Dad, how big are forest elves, actually?

So how big are forest elves, actually?

Well, they're not exactly giants. Because, who among people can honestly say they've ever seen a forest elf? I think noone, or maybe just a few really observant ones. And those, when they notice that a root, branch, or leaf has moved, they stand there, mouth wide open at first, and then look at the spot where they saw the movement, only to find… nothing. The elf is gone. Some humans, especially children, understand that it was a living creature, and they keep returning to those spots over and over, trying to catch a glimpse of it again. I believe many of us sensitive folks experience this often.

It's clear, really. There are as many forest elves as there are trees in the forest. But then, it’s weird, why don’t the elves in such dense woods make sure they’re not seen by a mushroom picker or a group of playing children? Why do they not get spotted sometimes? Or maybe there are mischievous elves—at least the beechboys. You know them, curious as a spring breeze, peeking out from behind a beech tree or attempting to throw an acorn right at a mushroom picker’s nose.

I do believe those beech elves are naughty. Elves are curious creatures too, but they’re protected by the forest. The forest won’t allow anyone to learn about the world of elves and fairies. The forest is clever; it knows how to protect itself. Because, if humans knew about the elves, they might try to catch them. And when an elf disappears, the tree would wither in grief and eventually die. And if the tree dies, so does its elf, who would slowly fade away until finally falling into an eternal sleep and taking its last breath.

So when you’re walking through the woods and you notice a movement, and you think it’s just the wind playing with the leaves or a branch seeming to walk by itself, or when you see dewdrops splashing out of the grass with no frog or grasshopper to cause it, yes… you’ve seen an elf. But to your eyes, he remains invisible. The forest protects him. But these days, its protection is weakening. But that’s another story…

And Dad, you don’t see them?

Who sees elves or their movements most often? Well, children, of course. They have their own minds and are much more sensitive to their surroundings and nature than us grown-ups. That’s why they talk to elves, even though the forest doesn’t answer back. Somehow, they just know that the elves are watching them. They sit on a stump, hum to themselves, and listen. That’s why the elves always know what’s going on in the human world. They know that this little girl at home has something called a "television" where she watches big fish called whales. They know that every child today has a little box in their pocket that they tap on and set things with. The elves already know it’s called a mobile phone, and they wonder why humans have them—maybe because they don’t have a "mushroom-net" like elves do.

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And that`s why kids built elf houses

And that’s why children build little houses for elves in the woods. They just wander through the forest and suddenly get the idea that this root or hollow in a tree needs a nice little house. They go straight to that spot, start gathering pinecones, branches, moss, and other materials, and before you know it, they’ve built a beautiful house. The girls even add little flowers. They decorate it beautifully. The boys make little paths between the houses, and then it’s a true masterpiece. As they work, they chat and say, "This is for my elf, because he likes to look up at the stars while he falls asleep, so there’s a hole in the roof right in the middle of his bedroom." And then, the grown-up asks, "But what if it rains inside the house?" The boy turns to his dad with a completely puzzled look, "But Dad... the forest breeze will make the glass for him, and the raindrops won’t fall through." Nearby, the forest elf is sitting by the root, eagerly awaiting his new summer house, slapping his forehead in disbelief that the grown-up doesn’t know the forest breeze makes the glass. Silly grown-ups, right? 🙂

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The forest will tell you how to build the house.

When children of humans build little houses in the woods, the forest helps them choose the right spot to build it. It’s a wish from the little elf. The forest will guide the child to the perfect spot, where they can build a beautiful house, just as the elf would imagine it. Houses for the fairies are built by the girls, and for the elves, by the boys.

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So how big are they then? 

Dad asks the little girl in the forest when she finishes a beautiful house with a porch and decorates it with flowers and blueberries. "Well, Dad, it’s clear! My elf is as big as this pinecone," she says, placing a spruce pinecone right in the middle of the yard, where she says her elf dances his forest dance. Then she waves at it like it’s the elf, grabs her dad’s hand, and they go off to look for mushrooms. "And why didn’t you build a chimney?" asks her dad. "But Dad, that’s exactly the kind of house my elf wanted me to build, and he doesn’t need a chimney," she says with a grin. And as they walk away, from behind the pinecone in the center of the yard, a little fairy peeks out and measures herself against the pinecone, and she’s just as tall. Hmm, strange.

And now you probably understand why the houses built by children for the elves come in all sizes. It’s because they build them to fit the elf they’re made for, even though they don’t realize it. You get it now? Of course, you do! 🙂 Elves and fairies are as big as the fruits of their trees. Spruce elves are as big as spruce cones, pine elves are as mighty as large pine cones, willow elves as tiny as catkins, beech elves as big as cracked beech nuts, and oak elves as hefty as acorns. They grow just like the tree they come from, and they stop growing when their tree stops growing. That makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? 🙂

But don’t be fooled. A little oak elf is as strong as a team of big forest draft horses, a willow fairy is as delicate and flexible as a willow twig, pine elves are tough and ready for heavy work, and spruce elves are lean and tall runners. They are often used in the forest as messengers, bringing either good or bad news.

Now, do you get it, how big the elves are? But why is Ronin different? Well, we’ll have to wait for that story for another time.

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