A girl served on a farm where there was a nisse. This nisse was a good-natured kind of creature and would gladly do everyone all possible manner of favours. Thus, for a long time he had given the girl a hand with little tasks about the kitchen so that she never had to wash pots or plates, but simply put them on the chimney breast in the evening and found them again clean in the morning. In gratitude to her little helper, she decided to honour him. One Christmas Eve, she put in the kitchen, next to the usual Christmas porridge, a small garment that would just about suit her favourite, as well as a mirror in which he could gaze upon his new finery. She hid herself, to see how he would behave when he – whose dress was otherwise very ragged – beheld the glory of his appearance. The evening came, and after completing his meal the nisse made his toilet. With the help of the mirror he regarded his figure with pleasure. Then, ignoring his usual work, he exclaimed at last: “No, now you are far too handsome to wash pots.” The girl never saw him again!
— Morgenbladet. Kristiania, 1823-04-01.
This is a very early written account of the nisse.