Baartock

"Baartock" by Lewis Roth is a children's story, probably from the later 1900s, that follows Baartock, a young troll eager to begin his career scaring humans, but instead ends up in a human school, when he is taken there by a teacher named Mr. Fileis. The tale begins with Baartock’s disappointment after his initial scaring attempts fail, leading to feelings of bewilderment and sadness. As he interacts with humans in the school environment, the story highlights themes of acceptance, misunderstanding, and the difficulties of adjusting, all while Baartock tries to reconcile his troll nature with the expectations of the human world.