Mother Elf's Arc

Chapter 3 of 11

Mother Elf sat on the bench the next morning and thought about who should come next. The corner had eight cottages, and seven mothers still needed crowns. She thought of women who worked quietly and gave without counting the cost. She thought of mothers who protected their children and asked nothing in return. Mrs. Robin came to mind at once. Mother Elf had watched her build nests in the Big Dark Forest, weaving twigs until her beak bled. She had seen her fly through storms to bring food to her babies. Mrs. Robin never rested, never complained, and helped every creature who needed her. But Mother Elf hesitated. Mrs. Robin lived in trees and sky. How could a cottage built for walking mothers hold a bird who belonged to the air? She decided to try anyway. She walked to the second cottage and began preparing it. She placed a stone bird bath near the door, carved with patterns that caught the light. She filled it with clear water so Mrs. Robin could bathe and her babies could drink safely. Inside the cottage, she set a bar of soap and a bottle of perfume on the table, knowing Mrs. Robin might not use them but wanting her to feel honoured the same way any mother would be. Then she stepped outside and realized the problem. Mrs. Robin would need to see her young ones, even while she rested. A mother bird could not stop watching. Mother Elf found Daddy Elf and asked him to build a tall perch beside the cottage, smooth and sturdy like a watchtower. He carved it from birch and set it where Mrs. Robin could stand and see across the clearing to the forest edge. Mother Elf climbed a ladder and hung a pair of small binoculars from a low branch within reach of the perch. They were meant for elf children, but they would work for a robin too. When she finished, she looked at the cottage and the perch and the bath, and she knew it would be enough. Mrs. Robin could rest here and still be the mother she needed to be. Mother Elf walked back to the first cottage and began writing the invitation.