På loftet sidder nissen på engelsk (There’s an elf in the attic)

Skip to the song in English

Skip to the song in Danish

Here's a link to another Danish Christmas song, "Højt på træets grønne top."

If you are multicultural of the Danish American persuasion, your cup overflows with an abundance of Christmas tradition. Both countries have fantastic, imaginative stories for kids at Christmas. The Danish elves, the Grinch, Rudolph and Frosty – there simply aren’t enough days to get it all in.

My kids grew up in Denmark with stories from daycare about the elves that lived in nearby Grib Forest. During the cold month of December, the elves moved into houses to keep warm. At least one elf always moved into the daycare and every night he/she hid tiny gingersnap cookies which the kids found and devoured. They sang a delightful song each morning to count down Christmas.

An elf usually moved into our attic, too, and the strangest things happened that month. One morning we woke up and found all the stuffed animals had had a party with the elves. There were ginger snaps and empty Christmas brew bottles (non-alcoholic) strewn all over the floor. Tired little stuffed bears and bunnies were flopped over the furniture after a night of dancing. Boy, it would have been as great to see that as it would have been to see Momma kissing Santa Claus! Once we woke up and he had strung Christmas lights! Another time we found his little Santa suit. We never did get a glimpse of him, but just as sure as Santa ate his milk and cookies, the elves ate the Christmas rice we left in the loft.

I think the unique magic of a child's Christmas in Denmark centers around the elves. Some people call them gnomes, and the Danish word is "nisse." While several classic songs like Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer are thoroughly integrated into Danish culture thanks to good translations, it’s always been hard to share Danish song traditions to English-speaking little people.

My favorite Christmas elf song is about an elf and some mice in the attic. More than once these past 20+ years I’ve looked for a translation and never found one that fit the melody. So in a fit of inspiration, I wrote one myself so we can share it with English speaking youngsters in our family this year.

I’m still on a rhyming high and perhaps in the euphoria incorrectly think there might be others who think this could be fun to use. Tomorrow I may sober up and remove this with pink cheeks. But here it is until then.

Below is an audio file to hear how it fits with the melody – from my good friend with whom I've enjoyed many St. Lucia processions and school programs. (Player doesn't work in Safari.) Below that are the lyrics, an instrumental only video of the song as well as the song sung in Danish.

There's an elf in the attic © Wendy Walsh, 2022

Verse 1

There’s an elf in the attic with his Christmas rice

His Christmas rice, with sugar and spice.

He’s happy and he smiles and he eats with zeal

’Cause Christmas rice is his favorite meal.

But all around the little mice are looking

They are looking at the cooking.

“We’d really like to have some Christmas pudding,”

And they dance until they’re close to him.

Verse 2

But the elf takes his spoon and he waves it high

“You hereby must comply!

I want to eat my Christmas rice all alone

And I’m not going to share with anyone.”

The little mice they skitter and they scatter

And they stagger and they swagger.

They see the rice with sugar and with butter

And stand around him in a ring.

Verse 3

Well now the elf is mad and so he takes a hop

And with his crop he makes a swat.

“I’ll fetch the cat if this plan you do not drop.

When the cat comes in you’ll all be stopped.”

All the little mice they get so nervous,

“It could hurt us, it could hurt us.”

They turn around and run like it’s a circus

And one two three they disappear.

In the rear

Behind the mirror

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På loftet sidder nissen (original in Danish by Margrethe Munthe, 1911)

Verse 1

På loftet sidder nissen med sin julegrød

Sin julegrød, so god og sød.

Han nikker og han spiser og han er så glad

For julegråd er hans bedste mad.

Men rundt omkring står alle de små rotter

Og de skotter, og de skotter.

”Vi vil så gerne ha’ lidt julegodter”

Og de danser, danser rundt i ring.

Verse 2

Men nissefar han truer med sin store ske

”Vil I nu se at kom af sted

For jeg vil have min julegrød i ro og fred

Og ingen, ingen vil jeg dele med.”

Men rotterne de hopper og de danser

Og de svinser og de svanser.

De kigger efter grøden og de standser

Og de står om nissen tæt i ring.

Verse 3

Men nissefar han er en lille hidsigprop

Og med sin krop han gøre et hop.

”Jeg henter katten hvis I ikke holder op.

Når katten kommer skal det nok blive stop.”

Så bliver alle rotterne så bange

Åh så bange åh så bange

De vende sig og danser et par gange

Og en to tre så er de væk.

I en sæk

Med lakrids konfekt

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Here is an instrumental version of the song in case you don't have a musician in the family.

And here it is sung in Danish for the very youngest, with plenty of body language so everyone can follow the narrative

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I think the cat hears something in the attic!