Anonymous
My
father-in-law was working in the yard and broke his prized shovel. This was no
ordinary shovel and to replace would be costly, especially at Christmas time
when was money needed to be spent on gifts and more important items.
He
was a good man and was always looking for ways to help his many children and
grandchildren. He had completed many handyman items around our home and would
not accept payment. In wanting to do something for this good man, I had heard
about his special shovel and devised a way to give it to him.
He
had said that it was only available at his local hardware store. So I went to
this store and purchased it and kept it in hiding until Christmas eve. After
everyone had gone to bed, I drove over to his home and hid it behind the
Christmas tree. On Christmas day all the presents were opened and then the
shovel was found hidden. My father-in-law was excited to find the shovel and
started asking to find out who the "elf" was who hid the shovel. No
one would fess up to being the giver of the gift. It was fun knowing that it
concerned him that no one would come forward and confess.
It
bothered him so much that he could not find out who surprised him with the gift
that he went to his local hardware store, where he knew it would have had to
been purchased. He asked one clerk if he knew who had purchased this shovel and
if he could describe the person. He did not but he asked his boss if he knew.
The
boss said that he remembered the person and started to describe him. He said
that he was an older gentleman and was all dressed in red with white trimming
and had a hat on. He also had a long white beard and said Ho Ho Ho a lot. As my
father-in-law told about his experience at the store, we all enjoyed his story
and the quick-thinking salesperson. Every Christmas after that, my
father-in-law would bring up the story about the shovel and the secret elf. No
one ever knew who the elf was and about ten years later he passed away, never
knowing about the how that shovel came to be.
