The Goblin

The goblin who lives Below scurries through his damp, mossy corridors...

Splashing over the Collecting Stream,
Prancing through the Maze of Echoes,
Finally entering the Cavern of Broken Promises.

The goblin walks pridefully, as if he is returning home in victory.
He drops deftly into a steep passageway in the ground,
Descending deeper into the Below.
This is his home and he knows it well.

A distance further down the passageway finds him in The Place of Final Hope.

Though many have sought it,
None have known this Place but the goblin and his Treat.
The pair has inhabited its glistening chambers for centuries,
Rarely emerging from its depths.

His Treat awaits him here in The Place of Final Hope,
A furry gray creature nestled among a bed of clover and forget-me-nots,
Resting in a small patch of sunlight.
The Treat is no more than a foot long from head to fancy tail.

"Welcome home, Goblin!" his Treat crones happily.

A smile plays across the goblin's face as he reveals a shiny, featureless silver orb from his canvas rucksack. He grasps the orb in his leathery hand, his claws not quite able to connect.

"My sweet Treat, I hope you'll enjoy this. I've traveled a great distance to retrieve the object of your desire." The goblin gently places the orb in the flowers next to his Treat.

"Yes, thank you, Goblin! Thank you! Let us rest now. You will need your strength for my next request."

The Goblin and his Treat lie peacefully among the flowers,
All their worries forgotten,
For this is their place of peace and sanctity.

We will all find such a place one day.