Knibb the Gnebb

Knibb plopped down on the grassy knoll, the tree towering overhead. He looked around at the forest canopy, closed his eyes and breathed contently. The sounds of the forest came alive in his big, hairy ears. Birds whistled little tunes in the distance, a rustling of leaves as some small creature dug through the forest floor, a small trickle of water nearby; and all the while a warmth surrounded him. This place is perfect, he thought. His eyes still closed he reached up and began stroking his ear whisker, taking in the sounds. With an attentiveness that has no match, Knibb smelled the forest air deeply, holding his breath. All Gnebb could smell colors and with that breath, the forest's fragrance took color. All the greens, browns, yellows, filtered light, and dark hidden corners sprang into mind. Knibb held the smells a little longer before releasing the breath slowly. He discerned nothing here but blissful peace. For a fleeting moment the thought of why no other Gnebb had settled here crossed his mind but was dismissed so quickly that the thought never fully materialized for him to have realized he thought it. He could not have known the thought should have been given more attention.
         Knibb is a Gnebb, short and stocky, with a build that could only be described as knotted, but do not be deceived as the Gnebb are far more agile than appearances would have one believe. Most Gnebb's were gnarled with what resembled knots where joints should be and Knibb was no different. His wiry chin and ear hairs, though extremely sparse (he counted seven just this morning!), grew longer and thicker than most Gnebbs, something he prided himself on.
         The discovery of the large, tremendous tree was a welcoming boon to his exploration, that it was not already inhabited took him by surprise. The center was hollowed out, presumably some time long ago and while the interior was massive, it did not appear to hinder the tree itself which appeared content to thrive around the hollow.  The tree was rooted firmly, as though the roots were long fingers clutching at soft, freshly turned dirt. Soft mosses velveted the ground and the surrounding warmth was ideal for the little vine covered in sweet, white blossoms, trailing up the side. Surveying the surrounding area, Knibb discovered the best path to the door of his new house would require the construction of a small bridge over the brook that ran through the forest; this would make it easier for visitors to come knocking. A thought that really made him break out in a knowing smile as Gnebbs loved to entertain.
         Knibb was still sitting, stroking his long ear hair, when he began to hum a cheerful tune softly to himself, the sounds of the forest began singing along. Yes yes, this will do perfectly, he said to himself again. A deep sense of satisfaction filled his chest, no other Gnebb was around for several turns of the creek. Perhaps it was his bliss that prevented him from knowing the hidden quirks of this location, or perhaps he purposefully ignored them. Nevertheless, his joy spread and his song became a bit louder, faster paced and the forest, without pause, responded in kind.  Bringing himself back to reality, he mused, daydreaming never accomplished anything, and he was never to give himself an out for work as all Gnebb were diligent workers; he opened his eyes slowly and set himself a task of building this perfect tree-house.
          All Gnebb loved wood, and they were skillful artisans as a whole; even so, Knibb  was a craftsman among craftsmen! Knibb worked the wood in such a way that would put other Gnebb to shame-- his skills were unmatched. He  built walls and shelves, several bedrooms, and a large cooking area, but his favorite accomplishment was the door. Quaint and perfect, a small window positioned above it that illuminated his work, and his hearth. He loved to work with the wood, the more knots the better. So engrossed was he in his work that he ignored the small prickle on the nape of his hairy neck; a prickle that if he had stopped to smell the colors of the forest, he would have discerned something there that might have made him change his mind of the neighborhood.
         The glowing eyes watched as Knibb crafted his house, they certainly weren't going to share this place; it was theirs! Hidden in shadow and keeping to the dark corners and rotting logs of the forest floor, they continued their ever watchful presence, keeping themselves secret, hiding their colors, as their distaste for the Gnebb grew. They plotted to make an unfortunate accident; should they have the tree come alive? Or perhaps kill it altogether? They whispered amongst themselves and decided on a new tactic, a special treat just for a Gnebb and they laughed.
         It was a small thing really, a shelf that slipped and smacked Knibb sharply on the head, so sharply in fact it made his eyes tear up and he felt a sizable goose egg forming. He took a pause from his efforts to rub his knobby head and shake the stars from his eyes. The oddity of a falling piece of wood was momentarily lost on Knibb. Glancing around his new home he took note of his accomplishments and took count of the work that remained to be done, he felt confident that he was nearly there. As he sat there in the middle of the room, he began to noticed more small things-- odd things, things that he didn't notice before but suddenly appeared to stand out. The light of the day illuminated the room, and the forest air was calm and peaceful, but somehow shadows danced across the walls. Where those shadows always there? He thought. He would swear something was moving just out of the corner of his eye but when he'd turn to see, there was nothing. To trouble him further, another shelf slipped from its mounting and fell with a crash, startling Knibb with a jump. The insult to his craftsmanship was not lost on Knibb.
         “Who is there! Show yourself NOW!” he bellowed loudly.  Unfortunately for Knibb, it was exactly his woodworking that continued to suffer. The shadows danced faster around the room, knobs popped off doors and railings, knots disappeared and appeared bumping into all that Knibb had built and twisted the walls terribly. Naughty giggles could be heard faintly.
         Horrified, Knibb watched in awe as all he had worked began to undo itself.
         “Knaves! All of you, knaves!!” He howled loudly at the shadows. He was met with maniacal laughter as they chanted back,
                   “Leave leave and never come back 
                   for if you do we'll make you crack
                   your precious pride will get a smack
                   your wood skills so always slack”
         With horror, Knibb gathered his things. Of all the cruelest things to say! His woodworking was certainly not slack! His pride tumbled and his heart filled with fear. What if that were true!? What if his wood skills were slack? Knibb eyes teared up.  He ran away from the tree with great speed, he did not give pause to the sounds behind him nor did he turn to see who was making those sounds.          

         Sadly, Knibb was never heard from again. Perhaps he changed his name, or took an apprenticeship with another woodworker, or maybe he found his perfect house somewhere else. Only the laughter of the forest knows for sure, as they followed him for some great time, chanting and changing their little rhyme:
         “Leave leave and never come back
         for if you do we'll make you crack
         your precious pride with get a smack
         your wood skills so always slack.

         Run faster now knobby Gnebb
         we'll catch you on the rolling ebb
         your whiskers we'll pluck
         you'll be out of good luck
         There is mother's spider web!”