Back to the Troll Family Portrait

Theodore Troll

The last story in the book, "Winter",
tells about Theodore Troll. He's one of
the middle kids, the fifth oldest. Maybe
it's the pressure of being "lost" in the
middle of the family, or maybe it's
because he's sensitive, or maybe it's
just the time of year. But Theodore is
feeling sad. Not even Christmas can
cheer him up. Can you imagine eating
carrot casserole (a special Finnish
Christmas dish) AND getting a magic
kit for a present AND having ten
brothers and sisters to share the fun
and still being sad? Well, that's what
has happened to Theodore. Fortunately,
Grandpa Troll is there to help him feel
better. The northern lights dance like
curtains of green mist in the sky, and
finally the sun returns after the long
polar night, bringing light and life to
Theodore and the rest of the Troll

family once again. Another year in
Lapland has begun!

Here's a picture of Theodore. It's taken
from the first story. Theodore is standing
on top of a Lappish fell (a big hill with no
trees), pulling a sled. At the end of the
story, he returns to the same place to
watch the sun rise for the first time in
the new year - and life begins again.



Picture © Ulla Etto