This is the story of Jonas, a little boy who never shares. But on the first of December he finds a magical advent calendar and discovers that he can only open the calendar doors with the help of others.
On his mission to find the right person every day, he discovers a magical world behind the calendar doors, is shrunk, makes new friends and confronts his biggest fear. When he has to meet a witch-like old woman on Christmas Eve, he completes his transformation from a selfish child to a loving brother. The witch turns out to be a kind old lady who reveals that the last piece of chocolate is for Jonas himself. It is this last piece that he happily shares with his sister, Sarah – the moment that teaches us all that life is more rewarding when you share.
Below are extracts from the original long story.
1 Jonas makes a discovery In the first chapter we meet Jonas, a little boy who never shares with his sister and who finds a magical advent calendar. Jonas discovers that he can’t open the calendar on his own but needs the help of others to do so.
Sarah took a step towards him. ‘Have you taken my cake, by any chance?’ she said, her voice trembling as she tried to see behind him. ‘And my milk, too?’ Jonas nodded, remembering what his father had told him about speaking with his mouth full. Their father had barely shut the front door behind them before Sarah ran off. Jonas was just about to go after her when he noticed a wooden box by his feet. As he reached down and picked it up, he was amazed by how light it was. An advent calendar. Who could possibly have lost it? After a little while, he tried opening the first little door. It had a sloping rooftop with three chimneys on it – the woodcutter’s cottage. Everyone knew it. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open it. Just then, he heard the sound of the Ohlenforsts in the forest nearby, striking the tree trunks with their axes. Hoping they might be able to help him – by smashing the little doors if need be – he went off into the forest. ‘Hello Jonas,’ said Michael and stopped what he was doing. ‘What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at school by now?’ Jonas handed him the advent calendar and pointed to the axe in Michael’s hand. ‘Can you get it open with that?’ Walter Ohlenforst walked over to them, stroking his moustache. ‘What have you got there? An advent calendar?’ ‘Yes,’ said Michael. ‘Jonas can’t open the door.’ But as he ran his fingers over the box, it opened by itself. Behind the door was a piece of chocolate with the letter M on it. Jonas just had enough time to see the letter before Michael said ‘Oh, isn’t that nice’ and broke it into three pieces.
6 A visit from another world In the last few days, Jonas has been on mission to find the right person to open the calendar doors each day. On day six, he meets a magical creature and learns that there are yet more wonders to discover.
‘Never seen anyone drinking coffee before?’ the man asked. ‘Yes,’ said Jonas. ‘But never anyone that small.’ ‘Well that’s a nice way to greet someone,’ said the man, glancing over to the other side as though talking to an invisible friend. ‘A few insults to start with.’ He turned back to Jonas. ‘I’ve been called a lot of things before. Fat, loud, fussy, but this is the first time I’ve been called “small”. I am forty-seven thousand micrometres tall.’ He gestured towards the closed doors on the calendar with his empty hand. ‘Most of them can’t claim that. They’re just a few picometres next to me.’ ‘Are you Saint Nicholas?’ asked Jonas, because today was the sixth of December, and sat down on the bed. ‘Do I look like him?’ ‘A little bit,’ said Jonas, looking him up and down. ‘In other words, not really.’ The tiny creature took a sip of coffee.
12 The accident on the bridge On the 12th day of his adventure, Jonas almost runs into a spooky, witch-like woman and – gripped by fear – loses the calendar. Is this the end of the story?
His father was in the workshop. Jonas could hear the banging from the front door. ‘What are you doing here?’ his father asked, chewing away, bent over the calendar with a hammer and chisel. ‘What are you doing?’ asked Jonas, rushing over to him. ‘You’ll break it!’ The doorbell rang and his father went to see who it was. Seizing his chance, Jonas took the calendar from the workbench and ran outside, past his father and the visitor. He looked over the railings. The River Pasel flowed lazily towards him. Jonas was about to go on, when he saw Maik Mirscheidt on the side of the bridge with his bicycle and a pink bag. Jonas turned around and ran off in the other direction, heading towards the steps, when he saw the old woman coming down the steps towards him with her hairless cat. Gripped by fear, Jonas tripped and the calendar flew high into the air, landing in the river.
24 The visit to the old woman On the final day, Christmas Eve, Jonas realises that the witch-like old woman is the last person to open the door, and the key to the mystery. But he must gather all his courage to confront her.
Full of excitement and anticipation, Jonas had barely slept a wink all night. Christmas Day at last! Around midday, Jonas left the house and went looking for the old woman and her hairless cat. This walk was the most difficult of all. Was the old woman a witch? Would she turn him into a hairless cat if he couldn’t open the last little door? The old woman came outside. ‘Yes?’ she said. Now that he could see her face, she actually looked quite friendly, he thought. There was no reason to be scared of her, he realised. ‘My name is Jonas Klaasen’. ‘I know who you are. I know all about you.’ ‘Yes, um…’ said Jonas. ‘I’m here about the calendar.’ ‘I know,’ the old woman said again and pushed it gently towards him. ‘You have to open the last one, not me.’ Jonas pulled the tiny door handle. The twenty-fourth little door opened, revealing the twenty-fourth piece of chocolate, the biggest one of all. It had a heart on it. He came across Sarah in front of the house, wrapped up in her winter coat. ‘Here,’ said Jonas, handing her the last piece of chocolate. Sarah looked at him in astonishment and hesitated for a moment before taking it. She broke it in two and gave him half. ‘That’s for you.’ ‘Oh, thank you,’ said Jonas. He put it in his mouth and waited for it to dissolve. He wanted to savour every last bit.