miércoles, 20 de diciembre de 2017

ONCE UPON 24 TIMES: STORY XX

Story the Twentieth:
Seven of Swords
The Three Billy Goats

The Case of Mr. Rivertroll v. the Ziegenbock Brothers

I, Owen Rivertroll, residing under the Canyon Rapids Bridge, wish to register a complaint.
On the 20th of April around noon, I was taking my customary nap in my lair under the bridge when I was startled from my slumber by a gentle rapping on the planks above.
Irritated upon this sudden disturbance, I leapt up to the surface to realise the culprit was an adolescent billy goat. Knowing that I would be petrified within a quarter of an hour while exposed to the sunlight, I resolved to prey upon him, but the young billy goat pleaded to let him cross the bridge and wait for the middle brother (there were apparently at least three siblings), in such a mournful tone that I was obliged to compel and let him cross the bridge.
No sooner had I been lulled back into sleep, that I was suddenly startled for the second time, this time by vigorous tramps and strides above. Realising it must be the middle billy goat, I sprang up to confront him upon the bridge, to quite really behold that he was the culprit. When I threatened to prey upon him, the young adult billy goat pleaded to let him cross and wait for the big brother's arrival, in such a mournful tone that I was obliged to compel and let him cross the bridge.
It was a little more than an instant that I napped when I resumed my beauty sleep (believe it or not, we river trolls can be aesthetically conscious), when a sound like loud thunder caused me to leap up to the bridge in a rage. The eldest of the three billy goat brothers was a fully grown one, with horns like a battering ram and four muscular legs, but I was not afraid at all.
However, before I could lunge at such a worthy opponent, I found myself with a splash at the bottom of the rapids. Luckily, the sunlight had turned me into such a heavy rock that I was unable to feel much pain, and that the stream was unable to sweep me away.
Ladies and gentlemen, after having told you nothing but the truth, I leave it to you to decide whether these affronts should be vindicated.

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