On Winter's Eve

A WONDERFUL READ-ALOUD ABOUT WINTER AND THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE

Winters in Bern are long, cold, and deep. On snowy nights, Pippa goes to sleep knowing she'll wake to tracks outside her farmhouse. The prints are small, leading in from the woods-those same woods her mother says are full of witches and elves and trolls, and her father insists are filled with wolves, bears, and demons.

But these tracks belong to the Tompte-and he is a friendly creature. Or at least, that's what Pippa hopes.

The Tompte borrows and mends things, takes and sometimes leaves things behind. Her mother calls it tradition. Her father calls it a curse. And when more than small things begin to go missing and winter deepens, Pippa must decide for herself what to believe. Soon enough, she'll have no choice but to venture into the woods to find out...

Winter comes and north wind blows,
And with it comes the winter snow.
Through the pines, he leaves his track,
Over hill and here and back.

The Tompte he looks after land,
With quiet feet and silent hand.
He comes from woods, alone and weary,
On winter nights, dark and dreary.

Through the farm, he peeks about,
Checking in, and on and out.
Taking gifts and leaving tokens,
Mending bits that have been broken.

His beard is long, his feet are small,
He's like a child, about as tall,
But Tompte is old and wise as well,
And deep in forest is his dell.

So, on winter nights when you're asleep,
Along comes Tompte in silence deep.
On quiet feet, with food to share,
With quiet hands, and traded fare.

Winters come and autumns go,
And with it comes the Tompte through snow.
Always watching, never seen,
Leaving tracks of where he's been.