The tale of Jumping Jim 3/3

"Things were fine for a time but slowly humans started to invent nasty, smelly machines to do their hard work for them. None of the goblins liked being near the machines and so, they gradually moved away to quieter places. Most of the humans didn't even notice them go but one man remembered and he made a little gold figure of Jumping Jim, which showed him right in the middle of a seven-league jump. He sold a lot of these charms to people, who would wear them on bracelets or necklaces to bring good luck.

"Nowadays, of course, humans have ignored us for so long that they can't see any of the fairy folk at all. Except for some children," he said, smiling at Jennifer Jane.

That was the end of the story and all the goblins clapped and started to leave the Oldest Goblin's house. Soon the room was back to the same size as it had been when Jennifer Jane first saw it.

"Wow," said Jasper, "wait till I tell the folks back home!"

Jennifer Jane thanked the Oldest Goblin very much for the story and went home too.

"While I was out walking, I met one of my friends and showed him my new necklace," she said when she saw her Father "He said that it was a charm called a Jumping Jimmy and told me a story about it."

"Well, I've never heard that before," said her Dad when Jennifer Jane had finished re-telling the Oldest Goblin's story, "I wonder if Jack at the museum knows?"

He picked up the phone. "Can I speak to Mr Saunders please? Hello Jack, did you know that the treasure we found the other day was a good luck charm called a Jumping Jim?" Then it was Dad's turn to repeat the story.

"Well," he said, when he'd put the phone down, "it seems you've made a small contribution to the museum records. Jack says it's only a folk story but it's the first time anyone has had any idea why these charms were made. In future, anybody interested will be able to look up your story in the reading room at the museum."

Jennifer Jane was ever so pleased and so were all the goblins, when she told them later that week.