I det gamle, koselige barnehjemmet, verstev kuperte snødekkede furutrær.

In the old, cozy orphanage, towering snow-covered pine trees stood around.

Barna samlet seg ofte i den varme stuen, hvor en sprakende peis og myke tepper ga trøst og trygghet.

The children often gathered in the warm living room, where a crackling fireplace and soft blankets provided comfort and safety.

En kald vintermorgen, mens snøfnugg dalte stille ned utenfor, tenkte Sigrid på vennene sine, Lars og Ingrid.

One cold winter morning, as snowflakes gently fell outside, Sigrid thought about her friends, Lars and Ingrid.

Valentine’s Day var nært, og Sigrids hjerte var fylt med et ønske om å gjøre noe spesielt.

Valentine's Day was near, and Sigrid's heart was filled with a desire to do something special.

Sigrid var en 12 år gammel jente med et stort, varmt hjerte.

Sigrid was a 12-year-old girl with a big, warm heart.

Hun så alltid det gode i menneskene rundt seg, og ønsket å vise Lars og Ingrid hvor mye de betydde for henne.

She always saw the good in the people around her and wanted to show Lars and Ingrid how much they meant to her.

Men det fantes et problem.

But there was a problem.

Sigrid hadde bare noen få mynter, ikke nok til å kjøpe de flotte gavebutikk-gavene hun drømte om.

Sigrid had only a few coins, not enough to buy the fancy gift shop presents she dreamed of.

Hun satte seg ned ved det lille skrivebordet sitt, omgitt av fargede papirbiter og litt lim.

She sat down at her small desk, surrounded by colored paper pieces and some glue.

"Hva kan jeg gjøre?

"What can I do?"

" mumlet hun stille for seg selv mens hun så på de få pengene hun hadde.

she murmured softly to herself as she looked at the little money she had.

Men så slo det henne – hjertelige gaver trenger ikke å være kjøpt.

But then it struck her - heartfelt gifts don't have to be bought.

De kunne være laget med kjærlighet og omtanke.

They could be made with love and care.

Sigrid samlet noen gamle magasiner og begynte å klippe ut fine bilder og fargerike mønstre.

Sigrid gathered some old magazines and began cutting out pretty pictures and colorful patterns.

Hun fant et stykke rødt bånd som en gang hadde vært en julegavepynt.

She found a piece of red ribbon that had once been a Christmas decoration.

Med omhu laget hun kort.

Carefully, she made cards.

Hvert kort ble fylt med en liten notis, skrevet med skjønnskrift: "Du er viktig for meg.

Each card was filled with a small note, written in beautiful handwriting: "You are important to me."

"Dagen før Valentine’s Day, mens barna lekte ute i snøen, satt Sigrid ved peisen og fullførte gavene.

The day before Valentine's Day, while the children played outside in the snow, Sigrid sat by the fireplace and finished the gifts.

Nå gjensto bare å se om vennene hennes ville forstå tanken bak gavene.

Now it only remained to see if her friends would understand the thought behind the gifts.

Hun var både spent og nervøs.

She was both excited and nervous.

Næste morgen samlet barna seg i stuen.

The next morning, the children gathered in the living room.

Mens frokostlukt fra kjøkkenet fylte rommet, delte hun kortene.

As the scent of breakfast from the kitchen filled the room, she handed out the cards.

"Dette er til deg, Lars," sa hun med et smil.

"This is for you, Lars," she said with a smile.

"Og Ingrid, denne er til deg.

"And Ingrid, this one is for you."

"Lars og Ingrid åpnet kortene forsiktig.

Lars and Ingrid carefully opened the cards.

De leste Sigrids omsorgsfulle ord, og så opp på henne med glitrende øyne.

They read Sigrid's caring words and looked up at her with sparkling eyes.

"Tusen takk, Sigrid," sa Ingrid med en rørt stemme.

"Thank you so much, Sigrid," said Ingrid in an emotional voice.

"Jeg har aldri fått noe så fint.

"I have never received anything so nice."

"Lars la armen rundt Sigrids skuldre.

Lars put his arm around Sigrid's shoulders.

"Det er de beste gavene jeg har fått," erklærte han.

"These are the best gifts I've received," he declared.

Sigrid kjente en bølge av glede.

Sigrid felt a wave of joy.

Med et enkelt kort og litt rød tråd hadde hun vist vennene sine hvor mye hun brydde seg.

With a simple card and a bit of red thread, she had shown her friends how much she cared.

Hun lærte at det mest verdifulle hun kunne gi, var omtanke og tid.

She learned that the most valuable thing she could give was thoughtfulness and time.

De snakket og lo hele dagen, med en ny forståelse for hva kjernefamilien deres på barnehjemmet betydde.

They talked and laughed all day, with a new understanding of what their orphanage family meant.

Orkesteret av vennskap var sterkere enn noen gang, og Sigrid visste at kjærlighet ikke kunne måles i penger, men i gestene vi deler.

The orchestra of friendship was stronger than ever, and Sigrid knew that love could not be measured in money, but in the gestures we share.