Traditional/Folklore Literature: The Elves From: Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

      Has a sock ever gone missing in your drawer? Probably. Have you ever stayed somewhere a short period of time, and time gotten away with you? OF COURSE. But, have you ever had you tedious annoying project finish itself overnight for you? Most likely you haven't been lucky enough too. If these things have happened to you before, maybe you should consider that elves are behind it. That is what the great Brother's Grimm would want you to believe. In their chapter on Elves we learn of three tales of Elf sightings. The first features a cobbler who never has to finish a pair of shoes for himself. The second tales of a young maid who went on a trip to visit elves, thought she spent three days with them, and instead spent 7 years of her life partying with them. The final tale is of elves replacing a young child with a Changeling and the extremes that the mother goes to, to get her child back. 

        This would be one of the tales that I would read during my fairy tale/folklore unit. This is a great way to introduce my children to the idea that some creatures are always seen as being up to no good. Hopefully, children can make connections to how the elves in this story relate to elves in other famous works, movies, or TV shows. A good example of this is house elves in Harry Potter. When you give a house elf clothing, like in the cobbler's tale, they are freed and no longer indentured to service. An activity that I would have my students do after reading this story is have them reenact these stories in groups of 3 to 5. I would record the entries, and of course embarrass them about them later. I want them to realize how the smallest creatures in fairy tales can be the ones that cause the most mischief.