That Little Red Imp
That Little Red Imp
Once upon a time, many years ago, there lived a brownie called Mingy. That wasn't his real name, but he was such a mingy, miserly, mean old fellow that everyone forgot his real name and called him Mingy.
One day he picked up an old kettle from a ditch and looked at it. Yes _ if he took it home he could mend that little hole in the bottom and use it. That would save him buying a new kettle!
So he took it home _ but, you know, he hadn't looked inside that kettle. If he had, he would have seen that a little red, spidery imp had made it his home, and was very much annoyed at having his kettle taken up from the ditch.
The imp lifted up the lid and took a look at thr brownie. He grinned. 'It's old Mingy!' he said to himself. 'I might have guessed. Ho ho! He'll find this kettle a pretty expensive one, before he's done, i think!'
Mingy took the kettle home, mended the hole and put it up on a shelf to dry. As he turned to sit down there came a knock at the door, and a small elf popped her head in.
'Could you lend me yesterday's newspaper?' She asked. 'I just wanted to see the answer to a puzzle.'
'No, I can't lend it to you,' snapped the brownie, who hated lending even a pin to anyone.
'Mingy, Mingy! Stingy old Mingy!' yelled the little red imp loudly from the kettle.
The brownie looked around, astonished. The imp popped up the kettle lid and grinned at him. 'Mingy, stingy Mingy!' he yelled, in his little high voice.
'Oh, so it's you, is it!' said Mingy, fiercely. 'I'll soon settle you!'
The red imp popped out of the kettle and danced up to a higher shelf where some pots of plum jam stood. 'Mingy old Stingy! Stingy old Mingy!' he called.
Mingy picked up a duster and flapped hard at the imp. Crash! Smash! Down to the floor came two pots of plum jam and splashed the brownie from head to feet in dark red.
'What a waste, what a waste, Mingy dear!' shouted the red imp. The brownie wiped him-self down, in a furious temper. Then he picked up a broom and hit out at the red imp, who had hopped on to the dresser.
The imp took a flying leap on to a shelf full of saucepans and the broom hit a big dish and two glasses. Blam-blam, crash! Down they all came in smithereens, and the red imp jigged about for joy among the saucepans, jumping into first one and then another.
'Mingy, Mingy, isn't he stingy!' he shouted, in his naughty little high voice. The brownie threw the broom at him in a rage, and half the saucepans bounced off the shelf and fell clanging and clanking to the floor, denting themselves terribly.
The red imp hopped back into the kettle, shaking with laughter. Ho ho, old Mingy had got to spend some money now. He must buy new saucepans, a new dish, new glasses!
Mingly suddenly took hold of the kettle and opened the lid. The red imp slipped up the spout and out in a flash. He jumped on to the brownie's shoulder and nappes his ear. 'Mingy, here I'm!' he yelled. Mingy put up his hand and tried to slap him, but the imp jumped to the table, where Mingy's tea was set out. The brownie grabbed at him and upset the teapot. The tea went soaking into the tablecloth and into the plate of bread-and-butter.
The red imp jumped into the warm teapot and out again. He was enjoying himself. Then he jumped on to the milk jug. Mingy hit out at him - and over went the milk!
Mingy burst into tears. It was too bad! Nasty little imp! Why couldn't he leave him alone?
'Will you go away if I throw the kettle back into the ditch again?' he begged the imp at last. But the red imp shook his head firmly.
'No, certainly not. It's fun living with a stingy old miser like you,' said the imp. 'It's fun to make you break things and spill them, to make you spend your money! Ho ho, I like living with a mingy miser!'
Mingy glared at the imp in rage. Then he put on his hat and went to visit the wise woman next door. He told her his trouble and asked her how he could get rid of the mischievous imp.
'If it's a red imp,' said the wise woman, 'he will love to live with you, Mingy, because red imps love to tease mean, selfish people like you. There's only one way of getting rid of him!'
'What's that?' asked Mingy, eagerly.
'Stop being mean and miserly,' said the wise woman, looking over her spectacles at mingy. 'Then he won't be able to call you names or tease you. It serves you right to be plagued with a nasty little imp like that, Mingy, you know - you really are rather a nasty little creature yourself!'
Mingy blushed as red as a tomato. How dreadful to have such a thing said to him by a wise woman! He went home hanging his head, and on the way he gave two elves a penny each - a thing he had never in his life done before!
He crept quietly into his cottage - but the red imp was waiting for him.
'Ho ho, here's dear old mingy, old stingy mingy!' he cried, peeping out of the kettle.
'Welcome home, Mingy.'
Mingy said nothing. He hunted about for yesterday's paper and then went out to give it to the little elf who had asked for it. The imp watched him in surprise. When Mingy came back the imp was fast shut in his kettle and didn't even peep out. Mingy was glad.
Tiptop the goblin came knocking at the door that evening and asked Mingy to lend him a little tea. Without a word the brownie opened his tea-caddy and gave Tiptop what he wanted Tiptop was so astonished that he couldn't say a word. He had never in his life known Mingy to give or lend anything before.
Word soon went round that Mingy was changing. How strange! People said he had a little red imp there too, that sometimes called him names. Stranger still! More and more people called at Mingy's in the next few days to borrow something or to ask for something. Mingy gave them all what they wanted, with a pleasant smile.
A peculiar thing began to happen to him. He felt nice and warm inside whenever he did something kind. He liked the grateful look in people's eyes. He liked their warm smiles at him. It was good to be kind! It was nice to be friendly!
The little red imp had a bad time. It was no good his peeping out of the kettle - no good even to call something rude for Mingy didn't seem to mind.
One day he climbed right out of the kettle and had a good into Mingy's face.
'Why, I through you were mean and selfish!' said the red imp. 'I've made a mistake! You are kind! You are good! You're no use to me! I want someone to plague and tease. I want someone to be rude to. Bah! It's no good staying here!'
'Not a bit of good, imp,' said Mingy. 'I'll put your kettle back in the ditch, if you like.'
The imp climbed into his kettle and the brownie threw it into the ditch where he had found it.
'That's the end of you!' he thought with glee. 'Now, if I want to, I can go back to my old ways!'
But the strange thing was that he didn't want to! There was not fun in being mean! He didn't feel warm and happy when he was being selfish! No he wanted to smile, and see others smile. He wanted to be generous and get that nice warm feeling inside. It was much more fun to be kind!
So the little red imp was some good after all! He is still living in his old kettle down in the ditch. You may find him there one day, if you look - but first be sure you're not a mingy fellow yourself, or I shall be very sorry for you!
