HELP! please help me find this childrens story from my youth...

[RiaParkinson]

It was a picture book but from what I recall very scary.
My memory of the story is very very scant
What i do remember is some red coloured goblinny type naked long nosed things..who swarmed ....they ran at night in huge groups through long swishy grass

The story was something like 'Through the long grass ran the 'whatever these things are called''

they came night by night

I would be really grateful of any input as this bugs me and i would love to find it..

Thanks

Can't shed any light on this but it sounds scary!! What era are we talking about ? 70s/80s?

thanks lisa

it was 70's but could have been an older book iirc

anyone?

Agghh now you've reminded me that I used to have it too...but can't remember what it was. Curses!

ooh cyteen i am delighted!

I started the same thread a few years ago but no one recognised it.....result!

At least now you have a partner in confusion

i am hoping it will come to you!

Is this familiar

"Now out in the woods lived the Hobyahs. Every night they came running towards the house, up, up, on their long toes, creeping, creeping, through the soft grass, waving their wild tails, came the Hobyahs. And they shouted, "Break down the house, carry off the little old man, eat up the little old woman!" But Little Dog Turpie always heard them coming, and he would bark and bark and bark, "Wow, wow!" till they all ran away."

Folk tales leila Berg

o m g

I am all of a shiver.....

alibubbles how clever are you?

how did you do that - do you have the book?

just had a quick shufty and cant find the copy i had ( the pics on the ones i saw not nearly scary enough but then i am 41 now!)

I am sooo pleased cant thank you enough

?Tear down the hempstalks, eat up the old man and woman, and carry off the little girl?

this is deffo it

NOW to find it - complete with pink skinny goblins

Ria - it sounds horrible!! Why do you want to find it? Surely you dont wnt to read it to your kids???!!!!

just soo memorable...obsessing about it now!

Googled Alibubbles text, and got This - there is a picture!

This sounds like just the sort of thing my dd1 would have loved when younger!

No worse than lots of fairy tales, surely Lisa?

horrible.................

well the text you quote to start with sounded quite horrible. But having read the whole thing on that link no worse than many of the other fairy tales and fables imo

The Hobyahs, ooh, I had that book! I LOVED it as a kid, not sure why because I am was an utter wimp.

I reckon my copy will be up in my mum's loft. I'll have a look next time I go to see her.

There is a 5 Minute Animated film based on the book. Not sure how closely based... DogTurpie.com

nannynick yes but they are NOT the skinny goblins of my youth

also that text does not mention the 'hempstalks' which my memory story had ...

very interesting actually

different authors and dates when googling HOBYAHS rather than little dog turpie

OLIHAN please please do look when you go home - i would love to find the old story, Please keep in touch i would be so grateful

Will do, will probably be there over half term at some point. Bump this around then to jog my memory!

thanks Olihan!

any joy Olihan?

I still have this book, tattered and torn. It is a collection of stories including the one about Anacie (sp?) and the Pudding Tree and also the one about all the little old women who arrive to fix the Higgledy Piggledy Topsy Turvy house.

The most evocative language and pictures.....

I remember reading this story in a school reading scheme book (possibly Ginn)
in the 70's.

How weird is that, a school reading scheme book with such a scary tale that I remember it to this day !