“Calling all elves! Calling all elves!” Little Pine sang out as he walked to the tree where Josie told him they were resting after eating their lunch. “Here I come, ready or not!”
The elves loved to play hide and seek. It was one of their favorite games. They weren’t any good at it though because it was so much fun that they couldn’t help but giggle, and the sound always gave them away. But Little Pine pretended that he didn’t hear them.
“Where could they be?” he said as he walked around the decorated pine lifting its branches. “Are they here? No, not here. Maybe they’re under here. No. They’re not here either. Where or where could they be!”
His efforts only made them giggle harder, despite their best efforts.
Finally he lifted the branch where they were hiding. “There you are! I found you at last!” he said.
“Oh, Little Pine, you’re just too clever for us,” said the oldest of the three. “Merry Festival!”
Little Pine laughed. “Merry Festival to you, too. How’s your work going? You did a splendid job with this tree. It’s absolutely gorgeous!”
“Thanks, Little Pine,” the middle brother said. “We have acres and acres to go yet. But right now we’re stuffed. Josie Gingerman brought us a huge, wonderful lunch.”
“Yes,” Little Pine said. “I met her on the trail. I met her husband, Jeffrey, at your house earlier, baking goodies with your Mom. Before they finish, their Festival treats are going to be piled as high as the ceiling!”
“We’re going to hide them all over the woods as soon as we finish decorating the drums,” the youngest elf said. “We learned that bears like to dig in the hollows of trees to find treats, and we want to make sure that everywhere they look they’ll find one. Of course we’re not going to hide them all! We’ll have plenty for all the other critters for the Festival Day celebration, too. Not to mention that we need a good supply to keep us working elves whistling as we work!”
“Well, yes,” said Little Pine. “I know that’s important. There’s nothing sadder than a hungry elf.”
The elves giggled at his teasing. “Say, what’s in your basket?” asked the youngest elf.
“Oh, I’m glad you asked,” said Little Pine. “It’s something very special—just for you three. It’s a present from the Spirits of Fun. A giant Tweety Bird brought it on a big red UFO!”
The elves laughed at his story. A Tweety Bird! A UFO! That Little Pine sure could make up some amazing tales.
“Really!” Little Pine laughed, as he pulled the glistening purple and gold fun bubble from his basket. “But I can’t just give it to you. You have to catch it.”
Little Pine had remembered Tweety Bird’s warning to stand back and he took six giant steps backwards and held the bubble in front of his chest as if he were going to hurl a basketball into a hoop. “Ready?” he said.
The three elves leaped to their feet, full of anticipation. “Ready!” they sang.
“Okay, then. One—Two—Three!” shouted Little Pine, tossing the bubble with all his might.
It floated directly above the elves and then slowly descended right over their heads. All together the three of them leaped into the air, grabbing for the bubble. And when their hands touched it, it exploded in fireworks and confetti and streamers that shot out in every direction. And every streamer and piece of confetti whistled a tune, and the fireworks turned to dancing light that whooshed around the three elves to the sound of Festival music and laughter.
Never had the elves been so surprised! For a moment, they couldn’t even move. But then each one grabbed a ribbon of circling light and rode it around and around the tree in big circles, laughing until they all finally fell to snowy ground below.
Little Pine had laughed so hard at the sight that he fell down beside them, holding his sides. “What a show!” he said, catching his breath.
“That’s the best present we every got!” said the oldest brother.
“The Spirits of Fun said to tell you it was meant to return to you some of the joy that you unfailingly bring to others,” said Little Pine, “and because you keep the Great Light in your hearts all year long, even in the darkest season.
“And you know what? I think that they were right.”