The Little Green Nobody
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a rich and greedy King whose name was King Zackary. He spent his days counting his money, buying clothes and eating from his table whenever he felt like it. He really didn’t pay much attention to his kingdom at all but sent out a tax raise every month. This is why nobody liked the King.
One day a man arrived on his donkey from a distant village called Erington. He had traveled for many days and was looking for somewhere to stay.
He stopped a passer-by and asked him, “Sir, could you please tell me where I might spend the night in this little town?”
The man replied, “There is an inn about a mile along from here. It is known as ‘The Sugar Maple Tree Inn.’ You will have to put your donkey in the stables across the road. Good day.”
The man continued down the road and arrived at the inn about dusk. He took his donkey to the stables and paid the caretaker, telling him to take good care of it. Then he went into the inn and spoke to a lady behind a wooden desk. “May I have a room for the night?” he asked her.
“I’m afraid we are full,” she replied. “Unless you would like to share a room.”
“With who, may I ask?”
“The Little Green Nobody. He does not take up a lot of room and can sleep in the air so that you might have the bed.”
“Very well,” said the man. “Here are two shillings. I hope that will be enough.”
“Your room is number 25 along the hall there. Have a good night’s rest.”
The man knocked on the door. It opened a crack.
“I will be sharing this room with you, Little Green Nobody,” said the man. “Please let me in.”
” I won’t,” he replied. “Unless you promise to do something for me, first.”
“What would you like me to promise?”
“To come with me on my journey to capture the King and become the new one. That is all I ask. If you answer ‘yes’ you may sleep in this room for the night and then come with me in the morning. If not, you can sleep in the hallway. the choice is yours.”
“Very well, I promise to come with you,” said the man. “Now let me in.”
“Do you really promise?” asked the Little Green Nobody.
“Only if I may sleep on your bed,” said the man. “Now open the door.”
Little Green Nobody opened the door. The room was furnished with one mattress on the ground, a water jug in the corner and a sack filled with hay as the pillow. Little Green Nobody’s blue bag was on the ground.
“I cannot see you,” said the man.
“That is because I am nobody. You cannot see nobody.”
“I wish to rest for I am weary after my long journey. May I have the bed?”
“It is not much of a bed but you may have it anyway. I can sleep in the air.”
Before falling asleep, the man had planned a scheme. While Nobody was asleep, in the early hours of the morning, he would get away on his donkey and ride to Austin where the King lived in his palace. He would tell the King about Little Green Nobody. You see, the man was the King’s lawyer.
At dawn the man arose quietly, slipped out of the inn, got his donkey and rode away. Just as he was approaching the palace, a voice spoke in his ear.
“Good, we are here. Help me off this donkey.” For the Little Green Nobody had rode with him all the way.
~The End~
By: Erin Feller
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