They all watched in amazement as the little man put his hat back on and adjusted the small hammer that was tucked in his belt. He was no taller than a squirrel when it sits up on its haunches to eat a nut.
“He’s real,” whispered Nogg.
“He’s a Tommyknocker,” both Hugo and Boone said at the same time.
Boone looked at Hugo in surprise.
“How did you know that?” Boone asked Hugo. Boone was usually the one who knew all about cryptids.
“I read about them in your book,” Hugo told him. “See that little lantern?” He pointed to the small brass lantern by the Tommyknocker’s feet. “I think that was the blue light.”
“Then you knew the blue light wasn’t really a ghost?” Boone asked him.
“I didn’t know know,” Hugo replied. “But I had a hunch.”
“What is a Tommyknocker?” Nogg asked.
“They’re little creatures who live in mines and caves,” Hugo told him. “They like to steal things.” The Tommyknocker made a huffy sound, as though he found this insulting.
“Hey, wait a second,” Nogg said suspiciously. He reached into the fairy house and yanked the handkerchief off the Tommyknocker’s bed. Underneath was a little black notebook.
“He was using my notebook for a mattress!” Nogg said, snatching it out of the house. He glowered at the Tommyknocker. “Little thief!”
In response, the Tommyknocker picked up the honey-drop candy and chucked it at Nogg’s head.
“I wouldn’t be too mad at him,” said Hugo. “He was trying to help you.”
“How? By stealing our stuff?”
“No, by knocking. Many years ago, Humans who worked in mine shafts always wanted to have a Tommyknocker with them, even though Tommyknockers stole things. That’s because mining is dangerous work. Roofs can collapse, rocks can fall on you. But right before something dangerous happened, Tommyknockers would bang on the walls with their hammers to warn the miners.”
“So that knocking we heard before the rocks fell was the Tommyknocker?” Nogg asked. “He was warning us?”
Hugo nodded. “And from the looks of your desk, I think he might have saved your life.”
Nogg stared at the Tommyknocker. The little man was standing in front of the pile of stolen items with his arms crossed over his chest, as if daring them to take back any more things.
“I’d like to thank him,” said Nogg. “Do Tommyknockers talk?”
Boone bent over the fairy house and said to the Tommyknocker in a loud voice, “DO YOU TALK?”
In response, the Tommyknocker picked up the wooden spoon and launched it at Boone, who dodged away just in time.
“Hard to tell,” Boone said.
Nogg unpinned one of the wooden badges from his sash and held it up.
“This is a Ranger Scout merit badge,” Nogg told the Tommyknocker. “This badge is really hard to earn. It’s for Acts of Heroism.” Nogg carefully placed the little badge on the Tommyknocker’s pile of things.
The Tommyknocker stared up at Nogg. Beneath the bushy brows, his eyes were sharp and bright. Then, as if he understood, he removed his hat and bowed.
