Hobgoblins in flimsy hot-air balloons

Lilliput is in great turmoil. From the big forest across the valley, hobgoblins are coming over in flimsy hot-air balloons, which often burst along their journey towards the Land of Milk and Honey, crashing down into Lilliput. The hobgoblins are then locked inside caves, and fed leaves and water so that they can stay alive.

Now the problem with these hobgoblins is that they happen to have big lips and, to make matters even worse, they worship the moon, unlike the goblins of Lilliput who are, by official decree, sun worshippers.

This is, indeed, a serious problem. So much so that many Lilliputians are angry about the situation, and are threatening the two big tribes, the Elves and the Imps, that they will no longer support them if they do not “do something” about these hobgoblins, who are threatening to take over Lilliput, and change it beyond recognition.

A certain Gnomalowil has set up a tribe called ImpEures, with the declared aim of shooting down any passing hot-air balloon. Few goblins take Gnomalowil seriously, but both big tribes are careful not to appear as if they are not “doing something” about the hobgoblins from across the valley, otherwise they will lose precious votes to the other side.

At a meeting of the Great Leaders of the Land of Milk and Honey, Lilliput’s Great Leader Gobbi has put his foot down and insisted that hobgoblins who crash land in Lilliput should be sent to other forests. The other Great Leaders were not very impressed, and pointed out that there are goblins, hobgoblins and even fairies all over the place, moving from forest to forest, and not only in Lilliput.

The leader of the Imps, Gasket, is also clear on the subject. This is nothing less than a crisis, and the rulers of Lilliput should do something about it. The Imps are even ready to support Gobbi in his bid to get rid of the hobgoblins and send them to the other forests.

At the Wide World of Forests (WWF), Gobbi had the chance to address the leaders of the world’s forests. Up till his intervention in that hallowed forum, the various leaders had discussed silly, unimportant matters, such as the scarcity and the price of mushrooms, diseases, forest fires. It had to be Gobbi to set the WWF assembly alight with his statesmanlike speech, especially when he remarked that the hobgoblins in Lilliput should be shared between various forests, since Lilliput is facing a serious crisis because of them.

Alas, some forest leaders couldn't grasp the fine thinking underlying Gobbi’s speech. One commented that the Lilliputians are behaving just like a bunch of spoilt brats, who don’t know the meaning of the word crisis. Maybe Lilliput should just carry out its duties like everyone else, and stop boring the whole world silly with its tantrums, he said. After all, he concluded, it may be true that hobgoblins have big lips, but is it not also true that Lilliputians have big tummies?

What's quite certain is that it's not very pleasant to be a hobgoblin in Lilliput. Maybe Lilliputians are not as hospitable as they like to think they are, after all...