Where do lost things go?

There is a theory that they go to the Land of the Lost, a hypothesis put forward by J.K. Rowling in "The Christmas Pig."

Socks go missing because they are dragged away by sock-eaters, claims Czech author Pavel Šrut.

Muckles! Muckles grab anything left lying around, Sven Nordqvist is convinced. Mary Norton, author of "The Borrowers," supports much the same theory.

We won't know the whole truth, and it’s not all that straightforward, but the Borrowers hypothesis looks very convincing:

In every normal house, under the floorboards, behind a wall, inside an antique clock, or in any other secluded spot, there lives a family of tiny people who furnish their homes with items from ours. They regularly venture out on foraging missions for food, pins, handkerchiefs, dollhouse furniture, family heirlooms... These little folk are very industrious, their homes are cozy and their tables groan with all sorts of provisions, while we look around in bewilderment: after all, I just put my diamond brooch on the table, where could it have gone?.. Or: I distinctly remember there was one more potato left in the basket, and now it's gone—did I really eat it myself without noticing? And don’t even get me started on the teaspoons...

Of course, the Borrowers have to be extremely careful, as encounters with humans have ended badly for many members of their tribe more than once. They are hunted with cats and terriers, smoked out of their burrows, and people stop at nothing to prevent these little ones from living in peace.

In this book, we will meet a family of Borrowers surnamed Clock: Mom, Dad, and daughter. And for them, hard times have just begun. A chance encounter with a human boy, which initially promised the joy of friendship and a heap of new things besides, turns into serious trouble.