Goon, aka Olaf Goonasekara — Character
Brief Defining Description[]
Goon is Skookin (goblin-like creature).
Books or Stories this Character Appears In[]
- Dreams Underfoot (1993) —
- "Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair" (1987)
- "The Stone Drum"
- Promises to Keep
- The Very Best of Charles de Lint — "In Which We Meet Jilly Coppercorn"
About[]
Goon is employed by Professor Bramley Dapple as his manservant in a large house. The Professor claimed he was a goblin and just called him Goon.
Personality and Character:[]
He's generally grumpy type ~ The Wordwood
Physical Description[]
"A brown-skinned goblin—tallish creature at three-foot-four
✥ Features: barely four feet tall, protruding stomach and puffed cheeks, the halo of unruly hair and his thin little arms and legs; he looked like a pumpkin with twiglimbs, or a monkey.
✥ Garb: wore the garb of an organ-grinder’s monkey: striped black and yellow trousers, a red jacket with yellow trim, small black slippers, and a little green and yellow cap that pushed down an unruly mop of thin dark curly hair. Gangly limbs with a protruding tummy, puffed cheeks, a wide nose, and tiny black eyes added to his monkey-like appearance." ~ "Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair", Dreams Underfoot
Other Details[]
- Wears garish clothing
- He has two rows of nasty looking teeth
- Goon is now the Skookin King ~ "The Stone Drum"
- He himself insisted on being called Goon
- His costume didn’t seem to allow Goon much dignity, but it was entirely of his own choosing. Bramley hated Goon’s sense of fashion
- He doesn't seem to like Jilly, much.
- Jilly's Dream: Goon was being served by Bramley and he was warning Jilly that Skookin are real—as he did, his head turned pumpkin-like and he said "that means you are in trouble".
History / Background[]
Connections (characters, places)[]
| Name | What | Connection | Story | About |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Bramley Dapple | human | employer | "Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair", "The Stone Drum" | teaches art at Butler U |
| Jilly Coppercorn | artist | saw she took artifact | "The Stone Drum" | received the artifact back as king; removed the curse sign |
| Meran Kelledy | Oak King's daughter, dryad | knew Goon | "The Stone Drum" | "had dealing with Olaf before" |
| Skookins | goblin-like creatures | he is one | "The Stone Drum" | Goon claims the throne, exposed a traitor |
| Old City | sunken part of city | Skookin community | "The Stone Drum" | joined Meran and Jilly enroute to Skookins, on his own business |
Events in the Series (spoilery area)[]
"Stone Drum": Goon recongnied the Stone Drum artifact the Jilly brought to Professor Bramley Dapple's home and immediately dropped a tray of tea with a loud clatter of smashing dishes. Later met Meran Kelledy and Jilly in the tunnels going into Old City and joined them with Meran's consent, claiming business of his own. When they got there, he revealed that the king was really sad that the clue advisor had pulled a ruse. Goon, as the king's son, is now the king, provided he return once a month to fulfill his duties. — Dreams Underfoot
Quotes[]
“You must always confront your fears,” Goon said as though she hadn’t spoke. “Then skulkingmonsters become merely unfamiliar shadows, thrown by a tree bough. Whispering voices are just thewind. The wild flare of panic is merely a burst of emotion, not a terror spell cast by some evil witch.” ~ Goon — "The Stone Drum" — Dreams Underfoot