Even before he reached the elves’ door, Little Pine could hear their laughter and song. Elves are always laughing and singing, of course. But this was a particularly jubilant sound, as if the whole place was bursting with celebration.
Little Pine reached up and rang the flower bell. As Mother Elf opened the door, she was wiping tears from her eyes and trying to control her laughter. “Come in! Come in!” she said, welcoming him.
Behind her all the elves were twirling around with linked arms and clinking their mugs of cider. “Hooray! Hooray!” they shouted.
“What’s going on?” Little Bear asked, as Mother Elf handed him a mug and a winterberry muffin.
“Oh, Little Pine!” Teddy, the oldest brother, said, “Sit down and let me tell you the good news. Jay bird just brought the confirmation. We’ve been chosen!”
“Chosen?” Little Bear said. “For what?”
“Oh! You hadn’t heard!” said Ted. “The birds had brought rumors. But now we know for sure. The Elf King chose our woods for his visit.
“Every year, you see, he takes a select group of the Spirits of Fun to one woodland for the Festival of Light. It’s his way of rewarding the forest-dwellers for all they do to help the woodland thrive. And this year they’re coming here! Here! WhoooooooHooooooooo!”
“You sure are excited!” Little Pine laughed.
“Oh, we are! None of us have ever met the Elf King before, and the Spirits of Fun that come with him are the jolliest in all the realms. They’ll bring a whole new dimension to our Festival, and the Light will beam more brightly than ever.
“But now we have to get ready! There’s so much we want to do!”
“When are they coming? What can I do? How can I help you, Teddy?” Little Pine asked.
Teddy took a deep breath and settled himself down. “Mother, please bring us more biscuits and cider,” he said. “And brothers, come sit down. We only have a few days to get ready. We’re going to need a good set of plans.”
Little Pine felt the electricity of their excitement. And now, sitting around the table with them, he got his first insight into how these wonderful creatures managed to get so much done. They outlined their goals and broke each one down into a hundred small steps. Then they brainstormed about what resources they had and what help they could recruit.
It took all day, and Little Pine marveled at how meticulously they thought things through. He left for home just as the late afternoon sun began to fall beneath the horizon, a neatly written list in his pocket of the part he could play.
He skipped merrily on the path homeward, feeling proud that the elves included him in their plans. What an adventure they were in for! He could hardly wait to tell his mom the news.