Nicholas and the Elf, Julie Steimle [top fiction books of all time txt] 📗

his arms and stamped his foot, “That’s not a riddle! You cheated. I deserve another chance.”
A deep boo and several hisses came from the plant life around him. Nicholas didn’t care. It was getting late and he wanted his supper. He watched the elf dance in the trees above him and then swing upside down on a branch not too far from his head.
Hanging there, the elf smiled and spoke as apologetic as an elf could be, “Mortals have no sense of humor. I’m so terribly sorry. I know that wasn’t a riddle, but it was a great joke. Want to hear another one?”
Nicholas only frowned more. “No. I want to go home.”
“Party pooper. Ok. Here is the real riddle. Don’t you mess up or you’ll have to listen to all my elephant jokes until you are eighty-seven.” The elf flipped right side up onto the ground and his face grew serious. The trees sadly creaked in the wind, almost sorry the fun was to end. Nicholas could only guess that they were bored too.
The elf seriously pondered his riddle and at last spoke. “Seven cows go into the barn white as death and come out of the barn brown as bark. What are they?”
Nicholas was sure he had heard this riddle before. He knew about barns and cows, but he did not want to answer hastily. Nicholas sat on the mossy earth and leaned against a tree to think. The strong woodsy scent wafted through the forest, calming his tired heart. The sun had set and the canopy might as well have been confused with a cloudy sky, covering the stars in the darkness. The elf climbed up into the tree and rested on a low branch, waiting for the answer. He settled comfortably and lifted his pipes to his lips.
A low melodic tune flowed down from the trees to Nicholas below, who still pondered the riddle. It was a sad melody that rested on the wind and blew out on the breeze. His eye lids grew heavy. Nicholas was sure he had heard that melody once before. He could also hear his stomach growl and his mind wandered to dinner. Nicholas wondered what his mother had made, and if she would worry because he had not come home. Images of potatoes and meat slid across his mind and thoughts of warm gravy dripping on the plate. Oh, he had to get home. The riddle, he had to solve the . . .
“Bread,” he muttered out loud. He’ll miss his mom’s bread the most. Spread with butter and jam and . . .
Nicholas abruptly sat up. Andrew’s music had stopped. The wind stopped. The trees were silent. He no longer felt tired. Nicholas looked around, then above. The elf was gone. The lousy cheat! He didn’t even stick around to hear the answer. Nicholas then remembered he hadn’t yet figured out the answer. He was about to sit back down when he saw a clear path leading out of the forest.
Without hesitation, Nicholas took it. He first walked carefully, then he stepped more quickly. The path was so clear he decided to make a quick run for it.
Nicholas sprinted down the path, jumping over any root or bush that might have even the slightest urge to trip him. Before he knew it, he could see the trees part in front of him and he was standing out in the starlight. Nicholas raised his arms to the heavens and spun around, laughing and weeping like a freed soul from hell. At once his thoughts directed him homeward and he ran the whole kilometer back to his home on the hill, shouting and jumping. He was out. He was free. He beat the elf.
Nicholas never knew the elf was watching from the forest edge. He never knew the fairies scolded the elf for letting him go. He never knew the elf picked an easy riddle on purpose, a riddle he was sure to guess, if he was hungry enough. He never knew the fairies were waiting to take him into the fairy mound if he guessed wrong. But most of all, he never knew he had guess the answer to the riddle. After all was said and done, the only thing he knew was that he could smell a mile away the one thing he really craved. His mom’s bread. And who’s to say the elf didn’t know that. After all, even elves get hungry sometimes. Imprint

Publication Date: 11-19-2009

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