Eine nette Wichtelmethode durfte ich diese Weihnachten in den USA ausprobieren. Hier geht es allerdings weniger darum, das Selbstbewichteln zu vermeiden, sondern vielmehr darum, die Veranstaltung lustiger und interessanter zu machen. Die Selbstbewichtelung wird am Ende schlicht und einfach durch Tauschen mit den unmittelbaren Sitznachbarn aus der Welt geschafft, bis jeder sein eigenes Geschenk los ist.

Der interessante Teil passiert nach dem anfänglichen zufälligen Verteilen der Geschenke an die Teilnehmer. Alle sitzen in einem Kreis; dann wird eine Geschichte vorgelesen, wobei bei jedem Auftauchen der Worte "right" oder "left" jeder sein Geschenk in die entsprechende Richtung weiter gibt. Die Geschichte:

"Once upon a time there lived an old shoemaker. He lived just LEFT of the barber, RIGHT across the street from the bakers. Now he was an honest but poor shoemaker who always tried to do the RIGHT thing at the RIGHT time. He paid his bills at the RIGHT time which LEFT him with little money to do other things. At last all the leather he had LEFT was enough to make one pair of shoes, one RIGHT and one LEFT; so he went to bed. Soon after he had LEFT, several little elves came RIGHT in through the door. They went RIGHT to work and used the leather to make a pair of shoes. First, they made the RIGHT shoe, cut it just RIGHT, sewed it just RIGHT and used the leather that was LEFT to make the LEFT shoe. As the stars LEFT the sky, they went RIGHT out the door and down the street.

When the shoemaker awoke, he went RIGHT to his shop, where he found the most perfect pair of shoes he had ever seen. He sold them for a good price and immediately paid all his bills. He used the money that was LEFT to buy some more leather.

After the shoemaker had gone to bed, the elves arrived again. They went RIGHT to work making the RIGHT shoes. They cut them just RIGHT and sewed them just RIGHT; then using the leather that was LEFT, they made the LEFT shoes. Just before the sun came up RIGHT over the mountains, the elves LEFT.

When the shoemaker awoke, he went RIGHT to his shop and found the beautiful shoes. He sold them and bought more leather. He LEFT the leather on his workbench and went to bed. The elves arrived again. This went on for many nights and the shoemaker became a RIGHT wealthy man.

One night the shoemaker and his wife decided to hide in the shop to see who was making the shoes. As soon as the sun LEFT the sky, the elves arrived RIGHT through the door and began to work. The couple happily watched the elves. The elves LEFT and the shoemaker and his wife decided to do something nice for them.

They got RIGHT to work making clothes just the RIGHT size for the elves. They LEFT them RIGHT where they had LEFT the leather before, and hid RIGHT where they hidden the night before. Just as the sun LEFT the sky, the elves arrived RIGHT through the door, and were surprised to find clothes that were LEFT RIGHT where the leather had been LEFT the night RIGHT before. They tried on their clothes RIGHT on and they fit just RIGHT. RIGHT then the sun rose and they LEFT RIGHT away.