At a time when wishing still helped, the egg elf Eida lived. She lived in an old ivy-covered brick house with blue-painted doors and window frames. All residents affectionately called it the flower house because every room was decorated with flower wallpaper, flower pictures or fresh flower bouquets. The house also brought together collectibles and lost property from all over the world, and many animals were given the chance to live a peaceful life there. The owner, Emily, took in a number of animals and items that no one wanted anymore. Elves are not visible to the human eye, only at times and in places where it is good for the soul can one glimpse them for a split second. Each elven people needs very different things to live, for example the tree elves, who live under the bark of trees and could not exist without them. Thanks to them, trees can communicate with each other and warn each other about storms or drought.

The rain elves, on the other hand, live under stones, walls or in cracks in asphalt; they sleep when the sun is shining and dance when it rains. Sometimes they throw beautiful displays of light into the sky. Egg elves need light to be able to “flicker around” and to live they need the protection of an empty egg shell from which they draw all their strength. The most wonderful time of the year for Eida, when egg elves flit around all over the flower house, had been over for weeks. The people's Easter celebration was over, the many colorful eggs were stowed away in the cellar and it had become quiet. For a few days she was able to have conversations with other egg elves, but then it was simply too dark for them and they preferred to sleep in the safety of their eggs. It wasn't bad for the other elves, they didn't know any different - but Eida was left alone.

With the help of friends, she found a wonderful home because she lived in an ostrich egg lamp, which had a perfect place on the windowsill all year round. As Eida thought back to this exciting and magical time, an idea came to her, she would ask herself again! That already helped, someone will know how to banish eggs from the cellar all year round!

While she was deciding which resident to start with, Fidelo ran around the corner. The little mixed-breed dog arrived at the flower house after her. Emily had brought Fidelo with her just before the New Year. Although he was still quite young, he had already experienced a lot. He had been a Christmas present, but the joy of him didn't last long and he was abandoned in a parking lot. He was totally exhausted when a neighbor from the flower house luckily found him. Eida thought of Emily with warmth and admiration; she didn't hesitate for a second and took the little one in.

“Hey you Fidelo, hey you Fidelo! Please stop for a moment!”

The little mixed-breed dog slammed on the brakes and sniffed curiously in their direction. Eida gathered up all her courage: “Maybe I'll be lucky and you can help me, because you've already lived with people. What can I do to ensure that eggs stay in the house all year round and don't disappear into the dark cellar?" Fidelo scratched his ear in embarrassment while he thought for a moment and then replied: "Hello happy Eida, nice to talk to you! Unfortunately I can't help you, I have no idea what to do about it. But I know who can bring you happiness. Ask Tristan, the pet pig! I've heard that he's a lucky pig, he'll definitely help you." While Eida was still looking at him in surprise, Fidelo was already darting cockily around the next corner, looking for a playmate.

That wasn't actually the answer Eida was hoping for. It was more of a saying - the thing about luck. But the more she thought about it, she realized that maybe nothing else could help her but luck. She had nothing to lose, so she decided to carry on in the same way. She briefly thought about where she could find Tristan and decided to wander into the kitchen. She caught the pet pig enjoying the cat food.

“Hey you Tristan, hey you Tristan, please don’t choke.

I've heard that you're something of a good luck charm, and I could use a little luck. Can you help me find it?" "Hello, delicate Eida, nice to talk to you! Well, I think happiness is always having delicious food!” Tristan answers, chewing. You're right, people say that I bring good luck. It's hard for me to believe that because I was supposed to be drowned because I was too small and weak."

Tristan continued: “Meira, the tricolor cat, brought me luck. She was out on a patrol near my old home, and when Emily went to pick her up there, she saw me, pulled me out of the water, and took me here. So if anyone brings luck, it's my friend Meira." While Eida was still thanking her, Tristan had already put his little snout back into the bowl with the cat food and continued chewing with pleasure. Just one day later, Eida flickered to the cat, which was lying comfortably slumbering on the windowsill. “Psssst, Psst… Hey Du Meira, hey Du Meira, don’t be alarmed. I need a little happiness, can you help me find it?" "Well, I think happiness is taking an afternoon nap undisturbed!" Meira answered a little sourly. “What makes you think that I can help you with this?” Eida explained it to her, a little intimidated, she was fighting back tears. How had Tristan managed to become friends with this cat?

“Don’t look like that, anxious Eida, I’m looking forward to talking to you! You're right, Tristan was very lucky, like all of us here. By the way, people say that I bring good luck because of the color of my fur. I think it's a nice thought, but I can't tell you whether that's true. Quentin the goldfish brought me luck. I was a stray, shaggy and covered in lice, when I walked past this house. I saw the goldfish from the outside in its aquarium and was wondering how I could catch it, when the door opened and the most delicious milk in the world was placed in front of my nose. After that I rarely roamed around, I just stayed here. Quentin now lives out in the pond. Ask him, maybe he'll bring you luck." Eida was surprised by Meira's openness; she had learned a lot from it. She decided to take a trip to the garden the next sunny day.

Unfortunately, many rainy days followed; on these days it was too dangerous to go outside. She could fall asleep if there was too little light, and without an eggshell to save her, she would never wake up again. Eida wandered around the house alone, looking through many of the blue window frames and knowing where she could quickly find the goldfish Quentin. She was very excited and hopeful when the sun finally shone on her ostrich egg lamp, today she would venture out! “Hey you Quentin, hey you Quentin, please come closer. I've heard that you're something of a good luck charm and I could use a little luck, can you help me find it?" "Hello brave Eida, nice of you to visit me out here! Well, I think happiness is living in clean water!” Quentin answers, bubbling. You're right, goldfish have been considered good luck and a symbol of wealth for thousands of years."

Quentin swam thoughtfully in his drink for a few laps before continuing. “People often associate happiness with money, but it is only when they are rich that they realize the actual value of happiness. Unfortunately I can't help you find your happiness, only you can do that. I often see Carla the beetle over there on the stone, maybe she can help you, she has also been considered a good luck charm for hundreds of years." Eida thanked her thoughtfully, the goldfish's words had touched her. She enjoyed the bright light, it charged her battery and not only warmed her from the outside. She saw butterflies and dragonflies that shone in wonderful colors. Most of them were in groups or in pairs, racing and having fun together. Her loneliness suddenly hit her again and clung to her heart like an icy hand. She was just about to start crying uncontrollably when she heard footsteps behind her. When she turned around, she spotted the beetle woman who had just secured a sunny spot.

“Hey you Carla, hey you Carla, I was looking for you! I've heard that you're something of a good luck charm and I could use a little luck, can you help me find it?" "Hello glittering Eida, nice to talk to you! Well, I think happiness is being able to warm up in the sun,” Carla answers scratchily. “You're right, we ladybugs are considered messengers from heaven and bringers of good luck - also because of our seven points on our shells, for humans this is a magical number. I would love to give you some luck, but I have no idea how that would work.”

A thought occurred to Carla. “However, I just met a white rabbit yesterday, Hermione; it lives with other rabbits in a small enclosure right next to the flower house. I was told that white rabbits are known to people as good luck charms. Maybe she can help you!” Eida clapped her hands, a rabbit! That could be the solution. On her last adventure, a rabbit gave Eida the life-saving tip! Shortly afterwards she found her egg house. Excited and full of anticipation, Eida flirted towards the rabbit. Hey you Hermione, hey you Hermione. I've heard that you're something of a good luck charm and I could use a little luck, can you help me find it?

Hermione moved her head towards Eida and said: “Hello dear Eida, nice to hear your voice. Unfortunately, I can't see you anymore because I went blind eating straw. For me it is happiness to be loved despite a flaw. I was given to my last owner as a good luck charm so that he would lead a successful life. But the boy wasn't interested in me and I was just a burden to his parents, so I ended up in the animal shelter. For a long time no one wanted to take me home, but then the beautiful Emily took me with her - and believe me, you don't need eyes to see true beauty! The other rabbits say that a limping frog named Sir Francis lives in the house. I know that frogs are also known as good luck charms, maybe it can help you. Unfortunately, I don’t know how you can find happiness.” Eida thanked her with wide eyes! Geez! She had heard about the frog and was really afraid of him. He's supposed to be pretty cheeky and full of himself, and she didn't want to end up in his stomach because he might think she was a mosquito!

She flickered to the room with the big golden mirror and the wallpaper with lots of little golden bees, because that was where the frog lived. “Hey you, Sir Francis, hey you, Sir Francis. Attention, I am not a mosquito, please spare me from your tongue. I heard that you're something of a good luck charm and I could use a little luck, can you help me find it?" "Pfffff, hello little Eida, like I can't tell elves from mosquitoes! “So I think happiness is being able to live without fear,” replied Sir Francis. “You’re right, frogs bring good luck all over the world! The three-legged ones seem to be especially revered because someone wanted to rip one of my legs off! I was just able to save myself with a daring jump into a stream, which washed me straight here. What a blessing, Emily found me, nursed me and took me into the flower house. As soon as my wound has healed, I can go out into the pond. By the way, a very famous lucky charm is the elephant! He is revered for his strength and cleverness. I’m sure he can help you!”

“An elephant,” cried Eida, “oh, you big egg! Where should I meet an elephant? That's impossible!" "Nothing is impossible," answered the frog, "don't you know that, little elf? In this house there are not only warm-hearted creatures, but also magical objects. Keep your eyes open and you will find happiness.” Eida thanked her and flew back to her ostrich egg lamp. She had already met so many lucky charms, all of them very close to her. That can only mean good things! So far, none of these lucky charms have been able to tell her how to get a little bit of luck. Eida did not believe that she would ever be able to hit an elephant; the solution was so far from her that she began to cry bitterly. She was sitting in her wonderful egg home, but suddenly that didn't matter anymore. No one is there to comfort her, to hold her in their arms, to laugh with her, to protect her, she was alone and would remain so again for a long time. What's the point of all this if she has no one to share her happiness with? There it was again... happiness! What exactly is happiness?

The next morning Eida woke up still sad; it was, of all things, a gloomy, rainy day. Eida didn't like days like that at all, they were boring because Eida couldn't do much. She looked out the window and saw two squirrels playing with each other, she couldn't stand watching others having fun and decided to wander around the house for a bit. She took a short break in the room with the rose wallpaper, she liked that room. There were often fresh flowers here and she liked the smell of the old leather sofa. She took a deep breath as she sat on the beloved couch. She heard the doorbell ring and then voices. A new resident was sure to be brought in, whom Emily would definitely take in, or the junk dealer, who, as always, asked for old metal. She looked around the room and something hit her like lightning! Was there an elephant there? Were her eyes playing tricks on her? She flew closer and as she sat on the elephant she realized that it was made of wood. She sat sadly on him and scolded herself, shaking her head.

“Hello tender Eida, nice to meet you. Why are you complaining like that?” Eida did a double somersault in shock, the wooden elephant had just greeted her. “Hey you elephant, hey you elephant, did you just talk to me?” “Yes, dear Eida. I speak, but only for those who can listen.” Eida was very excited. "I heard that you're something of a good luck charm and I could use a little luck, can you help me find it?" I feel so alone in my big ostrich egg house." "You're right, smart Eida. I am supposed to bring happiness, love and well-being and support those who are close to me. But did I hear right? Are you living in an ostrich egg and looking for a lucky charm? That's strange, you live in a lucky charm! Ostrich eggs are considered a symbol of strength, new life and happiness. If your wonderful ostrich egg hasn't brought you happiness yet, then you've simply never formulated exactly what you want! Can that be, dear egg elf?”

Eida fluttered excitedly around the elephant figure, suddenly she knew the answer. Split! Sharing is happiness for them. She wants to share her life with someone. She clapped her hands, could it have been that easy? She gave the wooden elephant a kiss on the trunk and flew in loops home to her beloved egg. She was looking forward to her home; from now on she would see it with different eyes. She felt that something had changed and there was a magical atmosphere in the flower house. What happened? At first she only noticed a flickering, a flickering that she knew very well from her elven people. She turned the corner into her bright room with the bay window where her egg house stood and saw it immediately. Next to her ostrich egg lamp were two others. A smaller one and one that was just as big as hers, they stood there and competed with each other. Could that be true? Was she dreaming? She flew on curiously but also cautiously, she was afraid of a big egg deception, because not all eggs were inhabited by elves.

But then she saw an egg elf flickering towards her, who waved to Eida and shouted: “Hey you Eida, hey you Eida, how nice to meet you! My name is Eila, and my brother Eidin will probably wake up soon too. Our two ostrich eggs were in a dark wooden box in the junk cart. The owner of this beautiful house just exchanged our egg houses for metal at the junk dealer...how lucky, right?”

And if they haven't died, the elves live together in Emily's house, which is so full of happiness, warmth and life.

Egg pilogue

Almost every day we say “Good luck,” “He’s a really lucky guy,” or “Wish me luck,” but there are people who don’t believe in luck as such. They believe that everything that happens in our daily lives are just random events - and everything else is pure superstition! Whatever the case, the fact is that there are many different rituals surrounding happiness all over the world, and I think we can all use a little bit of that. Come on, your wish already formulated?

I would be happy to make you your very own ostrich egg lamp or a special ostrich egg. The topic can be the fairy tale of Eida and happiness, but of course I try to make all other wishes come true... because I think we should live in a time again where wishing helps!

Did you like the story? Also available as a fairy tale booklet in our shop, with lots of great photos. A nice source of inspiration for ostrich egg fans and decoration lovers.