Once upon a time a little troll lived in a little barn on a little farm. For many years the troll had brought good luck to the farm. But one day the little farm was sold, the little barn was taken down and the little troll had no place to live. So the little troll jumped on his cat and rode across the fields to the big farm.

But there already lived on old, old troll with a long, long beard.

"What are you doing here?" he roared.

"May I, please, live in your shed?" asked the little troll. "I do not have a home."

"Go!" roared the old, old troll. "I am the troll of this farm! I bring luck here!"

"Let's go to the lighthouse," said the little troll to his cat. "I'll be a lighthouse troll and bring luck to ships at sea."

At the lighthouse, the little troll and the cat went up the stairs. Around and around and around, they went. They were almost at the top when a great big voice roared, "What are you doing here?"

"May I, please, live in your lighthouse?" asked the little troll. "I do not have a home."

"Go!" roared the old, old troll. "I am the troll of this lighthouse! I bring luck here!"

The little troll and the cat went down the lighthouse stairs as fast as they could.

When they were down, the little troll said, "I bring luck to farms. I bring luck to ships at sea. But now there seems to be no place for me." The cat licked a tear from the little troll's face. He licked his hair and he licked his beard.

The little troll smiled at the cat and said, "Let's go to a place where trolls don't live. Let's look for a place in the city."

The troll jumped on the cat and away they went. They went up streets and down streets and past houses and houses and houses. It was midnight when they stopped.

"Which house shall it be?" asked the troll. "There are so many." "The little grey house," said the cat.

"All right," said the troll. "But let's have a look inside."

They crept to a window. The cat arched his back. The troll stood on it. He saw a child sleeping in bed.

"We will stay here," said the troll, as he crept under the door mat. The cat lay down on it. They slept. They slept too long! For Mrs. Prue of the little grey house was up with the sun. She went to the porch.

"Shoo!" she said to the cat. "Shoo! We have no food for cats. We're poor. Mr. Prue cannot find work."

Then she saw the troll. "What is this?" she exclaimed. "Oh, it's a troll doll that the cat has dragged here. It will be a fine doll for Kathy."

The little troll said not a word. He made not a move. He didn't even blink as Mrs. Prue carried him into the house and gave him to her daughter, Kathy.

Kathy smiled. Then she laughed.

The little troll stayed very quiet. He was not ready to say that he was really real!

But when little Kathy put a ribbon in his hair, he cried, "I don't wear ribbons in my hair!"

Then he felt himself falling. He had been dropped!

He looked up at Kathy and saw she was afraid.

"I'm sorry I frightened you," said the little troll. "But I'm really real."

He told Kathy the story of the little farm, and how he could bring luck to farms and to ships at sea. And he told her there was no place for him any more.

"Poor, little troll," said Kathy, as she picked him up and took the ribbon from his hair. "I'll ask Mother and Father if you may live with us."

"I'll wait under the bed while you ask," said the little troll.

"No," said Kathy. "They must see that you are really real." "All right," said the little troll. "Hold me by my beard." Mrs. Prue was so surprised to see the little troll was real that she dropped her sewing.

Mr. Prue was so surprised that he dropped his glasses. "May he stay with us?" asked Kathy.

"I'll try to bring you luck," said the little troll.

"Do you eat much?" asked Mrs. Prue.

"No," said the little troll. "A bowl of rice on New Year's Eve is all any troll eats."

"Where will you sleep?" asked Mrs. Prue.

"Since you haven't any hay," said the troll, "a slipper will do."

"You may use mine," said Mr. Prue.

"Thank you," said the little troll.

Then the little troll went out to look for his cat. He found the cat at the gate.

"I've found a home," said the cat.

"I have a home, too," said the little troll. "And since all is well with you, I must be about my business, I must bring luck to the Prues."

That evening the little troll tried to wish some meat into Mrs. Prue's cabbage soup. He wished and wished. He wished so hard he fell into the soup.

"Please, little troll," said Mrs. Prue. "Get out of my soup."

The little troll climbed out of the soup and felt very sad because his wish had not come true. The next day the little troll went with Mr. Prue to get water from the well. The little troll tried to wish the water into milk. He wished and wished. He wished so hard he fell into the bucket.

"Please, little troll," said Mr. Prue. "Get out of my bucket."

At last the little troll said to the little girl, "I can bring luck to farms and luck to ships at sea, but I can't bring luck to the city."

"If you can bring luck to farms," said Kathy, "maybe you could bring luck to our backyard."

"But nothing is growing there," said the little troll.

"We could plant something," said Kathy.

"What?" asked the little troll.

"I have five pear seeds," said Kathy.

So they planted the five pear seeds and five pear-trees sprang from the ground.

"I will wish for the pear-trees to bring forth the best and sweetest golden pears in all the world," said the little troll.

Soon the pear-trees were full of golden pears. Mr. Prue plucked the golden pears and took them to the market.

From the sale of the golden pears came golden coins and soon the Prues could buy milk and meat and rice!

And they all lived happily ever after in the city.

Sean Townes

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