Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-24
Hot Coal
Famine and
the GObHnS
BY Alice Latlmer

dress in green and eat berries and roots.
There are the cave goblins who wear
earth brown costumes and live on
granite which they scrunch frightfully.
There are the house goblins, who are
neat and disagreeable and are very
fond of porridge, and last-and worst
there are the town goblins, who live
on hot Goals and SCOT. These last are
monsters indeed although so small
that one oftens fails to see them.
Now, don't you get your goblins
mixed. You must not think that town
goblins and house gcblins are the same,
because they're not. The house goblins
live inside the house and interfere with
the housework. The town goblins live
otuside the house, where they interfere
with all the other work. They get their
favorite food-hot coals-mostly from
factories and workshops and all places
where there are big fires and furnaces.
But once in while when there are
strikes and the factories and workshops
are closed the town goblins are forced
10 seek the ilaunts of the house gohlins.
In6Il, IL yOu plCdoC, luC luSSCS bC6iiA
Sputter, sputter, sputter. chatter, chat
ter, chatter. fuss, fuss, fuss. It's per-
fectly awful when the town goblins go
looking for hot Goals in houses!
Well, one day it was particularly
bad The factories and workshops were
all closed down because it was holi-
day. The day before had been holl-
day too, because that was Sunday
Then when a second holiday came the
town goblins were awfully hungry.
They hadn't had single hot coal for
days And cold Goals are very indi-
gestible.
At last the captain of the town COB
Inns called them all together. When
they came deep sighs and groans filled
the old furnace which was their gath
ering place. The town goblins were all
as black and cold as could be and
nothing was to be seen of the beautiful
light shining from within which-in
consequence of their diet-general ir-
radiated their figures.
1--WE must have hot GOALS" an
nounced the leader firmly.
But we knew that before we came
here" cried a discontented goblin.
I'VE will lay siege to every chimney
in town." continued the leader. Woe to
the janitor who shovels us out of the
furnace"
"On to the houses!" shrieked the
other goblins.
In the meantime the house goblins
were not ignorant of the intentions of
their enemies. Under the direction of
their leader, whose name was Poridgia,
they prepared to defend themselves.
The first thing they did was to eat so
much porridge and to pack it down so
tight that they were hard as cannon
balls. You couldn't make a dent in
them anywhere.
The town goblins came on at great
pace, and in consequence of their nat
ural illumination being suspended for
the moment they were heard but not
seen by the house goblins, who were
drawn up in row as hard as por-
ridge could make it.
Crash! Bang! 1t was a terrible com
cussion when the two forces met The
town goblins hurled themselves against
the house goblins and the house COB
Inns responded by hurting themselves
against the town goblins. One would
have thought the house was coming
down. But the house goblins were TOD
tightly packed with porridge to have
been affected at all by the onslaught,
and the town goblins had acquired
coating Of coal dust so thick that
nothing could touch them. Conse-
quently onslaught after onslaught fol-
lowed in vain. Each side emerged
from each onslaught without a dent.
There's no use trying to fight it out
on this line-it will take all summer"
said Poridgia to his first lieutenant.
well, but we can't. let 'em invade
the house for Goals" said the lieu
tenant.
why not? We don't want the Goals,
after ALL" said Poridgia.
"Ah," said the lieutenant eagerly,
''coals are all very well, but it's only
an entering wedge for porridge."
Whose porridge?" demanded his
leader starting anxiously.
Yours" said the lieutenant firmly.
Something must be done at once"
shouted Poridgia. Let us conquer
them at any cost"
Diplomacy diplomacy" remarked
the lieutenant, with sly smile.
"Is that a new kind of pudding?"
asked the leader innocently.
But just then the town goblins took
occasion to onslaught again and they
caught Poridgia so unawares that if he
hadn't been packed tighter with por-
ridge than any one else he certainly
would have been dented.
After the house goblins had recov-
cred their breath Captain Poridgia said
he acceded to the suggestion of his
lieutenant and he thought it about
time for the diplomacy to begin.
Without a moments hesitation the
lieutenant stepped blandly forward,