Part eighteen: The children

Second Attempt

Tauren looked at the wide-eyed, frightened children who had suddenly appeared in the tall reeds beside his boat.

“You are hungry,” he said, gently. The young girl and boy were well dressed, but covered with mud. 

“We have not eaten for a long time,” said the taller of the two. “We were walking down the cobblestone street when the rain started. The wall of water washed us downstream.”

“We don’t know where our parents are either,” the younger child said, wiping away a tear. “Maybe they were washed out to sea?” 

“You are safe,” replied the gnome, putting his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “I am Tauren, a gnome, from the mine in the mountain.”

He beckoned them to sit beside the fire, opened his leather knapsack and handed them a loaf of rye bread.

“What are your names?”

“Thank you.” said the girl. “I am Molly. My younger brother is Moe.”

“Maybe that is your parents out there where the old schoolhouse used to be. See the chimney and the smoke?” asked Tauren. “I was trying to get out there. My boat was too light though and it got caught in the current and almost capsized.”

“May we go there with you?” asked Molly, pulling a gold coin out of her pocket. “We can pay you.”

“Where did you get that gold coin?” he asked.

“I found it.” 

“You don’t have to pay me,” replied Tauren, with a smile. He knew there would be gold coins everywhere after the storm. “Put it back in your pocket, love.”

Deep in thought, he lit his pipe and sat on the log.

“The weight of the children may be sufficient to steady my boat,” he thought to himself.

“Whoever it is out there, they will need food,” said Tauren. “I have enough for all of us. You can help me gather some rocks. With your weight and theirs, we may be able to get there. We need some logs to hang onto too, in case we the boat is capsized.”

Little did anyone know that Kelly, the Irish colleen, was about to get her third wish fulfilled, namely that of having children.