The Heinzelmännchen of Cologne - German

Hello! My name is Heinz. I am a little Heinzelmännchen. It is a big secret! Long, long ago, in a cozy town called Cologne, everyone went to sleep. When the moon was high in the sky, my friends and I would tiptoe out. Tip-toe, tip-toe. We were the town's secret helpers. This is our story, The Heinzelmännchen of Cologne. We would help the baker make yummy bread. We would help the tailor sew pretty coats. We would help the carpenter fix big chairs. We worked and worked while everyone was dreaming in their warm beds. It was so much fun to be a secret helper.

In the morning, the sun would shine. The people would wake up. 'Wow!' they would say. 'Our work is all done. It is like magic!'. They were so happy. But they were also very curious. Who were the secret helpers? One lady, the tailor's wife, wanted to see us. Oh no. She made a tricky plan. She put little green peas all over the stairs. The peas were round and slippery. She hoped we would trip and fall. We came out to help, ready to work. But we saw the little peas on the stairs. We knew it was a trick to see us. We felt very shy. Our secret game was over.

Our secret was not a secret anymore. So we had to go away. We went very quietly. We never came back to help at night. The people of Cologne were sad. Now they had to do all their own work. But the people never, ever forgot us. The mommies and daddies told the story to their little boys and girls. They told them all about the tiny, secret helpers. Our story helps everyone remember to be kind. It is good to help others. It is like a happy secret you can keep in your heart. Helping is the best magic of all.