Triumph Over the Troll

​The Gnometown Tale of The Troll

Back in the old country, banished to a deep cave by the ocean, lived a grouchy old troll named Coviduis P. Evilson the 19th. He came from a long line of evil trolls. Even his mother must have thought he was ugly because the P stands for Putrid. Because of his misdeeds, the gnomes there had banned him to live in a dark cave with only bats and spiders for company. But as the gnomes walked by he overheard them talking about the Gnometown gnomes. He was annoyed to learn how they wore a heart on their sleeves because they cared for everyone by helping them ad how they loved Gnometown. All the gnomes were so happy to be there. 
"How disgusting!" Covidius muttered to his cave friends. "I have a mind to go there and mess that up. The gnomes here don't want me around anyway. Why should those Dawson gnomes be so happy?" So he planned a trip with the goose going west. While the troll was arranging for travel, a young gnome was listening and learned of his intentions and ran to tell the others. 
"We don't want the Gnometown gnomes to be surprised by that troublemaker," said the supreme leader of the Old Country gnomes. "We will send a message by carrier pigeon so they will have advanced warning."
Carrier pigeons are fast and the Gnometown gnomes had time to devise a plan. They divided themselves into groups: one to protect the industry, one to defend the hospital, another to protect the school, and another to watch the businesses. They were ready for that mean spirited Covidius. 
Soon arriving to carry out his devious plots, he decided to sneak into the hospital first to steal their surgical tools and medications. But, alas, Doc Bill, Doc Phil, and Doc Ralph had barricaded the doors. He shook the doors hard but there was no way he could enter. “Rats” he muttered, only to look back and see the EMTs chasing him down in the ambulance. “I’m out of here.” he exclaimed.
 So Covidius, this awful troll, retreated to the garbage dump hoping to find something good to eat. Trolls like garbage. “I’m not giving up, I’ll go to the school and scare those yucky young gnomes,” he said to himself defiantly. Off he goes to the school, armed with smelly garbage to throw at the children. He arrives at the school yard and is pleasantly surprised. “They aren’t expecting me to be here, they must be having a party. Look at them carrying those floating colorful balls... it must be a new game. Ha, Ha, I’ll give them a pleasant surprise, how would they like to wear some rotten fruit and smelly vegetables!”
The very second his foot touched the playground grass, he was startled to hear hundreds of loud bangs, loud enough to scare this mischievous troll and send him running in fear. The Gnometown children and teachers laughed, they knew they had scared Covidius with the helium balloons. “You haven’t seen the last of me yet,” he shouted, “I’ve got other plans to spoil your Gnometown. You’ll see.” So back to the dump to prepare for his next attack.
The plan he conjured up was malicious! He was determined to do harm. But Daws, the leader of the gnomes, along with Mayor Al and Mayor Dick were prepared to meet any situation.
Covidius waited to execute his evil plan until it got dark when all the gnomes were sleeping. He began to set all the dumpsters in back of each business on fire. But the business owners were on watch, and they called the fire department and the police. Quickly the fires were put out and all the business owners chased Covidius into a police trap. He was caught.
The Gnometown council reconvened immediately to put the troll on trial. The town lawyer and judge, Governor Ted, presented the evidence and this bad troll was convicted. The good judge sentenced him to permanently live under the old, unused and rickety bridge south of town. He was forbidden to enter the town and must go into the river and rid the water of zebra mussels. When he was hungry, they all agreed that he should eat them.
 All the gnomes, young and old, of Gnometown, were warned not to go near there. Soon the river was free of zebra mussels and the fish were abundant.

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