Izzy LaPeruta, 7, was playing with a ball inside her New Jersey living room, next to a Christmas tree wrapped in colourful lights. She had bad aim, or the ball bounced, or ricocheted off the tree - who can be sure? - all that matters is that in the living room chaos, a little elf doll sitting in a red felt stocking plummeted onto the carpet.
If you're not familiar with Elf on the Shelf, the children's book that comes with a household elf, you might not understand what a catastrophe this would be for a 7-year-old who has high hopes for Christmas morning.
