In this I will finish the story begun by Mamillius in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale". Here is how it begins, as written by Shakespeare:
"HERMIONE
What wisdom stirs amongst you? Come, sir, now
I am for you again: pray you, sit by us,
And tell 's a tale.
MAMILLIUS
Merry or sad shall't be?
HERMIONE
As merry as you will.
MAMILLIUS
A sad tale's best for winter: I have one
Of sprites and goblins.
HERMIONE
Let's have that, good sir.
Come on, sit down: come on, and do your best
To fright me with your sprites; you're powerful at it.
MAMILLIUS
There was a man-
HERMIONE
Nay, come, sit down; then on.
MAMILLIUS
Dwelt by a churchyard: I will tell it softly;
Yond crickets shall not hear it.
HERMIONE
Come on, then,
And give't me in mine ear."
Now here's how I continue and eventually end the story, which I have titled "Sprites and Goblins":
MAMILLIUS:
"As I say, there was a man dwelt by a churchyard. And beside this churchyard lay a wood, which none dared enter, as there were many dreadful tales told about it.
But that changed when the man himself saw some sprites one night, whirling and dancing in the air. So entranced was he by them that he forgot the tales, and followed them even as they went into the woods. Deeper and deeper into the woods they went, and the man followed, overwhelmed by the beauty of the spectacle, heedless of the goblins that peeped at him from the shadows, and soon would do more than peep.
For the goblins themselves grew entranced by the gold watch he wore, greedy as they were for gold, and determined to have it for themselves.
At length the sprites dispersed, and the man looked around with a shiver, lost in the unfamiliar wood. Up came a goblin and took him by the hand, smiling and motioning as though she would bring him to safety. He followed, not knowing the well-earned bad reputation of goblins.
Yet after a while of being led about to no purpose he grew weary, and lay down upon a rock, and fell asleep. So the goblin took his watch and scampered off, leaving him hopelessly lost in the woods, and the sprites frolicked merrily about, beautiful and careless. And the wolves from the wood advanced on the man…and now what they left of him is buried in the churchyard too.