The misshapen palate
Of the creature made him crude,
But I listened to his case,
As he told me what he knew.

"Stop! I beg you, please!
Lower sword, and listen, you.
We are not as we appear,
I swear these words are true."
He displayed his empty hands,
on which extra digits grew.
"We awoke in this condition.
As you neared, we did ensue
to devise a plan to flee,
but the woman saw us through."

"**** them all," my lover interrupted,
"Lest they throw you in their stew.
The very nature of their foulness
Evidents their souls askew."
The smallish creatures looked surprised,
and my wife appeared amused.
"Need you more explanation?
Their appearance is the proof.
These nasty things deserve a death:
Cut them all in two!"

These kinds of words from my beloved
were a sight I'd never seen.
Had she lost all her compassion?
Was it disgust that made her mean?
I was surprised to find her here,
but now that shock had left the scene,
there seemed an oddness in her then:
The tiny difference found in dreams.

The stunted creature spoke,
and my wife vented spleen.

"We ask not much:
Take us out from here, we plead.
This mountain has been sown
with an evil kind of seed.
There are only seven here.
Take us with you and with speed,
or let us pass without protest.
We only wish to flee."

The armor on his chest
was polished fairly clean,
and I saw in its reflection
a vengeful face of greed:
Peering over my right shoulder,
was the face of The Queen.
I turned with such a haste,
I stirred the snow with startled scream.
An idea began to form,
but I spoke with slow degree.

"What say you, My Only one?
Why do you wish these lives undone,
when the only thing they want for,
is a chance to turn and run?
They threaten not, they lack the strength,
Yet you plead their ends to come?
Do you find them so revolting?
Is their sight so cumbersome?
I've never known you to be violent,
So readily quarrelsome!
Were you to be so stricken,
would you call for martyrdom?"