House Goblin

At the risk of inciting all sorts of comments and corrections, I want to share an interesting segue I had yesterday when I friend was bemoaning losing things in her home.  I commented that it might be a house goblin (a story I remember my grandfather telling me) - and so, naturally, I wanted to see what the internet might say about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy

Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term fairy offers many definitions. Sometimes the term describes any magical creature, including goblins or gnomes: at other times, the term only describes a specific type of more ethereal creature

 

When considered as beings that a person might actually encounter, fairies were noted for their mischief and malice. Some pranks ascribed to them, such as tangling the hair of sleepers into "Elf-locks", stealing small items or leading a traveler astray, are generally harmless

An interesting bit a trivia for the day!!  And certainly explains car keys, one earring, a sock missing....