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20002.0218880 is your passport number
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20002 is the item number
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02 indicates the Laafs have traveled to America
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18880 is the unique limited edition number of the specific piece
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Should
a Laaf become sick or break an arm, he can be sent to the Laaf Hosipital
where he will recieve proper care and fully recover.
Each
Laaf can be insured against theft or other mishaps. |
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Each Laaf carries these
symbols that authenticates it as genuine. |
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The History of the People of Laaf
Written by:Ton van der Ven Creative director of "de Efteling"
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Once upon a time....long, long ago, the
peace-loving Laafs lived in a land that was heaven on earth. This land was
located somewhere above the North Pole, where the Laps now live.
In that time, the North Pole was delightfully
warm and the Laafs lived outdoors, not needing to build houses for shelter. Wild
goats wandered the hillside and provided the Laafs with milk and cheese. Fruits
and berries grew in abundance and streams of clear, cool water flowed across the
countryside of the Laafs. It was truly the land of milk and honey. The Laafs all
share the same mother and father.
Father Laaf, patriarch of the clan married
Mother Lot. Mother Lot is a
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very
important person to the Laafs; not just because she is their mother, but
because she also gives all Laafs their immortality. The Laafs are very
remarkable folk, but when they grow old, they run out of steam. When this
happens, the Laaf must go to Mother Lot who then gives the Laaf some of
her steam. The Laaf is rejuvenated by this steam and can then begin life
anew. |
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Father
Laaf was the first to run out of steam. This happened at a time when the
earth was growing cold. Gradually, the North Pole became covered with ice,
as we know it today. The cold turned some of them into a frightful blue
color. Father Laaf realized that although a Laaf is a strong creature,
temperatures below zero could kill them, so he came up with a solution.
The Laafs would dig deep into the earth to where the hot lava bubbled.
When
the Laafs had accomplished this task, Mother Lot gathered all of her Laafs
who were still above ground and brought them down into the warm safety of
the earth. But Father Laaf did not realize that Mother Lot had already
gone below. He thought she was still above ground gathering her children. |
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As he
searched for his wife and children, the temperature dropped to a
breathtaking 60 below zero. Realizing that Mother Lot must have gone
below, he stumbled towards the hole in the earth, but it was too late and
he became a victim of the cold just inches before reaching his
destination. The Laafs retrieved their frozen father and began the
underground journey that would last for thousands of years. Little is
known about the travels of the Laafs below. From time to time, they would
burrow to the earth's surface to take a look at the world above, but they
could never find a place that appealed to them. Everywhere the Laafs poked
a hole in the surface to peek out, a stream of molten lava would come
gushing out. Soon there were mountains of lava, which today we call
volcanoes, dotting the entire world. |
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One day, in the year 1989, the Laafs heard
cheerful music and laughter coming from the surface above them. They had
tunneled below a place called the Efteling in the Netherlands. The Efteling is
one of Europe's oldest and most attractive theme parks. The Laafs decided to
investigate the source of the music and made their tunnel to the surface. When
they saw the beauty and the colors of the Efteling, the Laafs knew they had
finally found a place where they could be happy again.
The Laafs have enjoyed living in the Efteling.
There is always something to see and do. From their hiding places, they listen
to the stories of the visitors in the park. Some of these visitors come from
nearby villages or towns, while others are from very far away.
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The Laafs,
who listen to tales from far away lands have become curious and eager for
adventure. They long to see places beyond the boundaries of the
Efteling. Mother Lot, always sympathetic to the feelings of her children,
is allowing some of her children to now travel to places such as the
United States in order to find new adventures. Mother Lot will check on
the progress of her children from time to time and asks all who see them
to be kind; they have so much to learn after all those years spent
underground. |
With
thanks to the Efteling for providing the above text on the history of the Laafs.
© 1990 de Efteling © 1990 NIOP
De
Efteling® and the Laaf People ® are registered trademarks of: De Efteling
B.V.Europalaan 1, 5170 AA Kaatsheuvel,Netherlands
Browse and purchase from the collection of "Laff by Efteling"
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BIOGRAPHY:
Ton
van de Ven (1944) began his career at the Efteling in the 1960s. For a
long time he worked closely with the famous illustrator Anton Pieck, one
of the founders of the famous amusement park in Kaatsheuvel. When in 1974,
at and old age, Anton Pieck assumed a more advisory role, van de Ven
officially picked up the baton. From that moment on, as Creative Director,
he has been large responsible for the face of the Efteling. This resulted
in a number of unique and internationally appriciated attractions, such as
the Spookslot (Ghostcastle), Fata Morgana, Droomvlucht (Dream Flight),
Villa Volta, Vogel Rok (Roc Bird) and The Laaf People. For the last
attraction he not made the sketches and designs, but also wrote fairy
tale. Since 1990 visitors to the park have been able to have a stroll
through Lavenlaar, the village of the Laafs in the Efteling. |
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