As if by Magic

We marvelled at the room with a view in the hotel.

Everything was in place. The towels, the bathrobes, the slippers, the hair dryer, the shoe mitts, the toothbrushes, the bath salts, soaps and lotions, a shaving kit, a sanitary kit, a sewing kit.... there was even a vanity kit to take off make-up. We regretted packing all the things we had brought along. If only we had known...

Like the little elves in the shoemaker’s story, whoever was taking care of us remained hidden from view.

On the first day, we carried an apple, a pear, and a banana to our room from the bounteous breakfast table to eat later. Our elf took the clue and kept some apples, pears and bananas for us in the room every day.

On the second day, I had left a book and some papers on the table. When we returned, our elf had kept some glossy magazines on the side table.

One morning I forgot to put in a piece of lingerie in the closet. When we returned, its silky folds were neatly hung on a satin hangar.

It was like a little game between us and our elf. Each day we left a clue about what we liked and the elf worked on it.

Twice a day our bed was made and everything tidied up. As if by magic.

We were not used to this kind of spoiling so we took care to do most tidying up ourselves.

And now, back home, we miss our elf sometimes.
We feel like Cinderella must have felt when she fell out of the pumpkin chariot in rags as soon as the fairy godmother's spell was broken.