There once was an elf who lived on a shelf in the library of a big house.
He lived in a book with a hollowed-out nook that was made by a little gray mouse.
By day he would hide from the world inside the pages of his little home,
But one night he came out for a look roundabout and he took to the hallways to roam.
He slid down the stair, with a cavalier air, on the bannister's gleaming rail
Then jumped to the floor, landing near to a door, with his coat held aloft as a sail.
He made not a sound as his feet touched down to the rug-covered, oak-panelled floor
But on tiptoed feet he was quick and discreet as he entered the room to explore.
That house was the home of an elderly gnome of a man who made toys just for fun.
He'd cast some from lead and would paint them bright red and would put them to dry in the sun.
These were left overnight 'til the next morning's light when the paint would have dried to a shine
Then when they all had dried, they were brought back inside and were placed on a shelf in a line.
Some were carved out of wood and were polished real good to enhance the natural grain
Or were turned on a lathe and were put out to bathe in a vat full of dark brown stain.
There they stood all in ranks: soldiers, boats, cars and tanks, even dolls of different sizes.
With a little toy band and a nutcracker man like the sort that are given as prizes.
And the toymaker's shop was filled bottom to top with the fruits of his long enterprise.
There just wasn't space for more toys anyplace, for he needed a room with more size.
Now that brave little elf who came down from his shelf saw the toymaking man working there
On another design which he sketched quite fine and filled in with particular care.
He was fiercely intent on his work and he spent not a moment in looking around
So that brave small soul, by the name of Cole, could tiptoe in without a sound.
But the elf did not look where he went, and he took just a couple of steps too near:
A disaster occurred, and the next thing he heard was "Ho ho! What do we have here?"
He had just stumbled over a toy Land Rover, and propelled it right into some rows
Of dolls wearing caps, who began to collapse on each other just like dominoes.
Now the elf was afraid that the mess he'd made would be cause for an angry outburst
He looked up in shame and expected some blame, but the toymaker said to him first,
"A good evening and hello to you, little fellow, you've come not a moment too soon.
I need some more hands to help with my plans. I've been working in here since noon
On a brand new design for a toy of mine, but I can't get it working just right.
Tell me, what do you think. Am I now on the brink of success? Can I fix it tonight?"
Then Cole took the plan from the toymaker's hand and unrolled it out onto the floor
He looked at the plan, then back up at the man and said "Tell me, what's all of this for?
Now if you were to choose ten each day, you'd not use all the toys in this room in a year!
You don't have the room for so much as a broom. Tell me, please, why is all of this here?"
The toymaker said, "I like working with lead and with wood, paint and other stuff too.
My skills are refined. I'd go out of my mind if I didn't have something to do.
And so, every day, I make something to play with. I know that I've run out of room,
But I know not a soul in this city of Pole. I have no other place to resume."
Then the elf replied, "Hey, why not give them away? There's many a tot in this town
Who'd love your fine toys. There's girls and there's boys who would take them: why keep them around?
Let's clear out some room, and then you can resume your work, and I'll help you, indeed.
I'll find a new place that will give you more space for your shop, just as much as you need.
Tonight's Christmas Eve, and I truly believe you've enough toys to give to each child
Who lives in this city, one or two each of pretty much everything you have stockpiled.
I'll call up my cousins: at least twenty dozens of them should come help us, I reason.
This will be our mission: to make a tradition of this for the holiday season."
So the little elf Cole moved the shop out from Pole to a suburb that lay to the north,
And there, from North Pole, on out to the whole world the toymaker's toys were sent forth.