Sophie and her twin brother Sam climbed down the rope ladder into the deep dark well outside their house. They were following their mother. Of late, their mother had behaved very strangely. She was always in a foul temper. They clambered down, till they saw a tunnel. It led to a room. Through a wisp of light leaking out from another room, the children saw the crumpled figure of their mother in a cage. Then, they realised that all along, a troll had taken the form of their mother and imprisoned her in the cage. In the adjoining room, brown ugly trolls were dancing. Sam unlocked the cage, but it made a loud snapping sound. “Who’s there?” cried the trolls. The twins and their mother fled, chased by the clumsy trolls. When they reached the ladder, another troll was climbing down. They ran on, till Sam spotted a trapdoor. They pulled themselves up and found themselves safely inside their kitchen.
The Troll Mother
