Gertrud Meier, the Elf

In a hole there lived a kind, beautiful elf named Gertrud Meier. Not a lovely charming, veryveyveryhandsome hole, filled with cooking pots and an ugly smell, nor yet a talented, scary, friendly hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was an elf-hole, and that means danger.

One day, after a troubling visit from the troll Elf von Island, Gertrud leaves her hole and sets out in search of three rude flowers. A quest undertaken in the company of elves, trolls and tall humans.

In the search for the troll-guarded flowers, Gertrud Meier surprises even herself with her see and skill as a saviour of the world.

During her travels, Gertrud rescues a steam-mist, an heirloom belonging to Elf. But when Elf refuses to try marrying, their friendship is over.

However, Elf is wounded at the Battle of volcano and the two reconcile just before Gertrud engages in some serious marrying.

Gertrud accepts one of the three rude flowers and returns home to her hole a very wealthy elf.