The goblin with the red, red cap...

Donovan hates fruit. Every day his mommy tells him that it is important to eat fruit, because of the vitamins they harbor. What these are, only she knows. He doesn’t want to eat any!

He enjoys playing with his truck underneath the fruit trees in the back yard. He makes roads, loads sand and parks in the huge store which he built himself.

Suddenly an apricot landed on his head. “Sis, man!” he shouts. “What is this? The worms nauseate me!” Angrily he throws the rotten apricot away.

“Why are you so angry, Donovan?” he hears a voice asking him. He looks around surprised. Just now he was alone outside.

“Don’t you hear what I’m asking, Donovan?” he again hears the voice asking. After a while he looks up and sees a little goblin sitting in the tree. It is the goblin with the red, red cap and the yellow shirt. He is frightened, because he has never seen something like this.

“Who are you and why must I answer you?” he mutters in his most unpleasant voice.

“I’m the fruit goblin,” answers the little goblin.” It’s my job to beautify the fruit and let them taste sweet so that kids will smack their lips when they eat them.”

“I hate fruit! They are the worst things I’ve ever tasted! Why do you want me to eat them? You are just like my mommy. You don’t understand anything! Why must one eat fruit? What is the reason for this?”

“Sometimes it’s important to listen when people talk to you. You are so angry that you don’t even notice that everybody loves you and only wants the best for you. This eventually can change you into a nasty little friend.

I’m going to tell you the story of fruit. You must listen carefully, because this will help you to understand what everything is about. Fruit works in different ways in one’s body.

The vitamins which Mommy told you about, are little men who live inside the fruit. They heal you. They are the ones who let you feel better when you are ill. When you eat an orange all the vitamin C-men work very hard to help you not to catch a cold. Like this there are different types of vitamin men who keep you healthy.

There are also types of fruit which cleanse your body. If your tummy hurts and you want to cry for days on end, you can eat prunes. Your tummy will feel much better and you will be able to think clearly. So, you see, one doesn’t have to be so angry, you can be a good friend who sometimes listens.”

“Oh, little goblin, I’ve never thought about it like this. Sometimes I just feel so angry, because I only want to play outside with my truck. What does an apricot taste like?”

“No! Don’t tell me you’ve never tasted an apricot! It tastes like the golden sunshine and the laughter in a child’s eyes. It has pink cheeks which whisper softly when it becomes dark. You see, you must never say that you don’t like something even before you’ve tasted it or done something!”

“I’m going to tell Mommy that I’m very sorry about all the nasty things I’ve said. From now on I’m going to eat fruit and try to enjoy it as you say.”

“Remember that you never say the word hate because it makes you feel like a dirty rag and smell like drain water. Kind words are said by kind people.”

Donovan looks up to talk to the little goblin again, but pow-wow and there is nobody to see anymore. He suddenly feels sad and just so wrong. He runs as fast as his legs can carry him, grabs Mommy around her legs, embraces and kisses her. It’s better to say you’re sorry when you know you are wrong.