Once upon a time, there lived a little girl named Josephine. Unlike most children her age, Josephine didn’t share the same interests as her friends. While they preferred to stay indoors reading, drawing, or watching television, Josephine longed for adventure. She dreamed of visiting distant lands and wrestling with fierce beasts. More than anything, she wished to make friends with fairies and gnomes. Despite her many attempts, she unfortunately never got to see such fantastical creatures.
One sunny afternoon, after a long day of outdoor play with her best friend Charlotte, Josephine’s adventure-seeking heart sank again as she realized it was time to go home. As they strolled through the woods, Charlotte’s mother, Mrs. Barker, called out from the porch, “Children, come here for a moment!”
The girls ran towards the house, eager to learn what was so important. The kind Mrs. Barker knelt down and said, “I found this lovely pair of boots while tidying the sitting room. I remember seeing one of you wearing them, but I don’t know to whom they belong. They seem quite large for each of you, but perhaps someone lost them in the woods?”
Josephine and Charlotte examined the boots closely. “They look like new!” said Charlotte. “Not a mark on them.” Josephine agreed, adding, “They must have a magical owner.”
When they realized that no one claimed the boots, Charlotte was thrilled and said, “Josephine, why don’t you take them? They might fit you better!”
“Thank you!” exclaimed Josephine. She pulled on the shiny red boots and ran around the house in them. “They fit me perfectly!” she declared.
She couldn’t wait to flaunt her new boots at school the next day. Although they were undeniably large, they still seemed to suit her. That evening, she walked home in the boots—so proud she hardly noticed the icy wind piercing through her clothes.
Suddenly, she saw a glimpse of something at her feet. Curious, she bent down and picked it up. It was a beautifully refined silver whistle, adorned with tiny red stones that glimmered in the moonlight. Associating the colors with the boots, she eagerly blew into the whistle. An astonishing sight unfolded before her. The branches of the trees seemed to pull apart, revealing a wondrous wood beyond—a true fairytale forest!
Large mushrooms glimmered in the grass, illuminating the surroundings like lamps. Twinkling little lights flashed in the air, resembling fireflies. Josephine shook her head in disbelief. Were the mushroom caps made of gold too? She took a tentative step forward, instantly transported to another world. An ecstatic laugh escaped her lips; this was the adventure she had longed for!
No longer frightened, she ventured inside. The next instant, she found herself standing amid a group of diminutive beings, no taller than her ankle. They appeared like staff assistants, bored out of their minds. When Josephine approached, their tiny faces brightened, revealing quaint eyes that lit up with joy. She instinctively reached out to touch one with her finger when, to her surprise, it hopped atop her boot.
Josephine chuckled with delight. “Hello, small man! I believe you’re quite familiar with my marvelous boots. Are you the ones who owned them?”
The little fellow nodded and retorted, “You may take them with you, but be cautious of our feathered friends. No small person is safer from them than you are!”
Josephine laughed. “But I have a secret weapon! If ever I’m in danger from those foul scavengers, I’ll use this!” And casting her eyes downwards, she proudly displayed the whistle. Upon seeing it, the gnome trembled.
“Oh, dry up!” reproached one of his companions. “She’s a big, overgrown girl with a loud voice! Just let her blow that into her big mouth, and we’ll see if our feathered friends stay strong after that!”
Unfazed, Josephine raised the whistle and skillfully blew into it. The same magical events recurred—the tree branches parted completely, aligning to form a safe path into the woods. “Now then,” said Josephine, “who’s ready to accompany me on a journey?”
The gnomes rallied around her but suddenly froze in their tracks. High above in the tree branches, the rustling of wings announced the approach of some birds. Poor Josephine! The tiny gnomes huddled beneath her feet for safety and cried, “Oh! Oh! Oh! Blow! Blow! Blow!”
Had Josephine been alone, she would have boldly raised the whistle as she’d planned. But she noticed how frightened the tiny beings were. “My poor little friends! Stay close to me, and you’ll see I’m not nearly as frightened of birds as you are!”
Seeing that the birds swooped down with a dreadful cawing noise that nearly deafened her, she couldn’t resist and blow determinedly into the whistle. Upon hearing the shrill sound, the birds instantly rose above the tree branches and darted away as fast as their wings could carry them. “See?” she said to the gnomes. “You were so afraid, but my brave heart protected you.”
The little fellows stared at her in astonishment and murmured among themselves. One of them mustered the courage to say, “You are far braver than we are!”
A fine coat of white light enveloped Josephine, feeding her courage. She began dancing and prancing across the lawn, clasping her hands in sheer delight. But soon, the weight of her school books brought her crashing back to reality. “Oh dear! How will I ever find my way home?” she voiced aloud.
To her pleasant surprise, the little individuals understood her well, for they urged, “Oh yes! We’ll take you back, certainly! But kindly come along with us to our supper first!”
Josephine could not believe her ears. Supper? With the gnomes? What a delightful and diverting proposal! She figured if such little folk dined, they must surely have a delightful feast spread before them. She loved dining with people of all kinds and races. “Do they have a cookery book that covers all of these?” she wondered.
Not long after, they did sit down to enjoy a delicious meal made up of all her favorite dishes—such fine cutlets in boiling gravy, steaming hot puddings, thick sauerkraut, good hot potatoes, and deliciously spiced fruit tarts! She even received the finest red wine as an accompaniment, which the gnomes gladly drank with her, raising their tiny glasses high and calling in unison, “Good health!”
After the fourth glass, Josephine felt quite tipsy. What a delightful supper! Abandoned in the woods, she expressed how grateful she was for having met such charming folk. If it weren’t for the homesickness tugging at her, she would stay forever.
Just then, a beautiful box of snowy white appeared before her. “This is your gift from our royal father. It comes packed with much love, with all the rare treats our woodland soil can provide, to give you life, warmth, and happiness! But most of all, it contains the finest, most potent remedies you can ever use, should you have the bad luck to fall ill!”
“But how will I ever repay you?” she insisted.
“Only take good care of the royal father’s shiny red boots,” they responded.
Outside, a brilliant white light emerged from the woods, illuminating the entrance, meaning it was time for Josephine to leave. Nodding goodbye, she kissed the fabulous little folk and jovially climbed the happy road towards home. Instinctively, she lifted her hand to the gnomes in farewell, who seemed to wave her off in unison with the entire troop of twinkling woodland lights.
When she arrived home, she discovered her father sitting beside her mother, reading from a mysterious book. She noticed that her boot was quite shiny, as if it had been polished. And so it had, for the little people had carefully and lovingly cleaned both her new boots. When she told her parents about her short trip to the woods and all the exciting events, they listened with astonishment. “That sounds like a fairy tale!” exclaimed her father.
And indeed it had been! That very night, Josephine located her address book and quickly wrote to Charlotte. She wanted to have her lovely friend at her house for a visit, and then they would decide together in which other directions they might set off after further exploration, for they were still explorers of the great unknown—children!