In a magical forest, there lived a little elf named Elvis. Elvis was a cheerful little fellow with twinkling eyes and pointy ears. He was well known to all the villagers because every night after the children were sound asleep, Elvis would come out and make mischief. He would swap the garden hoes around, twist the bells of the cows round, and make the children’s food taste of nasty old things.
But the little people were never angry, they only laughed. So, one day, to have some fun, Elvis pulled the nose of a little child as he passed by. But the little child began to cry. “Why do you cry, little child?” said Elvis. “I did it to make you laugh.”
“I know you did,” sobbed the child, “but it hurt first, and then I’m sure you will do it again.” Elvis looked sad and went away. But the next child he came to pulled him by the beard to make him cry, and when he had laughed at him, he went away without doing it again.
Elvis felt he was growing which way, but he did not stop there. For near him lived an old lady who was very kind to birds and creeping things, and every week gave her little boy any number of flowers to carry to the sick. Elvis thought one day, “This makes people laugh.” So he turned all her flower pots upside down when no one saw him. But the next morning he found the voice of the old lady was choked with crying. “Does not that do you good?” said Elvis. “Oh yes,” she sobbed, “but it makes all my little sick children cry too.” And she went on crying.
Elvis looked grave for him. “I shall do no more mischief for the future,” he said. And from that time forward he worked at little jobs at the different cottages in the elf village. He soon found there was far more pleasure and fun to be had in working than in playing the tricks, for everyone soon became fond of him.
So let us do our duty and our little bit every day; and always remember that kindness is the best trick of all.