In a pretty little village there lived a little boy. His name was Johnny. He always wore the same hat on his head, his knees were always busted and his hands were always dirty.
As he grew up, he learned every craft. He could sew shoes, fix a roof, plant a tree, ride a tractor or a horse. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. When he was an adult, he decided to go out into the world. After all, he could do everything, so what if he could make money somewhere in the world to make himself comfortable? Johnny took a big snack and went wherever his feet took him.
When he got to the first town, he couldn’t believe his eyes at how many people he met. It wasn’t like his village. In the town there were markets where everyone was offering and selling something, people were competing to make the most money. That’s why he wanted to try his luck. He went from house to house, from person to person, offering his services. He always listed all the things he could do and offered to work. But it always turned out the same.
A few people told him they would give him work, but when they told him how much they would pay him for the work, Johnny just laughed, “So little? I won’t work for you! It’s not worth it.” And so it went on and on. Some time passed. Johnny ran out of food. He had no place to sleep. No money either. He got so weak he didn’t even have the strength to go home. And so, alone and unhappy, he lay down on the moss in the forest and complained: “Oh, dear. What have I done wrong? I know everything. I am not afraid of work. But I will not work for so little money! Nobody can pay me well. Nobody appreciates me enough! But now I have no job and no money. What am I going to do?”
“I know what you could do,” came a faint voice. Johnny jumped up and looked all around him. Who was talking? He started picking up rocks, searching through the moss, his hands groping all over the ground. Until all of a sudden, a little elf appeared from behind the ferns. He was all silver and shimmered beautifully in the darkness. He was so tiny that it fit in the palm of Johnny’s hand.
“Who are you?” asked Johnny. “I’m the elf who helps people. If you want, I can give you some advice. Tomorrow morning, take me in your pocket and go to town with me. I’ll give you advice and help you find a job and a place to sleep.” Johnny was surprised at first, but he wanted advice, so he agreed.
The very next day, he put the elf in his pocket and went to town. He came to the big miller’s house and knocked on it. The miller came out and Johnny told him at once what he could do and that he would like to work for him. The miller agreed and said what he would give him in return. At that moment, Johnny took a breath and wanted to say that it was out of the question, that it was not enough and that he deserved more. The elf knew it. But before he could say anything, the elf pinched his hand in the pocket to stop him. He ran up his sleeve to his ear and whispered something.
Johnny smiled at the miller and agreed to what he offered. For several years after that, Jeník worked faithfully for the miller. He liked his work. In a few months he even got more money. Johnny had a good time. He had a place to sleep, he had food to eat, he had enough money, and he had a job that he enjoyed.
What advice did the elf give him back then? He never told anyone. But his advice helped Jeník to be humble and grateful and to understand that everything would come in time. He couldn’t get everything he wanted right away. Thanks to his diligence, his character and the fact that he took the elf’s advice, he achieved everything in life.
