Who would have thought that a cheerful elf like me could get banished from Winter Wonderland, the world of happiness? I surely didn’t expect that. It all started a few days before Christmas Eve when I somehow managed to tangle up all the presents and “ruin everything”, as Father Christmas told me. At first I thought that all the other elves would get together and fix the problem, as they always did, but apparently they had all grown tired of my ungraceful attitude. No wonder they were calling me Clumsy Caspar…
It was heartbreaking to see Father Christmas mad at me. That time of the year had always been my perfect excuse of being overly excited. Right after I heard the terrifying words “You’re banished. Banished forever!” I felt as the whole world collapsed over me. But, as I was always trying to stay positive, I kept telling myself that everything was going to be alright and that it was actually a lot of fun to live on your own. I was a free elf after all… wasn’t I?
I left Winter Wonderland with a heavy heart, that’s for sure, but I was also curious to find out what it was like out there, in the unknown. The idea of roaming the world sounded insanely great. All the people around me were smiling and enjoying the Christmas season. Their laughter and joyful mood brought back nostalgic memories of Winter Wonderland… Overall I was totally pleased with the general atmosphere. “It looks like Father Christmas and the elves are doing a great job.” I thought to myself. After all, what is winter without Christmas and a touch of magic?
I had been wandering the world since then, enjoying the smooth course of life… that is until I came across something completely unexpected.
It was December and I found myself in possibly the darkest place I’ve ever been to. It was a world like no other. Colorless. Gloomy. Abandoned skyscrapers. Empty narrow streets. A cold harsh wind blew in my face and it didn’t make my cheeks tingle pleasantly. If I got the chance to come across a random citizen, it was definitely not a pleasant sight. Every single person was dressed up in black tattered clothes. They all stared aimlessly as they didn’t know where they were heading. I felt hopelessly lost as a heavy, deathly silence bore down on me. It was getting murkier with every step I took. Although my colorful clothes really stood out in that dark scenery, no one seemed to notice me. For a few moments all I wanted was to vanish from that place and never come back again…
“What’s wrong with your clothes?” a silvery voice asked me. I quickly turned around and faced a young girl wearing the same ragged clothes. If it hadn’t been for her long, blonde hair, I would have mistaken her with a dark walking ghost. I approached her and gave her a shy smile. It was hard to look straight into her cold eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with my clothes. They’re just colorful, that’s all. Look, the sweater is red. And see these leggings? Green and white stripes. You could tell I am a lollipop.” I said, trying to brighten up the atmosphere. “You can wear other colors than black?” the girl asked as if she had never thought of that before. I nodded and then put on a more serious face. “What happened to this world?” I continued with a trembling voice. “I don’t know. It’s been the same since the day I was born. But once I found a book on one of Mom’s shelves. I don’t remember much of it, only the pages about a winter celebration: Christmas. I asked Mom what is Christmas and all she could say was that it’s something long forgotten…” came the answer. I took a quick look around and finally realized what was wrong. The world lacked the magic atmosphere, all the happy vibes and the cheerful carols… “Is Christmas real?” the girl asked. I looked at her and this time I saw a glimpse of hope in her eyes. And well, it was on that cold, miserable day when I made the decision that was to change my life forever…
I stood up, keeping the eye contact with the little girl. I put on an encouraging smile and started off my “show” with a short dance and a few claps. Since I left Winter Wonderland, I had forgotten about my special powers and childish tricks. It felt great to use them again… Sparks were flying around me. Soon the whole street was filled with glittering lights. I tapped my feet on the ground and the girl soon found herself surrounded by a small Christmas tree, a box full of decorations and a few beautifully wrapped-up presents. I ended my show with shimmering snowflakes falling from the sky. “What did just happen?” the little girl asked, staring in awe at me. “That, my dear, is what I would like to call ‘a magic routine’. Here’s what you have to do. Take all this stuff to your home. Decorate the tree with anything you want from the box. Hand out presents to your parents or anyone you care about. And spread out the word. Tell everyone to do the same as you did. I’ll take care of the rest of the world. I’ll make sure you get the perfect close-up of what Christmas should be like.” I answered. As I was about to leave, I heard one last question: “Who are you?”. I smiled, as I had been asking myself the same thing for a while. “I guess you can call me Clumsy Caspar.”
Bringing Christmas back to that dark world was certainly the best decision I had ever taken. The breaking news spread out, even Father Christmas learned about everything I did and decided to take me back to his workshop. I gained the highest position among my fellow elves. Since the day of my return, I had been Father Christmas’ most appreciated helper. It is, indeed, an extraordinary feeling… and I get to experience it every single year when I visit the magical world, once a land of misery. It’s quite amazing to see it all lighten up and covered with snow…
Who would have thought that a clumsy elf like me could create the most spectacular Christmas ever? I surely didn’t expect that. Winter Wonderland is not just another ordinary world I live in. Winter Wonderland is everywhere and it’s our job to release it from deep within our hearts.
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