Nix was a water-goblin with green teeth and a tall green hat. He lived deep down in a lake. One day he said, ‘I am tired of my dull life here. I want to have some fun. I shall go up to the Dry Land to annoy the people who live there.’

‘You will be sorry,’ said the other water- goblins, but Nix did not care.

‘Quite right!’ said the Horse, who liked to agree with the Cow. ‘I shall do the same with my tail.’Soon a girl from the village came to fill a pail of water at the lake. Very quickly, Nix swam into the pail. He was careful to change himself into a little red water-worm, so that the girl should not see him.

‘Now for some fun,’ said Nix, as the girl set off walking across the fields. He jumped and kicked so much that the water spilled over the girl’s dress. Nix thought that it was a huge joke, for water-goblins are wicked little fellows.

When the girl reached home, there was very little water left in the pail. The girl’s mother was very angry.

‘Now pour that water into the kettle and heat it, ‘said the woman. ‘You are late enough with your washing.’

Nix had never heard of a kettle. ‘Ha, ha, I shall have some more fun there,’ he thought. As the girl poured the water from the pail into the kettle, Nix hopped quickly into the kettle.