Posts at Iceland Review and Raving Ravens report that Árni Johnsen, a member of the Icelandic parliament, has had a 24-ton boulder moved to his home in the Westman Islands off the Southern coast of Iceland. Árni wanted to save the stone from destruction because it’s home to some elves who saved his life two years ago when he crashed his car nearby. The stone was subsequently in danger of being paved under as the highway was widened, so Árni had it moved out of the path of construction. Now he’s decided to move it to his house.

He called in Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir, an expert from Álfagarðurinn (the Elf Garden), who is able to see and communicate with the elves. Iceland Review quotes Árni:

“She said it was incredible, that she had never met three generations of elves in the same boulder before.”

“She said an elderly couple lives on the upper floor but a young couple with three children on the lower floor,” the MP described.

The specialist concluded that the boulder’s inhabitants were content with the move. “But they asked whether the boulder could stand on grass. I said that was no problem but asked why they wanted grass. ‘It’s because they want to have sheep,’ Ragnhildur replied,” Árni continued.

The specialist also said that the elves wish for the boulder’s “window side” to face the view. “I promised to do so,” Árni stated.

The boulder was trucked to its new location while the elves rode in a sheepskin-lined basket in Ragnhildur’s Peugeot, eating honey all the way. You can see pictures of all this at Visir and video at Morgunblaðið and RÚV.

This may not be the storybook happy ending it seems, though. In a followup article, Iceland Review reports that Magnús Skarphéðinsson, principal of the Icelandic Elf School, has doubts about whether the elves really consented to the move. Magnús warns that accidents are known to follow disruptions of elf settlements. Indeed, only last year some construction equipment breakdowns were blamed on angry elves, and such elf-related problems are common.

If it’s true that Árni has taken the elves’ home without their consent, it wouldn’t be the first time he has stolen property in the name of home improvement. As described in The Iceland Weather Report, Árni was convicted several years ago of corruption, fraud, and embezzlement for taking money from the National Theatre (which he oversaw) to pay for the construction and renovation of his homes.

What may surprise you most about all of this elf business is the fact that it’s being reported mostly with a straight face. That’s because belief in elves (more correctly, huldufólk, or “hidden people”)–or at least acceptance of the possibility of their existence–is fairly widespread in Iceland (see articles in Iceland Review and Slate).

While many Icelanders regard the elves mostly as something to avoid when building roads, others, like Hallgerdur Hallgrímsdóttir, enjoy having sex with them. Her blog, Sex with Humans is Boring, is no longer being updated, but you can watch a video of her discussing sex with elves (and her book about it) at VICE. Her elves apparently are much taller than the basket-sized ones that Árni kidnapped.