The Land of Sweets

By Ladybug

Charlie Dixon loved sweets. He spent all his allowance on candy from Christine’s Sweet Shop. By supper, he was usually too full to eat a proper meal. But somehow, he always had room for dessert.

One afternoon, while resting on his bed, he said aloud, “I wish I lived in a land of sweets.”

At that very moment, an elf was walking under his window. He jumped through the window and into Charlie’s bedroom. His name was Roger Green Toes. The elf was small and round, dressed in a white shirt, green shorts, and a green dotted bow under his collar. He wore a black felt hat with a green feather tucked in the side.

Charlie was frightened by the elf.

“Don’t be afraid, Charlie,” said Green Toes kindly.

“How do you know my name?” Charlie asked.

“Elves know everything,” replied Green Toes with a wink. “I’m from the Land of Sweets. I can take you there, if you’d like.”

Charlie thought for a moment, then nodded eagerly.

Green Toes told him, “Close your eyes, place your right index finger inside your right ear, and count to three.”

Charlie did as he was told. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of a fence with a gate in the middle. Over the gate was a sign that read: “Welcome to the Land of Sweets.”

Green Toes opened the gate and stepped through. Charlie quickly followed.

Beyond the gate was a delicious world of candy and treats. Trees were filled with candied apples, peppermint canes, and gumdrops. Bushes were covered in lemon drops and jellybeans. A gingerbread road wound through the land, lined with gingerbread houses. Chocolate syrup sprayed from a fountain, and birds pecked at gummy worms hanging from purple trees. Elves strolled around with colorful lollipops in their hands. It was truly a deliciously sweet land.

Green Toes invited Charlie to sample everything. He went from tree to tree, tasting every treat in sight. A girl elf named Dazzle handed him a red and black licorice whip, and he thought it was the best thing he had ever tasted.

But by the end of the day, Charlie had a terrible stomachache. He just wanted to go home and lie down in his cozy bed. Green Toes saw that Charlie was ready to leave.

“I can help you get home,” said the elf. “Just place your right thumb into your left ear, close your eyes, and say, ‘There’s no bed like my bed,’ three times.”

Charlie followed the instructions, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in his own room. Green Toes jumped through the window with a grin on his face, just as Charlie’s mother, Mrs. Dixon, entered.

“Charlie,” she said, “you must have fallen asleep. You were talking in your sleep about a land of sweets.”

“Oh, Mom,” said Charlie, rubbing his stomach. “I’m going to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and plenty of chicken and fish. I know too many sweets aren’t good for me. What’s for supper?”