Haven i Jerne

Lystig woke early the next morning as the first rays of sunlight gently streamed through the window of his tiny house in the corner of the garden. It was the perfect morning to start his grand project. He had already laid out his plans, and today, he would take the first step: finding more lights. The humans had plenty of them in their house, and he knew he had to be cunning to get them without being caught.

Lystig had never been a big fan of stealing—he always preferred to obtain things the right way. But as a gnome, he had a particular knack for doing things discreetly. Being as small as he was, it was easy for him to sneak around unnoticed. He could move as silently as a mouse and hide in tiny corners humans never checked. If he was going to get the lights, he would have to be quick, quiet, and very resourceful.

He decided to begin his hunt in the humans’ garage. He knew they kept storage boxes there filled with old Christmas decorations and lights. But how would he get into the garage? That was the challenge. The door was always closed, and the window was too high for him to reach. But Lystig was never short of ideas.

Looking around the garden, he spotted a small tree stump next to a large oak. It was almost like a staircase, and he could use it to reach the garage door, which wasn’t locked. It was a perfect plan! He could hop onto the stump, climb up the door, and slip inside. It was risky, but Lystig couldn’t help smiling at his ingenuity.

With his gnome hat snug on his head and his little boots firmly on, he set off toward the tree stump. He crept slowly and carefully, making sure he wasn’t spotted. The humans were still inside having breakfast, so he had time. Lystig quickly reached the stump and climbed up with his tiny body. It wasn’t as easy as he had imagined—the stump was uneven and slippery from the rain the night before—but he managed to get a good grip. Soon, he was standing at the top, facing the large garage door.

He glanced over at the window. It was too far up to be of use, but the garage door… that was perfect. Without thinking twice, he jumped up and placed both hands on the door, which was slightly ajar. Pushing gently, he slowly slid the door open wider until he could peek into the dimly lit garage.

He could already feel the excitement building inside him. He was so close to his goal.

But there was a problem he hadn’t anticipated. On the other side of the door, he could hear voices. The humans were talking and heading toward the garage. Lystig froze, his tiny heart pounding. If they came out and saw him, it would all be over. They wouldn’t believe in him—they would just come up with some rational explanation for why the door was open.

Quickly scanning his surroundings, he spotted a stack of boxes near the door. Lystig darted over and hid behind the topmost box, which was almost as tall as he was. He took slow, steady breaths and kept his ears open, listening carefully to what the humans were saying.

They walked past the door and back into the house without noticing anything. Lystig felt a wave of relief wash over him. That was close, but he had avoided being seen.

With his heart still racing from the excitement, Lystig slipped into the garage and began searching for the old Christmas lights. He knew this was where they kept everything. After a quick scan, his eyes fell on a large box labeled “Christmas Decorations” in one corner of the garage. His eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed.

Using his small hands, he pulled the box closer to him. He opened it carefully and was greeted by a treasure trove of Christmas lights in every color. There were greens, reds, blues, and yellows. Lystig could hardly believe his eyes. There were enough lights here to create an entire Christmas wonderland! He could almost hear the music playing in the background as he started packing up the lights to take them with him.

But he knew he had to be cautious. The humans could come out at any moment, and he couldn’t risk being discovered now.