Thursday 20 November

Advanced packaging today.

Steinar explained to us that the aim is to make it as difficult as possible to get the toy out of the box, so you have to try and think of as many ways as you can of catching people out.

Some of the best ways are:

1. 1. Make the plastic so thick you need bolt cutters to get into it.
2. 2. Wind little bits of wire around the toy that are impossible to undo.
3. 3. Secure things in place with fiddly plastic screws.

At the end of the day, Steinar asked me to stay behind. He took another reading with his Spirit Gauge, but he still didn’t seem very happy with it.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘It’s still faulty. We’re going to have to do this some other time.’

I was about to ask what happens to Trainee Elves who don’t have enough Christmas Spirit to work the Spirit Gauge when Ola, the Left-Hand Elf, marched up and whispered something in Steinar’s ear.

‘I beg your pardon?’ asked Steinar, horrified.

Ola looked at me, and then whispered again.

‘A whole sack?’

Ola nodded.

‘Leave it with me,’ replied Steinar, hurrying off.

‘Is something the matter?’ I asked.

‘Some toys have gone missing,’ Steinar called over his shoulder. ‘Nothing for you to worry about. I’m sure they’ll turn up.’