The Book

Chapter One

Far from the nearest highway, town, or other trappings of man,

a green shadowed glade was hidden deep in the Sugar Maple Woods.

There, beneath an outcropping of moss-covered stones, a small

wooden door marked the entrance to the cave-like home of a little elf

named Murfy.

Two feet above the small door, a thin wisp of smoke drifted

from a natural chimney in the stones. For the last several weeks, this

smoke was the only sign that Murfy was home, because he had not

stepped outside since the day he became the last elf in the forest.

Inside, the dancing light from the fireplace flickered over Murfy's black hair and tan face as he sat and sipped a cup of acorn tea in silence. Every once in a while the silence was broken as the fire crackled and popped. It was a lonesome sound. Murfy had not always been the last elf. He used to share this small dwelling with his grandfather, Ohgan the Wise. Those were happier times, but all things in nature change, because change is a natural part of life. One morning Ohgan began to fade, and by sundown had faded to nothing. This is the way of old elves when they have lived more years than there are numbers to count. Ohgan had lived a long and full life. However, Murfy was still a young elf, and the loss of his grandfather left him completely alone and brokenhearted. Hiding inside his home, he had no interest in the outside world. All he wanted to do was sleep. Only when asleep could he escape the sorrow that overwhelmed him.

Suddenly, the crackling fire seemed to form words, "Murfy, tomorrow go out into the sunlight. Life is not found amidst the cold shadows of self-pity. Look for it in the healing warmth of the sun!"

Startled, Murfy gasped, "Grandfather...is that you?"

Only silence answered.

Disappointed, he muttered, "I must be imagining things."

Later that night, after crawling under the covers of his tortoise shell bed, the memory of those strange words coming from the fire echoed in his head. His last thought before drifting off was....Maybe I should go outside tomorrow. I can't hide in here forever.

A golden pink sun was just rising as Murfy stepped outside his doorway and walked across the dew dampened leaves on the forest floor. A dazzling spectacle of ancient trees and rich foliage surrounded him, but he found no joy in its beauty. Sitting down on a gnarled root of an old oak, he looked around and grumbled, "Everything looks just the same...and it shouldn't."

The sun rose higher and its warmth reached the root where Murfy sat, but he was too sad to notice. To him the sunlight was only a mockery of his feelings.

Finally, something high in the tree above him caught his attention. A red squirrel was leaping from one limb to another. The darting, furry creature was quickly followed by a second squirrel. As they chased each other 'round and 'round the thick trunk, their chattering voices filled the morning air with a cheerful sound. Soon the clear musical notes of waking birds joined in, along with the deep buzzing of honeybees. Listening to the songs of the forest, Murfy began to wonder why there were so many birds, rabbits, and other animals in the Sugar Maple Woods, but not more elves. His grandfather once told him of a time when elves numbered in the tens of thousands, but that time had long passed. It never crossed Murfy's mind to question just why elves had become so scarce, nor had Ohgan ever told him the reason. Besides, Murfy had been so happy with his grandfather, the lack of other elves had not seemed terribly important. Now...it did.

"Somewhere there must be other elves," he said, astonished at this new thought. "There simply must be!" Suddenly he felt the warmth of the sun's rays as he continued, "And I know Grandfather would want me to find them. He wouldn't want me to live alone the rest of my life. Yes, all I have to do is find where all the other elves have gone, and go there myself."

His spirit rising, Murfy jumped down from the twisted root, lifted his chin, straightened his back, and stood as tall as he could. For Murfy this was no taller than 12 inches, but every inch showed determination as he marched back to his home with a purposeful stride.

Once inside, he decided to leave most of his belongings behind. There was no need to take food. Nuts and berries were plentiful throughout the woods. Nor did he need to take furniture. Even a small chair would be too heavy to carry over a long distance, and he had no idea how far his search would take him. He settled on only two items, his grandfather's green cape and ruby pendant. These were all he had left of Ohgan, and Murfy could not bear to leave them behind.

After he put on the cape, Murfy saw it was far too large. It trailed on the floor behind him. Still, it would be warm on cold nights, and Ohgan once said it gave the wearer the power to pass through invisible barriers.

"Whatever that means," Murfy said with a shrug.

Finally, he picked up the gold chain with its sparkling red pendant and slipped it on over his head. As he did, he tried to remember what Ohgan had said about its magical powers. "I think it was something about understanding the hearts and dreams of all animals and very small humans." He frowned and sighed before adding, "But I'm not sure what that means either."

At last, his heart heavy yet hopeful, Murfy walked back outside and closed his door for what could be the last time. He knew he might never return to the only home he had ever known.

All at once, from somewhere above, a sharp voice sang out, "Hey you...elfy-elf! Where ya off to?"

Shocked, Murfy scanned the treetops, but saw no one. Shaking his head, Murfy said under his breath, "Must be going crazy. First there's a voice in the fire...now the trees are talking."

Again the voice cried, "Hey you down there! Why don't ya ever answer a civil question? No matter how many times I ask ya where you're off to...ya never answer. Day after day...you're rude, rude, rude!"

"All right, just who's up in this tree? Are you an elf? Show yourself!"

"I'm in plain sight." The voice sounded irritated. "Look up here with those green eyes of yours and tell me what you see!"

"Branches...leaves...and one old, scraggly, gray squirrel. Nothing else."

"Old? Scraggly?" The squirrel screeched and flipped his tail in indignation. "Nuts and seeds! How very rude!"

Murfy's mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. For a full minute he simply stared up at the furry creature. Finally he managed to stammer, "Nev..never heard a squirrel talk before."

"Then ya never listened before. Why...nuts and seeds...all animals talk. I talk to your grandfather all the time. He's never rude, but you? Ha! You never have time to answer my questions...least not 'til now. What makes now so special? And where's Ohgan? Ain't seen him around lately."

"Ohgan faded," Murfy answered softly.

"Oh dear, dear me," the squirrel replied. "Sorry I was so short with ya. Didn't know about him fading. Well, well..." The old squirrel turned as if to leave, and then turned back and said, "If ya need anything, let me know. I'm always in this tree."

"There is something you might help me with."

"Oh?"

"Have you seen any elves in the Sugar Maple Woods?"

"Besides you?" The squirrel squinted his little brown eyes. "Can't say I have, but I don't get around like I used to. Why don't ya ask the rabbits down in the blackberry patch? There ain't much they don't know, or think they know."

Murfy frowned. "But rabbits can't talk."

"Nuts and seeds! I done told ya...all animals talk."

"No way! You're the only animal I've ever heard that...." Murfy started to argue, then stopped and looked down at his ruby pendant. With a quick movement, he removed the necklace and held it at arm's length. "Okay, squirrel, talk to me now."

The bright eyed creature chattered, screeched and flipped his tail, but did not utter one recognizable word.

As Murfy replaced the sparkling ornament about his neck the squirrel's chattering turned into words. "Rabbits hop all over the woods. Stick their wiggly noses everywhere. If there's elves anywhere....they'll know." Giving a final flip of his bushy tail, the old squirrel started climbing higher in the tree. After he disappeared among the leaves, he called back, "Or ask a crow. They fly!"

"Thank you," Murfy shouted toward the treetops. And then, putting his hand over the ruby pendant, he whispered, "And thank you, Grandfather, for this necklace. How wonderful to understand animals when they talk."

Deciding to take the squirrel's advice, he headed for the blackberry patch. There he asked the rabbits if they had ever seen elves in the woods, but they just shook their heads...no. Before he could ask another question they crowded around him and began asking questions of their own. "What ya looking for elves for?" one little rabbit wanted to know. Another asked, "Should there be more elves around here?" A third just wanted to know what Murfy had eaten for breakfast. The questions piled on top of each other, every rabbits wanting his answered first. Within minutes the entire group was so busy arguing over which question should be first, that Murfy walked away in disgust. The rabbits did not even notice he was gone.

As he wandered through the forest, he decided to ask every animal he happened upon if they knew about any elves. And...he did. He asked every squirrel, every fox, every badger, and...from a safe distance...a couple of skunks. The answer was always the same. "No." He even asked several birds, including a crow, but they could not help either. The only help, of any kind, he received was from a deer that gave him a ride to the edge of the woods and across a wide meadow. There the deer left him, saying, "Good luck in your search...little elf!"

Once more Murfy was alone, only this time he was in unfamiliar territory. He had never been so far from home and had no idea what to expect. However, he was not afraid. Instead, he felt a strange excitement. The world was much larger than he had ever thought possible. There must be other elves in a place so very, very big.

Moving forward, he smiled, "Maybe they're right over the next hill." He shrugged and added, "Or the one after that. It doesn't matter. I'll find them sooner or later!"

This is the end of the first chapter. In the remaining six chapters Murfy has many exciting adventures. In one of those adventures he meets an icefox, named Quick, that soon becomes his closest friend. Together they go to the North Pole in search of elves. There they find the best adventure of all.

This 9x11 book, both written and illustrated by Charlette Clemmer, contains 93 pages and 22 full page illustrations.

To Continue on your Journey...

Murfy Murfy's History To Order