4
After a few nerve wracking weeks, the Troll found herself in a bustling courtroom that was packed with creatures who lived in the forest. Her lawyer was a field mouse that had only just passed the bar and, more importantly, offered her a rate she could afford. He led her down the aisle to the front of the courtroom and gestured to a table on their left. The Troll took a seat at the table and the tiny mouse scurried to the top where a smaller, more suitably sized table had been placed especially for him.
After they had taken their seats, the Troll leaned over to her counsel and whispered, “I wasn’t expecting the courtroom to be so full!”
Her tiny lawyer shrugged and squeaked a matter-of-fact answer, “It’s not every day you have the opportunity to see a troll.”
Although the Troll was horrified, the mouse didn’t seem to notice, and kept shuffling through his miniature briefcase. Before she had a chance to address his indiscretion, a sudden creaking of hinges caused them both to stop and turn to the back of the room.
The double doors of the courtroom had swung open dramatically, and sunlight from the foyer revealed the silhouettes of three horned figures: The Brothers Gruff had arrived. William G. Gruff, Esq. proudly clopped into the courtroom nodding and smiling at the other creatures in the gallery as he led his subsequently smaller brothers down the aisle. When they reached the defendant’s table, he smirked and nodded his head slightly at the Troll and her miniscule lawyer.
“Felix.” He said with feigned deference to the mouse.
“Counselor Gruff,” squeaked the Mouse, annoyed at the lack of decorum.
As Bill Gruff, the medium-sized brother passed by, he stealthily winked one cold eye at the Troll with a smug grin plastered on his face, but said nothing. Only the smallest brother, Billy, seemed uncomfortable. He avoided eye contact all together. The Brothers Gruff took their seats, one after the other, at the plaintiff’s table to the right of the Troll and her lawyer and they all waited for the trial to begin.
Soon, the Bailiff, a practical looking badger, called the court to attention, “All rise.”
With a great deal of chittering and scritching, all the creatures gathered in the courtroom rose to their feet. “The District Court of Woodland Forest is now in session.” The badger trumpeted, “The honorable Judge Deer presiding.”
At this pronouncement, a graceful and stoic stag emerged from a door on one side of the Judge’s bench. He adjusted his long black robes as he took a seat at his elevated throne and bowed his sixteen point antlers forward respectfully. Then the badger deftly opened a door on the other side of the Judge’s bench, and a line of twelve animals marched into the courtroom.
The Troll watched as the animals padded solemnly into the jury box. There was a fox, a skunk, a rabbit, a chipmunk, a mole, and a sparrow that hippity-hopped awkwardly as she followed the juror in front of her. As the parade of animals entered, the Troll couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t anyone like HER in that jury, but she knew she had always been fair and kind to all the creatures of the forest and tried to put it out of her mind.
Once the jurors were settled, the badger bellowed at the court again, “Please be seated.”
Judge Deer scanned the courtroom with wise, patient eyes and waited, as all the animals found their seats once more. Then he plucked a pair of eye-glasses out of his antlers and placed them on his face. “The case before us today is Gruff, Gruff & Gruff, LLC vs. The Troll.” He then turned to William G. Gruff, Esq. and said, “Counselor, you may proceed with your opening statement.”
William G. Gruff, Esq. slowly rose from his seat, taking his time fastening the top button of his impeccably tailored blue suit-jacket and adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, smiling all the while.
Then his warm baritone voice greeted the room. “My fellow creatures, it is a beautiful day in the woods, is it not? It is a wonderful place to live and a place that you and I have grown to love. To cherish.”
He paused dramatically after the word allowing it to hang in the air.
Then the massive goat bowed his head to the side, and with sympathetic, amber eyes glistening, he continued, “How many of us have little ones that play among the trees, and in the groves, and in the…MEADOW?”
He nodded, as though answering his own question, “Many of us, I know.”
“We would all suffer, if our beloved home were to welcome…undesirable neighbors.” He paused and glanced in the direction of the Troll, before adding, “ Dangerous neighbors.”
William G. Gruff, Esq. paced slowly and methodically in front of the jury box, his hooves clasped behind his back. “My fellow animals of the forest, I am here today to inform you, that there is, indeed, a threat to our peaceful woods. There is, indeed, a dangerous creature among us. A creature that would happily devour you, or your family if given the chance.”
Then the large goat closed his eyes, and bowed his head, shaking it ever so slightly. When he opened his eyes again, they were fierce, fiery, and he suddenly seemed much larger as he took a deep, diaphragmatic breath puffed out his chest. Then the deep, resonant voice of William G. Gruff, Esq. soared confidently through the courtroom, “We cannot allow such a thing! Which is why it is my duty to prove to you today that the Troll is a danger and a menace to our way of life!”
“You see,” The massive goat confided, in a much softer tone, “The Troll threatened to eat my own brother.” William G. Gruff, Esq. gestured at Billy Gruff sitting behind the plaintiff’s table before placing a cloven hoof over his heart and suggested, “You might say to me, ‘but Mr. Gruff, the Troll did NOT eat your brother. How can we be sure she is a danger to us, if she didn’t follow through?’ That, my friends, is what I plan to prove to you today.”
With that William G. Gruff, Esq. unbuttoned his jacket and gracefully returned to his seat.
The Troll was gobsmacked. She had listened intently to William G. Gruff Esq.’s impassioned speech searching for a shred of truth or evidence that she deserved to be here in this courtroom, yet found none. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins and she gripped the sides of her chair until her knuckles went white.
“Just stay calm,” She thought to herself. “I have nothing to hide.”
Felix, the tiny mouse lawyer, cleared his throat. “Ahem,” He coughed.
“That was quite a speech by my colleague. He should receive an award for his performance but, Friends of the Forest, this is not a theatre, but a court of law. We must not allow hearsay and prejudice to influence us in the pursuit of justice. We must make our decisions based on evidence, and evidence alone!”
The diminutive rodent scaled the side of the witness box, sitting on the ledge, and carried on, “What we have here, is a case of bullying. The Gruff Brothers, owners of Gruff, Gruff & Gruff, LLC, simply want something that they can’t have and have chosen to slander my client, the Troll, in order to get it.”
Then the mouse scurried to the top of the jury box, and spoke directly to the jurors, “As you listen to the testimonies today, I implore you to listen to the evidence. Do not allow yourself to be swayed by the emotional performance of my colleague. If you listen to the facts, you will see what I see: A few bullies trying to swindle my client, The Troll.”
As her lawyer spoke, the Troll felt a burst of encouragement. She was certain that justice would be done since the jurors would hear the truth. She was a good Troll and she knew it. Soon they would believe that, too.
The Troll’s thoughts were interrupted by the rumbling voice of William G. Gruff, Esq. “I would like to call Billy Gruff to the stand.”
The Troll gazed, wide-eyed and curious at Billy as he stood and made his way from the prosecution’s table to the witness stand. He had been so kind, and she remembered liking him a great deal. Perhaps now she would find out where it all went wrong.
After Billy swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, his eldest brother began to question him.
“Please state your name for the court,” commanded William G. Gruff, Esq.
The small goat leaned forward in the witness box and stammered, “B-Billy Gruff.”
“And Billy,” William G. Gruff, Esq. continued, “What is your occupation?”
“I’m a Realtor. I, um, help others buy and sell their homes,” Billy replied.
“Is that what you were doing on the day of…the incident?” William G. Gruff, Esq. pressed.
“Uh,” Billy said, “I was scouting out some property that I’d heard was desirable, and might be a good investment. That’s when I met her.”
“Whom did you meet, Billy?”
The smallest Gruff Brother shifted in his seat, uncomfortably. “The Troll. That’s when I met the Troll.” He glanced, momentarily at the Troll, but immediately looked away when their eyes met.
William G. Gruff, Esq. frowned quizzically at his littlest brother, feigning interest. He leaned on the witness box, but leaned outward and addressed his question toward the gallery, “And what happened when you met the Troll, Billy?”
Tears began to well up in Billy Gruff’s eyes and he struggled to speak, but finally he choked out the words, “She threatened to eat me!”
There was an audible response in the court, as the woodland creatures responded collectively with gasps and whispers, The Troll among them. She frowned and thought to herself, “I never threatened anything!”
Judge Deer tapped his gavel lightly on the sounding block, calling the court back to order. Once the room was hushed again, he said, “You may proceed, Counselor Gruff.”
William G. Gruff, Esq. jutted out his lower lip, and oozed with practiced empathy, “I know this is hard, Billy. But would you please tell the court the exact words the Troll used?”
At this point, large, globular tears were running down Billy Gruff’s cheeks, and he didn’t wipe them away, so they slid off his chin into his lap making a soft, plat-plat-plat sound. The Troll began to wonder if these were tears of guilt.
Then Billy spoke, echoing the words that the Troll had once said, “Sh-she said that she would… GOBBLE me up!”
The Troll’s eyes grew wide. She had said those words, but she didn’t mean them like that. She had never wished any harm on Billy Gruff!
William G. Gruff, Esq. produced a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, and handed it to Billy, who was still sniveling. Then he turned to the Troll’s tiny counsel and said, “Your witness.”
The Troll’s lawyer stood up at his tiny desk and said, “Mr. Gruff, you say you are a realtor?”
Billy replied, “Yes, that’s right.”
“And you have openly admitted to the court that you were scouting out valuable property in the area when you met the troll. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Is it possible that you were, in fact, scouting out the Troll’s property?”
Billy stammered, “Well, I uh–”
William G. Gruff, Esq. interrupted, “Objection!”
Felix glowered at William G. Gruff, Esq. but squeaked, “Withdrawn.”
The trial continued much like this, with the mouse lawyer’s questions interrupted, evaded, or objected to and the Troll could do nothing but watch helplessly. Her lawyer called character witnesses to the stand and one by one the Troll’s woodland neighbors spoke fondly of her and eagerly came to her defense. And one by one, after the rodent lawyer finished his questioning, William G. Gruff, Esq. would cross-examine them. His flurry of questions, interruptions, and assertions seemed to confuse the witnesses so much, that by the end of it they no longer seemed sure of whose side they were on.
Then the prosecution called their own witnesses, and suddenly the Troll found herself face to face with every creature she had ever offended. William G. Gruff, Esq. even provided a so-called “Monster Expert” who reported how neighborhood crime statistics escalated when a Troll was a resident.
The Troll leaned over to her lawyer and whispered, “Aren’t you going to do something?
The mouse replied sharply, “I’ve got it under control. This is just how the process works.”
William G. Gruff, Esq. and the tiny mouse sparred back and forth with their witnesses and muckraking for quite some time. It was like watching an endless game of table tennis, and the Troll began to feel the emotional whiplash from watching justice seem so close and so far away from moment to moment.
Finally, the Troll could stand it no longer and hissed at her lawyer, “I would like to testify.”
The mouse’s whiskers quivered and he frowned severely, “That is hardly recommended.”
“I don’t care,” The Troll replied. “I need to be heard!” She glared at the mouse so savagely that he was forced to look away.
After a moment, the mouse said simply, “It’s your funeral.” And then he called her to the stand.
The Troll took her oath and began to tell her side of the story. She explained how she met each Gruff brother, and carefully answered each question, making the most of every chance she had to speak. This was her moment. It felt freeing to finally be heard, to finally set the record straight, but that feeling didn’t didn’t last. Once her lawyer had finished his line of questioning, it was William G. Gruff, Esq.’s turn.
The massive goat rose to his full height and slowly marched over to the witness box. His eyes met the Troll’s and he held the gaze, unblinking. With a sly grin, he began.
“Ms. Troll, is it true that you allow many animals to cross over the bridge to the meadow?”
The Troll replied, trying to correct him, “It’s actually not a bridge, it’s the roof of my…”
“Please answer the question,” the patronizing goat rumbled.
The Troll took a beat and answered honestly, “Yes, but I only allow small–”
The large goat interrupted her again. “And is it true that you gave permission to Billy Gruff to cross into the meadow?”
The Troll glanced at Billy sadly, and Billy looked away, “I did.”
William G. Gruff, Esq. began to pace deliberately in front of the jury box. “Is it possible, Ms. Troll, that you allowed my client to cross over the bridge, and maintained a friendly affect with him, simply because you were hungry?”
Shocked and insulted, the Troll retorted, “No! I would never–”
“But isn’t it true that you threatened to, and I quote, ‘gobble up’ my client?”
“It wasn’t like that–” the Troll cried, but William G. Gruff, Esq. was not swayed.
“And, Ms. Troll, is it possible that the only reason you did not ‘gobble up’ Billy Gruff, is because he indicated he had a big brother who might stop by? And therefore a larger and more satisfying meal for yourself?”
The Troll could feel her face growing hot and before she could regain her composure she realized she was yelling, “MISTER GRUFF, I have had quite enough of your bullying! This is appalling and your insinuations are not only untrue, they are disgusting!” She looked helplessly around the room, hoping that she’d find a sympathetic whisker somewhere. Instead, she was jolted back to reality by the staccato beats of the Judge’s gavel striking the sounding block.
“Order! Order in the court!” Bellowed Judge Deer as he frowned at the Troll. “Ms. Troll, I will not tolerate emotional outbursts in my courtroom!”
Against her better judgement the Troll pleaded with Judge Deer. “But can’t you see what he’s doing? He’s twisting my words–”
“ENOUGH!” Commanded the old buck.
The Troll fell silent.
“Ms. Troll, if you speak out of turn again, I will find you in contempt and the Bailiff will take you into custody. Do you understand?”
Defeated, and truly sorry, the Troll nodded silently, and her hope began to wane.
Judge Deer took a long, deep breath through his nose, then addressed William G. Gruff, Esq. “Counselor Gruff, you may continue.”
“That’s all right, Your Honor,” William G. Gruff, Esq. replied. “I rest my case.” The Troll watched as he rejoined his brothers at the plaintiff’s table, and saw that the middle brother, Bill, wore a dark, arrogant smile on his face.
Then the tiny mouse squeaked, “Redirect, Your Honor?” The stag nodded in approval.
“Now, Miss Troll, did you actually say that you would gobble up the plaintiff?”
The Troll, wishing to be truthful and still feeling dreadful about her outburst replied, “I did use those words but–” The courtroom of animals gasped audibly.
“Oh dear. Oh dear.” The mouse lawyer squeaked, cutting off the anguished Troll.
Instead of allowing the Troll to damage their case any further, her lawyer announced that the defense would also rest their case. The Troll feared the worst, but tried to hold out hope that justice would truly be served.
Finally, it was time for closing arguments. The Troll’s lawyer went first. The tiny mouse scampered over to the jury box and shimmied up the wooden barrier that separated the jury from the rest of the courtroom. “Ahem.” He began as he cleared his throat. “Fellow Creatures. What we have here today is a classic case of bullying. The Gruff Brothers are clearly using their power and influence against my client. And even though she is a Troll, and she isn’t very nice to look at, and she may have chosen her words poorly, she did NOT, in fact, eat anyone, to my knowledge. This may go against everything we know to be true about Trolls, but without evidence, friends, we must do the right thing. Please rule in favor of the Troll.”
After the mouse’s impassioned speech, he returned to his tiny desk on top of the defendant’s table, where he sat looking pleased with himself. The Troll didn’t share his confidence.
William G. Gruff, Esq. smiled broadly, as he slowly rose and approached the jury box. “My friends, I’m not going to plead with you to do the right thing. I’m not going to tell you that it’s your duty to see justice served. You already know that. You already know that the decision you make today, does not only have an impact on one of us, but on all of us.”
The hulking goat’s eyebrows wrenched upward as he wrinkled his forehead. “The stakes are high, my friends. And I deliver the outcome of this trial to your capable paws.” Then he bowed his head toward the jury, and excused himself back to his seat.
At Judge Deer’s behest, the jury left the courtroom to deliberate. The Troll watched them leave in a line, as they had entered. Now, all she could do is wait.
