It turns out I’ve been completely out of the loop. For about nine years. You see, no one told me there had been a little elf living at Lake Harriet. But the local rags knew, and CNN did too. Somehow I came upon the knowledge yesterday morning, and was determined that the little man and I would seek out Mr. Little Guy. We set out after school. Directions were vague, with little more than “the south shore of the lake” to go on. I drove around the lake, around one bend and then another, until my spidey-sense was tingling. Parked at the first available spot and hopped out. Down a set of stairs and a little to the right…and bam, there it was. Had to get down on my knees to read the little plaque on the door:
FROM THE CABIN
I have moved home to my castle toward the East. You may write to me at:
Mr. Little Guy
P.O. Box 50358
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Maybe we’ll drop him a line. But it was too cold to linger at the lake. We headed back to the warmth of the car, and, as we were already in the neighborhood, it was the perfect excuse to pop by another magical place…Wild Rumpus, the most charming children’s book store around. I guess it was a day for fancy doorways…the bookstore has a purple child-sized door built into the boring black bigger one (I always forget to photograph it). Inside it’s overstim central, but can be fun for the little man and I, in small doses. My goal was to pick up a gift for a birthday party we’re attending on Saturday. Naturally we came away with something for the little man as well. But Go Away, Big Green Monster, by Ed Emberley, is a book that we have been checking out from the library at least once a month for the last year, so the lad may as well have his own copy. Overall, a lovely day…even if no elves were to be found.
