Section 1
In an old tree, there were some big lizards that were moving quickly and skillfully in the narrow spaces of the tree. These lizards were able to communicate with each other easily because they understood the language that lizards use to talk to each other.
One of the lizards said, “Wow, there’s so much buzzing and rumbling in the magical hill where the elves live! I haven’t been able to sleep for two nights because of all the noise. It feels like having a toothache, which always keeps me awake.”
The other lizard said, “Something exciting is happening in there! They used four red posts to support the top of the hill until the morning when the rooster crowed. This way, the hill got all fresh and breezy. The elfin girls even learned new dances! There’s definitely something special going on!”
A third lizard chimed in and said, “I talked to an earthworm I know. He just came from the elfin hill where he’s been crawling on the earth day and night. He’s heard a lot of things, even though he can’t see because he’s a poor, miserable creature. But he’s really good at wriggling and sneaking around. He said they’re expecting some important guests in the elfin hill, a really fancy company! But the earthworm wouldn’t tell me who they are, or maybe he didn’t know. Everyone’s getting ready for a special torch dance called the will-o’-the-wisp. The hill is full of silver and gold, and they’re going to clean it up and put everything out in the moonlight.”
The lizards wondered, “Who could these strangers be? What’s happening? Listen, there’s so much buzzing and humming going on!”
Suddenly, the magical hill opened up, and out came an elderly elf lady. She had a hollow space at the back and was the housekeeper for the old elf king. She was also distantly related to the elf royal family, which is why she had an amber heart in the middle of her forehead. Her feet moved swiftly, making a “trip, trip” sound. It was incredible how fast she could trip all the way down to the sea to meet the night-raven.
She said, “You’re invited to the elf hill this evening! But can you do me a big favor and help with the invitations? You don’t have any housekeeping responsibilities like I do, so you have time for it. We’re expecting some very important guests, magicians who always have something interesting to say. That’s why the old elf king wants to put on a magnificent show.”
The raven asked, “Whom should we invite?”
“Everyone in the world is welcome to attend the grand ball, even human beings, but there’s a catch - they must be able to talk in their sleep or do something magical like us. However, for the feast, we have to be more selective. Only people of high importance can join us. I had a disagreement with the elf king because he didn’t want to invite ghosts. The merman and his daughter should be the first ones invited, even though they might not enjoy staying on land for too long. We’ll make sure they have a wet stone to sit on, or maybe something even better. I don’t think they will refuse this time. We need to invite all the old demons from the top tier, the ones with tails, along with the mischievous hobgoblins and imps. And you know what? We shouldn’t forget about the death horse, the grave pig, or even the church dwarf, even though they have jobs in the clergy and are not considered part of our group. But that’s just their official role. They’re actually closely connected to us and often come to visit.”
The night-raven flew away with the invitations.
The elf girls were already dancing on the magical elf hill. They wore beautiful shawls made from moonshine and mist, which looked really pretty to those who appreciate such things. Inside the elf hill, the big hall was incredibly decorated. The floor was cleaned with moonshine, and the walls were treated with special magic ointment, making them shine brightly like the colorful petals of tulips in the light. In the kitchen, frogs were roasting on the spit, and they were making dishes out of snail shells with pretend children’s fingers inside. They also prepared a salad made of mushroom seeds, hemlock, noses, and mouse marrow. They had beer from the marsh woman’s brewery and sparkling saltpeter wine from the cellar where graves are kept. These were all hearty meals. For dessert, they served rusty nails and pieces of glass from church windows. The old elf king had his gold crown cleaned and made shiny using a special powder made from a slate pencil. It was the same kind of pencil that children use in their first year of school, and it was very hard for an elf king to get. In the bedrooms, curtains were put up and tied with the slimy trails left by snails. Everywhere, there were a lot of buzzing and humming sounds.
The elf man-servant said, “Now we need to fill the air with the smell of burnt horse hair and pig’s bristles to make sure everything is just right. Then, I believe my part will be done.”
