Elidore
Once upon a time, in old England, there lived a young man named Elidore, who was preparing to become a priest.
Life at the Monastery
Every day he left his mother and went to learn at the monastery with the monks. There he learned to read and write the alphabet.
However, he was very lazy and a bit slow-witted. So as soon as he learned to write one letter, he forgot the other, progressing very, very slowly.
When the monks saw this, they tried hard to make him remember different things, using different methods. But it was all in vain. Soon, their methods grew harsher, until Elidore could bear it no more.
— Enough! Stop!
Elidore's Escape
And Elidore ran off, wiping the tears from his face. Elidore knew he couldn't go home, as his mother would be upset that he had left the monastery school.
So he entered the forest and kept running for two days and two nights, hungry and thirsty. Finally, he reached a hollow tree on the edge of a river, where he sat down, exhausted and broken.
Suddenly, two sprites appeared before him.
— Hello! You seem to be the same age as us. Come with us and we will take you to a realm full of games and sports.
Elidore was surprised, but thought for a moment.
— I can't go home. I'd better go with them.
The Realm of the Sprites
So Elidore went with them, and first they passed through an underground passage in darkness, but then they arrived in a wonderful country, with rivers and orchards, with forests and fields, extraordinarily beautiful.
There, the sun never shone, and the sky was covered with clouds, so you could see neither the sun by day nor the moon and stars by night.
The sprites took Elidore to their king, who asked him where he was from and what he did.
— I come from England, where they make you learn and remember things, even if you don't like it.
— Hm, interesting. We don't do that here. Here's what: you will stay with my son.
Elidore nodded happily and went off. And so Elidore became friends with the king's son and played all sorts of games and sports with him, together with the other sprites.
They had beautiful hair that fell over their shoulders. They had small horses, the size of greyhounds, and they didn't eat meat, poultry or fish, but lived on saffron-flavored milk.
And as curious as their behavior was, so too was their thinking. They never swore, and at the same time never lied. They laughed and marveled at the troubles, lies, and betrayals of humans. Yet, though they were so good, they worshipped no one — unless we could say they worshipped the truth.
Homesickness
All in all, Elidore felt very well. Time passed and he began to miss home. He wanted to see people his own size.
He went to the king and asked permission to go visit his mother.
— Very well, you may go. But you must promise to return in a few days. If you don't keep your promise, you will lose this place forever.
— I promise I will return, Your Highness!
Reunion with Mother
And so Elidore left. Small sprites led him through the passage and showed him the way through the forest until he was close to his mother's house. There, they waved goodbye and disappeared.
Elidore entered the house, and his mother, when she saw him, dropped everything from her hands and embraced him.
— Where have you been, my son? What have you done? I missed you so much! Where have you been? Tell me, son, tell me!
And Elidore told her everything that had happened. His mother was amazed by what she heard, but was glad her son had returned home.
— Come, go and take a warm bath. I'll make you porridge, the way you like it.
— Yay! How good it is to be back home!
A Broken Promise
A few days passed and it was time for Elidore to return to the land of the sprites. He went to his mother and told her.
— No, I won't let you go anywhere! You are my son!
Elidore explained that he had made a promise and that he had to keep it. His mother cried a lot after him, but Elidore promised he would return soon. And so Elidore lived sometimes with the sprites and sometimes with his mother.
Everything went well until one day, when he returned home, he told his mother about the golden balls they played with, which she was sure were made of gold. So she told him that next time he came home, he should bring one with him.
— Think about it, son! Our lives will change! You must do this, son, you must!
— I'll see what I can do, Mother.
Losing the Ball and the Way
The next time it was time to visit his mother again, seeing a golden ball nearby, he grabbed it and ran toward the passage. Just as he was in the middle of the passage, he heard a scream.
— Hey! Bring it back!
A grand general from the sprites' army was walking nearby. When he saw Elidore running with the ball, he decided to chase him. As Elidore ran and came out through the hollow, the ball slipped from his hand.
— No!
But it was too late. He had lost the ball and the tree had vanished forever too. Though he searched for it many times in the years that followed, he could not find it and could not return to the enchanted realm. He missed playing with the sprites dearly.
The Wise Monk
Thus, after some time, he returned to the monastery and, after a while, became a monk. People came to him, as he was now known for his wisdom.
When Elidore was older, it happened that David, a monk who had taught him, came to speak with him.
— Well, Elidore, it seems you've matured a great deal. You are now a wonderful young man.
— Yes, but there will always be one thing that brings me sorrow.
And Elidore told David everything about the sprites.
— Oh, how I miss those sprites and how much I regret stealing the ball.
— Hm. Why not try once more? If you are truly sorry for your mistake, perhaps your wish to see them will come true.
— I am very sorry, but I don't think I'll find them. I've searched for years.
— Trust me, I know more than you. Go to the forest, and you will find it.
Return to the Sprites
And so Elidore was filled with hope once more and left the monastery, heading toward the forest. There, to his amazement, he saw the hollow tree, grand and tall, as if it had never disappeared.
— It's here! He was right!
Elidore wasted no time. He entered the hollow and was soon walking through the tunnel. After passing through it, he looked around and saw all the sprites walking and laughing, just as they had been years ago.
— I'm back!
He walked about and slowly rediscovered all his friends. He saw them all sitting in a garden, all grown up now.
— Elidore? Where have you been? You haven't visited us in many years. We thought you hated us.
Elidore told them how he had tried many times to find them but could no longer find the tunnel.
— Probably my father did that. Well, no wonder you couldn't return.
— I'm glad to see you and I want to ask forgiveness from the king for stealing the golden ball.
So he went to the king and apologized from the depths of his heart.
— Well, I'm glad you've asked for forgiveness, and because I've always liked you, you shall be forgiven.
Elidore was overjoyed. He thanked the king and went off to his friends.
— David, the plan worked! Thank you for taking care of him all these years.
— Well, he's a good boy. Thank you for opening the entrance. Heh heh heh.
The Moral of the Story
The sprites and Elidore celebrated, and Elidore learned an important lesson: never deceive those who place great trust in you. Always be kind and remember to ask forgiveness for any mistake you've made.
The End.
