THE BOGEY-BEAST
by Flora Annie Webster Steel · from English Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
The Old Woman lived long ago. She lived in a small house. She was always, always cheerful. She did not have much money. She was old and lived alone. She did small jobs. She always smiled. She was happy.
One summer night, she walked home. She saw a big thing. It was a black pot. The pot was in the ditch. "Oh, a pot!" she said. "What is this?"
She looked inside the pot. "Oh my!" she cried. The pot was full of gold. Big gold coins were inside. "I am rich!" she said. She felt very, very rich. The pot was heavy. She tied her shawl to it. She pulled the pot home. She thought of a big house. She would drink tea.
She stopped to rest. She looked at her treasure. It was not gold. It was a lump of silver. "Oh, silver!" she said. "This is better! Silver is easy to keep. No one will steal it. How so good!" She smiled again.
She walked on. She stopped to rest. She looked at her treasure. It was not silver. It was a lump of iron. "Oh, iron!" she said. "This is good luck! I can sell iron. I will get penny pieces. Penny pieces are very good. I will be rich!"
She walked more. She stopped again. She looked at her treasure. It was not iron. It was a big stone. "Oh, a stone!" she cried. "This is best of all! I need a stone. It will hold my gate open. What good luck!"
She came to her small house. She opened her gate. The stone was behind her. She bent down. She wanted to untie her shawl.
The stone moved! It jumped up. It made a loud squeal. It grew very big. It was like a haystack. Four long legs came out. Two long ears came out. A long tail came out. It was The Bogey-Beast! It was not scary. It was a surprise.
The Bogey-Beast ran away fast. It kicked its legs. It squealed and laughed. It laughed like a naughty boy. It ran out of sight.
The Old Woman watched it go. Then she laughed too. She laughed very much. "What luck!" she said. "I saw The Bogey-Beast!" She felt so happy. What a good day!
Original Story
THE BOGEY-BEAST
There was once a woman who was very, very cheerful, though she had little to make her so; for she was old, and poor, and lonely. She lived in a little bit of a cottage and earned a scant living by running errands for her neighbours, getting a bite here, a sup there, as reward for her services. So she made shift to get on, and always looked as spry and cheery as if she had not a want in the world.
Now one summer evening, as she was trotting, full of smiles as ever, along the high road to her hovel, what should she see but a big black pot lying in the ditch!
"Goodness me!" she cried, "that would be just the very thing for me if I only had something to put in it! But I haven't! Now who could have left it in the ditch?"
And she looked about her expecting the owner would not be far off; but she could see nobody.
"Maybe there is a hole in it," she went on, "and that's why it has been cast away. But it would do fine to put a flower in for my window; so I'll just take it home with me."
And with that she lifted the lid and looked inside. "Mercy me!" she cried, fair amazed. "If it isn't full of gold pieces. Here's luck!"
And so it was, brimful of great gold coins. Well, at first she simply stood stock-still, wondering if she was standing on her head or her heels. Then she began saying:
"Lawks! But I do feel rich. I feel awful rich!"
After she had said this many times, she began to wonder how she was to get her treasure home. It was too heavy for her to carry, and she could see no better way than to tie the end of her shawl to it and drag it behind her like a go-cart.
"It will soon be dark," she said to herself as she trotted along. "So much the better! The neighbours will not see what I'm bringing home, and I shall have all the night to myself, and be able to think what I'll do! Mayhap I'll buy a grand house and just sit by the fire with a cup o' tea and do no work at all like a queen. Or maybe I'll bury it at the garden foot and just keep a bit in the old china teapot on the chimney-piece. Or maybe—Goody! Goody! I feel that grand I don't know myself."
By this time she was a bit tired of dragging such a heavy weight, and, stopping to rest a while, turned to look at her treasure.
And lo! it wasn't a pot of gold at all! It was nothing but a lump of silver.
She stared at it, and rubbed her eyes, and stared at it again.
"Well! I never!" she said at last. "And me thinking it was a pot of gold! I must have been dreaming. But this is luck! Silver is far less trouble—easier to mind, and not so easy stolen. Them gold pieces would have been the death o' me, and with this great lump of silver—"
So she went off again planning what she would do, and feeling as rich as rich, until becoming a bit tired again she stopped to rest and gave a look round to see if her treasure was safe; and she saw nothing but a great lump of iron!
"Well! I never!" says she again. "And I mistaking it for silver! I must have been dreaming. But this is luck! It's real convenient. I can get penny pieces for old iron, and penny pieces are a deal handier for me than your gold and silver. Why! I should never have slept a wink for fear of being robbed. But a penny piece comes in useful, and I shall sell that iron for a lot and be real rich—rolling rich."
So on she trotted full of plans as to how she would spend her penny pieces, till once more she stopped to rest and looked round to see her treasure was safe. And this time she saw nothing but a big stone.
"Well! I never!" she cried, full of smiles. "And to think I mistook it for iron. I must have been dreaming. But here's luck indeed, and me wanting a stone terrible bad to stick open the gate. Eh my! but it's a change for the better! It's a fine thing to have good luck."
So, all in a hurry to see how the stone would keep the gate open, she trotted off down the hill till she came to her own cottage. She unlatched the gate and then turned to unfasten her shawl from the stone which lay on the path behind her. Aye! It was a stone sure enough. There was plenty light to see it lying there, douce and peaceable as a stone should.
So she bent over it to unfasten the shawl end, when—"Oh my!" All of a sudden it gave a jump, a squeal, and in one moment was as big as a haystack. Then it let down four great lanky legs and threw out two long ears, nourished a great long tail and romped off, kicking and squealing and whinnying and laughing like a naughty, mischievous boy!
The old woman stared after it till it was fairly out of sight, then she burst out laughing too.
"Well!" she chuckled, "I am in luck! Quite the luckiest body hereabouts. Fancy my seeing the Bogey-Beast all to myself; and making myself so free with it too! My goodness! I do feel that uplifted—that GRAND!"—
So she went into her cottage and spent the evening chuckling over her good luck.
"Well!" she chuckled, "I am in luck!"
Story DNA
Moral
True contentment comes from within and can transform any circumstance into good fortune.
Plot Summary
A perpetually cheerful, poor old woman discovers a pot of gold in a ditch and begins dragging it home, envisioning a life of luxury. Along the way, the gold repeatedly transforms, first into silver, then iron, and finally a simple stone, yet with each change, the woman finds a new, practical reason to be delighted, adapting her plans accordingly. Upon reaching her cottage, the stone suddenly transforms into a mischievous 'Bogey-Beast' that romps away. Far from being dismayed, the woman bursts into laughter, feeling incredibly lucky and uplifted by the unique experience.
Themes
Emotional Arc
cheerfulness maintained through surprising events to uplifted joy
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a simple, pre-industrial rural life where small fortunes (or even useful objects) could significantly impact daily living.
Plot Beats (10)
- A cheerful, poor old woman lives in a small cottage, earning a living through errands.
- One evening, she finds a large black pot in a ditch.
- She discovers the pot is full of gold pieces and, feeling rich, begins to drag it home with her shawl, planning a grand life.
- Stopping to rest, she finds the gold has turned into a lump of silver, which she considers even better and more manageable.
- Further on, the silver transforms into a lump of iron, which she again sees as a stroke of luck, being useful for earning penny pieces.
- Finally, the iron becomes a large stone, which she is thrilled to have for propping open her cottage gate.
- Upon reaching her cottage, she bends to unfasten her shawl from the stone.
- The stone suddenly jumps, squeals, grows enormous, sprouts legs, ears, and a tail, transforming into a 'Bogey-Beast'.
- The Bogey-Beast romps off, kicking and laughing like a mischievous boy.
- The old woman watches it disappear, then bursts out laughing herself, feeling incredibly lucky and uplifted by the experience.
Characters
The Old Woman ★ protagonist
Small in stature, likely thin due to her poverty, but with a spry and energetic demeanor despite her age. Her movements are quick and light, suggesting a lively spirit.
Attire: Simple, worn, but clean peasant clothing typical of late 19th/early 20th century rural England. A practical, dark-colored linen or wool skirt, a plain blouse, and a durable shawl, likely made of wool or a sturdy cotton blend, which she uses for various purposes, including dragging her 'treasure'. Her clothes would show signs of mending but be well-kept.
Wants: To maintain her cheerful outlook and make the best of her meager circumstances. She desires comfort and security, but her primary drive is to find joy in life.
Flaw: Perhaps a touch of naivety or an overly optimistic view that sometimes prevents her from seeing reality clearly, though this also serves as her strength.
She begins the story as a cheerful, poor woman and ends it as an even more uplifted and 'grand' woman, having experienced a unique and amusing encounter that reinforces her belief in her own good luck. Her core personality remains unchanged, but her sense of self-worth and joy is amplified.
Cheerful, optimistic, resilient, imaginative, easily contented. She finds good fortune in every situation, no matter how it changes.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman of small stature, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. She has a spry build, a deeply wrinkled face with bright, cheerful eyes, and a wide, joyful smile. Her grey hair is neatly pulled back under a simple, dark headscarf. She wears a practical, dark blue linen skirt, a cream-colored long-sleeved blouse, and a sturdy, dark brown wool shawl draped over her shoulders and tied around a large, round, dark grey stone that she is dragging behind her with the shawl. Her posture is upright and energetic, with a slight lean as if in motion. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Bogey-Beast ○ minor
Initially appears as a large black pot, then a lump of silver, then a lump of iron, then a big stone. Its true form is revealed as a creature that can grow to the size of a haystack, with four great lanky legs, two long ears, and a great long tail. It is capable of kicking, squealing, whinnying, and laughing.
Attire: None, as it is a magical creature.
Wants: To play tricks and reveal its true, surprising nature, perhaps to test or amuse those who find it.
Flaw: None apparent, as it is a powerful magical creature.
It appears as a series of inanimate objects, then transforms into its true, lively form, fulfilling its role as a magical trickster. It does not change but reveals its nature.
Mischievous, playful, shape-shifting, elusive. It enjoys surprising and perhaps teasing those who encounter it.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, lanky-legged creature, the size of a haystack, facing forward, full body visible head to toe. It has four long, thin legs, two very long, expressive ears, and a great long, swishing tail. Its body is dark and indistinct, like a shadow or a mass of dark fur. Its head is animalistic, perhaps horse-like, with a wide, open mouth in a mischievous, boyish laugh. It is depicted in mid-romp, with one leg lifted as if kicking. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
High Road to the Hovel
A dusty, unpaved country road, likely winding through a rural landscape, with ditches on either side. The light is fading as evening approaches.
Mood: Initially mundane, transitioning to mysterious and then whimsical as the 'treasure' changes.
The old woman discovers the 'pot of gold' and begins her journey home, witnessing its transformations.
Image Prompt & Upload
A narrow, dusty country road stretches into the distance, flanked by grassy ditches with wild burdock leaves. The sun, low on the horizon, casts long, soft golden shadows across the path, illuminating dust motes in the warm, still air. A few scattered wildflowers dot the roadside, and the sky above is a gradient of soft oranges and purples. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Old Woman's Cottage
A very small, humble cottage, likely a simple, single-room dwelling with a thatched roof and possibly wattle-and-daub or rough-hewn timber walls, typical of a poor rural dwelling in historical Britain. It has a gate and a path leading up to it. Inside, there's a chimney-piece where a china teapot might sit.
Mood: Cozy, humble, and filled with the old woman's cheerful contentment.
The old woman arrives home with the 'stone' which then transforms into the Bogey-Beast, and she spends the evening chuckling inside.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, weathered English cottage with a steeply pitched thatched roof and whitewashed wattle-and-daub walls, nestled amongst overgrown garden greenery. A simple wooden gate stands ajar, leading to a narrow, worn dirt path. Inside, a warm, flickering fire casts dancing shadows on rough timber walls, illuminating a simple wooden table and a stone chimney-piece with a chipped china teapot. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
