Het Kabouterdorp (The Gnome village)

Het Kabouterdorp (The Gnome Village)

the Gnome village was built as part of the Fairytale Forest in 1952. Visitors have been able to listen to the beautiful sound of gnome music ever since.

360 Panorama View
360 Panorama View

Story

The Golden Tuning Fork
In times gone by in this tiny but prosperous land, when people still listened to beautiful music, there once ruled a very musical king and queen.
The king and queen had three beautiful daughters, all but one as musical as their parents.
The youngest, Estrella, was the odd one out.
To help Estrella learn the art of music, the king and queen went to the minister of Joyous Affairs and asked him to find her a music teacher.
The king’s wish was that Estrella learn the do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do at the very least, and a few easy dance steps.
The minister was sure he would fail to find a teacher and sent the bell ringer instead.
The bell ringer sent the gatekeeper and the gatekeeper sent the basket weaver; who actually decided to try his luck.
He traipsed from village to village, door to door, looking for a music teacher.
Then one day, he was approaching a gnome village when he heard the most wonderful music.
In the village, the gnomes gave him a golden tuning fork to enchant the princess.
He took it home and cast the magic spell during a royal feast.
And so it was; the spell made the princess dance so gracefully and sing so beautifully that the guests were brought to tears; and the basket weaver was given his reward: the king made him minister of Joyous Affairs.... and he married Estrella.

To read the full story go to the Efteling souvenir shop and purchase the Efteling Book of Fairy Tales.

Get Gnome Village souvenirs from the Efteling souvenir shop

The Gnome Tree
Written by the Efteling
Transcribed and translated by Milena

There was a time when no one knew where the music of the fairy tale forest came from.
The music would sound amongst the trees but no one knew who made it.
Until one day the music suddenly stopped.
It was so quiet in the forest even the birds stopped singing from the shock.
Langnek strained his large ears to hear anything he could but it was no use he couldn’t hear any music either.
The fairies and gnomes were in chaos and the red dancing shoes solemnly stood still. No dancing music was playing.
But Sleeping Beauty’s guard set out to investigate.
He listened everywhere, no rabbit hole, birds nest or mole heap was skipped. But it made him none the wiser.
When nightfall came he was walking past a hollow tree and there he heard a soft sound.
“Hey that sounds like someone is crying, yes that’s what it sounds like, soft sobbing.”
“Hello is anyone there?!” “No answer” “How do I go about getting in that tree.”
“Oh wait a moment I think I see an opening, I wonder if I would be able to crawl through. Let’s give it a try.”
“gnn Noo I’m far too fat.” “Hey woodpecker!”
“Woodpecker! Woodpecker!, rikketikketik! , Thats me!”
“Ah would you help me a moment? Could you make that hole a bit bigger with your sharp beak, or is the tree too thick?”
“Thick! rikketikketik! Not too thick! rikketikketik! Here I come!”
“Wonderful you did that quite quickly woodpecker now I can get through”

“It’s so dark in here. Hello is anyone there?”
“Yees it’s me Riedeltje the gnome” “But where are you?”
“I live here in the hollow tree together with my brother Fiedeltje. But we are filled with such sorrow.”
“But why Riedeltje?”
“Well I’m a music gnome and I have playing my spinet for years””mmmhmm” “that’s a type of piano and when I played the whole forest could hear me”
“Ooh so you’re the one who gave us all that lovely music” “Exactly! That was me”
“But why aren’t you playing anymore?” “Because my piano is broken “
“ach” “the woodworms have been gnawing at it” ”Oh dear oh dear” ”For years and years until there was nothing left of my instrument, look” “Oooohh””You see, here’s some sawdust, and here’s some strings” ”Dear oh dear” ”The woodworms ate the rest”
“And now I can’t make any more music and Fiedeltje can’t sing along anymore”
“But that’s very sad Riedeltje. I wish I could help you but I don’t know how. I’m afraid that no one does””
But the guard was a brave man and he would not just give up.
Right away he went to find someone who could help him.
Would the witch be able to help? “ Music??! You want me to make music hahaha don’t make me laugh. I don’t like music and I hate pianos. Hehehe cat howls and owl screeching that’s what I like. Hehehe music noo! I can’t make that. Can you imagine!”
The guard would not give up. He went to the wizard who made the magic clock and asked him if he could magic a musical instrument.
But the wizard was not interested in helping. “Music? I only know the music of the clock and that is the most beautifull music in the world. Did you really think I would make any other kind of music? No, find someone else!”
The watch went back to sleeping beauty’s castle in a sad mood and fell asleep.
He had only been sleeping for about ten minutes before someone tapped him on his shoulder.
He opened his eyes and saw that there was a gnome in front of him.
But not the music gnome. A new unknown gnome.
“Hello good morning, I’m Tim the magic gnome.” ”Tim the magic gnome? Never heard of you? Do you live here in the forest? “”Yes but no one knows where. I only appear at night and then I fly high above the trees”
“Can you fly, Tim the gnome?””Nooo I can’t, but my friend the bat can. And I am always allowed to sit on his back, and that way we can fly anywhere where help is needed.
I can magic anything you want” ”Anything? But then I need you very badly helpful little gnome. I have to have a new piano for Riedeltje the gnome.” “I will see what I can do for you”
“There you go, I only have to flap my beard and there it’s done, there’s your piano.”
It was almost unbelievable, the guard took the piano onto his strong back and walked it into the hollow tree. Riedeltje the gnome clapped his hands in amazement when he saw what had happened.
“Waah brother come look! I have a piano again. I can make music again for the forest!”
All the grief was was soon forgotten, Fiedeltje took a large pot of paint out and gave the piano a really nice colour and everyone was happy.

Every day the music is heard in the forest. The music of Riedeltje, and Fiedeltje peeks from behind the door.
Because if any woodworms come out, he is ready to chase them away.

The Music Box

The Music Box
Written by the Efteling
Transcribed and translated by Milena
Who knows the way in the wood?
Who knows the way, in the wonder wood?
They will know just where they live
Where those nice dwarves live
Six little men in a house together
Al six are sixes now

Somewhere in the wonder wood there stands the house of the six gnomes. It is a very cosy little house and the gnomes are very happy.

There is me, Leen the reader

Rik the smoker enjoys his pipe

and Sien the sleeper is a bit lazy, he likes nothing better than to nap in his little bed.

But not Vik de fisherman, no he is always busy outside, he loves to fish and you can always find him at the bank of the brook with his fishing rod.

Yes and then you've got Niek the sneezer. The gnome that so often has a cold.

And finally Kees the watcher. The reason why he is always looking out of the window you will find out in this story,

A little while ago it was Niek the sneezers birthday. They had a big party at the gnome house and of course Niek was given a present.

"Good morning Niek, congratulations on your birthday"
"I'm glad you thought of me."
"Of course we did, and we also got you a gift, here you go."
"Oh"
"Go on unwrap it"
"Oh thank you goodness, now now what big present I wonder what it could be"
"We won’t tell, will we men, have a look for yourself."
"Oh oh oh oh, what a pretty box!”
"Go on go on open the lid"

*music plays*

"Oh oh oh oh how beautiful, a music box! I've always wanted one, a real music box. Ahh what a nice tune it plays"
“Yeah it will even play ten songs"
"Yes ten songs!"
"And you can wind it up with a little key"
"Yes with a little key"
"And when it plays we can sing along"
"Yeah sing along"
"Ah stop it Sien you sound like a parrot"
"Yeah a parrot"
"Hahahah"
"Now let’s get everything ready for the party, Hey Kees, have you baked us a nice cake?"
"A really big one"
"Nice, and Vik you caught us a nice fish didn’t you?"
"Definitely"
"Sien will you grab the lemonade out of the cellar?"
"No problem"
"And Niek will provide the music"
"Yep Niek provides the music, I'll bring the music box"
"Then let’s go and have a party with all of the animals in the forest."
“I’ll have a glass of lemonade in advance."
“Easy, easy we have hours and hours for that sort of thing"

It was a great party there in the wonder wood, en that was because the music box made sure that there was music. From far and wide the animals joined to celebrate with the gnomes.

Animals and dwarves dancing in the forest.
Tingelinge music box tinkles away
The fat full moon watches cheerfully on
And hums along to the music

"Are you having a pleasant party Niek?"
"You bet I've never had such a nice birthday. I wish it could go on like this for a few more days."
"Yes well you can forget about that now. Come along men, tidy up now. Hey what’s going on with Sien over there?"
"They don’t call him Sien the sleeper for nothing. He is snoring already come on Sien wake up"
"Dear oh dear we can’t seem to wake him. Well I know what to do, we will carry him home. Kees and Vik will you pick up this lazy gnome. And make sure he gets home safely won’t you."
"Yes sure"
"And you Niek, you'll bring along the empty baskets and boxes won’t you?"
"Yes yes that’s fine, the cake is all gone, the bottles are empty, it was such a nice party"
"Right, we are ready. Now dear animals of the forest, until next time!"

When the gnomes got home they went straight to bed, and not five minutes later they were all snoring just as much as Sien the sleeper.
Up until Niek woke up with a start

"Men! Men wake up!"
"No I don’t want any more cake, I’ll have a chocolate instead."
"Ah stupid, the party ended a long time ago you've been in your own bed all this time."
"Well then why are you waking me. Let me sleep darn it"
"I have made a terrible discovery."
"Yes we ran out of lemonade we knew that already, go back to sleep!"
"No silly I mean my music box. I can’t see my music box anywhere. Where could we have left it?"
"Hey why are you all making so much noise in the middle of the night, let’s please go to sleep now."
"Yes but Rik my music box is gone"
"How can that be, it was playing all night long?! We had it when we were in the forest"
"Yes then we did but it’s not here now. Did we bring it when we went home? You were supposed to carry it weren’t you Rik?"
"Who me? Noo I thought you would carry it, it was after all your birthday present."
"Ah why would you think that? I was supposed to carry the boxes and the baskets home. I didn’t have any arms left to carry the music box."
"Ooh did someone else take care of it then?"
"No not me"
"Me neither"
"Oh we must have left the music box behind in the forest."
"Ohohoh how terrible. I just hope it won’t rain or snow and I hope my music box won’t get stolen. I want to go look for it straight away."
"Noo no way, have you gone mad. Tomorrow brings another day"
"Yes but I am so worried. If something were to happen to the music box we would never have any music again. And then we would never be able to sing and dance again."
"That would be sad. But I’m going back to sleep. Goodnight."
"Will no one go with me to look for my music box?"
"Oh yes, I will go with you, just hand me my hat and my coat and we will set off straight away."

And so it happened. The two gnomes went back into the forest to search. But it was a very dark night and a thick mist clung to the trees which made it difficult for them to find their way. For hours and hours they wandered, trying to peer between the bushes with their little lanterns around the spot where they had had their party. But the only thing they found were empty oak caps and nibbles pinecones. Nothing else. Nothing at all. Disappointed they head back to the house where the other gnomes had woken in the meantime. They felt bad for poor Niek. And now all of the gnomes went to look and they spread out across the forest.

Six men are searching and searching the forest.
Six men in row
Rik the smoker, Sien the sleeper, Vik the fisherman, Kees the watcher, Leen the reader and this one's me.
Don’t you hear the music box tinkle tinkle
Can’t you hear any music?

But even with all of them looking they could not find the music box. What was to happen now? There is no police station the forest. There is also no gnome radio. Otherwise they could have asked them to announce it. No, there was nothing else to do but wait. Meanwhile the weather kept getting worse and worse. It started to snow. By the end of the day the little gnome house had been nearly snowed under. The snow came all the way up to the upstairs window. Then Niek couldn’t take it anymore. He took Rik the smoker's rocking chair, put it in the upstairs window, sat on it and roetsj! Slid away on it just as if it were a sled.

Now it had become even more difficult to find his way. Everything was white around him. He kept getting sadder and sadder. But then...

*music plays*

"What do I hear? That's the music from my music box! It can’t fail! But where is it coming from? Oh oh wait its coming from that pine tree over there. From the top of that pine tree. I'll hurry there.
Aha there’s Piet Pluim the squirrel. Hello Piet have you found my music box?"
"Ha Niek yes I did find a music box in the forest and I didn’t know who's it was and that’s why I just took it to my nest, here in the tree. You can see that we get a lot of enjoyment out of it. "
"Oh I am so glad it has been found. Can I take it away right away?"
*frightened chittering*
"No, quiet children quiet quiet don’t be rude. The music box belongs to Niek the gnome so he has to take it with him. Just be glad we were able to play with it for a while."
"Aw I feel badly for the children Piet Pluim but it was a birthday present from my gnome friends. And I would rather not lose the music box again you understand"
*chittering*
"Yes quiet now little squirrels. I promise you that I will bake you a big cake. A beech nut cake. Come and visit us soon at our gnome house. Then you can also listen to our music box again. Do you think it a good plan Pluim the squirrel"
"Wauw that is a great plan, now hurry back Niek otherwise the other gnomes will worry about you. And thank you for the music!"
"I promise that I will make a beautiful drawing of you, I will put that drawing on the lid of the music box. Then I will always remember you. Now I will have to get going. Goodbye squirrels!"
"Bye Niek! All the best!"

And so Niek went home happy with the music box under his arm. Well I don’t have to tell you that the gnomes were relieved to see their friend Niek back home. Only, he caught a nasty flu from his trip through the snow and winter cold. They quickly put him to bed.

He sneezed so much that from then on they always called him Niek the sneezer.
Kees the watcher went and sat up in front of the window to keep an eye out for the squirrel family.

And if you will come to the Efteling, you will see him there.
But the squirrels still haven’t been. And the beechnut cake is still sitting on the table.

Now let’s hope that Piet Pluim and his children will come and visit some time. I'm sure it will be cause for celebration in the gnome house.

Everything has settled down in the gnome house.
The stove is lit and the clock ticks away.
Kees is still looking out of the window, waiting for the squirrels day and night.
If he will come or not.
This is the end of the song.