Very Small Spoons

Spoon Elf

"You there," called a peddler. It was a little old elf lady with a big cart selling very small...spoons? She approached Pharon with a warm smile and said, "Dear, you look like you've just seen a ghost."

"I'm just tired."

"Would you like a spoon?"

Pharon shook his head. "Thank you, but I'm okay."

She t'sked and shook her head disapprovingly. "No good, young man, no good at all. I have spoons. You need spoons."

Pharon tried to step around her, but she was insistent. "I'm only here on vacation."

She snapped her fingers. "You need a spoon to remember your vacation! I saw you walking with your son earlier, two spoons!" She picked two very intricately detailed spoons off her cart and presented them to Pharon. They were pretty, but they were too small to be useful. "Two spoons!"

"I already said no thank you."

"I insist! Spoons! Buy two very small spoons at two very small prices!"

The bell on a shop door rang and a woman in a frilly blue and purple apron stomped out and stood behind the spoon elf.

"Miss Handel," said the woman in the apron.

The spoon elf whipped around and nearly dropped her spoons.

"Oopsie!"

She picked up her cart and ran down the street.

The woman in the apron shook her head as she watched the spoon elf run off. "Every night she harasses someone into buying her spoons."

Pharon continued to stare at the woman until it finally clicked in his head.

"Madame Dough!"

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"It's Pharon."

Her eyes widened. "Pharon?"

He nodded. "I was coming to find you."

"Come on inside! Oh, it's been so long."