Peek in at the Naughty Elves’ Gingerbread World
How the Naughty, Naughty Gingerbread Elves
Got to Be Naughty
By Valerie Larrea
© 2009
© 2009
Once upon a time, all the elves in our Neighborhood were helpful and kind-hearted folk. They were charming and had very good manners. They always used the correct spoon at dinnertime. They always said, “Please” and “Thank you”. They went to bed every night, right on time. When the alarm clock rang, they got out of bed without complaining. And they were never, ever late for school.
The helpful Kind-Hearted Elves always held the door for you. They always saved the best seat for you. They helped you carry parcels from the store to your car. They helped you wrap your holiday gifts. They shared their favorite recipe for Christmas fudge and Christmas cookies. They even got up high on the tallest ladders to put the star at the very tippy-top of the tallest Christmas tree in the Neighborhood.
But then, it happened. One day, without warning, the elves in the Neighborhood turned into very naughty Gingerbread Elves!
One day, all the shopping parcels were left on the curb. Next thing you know, the holiday gifts that the elves wrapped got all tangled up. Every bow on every present had a knot in it. And would you believe, the recipe for Christmas fudge tasted like pepper! And what do you think happened to the star up high on the very tippy-top of the tallest Christmas tree in the Neighborhood? You guessed it! The star disappeared completely…and nobody (except those naughty, naughty Gingerbread Elves) knows for sure where it is now!
How did it happen? How could the Kind-Hearted Elves suddenly become naughty Gingerbread Elves? I’ll tell you how. It was Gingerbread!
Now you may be asking, “How could something as warm and spicy and yummy as Gingerbread turn the Kind-Hearted Elves into naughty Gingerbread Elves?” Well, the real secret is, “Gingerbread is for people”.
Gingerbread is for Grandpa. Gingerbread is for Grandma. It’s for Mom and it’s for Dad. Gingerbread is for you and for your little brother Tom.
Gingerbread is for your cousin Lucy and for your Aunt Clare. Gingerbread is for big people and for middle-size people and for little people. Gingerbread is for people. So, the truth is, “Gingerbread is not for elves!”
You are probably saying to yourself, “Now that sounds silly. That sounds wrong. That sounds totally, absolutely, completely improbable! Why it’s utterly inconceivable! I’d bet my stick of chewing gum on that!”
Go ahead! Bet me that I’m wrong! I’ll be chewing your stick of chewing gum before you know it! Here’s how it happened.
One day, three Kind-Hearted Elves were passing by the home of the best baker in the Neighborhood. A most wonderful fragrance came drifting out from the open kitchen window. The aroma was not like anything they had ever smelled before. It was absolutely tantalizing. They simply had to find out what it was! So they tiptoed over and peeked into the kitchen window. Just inside, cooling on a rack right near the window were rows of cookies, shaped just like little men. Sure enough, those cookies were made of Gingerbread.
Now, Kind-Hearted Elves knew it was not polite to taste the cookies without asking, or without saying, “Please”. But nobody was in the kitchen. And those cookies smelled better than anything they could imagine. They looked at each other and said, “We’ll say, ‘Please’ later”. So they reached through the window, and each elf took one cookie.
They sniffed the cookies. They felt the warmth in their hands. They smiled at one another. Then each elf nibbled a very small nibble off the edge of a cookie. And what do you think happened? Boom! The elves were instantly transformed into naughty Gingerbread Elves!
They giggled and got a very sly, very naughty look in their eyes. They ran back and reached through the window and took all the Gingerbread cookies from that kitchen! They ran and gave them to all their elf-friends and Boom! Those elves instantly became naughty Gingerbread Elves, too!
And pretty soon, all the Gingerbread cookies, Gingerbread cakes and Gingerbread Houses from all the kitchens in the Neighborhood began to disappear. Pretty soon, all the elves turned into very naughty Gingerbread Elves! And now they just can’t get enough Gingerbread. They may pretend to be helpful. On occasion, they may try to be good. They might pretend to have good manners. They might even pretend to be polite...but not for long!
You can believe me when I say, “Gingerbread is the only thing naughty Gingerbread Elves really want!” So if they have to pull the cat’s tail to get near the Gingerbread, they will. If they have to hide the baby’s toy to distract you and get more Gingerbread, they will. If they have to mess up your room to find out where you’ve hidden the Gingerbread, they will.
And, oh my goodness, who knows what sort of pranks those naughty, naughty Gingerbread Elves have in store for Santa and his reindeer when they arrive on your rooftop on Christmas Eve!
Now, I beg of you, do remember this: Gingerbread is very, very precious. Gingerbread is wonderful and spicy and yummy, just like it always was. So, watch out! Make very sure your Gingerbread is never left alone!
If you leave the kitchen and come back to find that your Gingerbread has disappeared, vanished, is utterly gone… don’t blame me! I will say, “I warned you!” I will say, “I told you so! It was the Gingerbread Elves! Those naughty, naughty Gingerbread Elves were here!”
The helpful Kind-Hearted Elves always held the door for you. They always saved the best seat for you. They helped you carry parcels from the store to your car. They helped you wrap your holiday gifts. They shared their favorite recipe for Christmas fudge and Christmas cookies. They even got up high on the tallest ladders to put the star at the very tippy-top of the tallest Christmas tree in the Neighborhood.
But then, it happened. One day, without warning, the elves in the Neighborhood turned into very naughty Gingerbread Elves!
One day, all the shopping parcels were left on the curb. Next thing you know, the holiday gifts that the elves wrapped got all tangled up. Every bow on every present had a knot in it. And would you believe, the recipe for Christmas fudge tasted like pepper! And what do you think happened to the star up high on the very tippy-top of the tallest Christmas tree in the Neighborhood? You guessed it! The star disappeared completely…and nobody (except those naughty, naughty Gingerbread Elves) knows for sure where it is now!
How did it happen? How could the Kind-Hearted Elves suddenly become naughty Gingerbread Elves? I’ll tell you how. It was Gingerbread!
Now you may be asking, “How could something as warm and spicy and yummy as Gingerbread turn the Kind-Hearted Elves into naughty Gingerbread Elves?” Well, the real secret is, “Gingerbread is for people”.
Gingerbread is for Grandpa. Gingerbread is for Grandma. It’s for Mom and it’s for Dad. Gingerbread is for you and for your little brother Tom.
Gingerbread is for your cousin Lucy and for your Aunt Clare. Gingerbread is for big people and for middle-size people and for little people. Gingerbread is for people. So, the truth is, “Gingerbread is not for elves!”
You are probably saying to yourself, “Now that sounds silly. That sounds wrong. That sounds totally, absolutely, completely improbable! Why it’s utterly inconceivable! I’d bet my stick of chewing gum on that!”
Go ahead! Bet me that I’m wrong! I’ll be chewing your stick of chewing gum before you know it! Here’s how it happened.
One day, three Kind-Hearted Elves were passing by the home of the best baker in the Neighborhood. A most wonderful fragrance came drifting out from the open kitchen window. The aroma was not like anything they had ever smelled before. It was absolutely tantalizing. They simply had to find out what it was! So they tiptoed over and peeked into the kitchen window. Just inside, cooling on a rack right near the window were rows of cookies, shaped just like little men. Sure enough, those cookies were made of Gingerbread.
Now, Kind-Hearted Elves knew it was not polite to taste the cookies without asking, or without saying, “Please”. But nobody was in the kitchen. And those cookies smelled better than anything they could imagine. They looked at each other and said, “We’ll say, ‘Please’ later”. So they reached through the window, and each elf took one cookie.
They sniffed the cookies. They felt the warmth in their hands. They smiled at one another. Then each elf nibbled a very small nibble off the edge of a cookie. And what do you think happened? Boom! The elves were instantly transformed into naughty Gingerbread Elves!
They giggled and got a very sly, very naughty look in their eyes. They ran back and reached through the window and took all the Gingerbread cookies from that kitchen! They ran and gave them to all their elf-friends and Boom! Those elves instantly became naughty Gingerbread Elves, too!
And pretty soon, all the Gingerbread cookies, Gingerbread cakes and Gingerbread Houses from all the kitchens in the Neighborhood began to disappear. Pretty soon, all the elves turned into very naughty Gingerbread Elves! And now they just can’t get enough Gingerbread. They may pretend to be helpful. On occasion, they may try to be good. They might pretend to have good manners. They might even pretend to be polite...but not for long!
You can believe me when I say, “Gingerbread is the only thing naughty Gingerbread Elves really want!” So if they have to pull the cat’s tail to get near the Gingerbread, they will. If they have to hide the baby’s toy to distract you and get more Gingerbread, they will. If they have to mess up your room to find out where you’ve hidden the Gingerbread, they will.
And, oh my goodness, who knows what sort of pranks those naughty, naughty Gingerbread Elves have in store for Santa and his reindeer when they arrive on your rooftop on Christmas Eve!
Now, I beg of you, do remember this: Gingerbread is very, very precious. Gingerbread is wonderful and spicy and yummy, just like it always was. So, watch out! Make very sure your Gingerbread is never left alone!
If you leave the kitchen and come back to find that your Gingerbread has disappeared, vanished, is utterly gone… don’t blame me! I will say, “I warned you!” I will say, “I told you so! It was the Gingerbread Elves! Those naughty, naughty Gingerbread Elves were here!”
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