Forest Sprite Bookworm

In a forest where every root hides its own story, there live creatures that almost no one notices. Not because they are invisible — simply because those who hurry never look down.

The Forest Sprite Bookworm is one of them. Small and unhurried, with branch-like antlers and wide amber eyes that always carry a glimmer of curiosity. He has made his home on the thick cover of an old book — right between the pages, where the paper smells of honey, dried moss and time.

On his head sits a little stack of books he never takes off, not even to sleep. He says it is more convenient that way: the right book is always within reach, or rather within horn. His fellow sprites chuckle at this — but they still leaf through his collection the moment he dozes off.

His favourite hour is late evening, when the forest grows quiet, shadows deepen and the world becomes just a little more mysterious. He lights his small kerosene lamp — the one with the milky white glass — and settles in with a cup of hot cocoa. He makes the cocoa himself, with a pinch of forest spices that only he knows.

The Bookworm reads everything: old legends about forest spirits, notes from lost travellers, recipes for healing tinctures, maps of underground passages. He especially loves stories about creatures that "do not exist". Every time he reads one, he gives a quiet knowing chuckle.

If you have ever felt that a book you just set down is lying in a slightly different position — a page corner bent where it was not before, a bookmark shifted — do not be too quick to blame yourself. Quite possibly, the Bookworm paid you a visit.

A warm plaid blanket, the soft glow of the lamp, steam rising from the cocoa and the rustle of pages — that is his perfect world. Small, but complete. The kind you want to linger in.