A Troll s Dream

                A Troll’s Dream

                Alexandr Piatkov



The Master stretched, shook his entire body, and began his rounds, marking

each post one by one. Soon, he reached his old acquaintance—the one who

had long promised him a cracked shoulder blade but kept gnawing on it all by

himself. A dreadful miser, that neighbor; he wouldn't even let him tear up a

book!


A brand-new post distracted the Master from his gloomy thoughts. Growling,

he marked that one too, but just then, a strange creature in high black boots,

a grey padded jacket, and a cap with a button on top led a true monster out of

the stable. The monster had a shaggy mane and a long tail. A bucket

appeared before it, and the brazen beast, snorting softly, began to munch

loudly. Eating on a territory so honestly marked by the Master? Such

insolence was truly unheard of!


With a furious bark, the Master rushed the monster, only to be sent flying

backward by a hoof striking his forehead. Whimpering and howling, he

crawled back toward his kennel. What dreadful manners rule this awful world

nowadays—no order, no respect, no subordination whatsoever!


He lamented for a long time, letting out pitiful whines, while the monster kept

on munching—and worse. From its rear end, steaming droppings rolled out,

immediately drawing a large flock of sparrows. They began to chirp, peck at

the treats, and fight among themselves. "Everything is so utterly trashed!" the

Master howled. Life was turning into a living nightmare, but just then,

something wet and gentle touched his nose.


The Master opened his eyes, saw two glowing green lights right in front of him,

and finally woke up. Senya—for it was he, the Master’s beloved cat—had put

an end to the nightmare. What horrific dreams a full moon can bring! The

Master promised himself never to surf the internet late at night again, curled

up on the sofa, and fell back asleep with a sigh of relief.




Original Text © Copyright: Alexandr Piatkov, 2013
Certificate of Publication №213091901735
Translated from Russian by AI Assistant, 2026