~KRANDLEKEEP~
The Wisconsin Gnomelore Database
The Humpdumples
"Doesn't do much good, though, to fix up a road and then have that old rascal come along and ruin it."
From There Be Hodags, by C.A. McAllister:
The humpdumple another type of gnome found among the fearsome critters that arose from lumberjack stories. Unlike the leprocaun and the Will-o’-the-wisp, the humpdumple has no obvious roots in European folklore. The humpdumple is described as a funny-looking dwarf, covered in warts like a potato, with a big nose, a single eye, and feet as heavy as paving stones. The humpdumple is intelligent, but rather mean and prone to mischief.
Due to his single eye, his eyesight is rather poor, and with poor eyesight and heavy feet, he tends to stumble around as he walks. Because of his stumbling gait and dense feet, he creates holes and ruts on roads and trails through the forest. He likes nothing more than to ruin roads, and as soon as a new road is laid down, he will set about to ruin it. The humpdumple only comes out during the night, and only when he’s sure no one else is around to catch him at his mischief.
From Yarns of the Big Woods, by Art Childs:
"If it wasn't for the humpdumple this would be a fine road," sighs the Old Guide, shaking his head."Doesn't do much good, though, to fix up a road and then have that old rascal come along and ruin it."
"And what's the humpdumple?" asks the wide-eyed "tenderfoot," to whom all the sights and sounds of the great woods of the North are strange. "I never heard of him before. Is he some kind of animal?"
"Well, yes and no," answers the Old Guide, squinting thoughtfully at the top of a tall pine tree. "He's a kind of queer mixture. He's a smart little fellow, but mean as they make them. Us guides certainly hate him. He makes more trouble than a bunch of lions and tigers."
"What does he do?" aks the tenderfoot nervously, feeling a little uneasy in the silence of the Big Woods, where his feet make no sound on the soft carpet of pine needles which almost cover the narrow, bumpy road, or, rather, path, which they are following deeper and deeper into the forest.
Then the Old Guide, who loves nothing better than to fool a stranger by telling in his solemn way about some freakish animal or bird which is supposed to be found in the Big Woods, describes this famous troublemaker—the humpdumple.
"He's the one that's responsible for all the holes you see in this road. Of course we wouldn't let a trail get in such bad shape as this if we could help it. We build a pretty good road, all nice and smooth, and as soon as it's done this old humpdumple sneaks out some night and just spoils it in no time.
"He's a queer-looking, shy little fellow and only sneaks out when he's pretty sure there's nobody around. I know just one fellow, Snowshoe Bill, that's seen him. He says he is a funny little dwarf, kind of warty all over like a potato. He has a big nose and one eye, and because he has only one eye he can't see where he's going very well, and stumbles all the time.
"The worst thing about him is his feet. They're heavy as big paving stones and he stumbles and stamps along—thump, thump, clumpety clump—leaving big holes and ruts in the road wherever it's a bit soft. He's a mean customer, yessir, and if you can think of any way to catch him, you'll be doing these woods some real good, I can tell you."
