The child was small and sickly.
“A changeling!” the Chieftain and Druid agreed.
Desperation filled the mother's voice: “What can I do?”
The druid looked towards the fireplace. “Put it into the fire. The changeling will jump out through the chimney and bring your child back.”
Later, the mother sighed, then threw the baby into the fire. Indeed, the changeling disappeared through the smoke vent, showering sparks.
Soon after, she investigated a commotion outside. It's the changeling.
“Where's my child?”
“The same place you put me. Listen closely! You can hear it crying over the sizzling of the baby fat.”
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alt="Harbinger of Death by Jonathan L. Tolstedt"
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sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 550px, (min-width: 750px) calc((100vw - 130px) / 2), calc((100vw - 50px) / 2)"
alt="Famine Man by Deborah Tapper"
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sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 550px, (min-width: 750px) calc((100vw - 130px) / 2), calc((100vw - 50px) / 2)"
alt="The Price of Belief by Andreas Flögel"
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sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 550px, (min-width: 750px) calc((100vw - 130px) / 2), calc((100vw - 50px) / 2)"
alt="The Abhartach's Thirst by Andrew Kurtz"
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>