The Littlest Elf

The Littlest Elf is a "dull book" Lemony Snicket recommends reading in lieu of his own stories. It is written by Monty Kensicle, an anagram of Lemony Snicket, so it is possible Snicket wrote the book. The Littlest Elf is also a film directed by Gustav Sebald.^[1]

Plot[]

The main character of the book is the littlest elf who loves the sound of bells because "they're so ringy."^[1] The book describes his adventures in Fairyland.

Hector mentions that the book is one of the few allowed books in the Village of Fowl Devotees' library because it does not violate any of the village's thousands of rules. He says it is probably the most boring book ever written and is about an irritating little man who has all sorts of tedious adventures.

"I know of a book, for instance, called The Littlest Elf, which tells the story of a teensy-weensy little man who scurries around Fairyland having all sorts of adorable adventures, and you can see at once that you should probably read The Littlest Elf and wriggle over the lovely things that happened to this imaginary creature in a made-up place..."
~ Lemony Snicket in The Vile Village

In "The Nameless Novel" website, a coded message appeared in an advert for 'The Littlest Elf."

2004 Film Divergent Canon[]

VioletPull — Violet using the elf bobblehead as part of her invention.

The elf in the Lemony Snicket movie appears in the opening sequence, as a juxtaposition to the darker mood of the movie's main plot.

A bobblehead toy version of the elf appears in Count Olaf's car when it is parked on the train tracks. The elf is heard giggling and Violet uses it as part of her invention to switch the train tracks.

At the end of the film's credits, the elf can be heard giggling.

"Loverly Spring"[]

The theme song for the elf is "Loverly Spring" and it was written by Thomas Newman. It is the 23rd song on the movie soundtrack.

Bum-buttery, flit-fluttery, dum-diddly-ohh

Bum-buttery bluebird is singing a tune

Daffy-down-dillies awake and in broom

Bursting in bloom, all the flowers assume

It's a loverly, loverly spring

[La la la la la la la la la la la oooooh]

Chit-chattery chipmunks all singing along

Humming, they join in the sing-along song

Spring is the springiest time for a song

It's a loverly, loverly spring

In the forest we play with the rabbits all day

The bees and the birdies and fishes

There's nary a care and there's spring in the air

The feeling is just too delicious

Bum-buttery buttercups all in a row

Trilling and frilling and stealing the show

May is the merriest month that I know

It's a loverly, loverely

Lo-lo-loverly

Lo-lo-lo-loverly spring

"Loverly Spring" (Movie Version)[]

Bum-buttery, flit-fluttery, dim-duddly-ooh

Bum-buttery bluebird is singing a tune

Daffy-down-dillies awake in broom

Bursting in bloom, all the flowers assume

It's a loverly, loverly spring

[La la la la la la la la la la la oooooh]

Chit-chattery chipmunks all singing along

Humming, they join in the sing-along song

Spring is the springiest time for a song

It's a loverly, loverly spring

In the forest we play with the rabbits all day

[record scratches, the music stops]

Narrator: I'm sorry to say that this is not the movie you will be watching. The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about a happy little elf, I'm sure there's still plenty of seating in theatre number two. However, if you like stories about clever and reasonably attractive orphans, suspicious fires, carnivorous leeches, Italian food and secret organizations, then stay as I retrace each and every one of the Baudelaire children's woeful steps. My name is Lemony Snicket and it is my sad duty to document this tale. Violet Baudelaire, the eldest, was one of the finest 14-year-old inventors in the world. Anyone who knew Violet well could tell she was inventing something when her long hair was tied up in a ribbon. In a world of abandoned items and discarded materials, Violet knew there was always something. Something she could fashion into nearly any device for nearly every occasion. And no one was better to test her inventions than her brother. Klaus Baudelaire, the middle child, loved books, or rather, the things he learned from books. The Baudelaire parents had an enormous library in their mansion. A room filled with thousands of books on nearly every subject. And nothing please Klaus more than spending an afternoon filling up his head with their contents. And everything he read, he remembered. Sunny, the youngest, had a different interest. She liked to bite things and had four sharp teeth. There was very little that Sunny did not enjoy biting. Sunny was at an age when one mostly speaks in a series of unintelligible shrieks. For instance, which probably meant, "Look at that mysterious figure emerging from the fog." Or perhaps, "What is a banker like Mr. Poe doing trudging through the sand to find us at Briny Beach?"

Man: Children, I'm afraid I must inform you of an extremely unfortunate event. I'm very very sorry to tell you this, but your parents have perished in a fire that's destroyed your entire home.

Narrator: If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels. And if you haven't, you cannot possibly imagine it. No one knows the precise cause of the Baudelaire fire. My colleauges and I have investigated the best we can, but all we've discovered is that the blaze was started from a great distance through the refraction and convergence of light, and within moments, the entire mansion was in flames. And as mysterious as the source of the blaze, other mysteries began to unfold before the children's eyes. Every family has its secrets, doors left unopened, but as Klaus now realized, the smallest discovery would send his mind reeling with questions. What was this spyglass, hidden in his father's desk? Were there other secrets about their parents' lives yet to be revealed? Questions he now feared might never be answered. And just like that, the Baudelair children became the Baudelaire orphans. I tried to warn you. This is an excellent opportunity to walk out of the theatre, living room or airplane where this film is being shown. It's not too late to see a film about a happy little elf.

TV Series Divergent Canon[]

One of the trailers for the Netflix TV series shows a clapperboard for The Littlest Elf. It lists Monty Kensicle, an anagram of Lemony Snicket, as the director. In The Vile Village: Part One, Hector mentions it as a book that got past the censorship rule the Village of Fowl Devotees enforces. In The Penultimate Peril: Part One, Carmelita whines that she wants to visit Littlest Elf Land (presumably a theme park based on the book) instead of staying at Hotel Denouement.