I remember getting this fantasy out from the library over and over, but can't recall what it was. The main character had to undertake a journey, was some sort of elven/little person whose people subsisted on whortleberries (yes, I'm afriad so) and he was pursued in the woods by what seemed like a very scary animal called a padfoot (way before JK used the name). Any ideas? This would have been published early 60's, I think.