She wiped tears away to get a better look at the broken chain.
She doesn’t know how it happened. Did it snag on something? It had simply rested there on the shelf where it had always been. Apart from being a family heirloom, it was priceless. The chain was made of gold. Two of the links had broken open. It was part of an ancient weighty artefact, likewise made of solid gold. It was a piece of art; a mystic winged figure with a head and tail. Part of the chain seemed to be welded to the back of the pendant with no kind of clasp. It was obviously designed to slip straight over the head. She felt wretched about it, after all it was in her care.
Then, the solution came to her. For the very first time she would turn to Norse theology. Not so much theology as mythology. She felt sure that her great grandmother’s book would be the answer. She went to the large, dusty book box in the attic. She found it. The great tome was titled ‘The Elfin Guide’. Back in the lounge she began reading. She found what she was looking for.
That night she would put milk and barley out on the front porch just before she went to bed. Alongside, she would place the wishing dish, another relic handed down. This would contain the broken amulet. She knew that if she did the entire thing perfectly, exactly as described in the book, the elves would come and make any repairs needed before sunrise. To make doubly sure, she read through the relevant passage again.
When the time came, everything was put out.
In the morning she hurried down to check on whether the elves had been; they had. The milk was gone; the barley was gone; and the pendant and the dish were gone!
She had obviously skipped over the first line in the guide. It read, ‘Not all elves are good.’