Once upon a time
When elves lived in the world
A mother and a father elf
Gave birth to an elfin girl
Another elf soon followed
This one a dwarfish boy
Whose only prized possession
Was a tiny, sparkling toy

This toy was quite peculiar
Quite magical and bright
It gave off beams like sunshine
Like golden drops of light
Its shape was not quite round
Not oval and not square
It wasn’t like a diamond
It kind of wasn’t there

The boy-elf loved it dearly
He treasured it like gold
He made it shine so brightly
On young elves and on old
The toy gave off its light beams
It shone from up above
And everyone who saw it
Felt joy, felt peace, felt love

Then suddenly one winter
The boy-elf lost his toy
It disappeared like lightening
It ceased to bring him joy
The elves all searched for hours
They looked both high and low
They wanted to find the brightness
For they missed the sparkling so

Alas, it wasn’t discovered
No one could find the light
The elves were sad and lonely
Their lives seemed not so bright
The boy elf and his parents
His elfin sister, too
Remembered all the sparkles
And the light that shone so true

But then one crisp, cool evening
As the daytime turned to night
The elves saw something sparkling
Above them, shining bright
The toy had been discovered
The angels had hung it high
To shine on Baby Jesus
As in the manger he did lie

The boy-elf looked above him
At his precious, sparkling toy
He smiled and felt quite happy
Again it brought him joy
But no longer could he hold it
He would share with everyone
It would shine each Christmas evening
More brightly than the sun

And so the elves were happy
As they shared that winter night
They gave to us the Christmas star
That would always shine so bright
The elves will be remembered
They sent a shining star
And we will think of Christmas
When we look high and far

©Karen Chappell