In a snow-covered little town, a tiny elf trotted through the dark streets one night. His quick footsteps were barely a whisper, and whenever people came near, he vanished into the shadows without a sound.
His name was Tobbin, though he had never told a soul. “What would be the point?” he thought. After all, he always stayed hidden.
In winter he wore a warm, soft coat of green felt and a cozy cap of red velvet. Strapped to his back was a little sack. Inside were his few belongings and all the tools an elf could ever need.
Tobbin was searching for a family to visit for the Advent season. “Same thing, every single year,” he grumbled.
It was never easy, choosing between so many lovely front gardens and cozy houses. But just as he sat down on an icy curb to rest for a moment, he spotted a little girl with long braids at a window.
She was busy hanging up a small golden paper star, and then helped her little sister climb up a step stool.
He looked up at her and saw exactly what he had been searching for, right there in her eyes. “She carries kindness in her heart,” Tobbin felt, and all at once, without a moment’s hesitation, he decided to move in with this family.
The little elf’s tiredness vanished as if by magic. Determined, he made his way across the snowy street and headed straight for the house where he had just seen the girl.
Climbing through a narrow gap in the front door, he realized that several families lived in this building. Since every apartment door looked exactly the same, Tobbin first had to figure out which one belonged to his chosen family.
So he sat down in front of one door after another, pressing his big ear against the wood and listening closely. “There she is!” he declared with relief, and decided to spend his first night right there on the family’s doormat.
“As soon as they leave the house tomorrow, I’ll dash inside and get to work,” the elf promised himself happily, and drifted off to sleep.
The next day, the family left the apartment before sunrise and headed off to school, to preschool, and finally to work.
Tobbin was ready. He had waited all night for this very moment.
The moment the door opened, he darted through the narrow gap and hid inside a shoe rack. Nobody noticed the nimble little elf. Tobbin waited until he heard the key turn in the lock, then began to look around at his leisure.
With a practiced eye, he inspected the children’s rooms, the kitchen, and the pantry, carefully searching every space for craft supplies and a few useful tools.
Once he had seen everything, Tobbin got straight to work. He had noticed that the family had gathered a few fir branches. “Nice enough, but this place isn’t quite feeling like Christmas yet,” he decided.
When he glanced up at a dresser, he found himself looking into the little girl’s friendly face. In the picture frame beside it stood her sister and her parents. Tobbin looked forward to the weeks ahead, tied on his little apron, and set off for the pantry.
He gathered flour, eggs, vanilla sugar, butter, and a handful of almonds. As if by magic, every drawer and cupboard suddenly sprang open. Bowls, measuring cups, and a whisk sailed gracefully through the kitchen, drifting straight toward him.
More ingredients lifted off the counter and blended together silently in the bowl. Tobbin looked pleased and made a few more curious little gestures with his small, gnarled hands. Just then, the oven light flicked on. “Mustn’t forget to preheat,” the elf remarked, almost as an afterthought.
While the little cookie cutters hovered over the rolled-out dough, stamping out lovely shapes, Tobbin searched the family’s cellar for a few storage tins and some ribbon.
He used the time to tie red bows from fine velvet ribbon and fasten them to a fresh fir branch. “Just the thing to bring out that Christmas feeling,” the elf murmured, breathing in the scent of the fir.
When he opened the oven a little while later and warm steam rose up toward the kitchen ceiling, Tobbin licked his lips hungrily. “Mmm, they smell absolutely delicious!” he raved, and sampled a vanilla cookie or two.
“Taste test: passed!” he declared happily. He wrapped some of the cookies in little paper bags, packed the rest into tins, and tied red bows around each one. “Now let’s tidy up this mess, quick,” said Tobbin, darting busily about.
Meanwhile, all the kitchen tools tidied themselves neatly away into the cupboards, a damp cloth wiped down the counter, and the dishwasher began to hum.
“Not bad at all for my first day in this house,” said Tobbin with a grin, and tucked himself back into the cupboard to hide.
When the key turned in the lock and the family stepped inside, the little elf delighted in the amazed looks on the children’s faces.
“These are the most delicious cookies I’ve ever eaten!” the girl cried, hugging her little sister, who beamed with joy as she admired the tins piled high with cookies too.
“Now, let’s see what I’ll surprise you with tomorrow,” Tobbin thought contentedly.
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