door slammed, heavy footsteps in the hall told us the dwarf was back! What were we to do now?

The door to the parlour we were in was still open, the footsteps stopped. Jack and I looked at each other in alarm. What to do?

Slowly, slowly a knobbly stick began to enter the room, followed by the little dwarf, holding it up in an threatening way. Quiet rightly really, when you think we had just barged into his home!

 “Who are you and what d’ye want?” He demanded, his voice sounding very deep and gruff for someone so small. And angry, very angry, he sounded.

Neither of us knew what to say next. It was a standoff.

The dwarf could see we were nervous and relaxed a little. He seemed to gain some confidence.

“Well, out with it, why is ya here?” The dwarf demanded.

Jack, putting on his very best ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it’ voice said:  “We were walking in the hills and came upon your house by chance. We meant no harm, we were just curious.”

“Well git you’s OUT! NOW” The dwarf shouted, backing into the room to one side to leave the doorway free for us to leave. This we did, quickly and ducking not only to get through the low doorway but in anticipation of a whack from that tough walking stick!

Luckily the blow did not fall. The dwarf obviously just wanted us to go.

We dashed outside and stopped, as boys always do, to turn and stick our tongues out at the dwarf or make some other sign of rebellion. But when we turned and saw him standing at his doorway looking so fierce, and yet so small, that we had not the heart to taunt him.

So it was another standoff, this time out in the open. The dwarf did not appear so agitated now that he had expelled us, the invaders, from his home. He even seemed to be thinking hard about some dilemma I could not fathom.

After a while he let the stick down a little and suddenly asked, in a far more friendly tone: “So, what ARE your names then?”

After we had got over the shock of his quick change in attitude Jack said: “I am Jack and this is my friend, David. We come from Fallom and were just spending the day exploring.” I nodded agreement, wanting, like Jack, to placate this funny little man.

“Well I don’t know as what you think you is doin’ entering a fella’s house like that, without so much as a bye your leave!”

“We are very, very sorry.” Said Jack. “We truly did not mean anything by it. We just could not resist having a peek into your charming house.”

The dwarf looked pleased at this and let the stick fall a bit more.

“Hrumph!” He said, let the stick fall right down to his side and then stared at us as if trying to understand our motives.

Then, without another word, the dwarf turned away, stomped into his house and slammed the door.

Jack and I just stood and stared, we could not guess at the little man’s motives or thinking. We did not move for some time and then Jack said:

“Do you think he will ever come back out again?”  “I don’t know.” I replied.

We waited for a long time and I tried to see the window and if the dwarf was looking out of it. But I could make nothing out through the bushes and brambles.

Eventually, when we were seriously thinking of giving up, the dwarf did reappear. He opened the door again and stuck his head out cautiously just as he had when we first saw him. On seeing us he drew his head back in and slammed the door for a second time!

We could not decide what to make of it.

It seemed like a game to us now, so Jack and I sat down in full view of the door, and waited. In the end we were rewarded by the dwarf emerging for a third time, and on this occasion he did actually come out into the dell.

“Why doi’nt ya go away?” 

He said, in his gruff little voice. And Jack replied, boldly:

“Because we want to be friends.”

The dwarf looked a bit perplexed by this and then smiled, for the first time.

“Well, I had betta introduce mesel’ then.” He said.

“My name is Huggle.”

And thus began a long and happy friendship.