Twelve Short Stories of Christmas 3: Goblin King

Yesterday’s story can be read here.

Today’s story is inspired by Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak

Saida just wanted the baby to go to sleep. He had been crying all night and most of the day. She had tried walking him round the block and up and down the stairs. She had tried rocking him, telling him stories about goblin kings and fairy queens but he still kept crying. She was singing to him now. She decided she was going to let him try and calm himself down. She finished the lullaby she was making up as she went along as she backed slowly out through the nursery door, “I’ll be sure to serve you, when you’re goblin king, but for now I hope they hear what I sing,” and she clicked the door shut behind her.
The crying stopped instantly. She was so relieved she sat down in the hallway, but she wanted to check if he had gone to sleep or was just sitting calmly in his cot. She opened the door and went back over to the cot. The ice baby left by the goblins was already starting to melt.