The Little Elves

Once upon a time there was a poor servant girl who was industrious and loved cleanliness. Everyday she dusted the house and shook out the sweepings on a great heap before the door.


One morning, just as she was going to throw them away, she saw a letter lying among them and as she could not read, she put her broom in a corner and took it to her master. It contained an invitation from the elves asking the girl to stand godmother to one of their children.


The girl did not know what to do…but at last after much consideration, she consented, for the little men would not easily take a refusal. So there came three elves who conducted her to a hollow mountain where they lived. Everything was very small of course, but all more neat and elegant than one could tell.


The mother lay in a bed of ebony studded with pearls and the coverings were all wrought with gold. The cradle was made of ivory and the bath was of gold. The girl stood godmother and afterwards wished to return home, but the little elves pressed her earnestly to stay three days longer. So she remained passing the time in pleasure and play, for the eves behaved very kindly to her.


At the end of the time she prepared to return home…but first they filled her pockets with gold and then led her out of the hill. As soon as she reached the house, she took the broom which still stood in the corner and went on with her sweeping…and presently out of the house came some strange people who asked her who she was and what she was doing there.


Then she found it that it was not three days as she had supposed…but seven years, that she had passed with the little elves in the hill. But now she had enough gold to spend the rest of her life in peace.


MORAL : People who are hardworking are rewarded in the end.


In this story the little girl took care of her master and served them in affection and full consideration. As reward for her sincerity, she was rewarded with a huge pile of gold which was enough for her to lead a life of comforts and happiness. The moral of this story is that we too should do our work with full consideration and sincerity so that we will be treated as qualified humans.