I was in the US Army between 1969-1972, stationed in Kaiserslautern with the 69th Signal Company (Photo). I lived with a couple of my army buddies for a short time in an apartment on Beethovenstrasse, our way to relieve us of army routine and to immerse ourselves a bit in the local culture.
While in that Beethovenstrasse apartment, I had friends visit from Paris — Ralph and Deborah — who’d hosted one of my army buddies and me or just me different times at their home in Paris, then Strasbourg.
I suggested we take a walk in the lovely Pfaelzerwald, south of Kaiserslautern. It was during that walk Ralph discovered the possible home of German elves.
Ralph examines a mound in the Pfaelzerwald for evidence of little people…!
In case a little person popped up, we surrounded our friend to defend him against abduction into the dark hole…
Scary! Has to be occupado!
Fortunately, Ralph leaped back in time. Highlighted in the circle, pointed to with an arrow, is my proof of little people — elf! — habitation of this mound!
OMG! I see more and more faces in the mound and above it, not just the one I highlighted! Ralph was in great peril, much greater than we realized at the time!
Whew! I think the German government put a bounty on elves shortly after this photo was taken, and it now is safe to walk in the Pfaelzerwald.
Phew! That was a close one! But, to tell you the truth – I have elves here in the house. They do all sorts of playful things, like: hides your keys, move your book, erase photos you needed, etc. etc.
I understand they can be trained to play with the cat, wash dishes, and spin gold, but I suspect it’s mostly a wife’s tale…! I have the variety you have — the key-hiding, book-messing-around-with, photo-erasing variety. Perhaps the country elves are different than the town elves, too. I’m no expert! 😉
Is there an exorcism that can be done? The older I get the more fun they’re having!! O_o
I use catnip. Pinch it to release the oils, then say, “Elves be gone ‘fore the cats eat ‘cha!” At their size and unpredictability, a cat looks as much like a lion to them as a lion looks to us. (Of course, a lion is a lion, and is positively murderous on elves, regardless of the catnip.) The elves only known defense: a good cardboard box tossed between them and the cat.Works 99.97% of the time!
Once gone, exorcised though, you have to come up with a new explanation for the missing items. “The dog ate it” is a good one. “The monkey hid it in the tree” works in some locales. “My ex got it in the settlement” works in select circumstances where you have an ex. If not, that spouse hiding your things is on the slippery slope to ex-hood, eh!?
I’ll have to rethink that exorcism I believe….
I walk up the road and sit on a log at the pond and watch the tree roots that stick out from the sides of the waters edge to see if there are pixies, elves or gnomes playing there.
Love the Fall fog around the pond and it gives it an even more fantasy look of the possibility of elves running and playing in those roots and along the sides of the pond water.
Well, I think there should be a field guide showing all the varieties of little people one might encounter, and where they might most likely be seen! Good luck!
From now on I will examine every mound in our Bavarian forests. Because there is no bounty on elves here in Bavaria! I’m sure!
The bounty must have been limited to Rheinland-Pfalz area…! It helps to take along offerings of suckling children “just in case”! They might accept gold, too, but suckling children are a renewable resource. LOL! 😉