Donovan liked to watch the caravans go by. He'd never been to the city or even strayed far from the village but here by the road was his window to the world. Every week a dozen or more carriages would roll by carrying all manner of people and beasts, some of whom even his teachers couldn't identify for him.

     There were other humans, of course; humans had spread to every corner since the last war but it was still rare to see such a mix of the clans together. No strangers themselves, stone-faced dwarves came through every few days though the locals' work clothes were drab compared to the caravaners' finery and jeweled armor. The banded nomads would sometimes be seen along with the dire wolves and great cats who'd long held an alliance with them. More and more common were the elves who, in their veils and hoods, went out of their way to appear aloof and mystical; an image that faltered slightly when the children would wave back to Donovan with cheerful smiles.

     Along with the regulars he had rarely seen unusual cat-eyed humans, tiny fair-folk and beautiful tree-women, tall beast-men with their gleaming scales, and once he had even seen a young dragon yet to grow into its wings! These things fascinated the boy so that he would spend much of his free time reading about their histories and cultures in the small library. The adults believed he'd be a great scholar one day but this wasn't on his mind yet at his age.

      Recently Donovan had noticed a group of goblins trailing the last few carriages. A curiosity among scholars, there was debate as to whether they were beasts or beast-men, something in between or something new. The little toad-faced creatures had quietly started showing up and had simply established themselves, growing in number with each passing week. Many of them carried small bobbles in their tiny webbed hands while others simply picked up smooth rocks or debris dropped from the caravan. It seemed they were mimicking the caravaners but Donovan secretly hoped someone would spare them a few coins for their troubles.

     One afternoon while watching the week's caravan he noticed several goblins had moved ahead to the middle of the line. For no reason he could discern they were darting around cart wheels, talons, and heavy boots. A frustrated saurian man snorted and lashed his tail, knocking one of the little goblins sprawling off the side of the road. The little trinket it'd held in its hands tumbled away into the grass. After picking itself up the poor flustered thing had lost sight of the treasure.

     Donovan hopped the fence he'd been leaning on and trotted over to the goblin. It took a step back and then stood still, apparently wondering if it might get another kick. Waving his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture, Donovan picked up what looked like a silver teakettle lid from the grass and offered it to the wary goblin. It stared at him for several moments with its bulbous eyes, its face as a whole too rigid for recognizable expression. Finally it stepped forward, gently plucked the lid from the boy's fingers, and gave a little boy before returning to its fellows. Donovan returned to his spot against the fence but found himself watching the goblins for the rest of the afternoon.

     The next week, Donovan found himself wondering how the goblin was carrying on. He couldn't know if it would come this way again or if he would even recognize it if he saw it. The froggy little men hopping and waddling their way alongside and behind the caravan had become the center of his attention without him realizing it.

     As the afternoon drew on, one of the goblins caught his eye. He wasn't sure what exactly had caught his attention; it was the same color as many of the others, it had similar spots and wore the same kind of tattered rags about its waist. He wasn't sure it was even the same creature when he waved and beckoned it over. He felt a sense of satisfaction when the goblin did indeed hop over to him.

     When it reached the fence, Donovan pointed at the goblin's hands and then gestured with his own open palm. It hesitated for a moment but then showed him its prize in an outstretched paw: a small earring set with a polished stone, possibly jade from the color. Donovan reached into his own pocket and produced a silver coin, offering it to the goblin. It hesitated for another moment and reached its free hand for the coin. He then placed the coin between its long fingers and carefully took the earring from the other hand.

     The goblin tilted its head so that those huge round eyes could see both of their hands. Donovan wondered for a moment if he'd offended the creature and grew suddenly worried. Before his panic could come to a head the goblin opened its lipless mouth in what may have been a grin or a scowl. It hopped in place for a moment, waving its slender arms, then scampered over to its fellows again. Donovan, still unsure of exactly what had happened, looked at the jade earring in his palm and wondered what had come over him.

     Another week passed and the boy came to see the caravan as he did. He didn't think he saw his goblin again but something else stood out to him that took him several minutes to put together: rather than scraps of rags, many of the following goblins wore sashes and proper belts. As the weeks pressed on, more and more of them were "dressed" in this new fashion. Eventually he was approached by a goblin that he felt looked familiar; the creature addressed him somewhat formally and proffered him an ornate, gold-clasped leather belt.

     The next day the boy's parents realized he was missing, though when they inspected his room, several of his things were gone as if he had packed for a journey. Everyone assumed he had at last run off with one of the caravans to the city. It wasn't unheard of among children his age and he was a bright boy with a good sense. Thus reactions throughout the village were mixed when, several months later, they heard tales of the first goblin king, young Donovan himself, who was negotiating new rights and relations for his adopted people among the neighboring nations. Following generations would remember Donovan the Wise as a just ruler whose treatment of everyone he met as equals helped to broker a lasting peace in the region.