(This'll be a series, and I'll be writing and completing it whenever I've got time, so don't get too excited, please.)
(Edit: revised the first paragraph to be more "show, don't tell". Thanks for noticing this, @godfish.)
(Edit2: I've done some additional small revisions and fixes to the text, mainly fixing the colours of the domestic animals.)
Tallitonttu
“Good work, girl. We are all done for today. Here, have some oats”, said Sami calmingly patting the chestnut mare trembling with fatigue. “It sure was rough one. How on earth were there so many rocks in that patch? And those roots were just insane! I'm surprised we survived.”
Sami had inherited the small farm with its livestock after his late old father had gotten ill with the English malady and having died in the hands of a village healer while letting.
While he was grooming the mare, a curious pair of green eyes peered from the shadows, silently observing his actions.
“Quit whining, Kuoma, there's nothing there”, he told to the pied black and white dog at his feet. “Or do you see something I don't? Maybe it's my father's ghost, or a spirit.”
The mare neighed and tossed her beautiful flaxen-maned head, as if she too had heard or sensed something extraordinary.
“There, there Hilla! Not you too...” laughed Sami. “Drink up, and here's some more oats for you when you've done!”
After having groomed Hilla, Sami lead her to her stall, removed her halter and closed the door behind her to ensure she settled in comfortably. He placed a bucket of oats in her feeding trough, along with a fresh flake of hay. He then affectionately patted her neck and said goodnight, as he left the stable.
Stepping inside his house, a moment of concern appears on his face, but Sami soon shrugs it off. “I can always pay them later. There's no hurry...” he thought “...perkeleen taalerit, killinkit ja pyörylät” he said out loud.
Meanwhile, in the stable, the green eyes blinked for a while, as if pondering what they had seen, before fading away into the darkness.
“Hyvin tehty, tyttö. Työt ovat ohi tältä päivältä. Tässä, ota vähän kauraa”, sanoi Sami tyynesti taputellen rasituksesta värisevää rautiasta tammaansa. “Sepä olikin rankka homma. Kuinka ihmeessä tuolla palstalla oli niin paljon kiviä? Ja ne juuret... järjettömiä! Olipa ihme, että selvittiin siitä hengissä.”
Sami oli saanut pienen maatilan elikoineen perinnöksi engelskantaudin kourissa kuppauksen aikana kyläparantajan käsiin kuolleelta isävainaaltaan.
Hänen siinä tammaa sukiessaan, katseli vihreä kiinnostunut silmäpari häntä varjoista, hiljakseen hänen toimiaan tarkkaillen.
“Lakkaahan inisemästä, Kuoma! Ei siellä mitään ole”, komensi hän mustan ja valkoisen laikuttamaa koiraa jaloissaan. “Vai näetkö siellä jotain mitä minä en? Ehkä se on isävainaan haamu, tai joku henkiolento.”
Tamma hirnui ja heijasi kaunista liinakkoharjaista päätään, kuin sekin olisi jotain erikoista kuullut tai vaistonnut.
“Noh noh Hilla! Älähän nyt sinäkin...” nauroi Sami. “Juo pois, ja tässä vähän lisää kauroja, siksi kun olet juonut!”
Harjattuaan Hillan, Sami vei tamman pilttuuseen, otti pois valjakset ja sulki takasen varmistaen, että tamma on asettunut sinne mukavasti. Hän asetti ämpärillisen kauroja kaukaloon tuoreen heinälaakan kera. Taputellen tammansa kaulaa hellästi, hän lausui sille vielä hyvät yöt poistuessaan tallista.
Astuttuaan taloon, hetkellinen huolen häivä kävi hänen kasvoillaan, mutta Sami ravisti sen nopeasti mielestään. “Voinhan aina maksaa heille myöhemmin. Ei kiirettä...” hän ajatteli, “...perkeleen taalerit, killinkit ja pyörylät”, sanoi hän ääneen.
Sillä aikaa pimeässä tallissa, vihreät silmät räpyttelivät hetkisen, kuin miettien näkemäänsä, kadoten sitten pimeyteen.
I'm not sure if you are going to like this kind of content from my blog, but I am very interested to know what you think about it. So please comment below. I'm going to keep using the term "tonttu" instead of "elf", because the Finnish term doesn't really have an English equivalent.
The term "tallitonttu" means a tonttu whose dominion, or home is generally the stable. ("Talli" = "Stable")
The names Kuoma and Hilla have meanings too, "kuoma" being "buddy" or "friend", and "hilla" means "cloudberry".
"Perkele" is the devil, and "taaleri", "killinki" and "pyörylä" or "runstykki" are Finnish folk names of the "riksdaler", "skilling", and "rundstycke" that were the denominations of money in use in the early 17th century Finland under the Swedish rule.
If you have any ideas or advice, please share them all! I am very interested in hearing your tips and opinions.