L Sprague De Camp's "The Hardwood Pile" (novelette, humor): Never pick a fight with a "Norway maple" sprite!

Someone in the US imported a "Norway maple" sapling, & planted it there. It grew into a tree. It was home to Aceria, a maple spite, but she was happy so long as her tree was safe.

Now, years later, while Aceria was in hibernation, someone cut her tree & its boards are now in Dan Pringle's sawmill, ready for shipment. Aceria is now awake & requests Pringle to please not separate her trees components till she can find another "Norway maple" tree to haunt, but Pringle of course refuses; he has money tied up there. So sprite will need to show her magic to make Pringle fall in line...

Very funny story.

See also.

1. H L Gold's "Trouble with Water": Never pick a fight with a water gnome!

Collected in.

1. "The Best of L Sprague de Camp".

Fact sheet.

First published: Unknown, September 1940.
Rating: B.
Related: Stories of L Sprague de Camp.