The Little Grey Men Go Down the Bright Stream by B.B

Author:B.B.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2022-06-14T00:00:00+00:00

‘Worm of Death! Worm of Death! Are you there?’

‘Yessssss!’ came the low hissing response. ‘I am here, who callsssss?’

‘It’s me, Cloudberry!’

There was silence and then the ivy leaves began to move and rustle and he saw the evil head, with its fat poison glands bulging behind each cheek and the glittering eyes which he dare not meet with his own.

‘I hope you have dined well and had good hunting,’ said Cloudberry faintly.

‘Yesssss! I have had good hunting, gnome! Yessssss! Mossssst satissssssfactory! But what bringsssss you here?’

‘We’re staying at Rumbling Mill,’ said Cloudberry.

‘Rumbling Mill! A fassssssinating placcccce!’

‘Indeed it is,’ said Cloudberry. ‘We’re on our way downriver but we lost our boat by Bantley Weir so we’re staying on with Otter for a bit.’

‘Do the white owlsssssss sssssstill live up in the mill housssse?’ asked the adder. Cloudberry noticed a distinct bulge in the middle of its black-patterned body and he shuddered again.

‘Yes indeed, and they have a nest up in the loft.’

‘And have they any nicccccce fat youngssssssters?’ said the adder, coming out a little farther from the ivy.

‘Yes, they have,’ said Cloudberry and then wished he had kept silent.

‘Ah,’ said the adder, ‘ssssstill in down I ssssssuppose?’

‘Yes, they are,’ said Cloudberry. ‘Why?’

‘I wassss jussssst enquiring, I do not like the white owlsss but I like baby owletsss, very much, yessssss, very muchshsh, they are asss good assss nightingalessssss, though they do not ssssing sssso sssweetly!’

Cloudberry found he was trembling.

Meanwhile the poor nightingales, beside themselves with grief, wailed above their heads.

‘What bringssssss you to my pressservesses, gnome?’ asked the adder after a pause.

‘I was just taking a stroll,’ said Cloudberry, beginning to regret he had come and wishing he was back at Rumbling Mill.

‘It’sss a good thing you did not ssstep on me in the dark,’ said the adder, ‘I ssssometimes make misstakes! I like to be warned when gnomes are tressspassssssing!’

‘I’m sorry, Worm of Death, I didn’t know you lived here.’

‘Didn’t Otter tell you I wassss here?’ asked the snake.

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