The Candy Miser lived in a dark cabin in woods only dimly lit on the sunniest day. Daily, the Candy Miser meandered over the countryside, collecting debts owed to him. He filled his candy bag with chocolates or gum drops or caramels or other delights surrendered by his debtors.

His candy bag became so heavy that he had to drag it down the darkened trail to his cabin and empty it onto the hearth.

He'd sit on the floor (too cheap to buy a chair) and count from the piles of candy canes, nougats and sundry delicacies. The sight would have incited a child into a gorging-orgy. But it only made the Candy Miser complain because he hadn't more.

In the gloom of the cabin, the Candy Miser would sit by the hearth, rubbing his hands and gloating over his secret hoards of candy, and sing his Spiteful Song.

                                 "All candy I hate!
                                 No, it isn't my weight.
                                 I'm famed as a trick-or-treat cheater.
                                 Lo, I take my delight
                                 In knowing I spite
                                 Unpent pangs of each candy eater!"

He had to admit that he'd accumulated much candy wealth during the past ten years, since he became a Candy Lender -- at interest. The Children in The Meadow and The Gelves in the Hollow could not resist a great hunger for chocolate (or whatever) when The Urge came upon them. So he made sneaky contracts with them in their weaker moments, which they later regretted.

Once Nulf the Cobbler was seized by an urge for a cinnamon stick, right in the midst of making bedroom slippers for neighboring King Hopchop. But no cinnamon stick was to be found in The Hollow or in The Meadow.

The Candy Miser suddenly appeared with three cinnamon sticks and a contract for Nulf to sign. Later Nulf discovered that he had pledged to return the three cinnamon sticks by Warthogsday, with six more sticks as interest -- or pay an additional cinnamon stick for each week the debt was not liquidated.

Unfair as this seemed, angry as the debtors became while trying to make payment, no one thought of defying the Candy Miser. For he could complain to his cousin, The Stingy Storekeeper on The Hill. Then sugar distribution to The Meadow and The Hollow would stop instantly. And who could make candy without sugar?

So the only defense was self-imposed discipline against yielding to sudden urges for sweets when the cupboard was empty.

A few of the Gelves formed "Candy-Eaters Anonymous". Later, joiners included other Gelves and The Children in The Meadow. Those possessing momentary self-control helped any one seized with an almost uncontrollable desire for candy -- candy -- CANDY of whatever form or description!

Members wore badges displaying The Proffered Red Tongue of Desire. At meetings, they danced rings around the great upright statue of The Proffered Tongue and sang their "club" song:

                                      "In the surge
                                      Of the urge
                                      For sweet candy,
                                      It's handy
                                      To yelp
                                      For some help
                                      From Anonymous
                                      -- Prontimous!"

A most helpful member of Candy-Eaters Anonymous, always ready to drop his knife and rush off to sustain a weakened or distraught neighbor, was Snickchoo the Woodcarver. It was Snickchoo who gave them the great upright carving of The Proffered Red Tongue of Desire.

"I wish I were only as steadfast as Snickchoo", said each of the other Gelves.

"He's helped all of us, but never needs help himself", said The Children.

But Snickchoo had a secret fear hidden between his pointed ears.

There was only one candy-urge which Snickchoo could not himself control -- an urge for licorice laces. The Urge overwhelmed him at an odd time: during the first dark moon after the last rising of the Dog-Star just before sunup. From this hour until daybreak, Snickchoo became a raging monster -- for licorice!

So Snickchoo kept his secret fear between his pointed ears. And he tried to keep track of the days, on his snail-and-thorn calendar. And he labored over his carvings and cared for his neighbors. And, especially, Snickchoo guarded his little store of licorice laces, hidden in a carved chest under his workbench. From this, he daily doctored himself, against the coming darkness of The Great Urge.

(Ready for Chapter 2?)