Tobbin the Christmas Elf trudged through the deep snow of the wintry forest, dragging a large bundle of fir branches behind him. Lost in thought, he smiled to himself. “Tomorrow the family won’t recognize their own house!” he thought happily.
The children of the family were spending the weekend with their grandparents, since their parents still had so much left to do. Tobbin had noticed that this year they barely had the time or energy to get everything ready for Christmas. “No problem. I’m here, after all!” he said, looking rather pleased with himself.
He carried the heavy fir branches onto the terrace and gave them a firm shake to knock off the packed snow. Then he slipped silently into a large, dusty box.
When the elf reappeared a little while later, his arms were full of colorful, beautiful glass baubles. With practiced fingers, Tobbin began weaving the many fir branches together, binding them carefully around a slender ring.
Again and again he tucked in more branches, until a thick, bushy wreath had taken shape. Once the wreath was bound, he conjured up four golden candles and fastened them securely into the greenery.
“And now for my favorite part,” Tobbin thought cheerfully. In no time at all, he decorated the wreath with red, gold, and green baubles, tucking in dried orange slices and a few cinnamon sticks here and there. “Now it doesn’t just look beautiful, it smells wonderful too,” the elf said with satisfaction.
But the wreath wasn’t quite finished yet. Tobbin fetched a huge ladder from the family’s garden shed. He looked for just the right spot — somewhere the family loved to gather, and where the wreath would really shine.
Nimbly, the elf climbed up the ladder and snapped his fingers, and as if by magic, the great advent wreath floated up to meet him. “This is where you’ll hang, to bring the family joy all through Advent!” Tobbin said firmly.
Then he tied a wide red velvet ribbon to a hook in the ceiling and fastened it carefully around the wreath. Now the wintry masterpiece hung floating in the middle of the living room, filling the air with the wonderful scent of cinnamon and oranges.
“Just as I pictured it,” said the elf. He gathered up his things and slipped away to his hiding place.
That very evening, the whole family came home tired. “Now what smells so good in here?” the mother wondered, puzzling it over. When the children switched on the living room light, Tobbin watched their eyes widen in surprise as they looked up toward the ceiling.
“That’s the most beautiful advent wreath I’ve ever seen!” the two girls cried out together, gazing up happily at their parents.
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