by Megan Bundy/Staff Writer

The Christmas Riddle 

Photo Link: https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/footprint-horseshoe-snow_26228376.htm

I remember waking up in the early morning on December 25th, Christmas Day, and not hearing anything. No creature was stirring, not even a mouse, which was unusual in our rather busy house. I creaked open the door and carefully tiptoed out of my room, making sure not to disturb my parents and brothers, who at the time I assumed they were still sleeping. I peeked over the stair railing and saw it—the bright, glimmering Christmas tree, and below it a few presents just for me.

I excitedly called out at the sight before shutting my mouth with blight, whipping around carefully to see if anyone had heard my cry. But no one had stirred in response, which left me with a feeling of unease. Had they been particularly sleepy this morning? I would find out later, I thought, and with mischief I scampered down the stairs to the tree, smiling at the beauty with glee. I waited for a moment to see if any noise had come from my parents’ room, and when none had I grabbed a shiny red present and sat down. I shook it carefully, hearing a jingling of bells inside. I gave it a strange look, shook it again, and decided to open it.

My hands carefully unwrapped the bow on the present, and I set it aside to rip off the wrapping paper. After I tore it off, which the tearing of the paper was quite loud, I stopped for a minute to listen for someone, but no sound came. I looked back at the present and opened the box, seeing a pair of silver jingle bells on the bottom. They ringed again, causing me to pick them up and look at the note on the side. The note read “To find the greatest gift of all, bring these jingle bells to a one-horse open sleigh, and complete all the tasks given to you before the light of day.”

My curiosity was piqued, so I went off upstairs to grab my boots, gloves and coat, nearly knocking into my toy wooden boat. I slipped them all on and ran back downstairs again, exiting from my front door. The grandfather clock down the hall had read exactly 5:00 AM, and the sun would not be rising for at least another hour. I was determined to find the greatest gift, and I would have to use all my grit. I carefully stepped down the porch steps and walked down towards my neighborhood sidewalk, careful not to talk.

I searched around town for a one-horse open sleigh. I had found a two-horse open sleigh and even one with three, but I hadn’t found one until I saw a tree. Beside it was the sleigh I had been looking for! I raced for it happily, but saw nothing inside or beside it until I noticed a note. I grabbed it and read it, and it said “Ride back home quickly with the sleigh, and deck the halls of your rather bland abode.” I gave the note a weird look, thinking that my home must be already gorgeous enough for the holidays, but I hopped on the sleigh seat and waited for the horse to take me home. With a neigh it started off on its way.

When I had arrived back home, I thanked the horse for the ride and ran inside and through the house to our garage, looking around for a big, cardboard box with a ton of Christmas decor inside. I picked out garlands and extra little toys and trinkets to place around. I found it so strange how no one in my family had taken time this year to decorate abound. I thought that maybe the reason was from all the work my parents have been doing this season.

I carefully decorated the stair railing with green garlands with red bows and added the Christmas village to our entertainment center. I hung up some more lights around home, hoping to raise the Christmas spirit and get closer to completing my tasks. After I was done, I let out a contented sigh, but wondering if the notes were just a lie. No other note or sign had been given to me, and I was left without glee without my family’s company.

“I wish my family was here with me right now,” I told myself, sadness filling my heart. For the first time in a while, I realized how much I missed them when they weren’t around. I felt so alone. Then, the grandfather clock down the hall had chimed 6:00 AM and I saw a slimmer of sunlight appearing over the horizon out the window. Grumbly, I stumbled back up the stairs to my room, quickly falling asleep on my bed.

—

I woke up, some sunlight streaming through my window. I rubbed my eyes and looked outside again, seeing lots of snowfall outside with some barely noticeable horseshoe prints on the snow. Excitedly, I remembered that it was Christmas morning, and saw that it was 8:00 AM on the alarm clock next to my bed. I jumped out of bed, racing back to the stairs, but stopped at the top suddenly.

“Mom? Dad?” I called out, walking downstairs and looking around. I called out for my brothers as well, but to no response. Disappointed, I walked back over to the tree, noticing how there were more presents than earlier this morning. A small one, tucked away, caught my attention. I kneeled down and saw that it was for me, ripping it open. Inside was another note. It read “You already have the greatest gift of all.”

As soon as I finished reading the note, I heard my family open their bedroom doors and come downstairs excitedly. I turned around and smiled at their presence. 

“You’re already up!” my brother commented.

I shrugged. “I’ve been up. I went all over town trying to find the greatest Christmas gift of all!”

My dad gave me a strange look. “What do you mean? We would’ve known if you had left the house, silly. You were sound asleep this morning for sure, unless you jumped from your window!”

I tried to process this for a moment. I then concluded that I must’ve been dreaming of my adventure this morning, since finding a random horse with a sleigh by a tree would’ve been pretty strange. However, it didn’t explain the horseshoe prints this morning or the notes. I shrugged it off. “I guess I must’ve been dreaming of it!”

My whole family laughed with me about the idea, and I felt truly warm and happy the first time this holiday season.

“Let’s open up these presents!” My mom exclaimed. We all gathered around, laughing and talking, and I continued to feel the warmth in my heart, realizing that it isn’t all about the presents, the decorations, or the mood you were in. I truly did have the greatest gift of all—a loving family, just for me.

by Esther Bell/Staff Writer

Photo Source: https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2020/12/17/dol-takes-critical-view-of-santas-workshop/

I’m dreaming about reindeer with candy-cane horns when I am awoken by the sound of sleigh bells. My eyes pop open and I feel a smile take shape on my face. I can smell cinnamon in the air, and look out the window to see snow falling gently from the sky. Already I can feel excitement flow through me when I imagine the full day ahead of me. Honestly, it’s hard not to be excited when you’re one of Santa’s elves.

I hear my siblings, too many of them to count, getting ready in the next room. I put on my favorite red dress, eat some snickerdoodles for breakfast, then leave my room to join them in the hallway.

“Alright, listen up,” my sister Kyla, the leader of my group, says. “Santa needs 900 toy cars ready ASAP. Today, we’re doing red pickup trucks. Let’s get to work!” She turns abruptly, then leads us single-file to a large, colorful building that sits at the very center of our small town in the North Pole. We call it Santa’s Workshop.

Inside, hundreds of elves are already hard at work. I can hardly keep track of what everyone is doing. It’s always loud here, with everyone bustling about, little hammers tapping at a wide assortment of things, elves calling out greetings to each other.

Before I know it, we’ve arrived at our work table, and little pickup trucks are already being passed down to me. I am the painter of our group, so I make sure that every inch of every toy is painted, every stroke of my brush gentle and meticulous. It’s something I adore doing. After I and the other painters are done with our toys, they are placed neatly in a large pile to be inspected later today.

By the time the sleigh bells ring again, announcing lunchtime, we’ve finished 572 toy cars. Everyone stops what they’re doing, and we stream out the big wooden doors. As I approach the picnic tables that sit just outside the workshop, I see my brother Jack, and walk over to him.

“Hello!” he says brightly to me. “What are you working on today?”

“Little red pickup trucks,” I reply, and sit down at a table. “How about you?”

Jack plops himself down next to me. “Santa is having us bake gingerbread cookies for everyone as a special treat,” he says, smiling. “We’ve even decided to put everybody’s names on them. He gave us a list so we didn’t forget a single person.”

I smile back at him, then begin my lunch. We chat for a while, and soon have a large group of friends sitting around us. Eventually, we hear the bells chime again, and return to our separate tasks. I get back to work, and in no time, my group has made 900 cars.

Now comes the best part, when Santa himself arrives to inspect our creations. It’s my favorite part of every day. I hear his jolly laugh, and wait impatiently, as I always do, beside our stack of trucks, watching him in his bright red suit as he encourages the other elves on their work, calling each of them by name. I don’t know how he finds time every day to do this, but I love it.

Soon enough, Santa reaches the end of our table. He picks up one of our cars, looks at it carefully, turning it over in his hands, then turns his twinkling eyes to me. He smiles warmly. “Well done, Layni,” he says, and I can’t help beaming with pride. “It’s perfect.” He winks at me, then moves on to the next elf.

As I lie in my bed later, looking out my window at the bright, shining stars above, I smile, tucking away another amazing day into my memory to never forget, and drift off to sleep.

by Janna Hopper

Photo/Clip Art: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q7BeUVobKxD_K1wvboSzlfMCZb2dzWAb_ts9iDbtSiE/edit?disco=AAAAlC8RXo8

“Tinsel! Where in the bottom of St. Nick’s cuppa cocoa is your hat?” I wince apprehensively and stop in front of Jolly’s (my boss) office. I don’t know who named him Jolly, but I would count it as a mistake. His thick eyebrows and perpetual frown have never made him come across as the friendly type. It sure doesn’t help that he always seems to catch me with my hat off.

“I uh- I lost it, sir,” I lie. Truth is, I can’t stand the way the scratchy wool never fits over my ears properly and the stupid bell on the end never stops ringing. I hope the mice under the cupboard enjoy their new sleeping bag.

“Lost it? Again?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Fine, fine. I really don’t have time for this anyhow,” he grumbles, waving his hand at me dismissively. I really should take my cue and scurry on out of here before he changes his mind. But spending the rest of the day at my cubicle answering calls about Amazon delays isn’t all that enticing.

“Is something wrong, sir?” I pry innocently. Jolly glares up at me from his desk. Then he sighs and rubs his temples, looking worn out.

“Have you ever done any field work, Tinsel?”

“Yes, sir.” He nods slowly as the memory surfaces.

“That’s right… you were a shelf elf once, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” I agree nervously, shuffling my feet. He watches me for a few more moments before tossing me a bundle of papers.

“Good. I need you to report to mission control. One of our field agents needs backup, but everyone else is occupied with Christmas coming up so soon. Go on now, make yourself useful. Or I will have to report you for your missing hat again.”

“Thank you, sir!” I clutch the bundle of papers and rush down the halls towards mission control. A few of the other elves give me odd looks, but everyone is so frantic with preparations that no one can be bothered to stop and ask me what is happening.

At last I make it into the control room. I have missed this place. Its shimmering glass pipes transporting letters from here to there, brass machinery whirring away. Polished mahogany floors and skylights high in the ceiling. Elves work at stations all over the room, rushing about to share notes and request assistance. I used to work here. Spend my time watching for updates and then grab my suit and rush out the moment I was needed. Of course, that was before the whole incident.

“Tinsel? Is that you?” The incredulous voice comes from my left and I turn to face Carol, my old partner that would relay me information from here in mission control.

“Hey, Carol,” I greet, feeling a little shy and awkward being back here again. She doesn’t seem to care, as she rushes over and yanks me into a hug.

“I’ve missed you so much!”

“Careful,” I gasp. “You might rip the papers.” She pulls away and I offer up the bundle Jolly gave me. Carol opens and quickly reads it. By the time she is finished, her eyes are wide.

“This is serious,” she remarks. She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the far end of the room. A few heads turn our way, one in particular that I had been hoping to avoid. The hunking idiot by the name of Fruitcake. Just like that traditional food, he is hard to deal with and never seems to go away.

“Hey, babe! Miss me much?” Fuming, I try to turn around and face him, likely with my fists. Only Carol’s gentle hand stops me.

“Easy there, redhead. Fruitcake is trying to get you to react, remember? He still hasn’t got it through to his head that we control girls would rather deck him than have a chat over cocoa.”

“I’m not a control girl anymore,” I murmur. Carol places a hand on my shoulder and smiles.

“Don’t be silly, Tinsel. Once a field agent, always a field agent. That’s just how it is.” I grin and follow Carol to the pods, ignoring Fruitcake’s remarks about girls in the workplace. How he ever managed to get hired in the workshop is beyond me.

As I change into a suit and put on the proper gear, Carol prepares the pod and explains the mission to me.

“An agent named Jingle reported having a bit of trouble with his host family a few days back. Since then, he has dropped off the grid. We need you to go in and see what has happened, getting him out of there if you have to. Be on the lookout, though. I hear that part of the problem he was having is that the kids in this house are quite grabby. You don’t want the humans to touch you. Though I don’t have to remind you about that, do I?”

“I haven’t completely lost my touch,” I laugh. Carol helps me get my communicator connected and double checks that it is working. Then I am ready to go, black belt packed with gadgets and the pod fueled with its destination set.

“Good luck,” Carol tells me as she gives me one last hug. “Ring me up the moment you need something, okay?”

“Okay.” She steps back and the door to the pod slides closed. I strap myself into its singular seat and hold on tight as it launches into the air. I feel it picking up speed, flying higher and higher into the air, before the elven techno-magic kicks in. With a hiss, the door opens once again and allows me to jump into the cold night above a sleeping neighborhood. I love travel magic. Imagine having to sit through the seven hour flight needed to get here from the north pole!

The cold air stings my face as I fall, limbs spread to slow my descent. I locate the house I have been directed to and pull my parachute when I am over it. With a gentle bump, I land on the window sill and peer in through the glass as I clean up my chute. A large Christmas tree is situated in the corner of the living room. The house is glowing softly with cheerful lights and little paper snowflakes hang from the ceiling.

I pull a small, snowflake shaped disk from my belt. Attaching it to the window, I lean forward and whisper the password into its tiny microphone.

“Snow light, snow bright, let me in this house tonight.” The device shimmers and lets out a pulse. The glass ripples and I quickly step through like it is made of water. Once inside, I deactivate the disk and it falls from the window, giving me just enough time to grab it before the glass returns to normal.

I turn and scan the living room for possible problems. There is a cat tree in one corner, but blessedly no dog bed or toys. A bookshelf nearby holds lots of picture frames and bobbles. I am just about to jump to the ground and go searching for our missing elf when I hear a noise.

“Psst! Hey! Over here!” Peeking out from behind a picture of a family with three young kids is an elf wearing the classic red suit of a shelf elf. He waves at me and I use a grappling hook to quickly join him on the shelf.

“Agent Jingle?” I whisper. He nods vigorously, glancing around the room like he is worried about being caught.

“That’s me.”

“I’m ag- er. Tinsel.”

“Not an agent?” He looks at me curiously.

“I was an agent, at one point. But that’s not important. Why haven’t you been checking in? HQ is getting worried and mission control is in a panic because all the other agents are on assignment.”

“Oh yeah.” Jingle suddenly looks nervous, fearful even. “I’ve been trying to put myself in harder to reach places where the kids can’t reach me. No matter how many times their parents tell them not to, they keep trying. So I was high up on a shelf a few mornings ago. The oldest kid found me pretty quick and started trying to get me. The next youngest told him to stop and they got into a fight. They bumped the shelf and because they were so close, I couldn’t move, and… well…” It is then that I notice the bandage wrapped around his right leg. He reaches into a pocket and shows me the shattered remains of his communicator with a strained smile.

“I’m so sorry…” I murmur. His only response is a shrug. “I’ll go call this in, alright?” I walk a little ways away and lean against a dusty photo album while Jingle keeps watch. I use my communicator to reach Carol and she picks up after only a minute or so.

“Everything okay, Tin?”

“I’ve found Jingle. You were right, the kids here play rough. His communications equipment is broken and he’s been injured.”

“Then the two of you need to get back to HQ.”

“How should we do that?”

“I can have a pod sent your way. Should arrive in about a half hour or so.”

“Understood.” After cutting the transmission, I turn and walk back over to Jingle. “Mission control is sending transport our way. We shouldn’t have to wait for long.” I sit down next to him with a sigh, observing the quiet house.

“So Tinsel… how is it that you were once an agent? What happened?” I consider not answering his question. But it’s hardly a secret and he seems to be genuinely curious about it.

“I was a field agent assigned to a family of four,” I begin softly. “I know we are not supposed to get attached, but I loved those kids. They were so sweet and careful around me. However, they had an older cousin who wasn’t nearly so good. She came to visit a week before Christmas. She kept taunting them for believing that I was real, kept trying to destroy their Christmas spirit. Then one day she tried to grab me to prove her point. They did their best to protect me, but she was much older than them. And I did the one thing a field agent is never supposed to do.”

“You moved,” Jingle whispered, sounding somewhat awed.

“I couldn’t let her break their hearts like that. So yes, I moved when they could see. Not only to avoid the cousin, but so they would still believe. We didn’t have the same tech as we do now; there was no way to fix it. I went back to HQ that Christmas and was placed in a cubicle almost straight away.”

“I can’t even imagine.”

“It wasn’t ideal.” I turn and smile at him. “But it was worth it.” He is about to respond when we are interrupted by a new voice entering the room.

“Mr. Elfyyy! Where aaaaare youuuuu?” Comes a sing-song whisper as a small figure appears before the shelf. Jingle goes pale, moving as far from the edge of the shelf as quietly as he possibly can. The kid keeps searching, trying to coax Jingle out of hiding.

I check my watch. We still have a good ten minutes before our pod arrives. And we need to get outside to meet it. I silently walk over and help Jingle to his feet, lending my support as best I can. We make it to the far side of the bookshelf nearest to the window. From there, it would be a simple matter of using my grappling hook again to swing us over to the window sill. If not for the kid still searching the room.

I wait for as long as I can, until the kid is far enough away. I pull out my grappling hook and take aim. Before I can pull the trigger, a clatter comes from behind us. The kid is back by the bookshelf, knocking photos out of the way in search of us. We back as far into the corner as we can. It isn’t enough. The kid is getting closer.

“Seven minutes until pod arrival,” a soft mechanical voice warns in my ear. Time to stop thinking and start acting. I press my grappling hook into Jingle’s hand. Then I run a few steps and roll away from his position. Just as I had hoped, the kid notices the movement and turns towards me instead. Grubby fingers search for me around the frame I crouch behind. Taking careful aim, I throw my snowflake-like device as hard as I can. It hits the window perfectly and emits its silent pulse.

Jingle looks at the window, then turns back to me. I gesture frantically for him to get out of here, but he shakes his head, refusing to leave. I huff with frustration and try to come up with a plan of action when the kids fingers finally brush against my arm.

The whole thing about elve’s losing their magic if you touch them is a myth. We don’t personally have magic, just a bunch of highly advanced technology (though we do borrow Christmas magic sometimes; don’t even get me started on the reindeer). Something does happen when we are touched by humans, though. We suddenly go limp, unable to move. I don’t know why, probably some ancient defense mechanism from the days before we worked for Santa Claus. So the moment the kid touches me, I collapse into a heap. No matter how I struggle, I can’t move as the kid reaches out to pull me from my hiding place.

“Tinsel!” I hear Jingle shout. Then something runs into me from behind. Jingle and I collide with the frame that has been hiding me and go flying off the edge of the shelf. An arm wraps around me with an iron grip and with a jolt we are zipping up towards the window on the cable of my grappling hook. Our landing on the window sill is far less graceful, more of a crash than a landing really. By now the kid is watching us in shocked silence with wide eyes.

“Second pouch from the left,” I manage to rasp, still unable to move. Jingle, understanding what I mean, reaches into my belt and pulls out a small orb. He swiftly pushes the red button on the top and tosses it into the room. A glittering golden gas spews from it. I hold my breath as he scoops me up and hobbles through the shimmering window. He even remembers to grab the small disk afterwards.

“Well that was eventful,” Jingle remarks as we watch the gas fill the room. It will clear after a minute or two and the kid will remember nothing from the past ten minutes. If only this had been invented back when I was in the field.

“Most fun I’ve had in a while,” I laugh, the feeling starting to return to my fingers. Jingle props me up against the window and then sits down next to me. We stare up at the sky as a dark pod falls towards us, ready to take us home.

“You handled yourself well in there,” he compliments. I smile brightly and he grins back.

“Thanks. I’ve missed this.”

“Well. This mission was such a success. Maybe we can fix that.”

“You think?” I question breathlessly.

“You fearlessly threw yourself into the fray to save a wounded agent. I couldn’t think of anyone better to be on the force, Tinsel.” I don’t know what to say as the door to the pod opens. When he helps me to my feet, I don’t know who is supporting whom as we stumble into the transport. Belatedly, I turn my communicator back on.

“All ready and aboard, Carol.”

“Good work, Tin. Everything go smoothly?” I glance over at Jingle and exchange a smile.

“Pretty much.”

“Wonderful. Hold on to your hats, guys! Time to get the two of you home.”

THE END.

by Kyler Rhoades/Staff Writer

Santa Claus was passed out cold on her fireplace, and Olivia was beginning to regret coming downstairs for a snack. She was in shock, and also a little frightened. Was Santa Claus really in her house? She stopped believing in Santa years ago, but after this, realized that she had been wrong all this time. Unsure of what to do, Olivia tapped on his shoulder. At first, it did no good. Santa was out cold, perhaps tired from all the trips he had been making around the globe. It was three in the morning, and he surely had more places to go. Olivia, still unsure of what to do, started pacing the room. She ventured over to the kitchen, and spotted that the cookies and milk left for him by her little sister hadn’t been touched. Still hungry, she decided to take one of the cookies for herself to enjoy. As she reached for a cookie, she heard a voice, “Ah, taking my snack I see.” 

Olivia quickly turned around, and saw Santa Claus. He wasn’t very tall, had a white beard, and looked almost identical to how you see him portrayed. “Uhm, well, I was a little hungry myself,” Olivia said, startled. Santa laughed, “Oh it’s alright. As a matter of fact, I’m starting to get a little full. Billions of cookies will do that to you.” They began to have a conversation, and Olivia asked a question that Santa loved, “You deliver all of these people presents, but you get nothing in return, what would you want for Christmas?” 

Santa smiled, “Seeing the joy on each and every one of the kids’ faces is enough for me.” After a few minutes of talking, Santa told her he had to go, and for her to keep this interaction their secret. He snapped his fingers, and up the chimney, he vanished. 

Several hours later, Olivia and her family gathered in the living room, ready to open presents. Olivia’s little sister, Madison, noticed a present that she hadn’t seen before. No label on it, nothing. Her parents, also a little confused, told her to open it. There was a note inside, with a riddle on it. The riddle insinuated that it will lead the person reading it to the greatest gift of all. The family then started their journey to find this present. The riddle read, “If a lion had a Christmas music album, what would it be called?” They immediately wondered what they could possibly do which would lead them to the gift. The family all agreed that the riddle seemed very hard to figure out, and how they could possibly use it to find this gift. Then, Olivia remembered, during her conversation with Santa hours prior, in response to him asking what they’d be doing to celebrate Christmas, she noted that she and her family were potentially going to go to the zoo, as it was something her little sister had been begging her parents to do. Unfortunately, her parents tried to buy tickets to go and see the lights, and a fireworks display, but it was sold out. After the conversation she had with Santa resparked in her mind, she said, “The zoo!” Her parents thought it made sense as well, since it said something about a lion in the riddle.

Looking around their home, they looked for more clues; that’s when Madison discovered something stamped on the “Jingle Bells” record they had, which they always listened to on their record player this time of year. Jingle was crossed out, and it instead said, “Jungle Bells!” Madison lifted up the record to discover four tickets to the zoo. Filled with excitement, Olivia, along with the rest of her family, knew one thing was for sure: Santa Claus is real.

by Ben Brunsting/Staff Writer

Santa Claus was passed out cold on her fireplace, and Olivia was beginning to regret coming downstairs for a snack. The large man groaned softly but didn’t move and inch. He just remained still at the base of the fireplace. Olivia couldn’t help but let her curiosity get the better of her and tip-toed over to Mr. Clause with the subtlety of an assassin. As she got closer she started to notice more and more details about Santa, Such as his large sack of presents being almost bottomless with colors not even the rainbow has. She discarded the thought of peeking at the presents and continued tip-toeing towards Santa.

 When she finally reached him she got a good look at his face for the first time. His nose and cheeks were red as in the stories, his mouth surrounded by a forest of white hair. There appeared to be no damage to Santa besides the fact that his hat had fallen off. She sneakily grabbed his hat from next to him and tapped on his cheek in an attempt to wake him up. At first there was nothing but groaning but as the presses on his cheeks got harder from her impatience, he began showing signs of waking up. He wrinkled his nose and said, “Please… honey, five more minutes,” in a low voice.

Finally Oliva spoke and said, “Are you talking about Mrs. Claus?”

Her voice surprised Saint Nick and he awoke with a start. His eyes darted around the room to figure out where he was. At first he looked around panicked until he saw his presents. He grabbed the bag and resumed looking around Olivia’s living room until his eyes settled on Olivia holding his hat out in offering. Santa calmed and let out a loud sigh. He accepted his hat from Olivia and stood up. 

“Why, hello there, Olivia, I apologize for waking you.” He spoke softly with a large smile on his face.

“Don’t worry, Santa I was already awake,” she corrected. “I was coming down to get a snack and saw you on the floor.” Her eyes glowed with curiosity while staring at the jolly fat man. 

“Well, that’s good.” He chuckled. “I am sorry, though, it made you worry about my well-being.”

“Are you ok, Santa?” she questioned, her face souring.

“I am in tip top shape, my dear,” he reassured. “Just watch.” He began to wave his hand and light came out and took the cookies and milk Olivia had left out straight to Santa. He took a large bite and a swig to match. After his drink he let out a loud sigh. The light then took care of all of the soot that came out of the chimney upon his descent. Olivia giggled as the light twirled around her and she attempted to spin to follow it. Santa also laughed at the child’s actions and grabbed her so as to stop her. They both laughed and fell to the ground to stop the dizziness. 

As their laughter died down Santa rolled up his sleeve and took a long look at his watch. He sighed and spoke to Olivia. “I’m sorry, my dear, but I must be going. I have many more houses to get to.” 

Olivia looked at him and frowned, but still she nodded in acceptance. Santa patted her on the head and smiled, “I’m glad you understand. now hurry on upstairs so I can put your present under the tree.” She smiled once again and hugged Santa. 

“Will you be back again next year?” she asked.

“Of course, Olivia, I’ll always come back,” he reassured me.

As Olivia looked back one more time while meandering up the stairs Santa waved one more time and said goodbye. She went halfway up the stairs and came back down to see if he had left. When she peeked again he was gone and a new present was under the tree. She smiled and returned to her room and collapsed on her bed. She slid the covers back on top of her and shut her eyes hoping to awaken next on Christmas morning.

Website: https://www.fulcrumgallery.com/Marcello-Corti/Santa-asleep-in-Chair_955946.htm

by Tyler Young/Staff Writer

Dear Journal,

My name is Stevie, and I will be writing in this journal to describe my day. Now, I started this journal on December 20. It’s only a few days before Christmas! But for an elf, these last days before Christmas are hard.

First, my morning starts like this. I work the night shift for Santa at the North Pole and end my shift at 11:00 p.m. Then I drive my toy car (not life size) back to my little gingerbread house with my wife sleeping in our bed. I crawl into bed and sleep until about 7:30 a.m. My wife usually wakes me up and from there I get out of bed and go to the bathroom. 

Now, us elves are not humans. We don’t use soap when we shower, instead we use maple syrup. Elf skin is not like human skin. We take the maple syrup and use it like soap, but it keeps us smelling great and looking great. Then, I brush my teeth. Normal right? Wrong! We don’t use toothpaste like humans. Us elves suck on a candy cane. It’s practically the same thing. It keeps our mouths minty fresh. I finish up in the bathroom and head to the kitchen. 

My wife is usually kind enough to make me breakfast, but sometimes I do it myself. Today though she prepared me my favorite. She made me a birthday cake, Christmas cookies, an apple, and chocolate milk Now you might be thinking that this is unhealthy. But for elves this covers the main food group. That particular food group is “Happy Food” and us elves live off of Happy foods so it’s good for us.

Once I finish my breakfast and my bathroom routine, it is roughly 8:00 a.m. So I use the day to my best advantage but also not wear myself out. 

Next things next, I sit in my work chair and start ordering toy supplies that I might need for the week in case something comes in late or something is destroyed. But before I do that, I have to review the wishlists that I have been assigned for the week, what supplies I need, and when I need to get those toys assembled. I make myself a list of supplies and order the supplies to my workspace back at Santa’s factory. This takes me about an hour to do.

Now that it is about 9:00 a.m. I’ll usually watch the elf news so I can watch out for the toy stocks or any last minute Naughty or Nice list changes. I get bored after about 30 mins of the news, so I now end up helping my wife with house chores or go to the grocery store to buy happy food or toy supplies. Once I’m done with that it is about 10:00-10:30 a.m. At this hour I usually go outside and make sure the snow is nice and healthy. Snow is considered our grass because it never stops snowing. If it gets too high I take the snow blower and remove some off. 2-3 inches of snow is a reasonable amount on the ground. I usually clear it anyway so I don’t get trapped. When I finish, the time is pushing 11:30 a.m. It gets boring having to wait until 7:30 to go to work. But you have to make the best of it. 

In the afternoon I’ll take a nap or watch some TV and eat lunch. My wife is gone in the afternoon hours so I have to watch the house and make some time for me. For lunch I usually make a pizza, brownies, and a smoothie. You know, happy foods. It’s usually 12:00 when I first lie down to take a nap because it gets boring. I go to the bedroom and just lie down and snooze. But I have to be up or be done with whatever I’m doing by 3:30 pm. This is one of the more magical times for an elf. This is because all the elves in the village leave their gingerbread houses and go to the center of the village where Santa is waiting for us all. From there, his greatness will touch the side of his nose and the big ol’ Christmas tree in the town square lights up and Christmas music starts to play and we all just dance and have a good time for about an hour and a half. We dance, we have conversations, we talk to Santa, and just have an awesome time. We do this every day at the same time starting December 20-December 24 to celebrate the holiday season. 

Evening hours: During the evening hours, my wife and I will eat dinner or chit chat about our days and listen to nice Christmas music or hang up some more decorations for the house. We are considered to be the most festive couple in the North Pole and have won the “Most Festive Award” five years running by Santa himself! It’s such a pleasure. But after I eat dinner, which is usually a turkey or ham with all of the fixings, and spend time with my wife,. I have to start packing my briefcase and get ready for my shift at the factory. It’s a good job and it pays well. There are 250 factories and I work in factory 19 with my buddy Ed. Not to brag but Rudolph himself is our supervisor so I get to talk to “THE Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer” every day! So when I leave to work in my wind up toy car, I park in my parking space which is 12B and walk into the factory and sit in my positional place.

Now that the sun has set and I’m in my workplace. My job is to receive lists and the toy parts I ordered to the office and start building. Since there are 7 billion people in the world and about 3 billion children. There are only 3 million elves. So my list is pretty big. My list usually is about 30 kids a day for 25 days. Now you’re probably thinking “Oh, that’s not that bad.” Well, you have to remember that kids want more than one gift under the tree. So I work until about 11;00 p.m. and get in my Christmas pajamas and go to sleep. That is a day in the life of an elf and it is just about the perfect life. Thank you for reading my story.

by Audrey Roberts/Staff Writer

Day 1

December 1, 2020

Most people think we elves work all year round to get presents for everyone.  But that’s not true.  We don’t start work until July.  The term Christmas in July actually originated when it leaked that we start work again in July.  But whatever.  Anyway, we’ve been at it for months now, figuring out what everyone wants and then starting the toy-making process.  While most elves are in the toy making departments-crafting, wood work, painting, gears, naming, fixing-I’m one of the elite elves that works in the researching department.  We get the special honor of figuring out what a kid wants.  As we go through each kid’s life and their likes and dislikes, we figure out what everyone wants.  While it’s tiring going through a lot of the same lives every year, it’s always fun to see how someone’s done since the last time we checked a year ago.

Because interests change, kids don’t get exactly what they want, but if we worked to make sure everyone got what they wanted, we’d be making every single toy at the last minute!  Anyways, my boss, Jingle Wreath (Mr. Wreath), gave me this journal as my ten-year anniversary present.  I’ve worked at this job for ten years and I’ve made sure to work hard.  Considering we only work for half the year, we got to prove we deserve our long breaks!  Anyways, I think I’ll write til Christmas and then take a break until next year.

So long for now, journal.

P.S. My name is Cheery Stocking.

Day 2

December 2, 2020

Today I got to research more last-minute kids.  Last-minute kids are what we call December born kids.  They’re the ones that are tiny little babies that get born in December.  This one girl really stood out to me though.  Her name is Sally Banitch.  Sally is the cutest little baby, but her birth was a hard one.  Her dad died in a car crash and her mom went into early labor because of that same car crash.  Her mom had been so sad because of her husband’s death, but her face got so happy when she saw Sally.  I can tell that they’re going to have a good life together, even if they get a little lonely.  Plus, I can tell Sally will bring back the light into her mother’s eyes!

We all decided that she should get little socks with her name on them for Christmas.  The clothing elves are great at making the softest and warmest clothes, especially for babies.

Also, my friends and I all went to Rudolph’s Hot Chocolate Parlor for dinner!  It was Snowy Bell’s idea and treat.  We all got hot chocolate (of course) and chocolate chip cookies with some candycanes on the side.  It was nice to hang out with them since I’ve been swamped with work.

I’ll write again soon!

Day 5

December 5, 2020

You’ll never believe what happened.  The power went out.  It’s only gone out a few times in Claus history.  Unfortunately, the snow storm was so bad, they still haven’t gotten the lights and trees back on, let alone the equipment everyone needs.  Nothing got done today!

On the bright side, all the departments got to have a free day in the workshop.  The Research department went down and read old records of past children and their histories.  My favorite was about a little boy who made a new Christmas List every month because he couldn’t decide what he wanted.  This all stopped when he turned 10, but his old lists were so cute.

One of them said:

My Christmas lest:

1.I want a buny rabbet

2.I want a fun trip to Disney World

3.I want a twin sister

4.I want Marcie Jones to sit next to me on the bus

5.I want to meet a raindear

I can’t wait to get back to work, even though it’s starting to slow down.  Soon the Research Department will have to join up with the Travel Route Department to help make any adjustments to kids they missed or added that were or weren’t on the list.

Until tomorrow!

Day 6

December 6, 2020

I was cleaning out my closet and found an old picture of some friends I made when I was an intern.  Not all elves get into the Workshop and you have to be an intern first.  In the picture, I realized that five of us didn’t make it.  Unfortunately, one of us got Mint Bite (a very serious winter condition for us elves) and was sent to Florida as an agent.  Merry Icicle got sent to the South Pole to handle the upstart who had been stirring up our naughtiness-meter by spreading lies about Mr. Claus.  He even spread one that made Mrs. Claus seem like a Hippo.

Luckily he’s entered an agreement to always get a present as long as he doesn’t say anything else about the North Pole and its inner-workings, whether true or false.

Then I realized that my best friend in that picture was still my best friend now: Mistle Star.  We both work in the Research Department and can’t wait to go on our annual Skiing trip we take in January to celebrate a job well done.

Write to ya next time!

Day 7

December 7, 2020

I’m so mad I could yell!  Candy Candle came in and demanded, demanded, that we rewrite all of November’s present choices.  She claimed that no one would want anything we had put on that list and we had to start over.  She thinks that because she’s Mr. Wreath’s daughter she owns our department but she certainly does not.  She’s only 12, and already set up for a job in the Painting Department.  Whatever, she won’t have long before she will have to focus on her internship instead of bossing us around.  Either way, her father, our boss, came in and put a stop to her anyway.

In a week, half of us will go to work with the Travel Route Department and the other half will stay in the Research Department to deal with any new comers.  I do hope I get chosen to help with the Travel Route DepaPerrtment.  I’ve never had the chance and would love to try it!

Well, I guess I’ll find out on the 15th.  Write later!

Day 8

December 8, 2020

Today I learned that adding candycanes to your mint tea works better than adding sugar!  It sounds disgusting, but when I told some of the other elves and they tried it, they agreed that it was the most wonderful tasting cocoa they’d ever tasted.

Afterwards, I-

Wait, someone’s knocking on the door…

Alright.  So nobody was at the door but there was a secret letter.  Here’s what it said:

Dear Cheery Stocking, 

This year you have been chosen for Santa’s Holiday Party Committee (SHPC).  As you know, every year, we elves throw a big Christmas celebration in honor of everyone’s hard work, especially Santa who spends almost his entire year working with every department to make each Christmas a success.

Tell no one you are a part of this committee.  Come to the Holiday Meeting Room at 9:30 P.M. tomorrow night.  If you don’t arrive, we will assume you’re uninterested and will invite someone else to the committee.

Don’t be late,

The head of SHPC

I can’t believe it!!  I’ve only heard of the legendary committee!  They’re said to be legendary people, myths, that are so secretive no one knows if they’re real.  For all anyone else knows, the Holiday Party comes from thin air.

I can’t wait for tomorrow night!

Day 9

December 9, 2020

You will never guess who the head of the committee is for the SHPC.  It’s Mrs. Claus!  She was beautiful, too.  Everyone thinks she’s really old with grey hair, but her hair is dyed gray.

Apparently, every year, she invites five new people to the committee to keep up the flow of new, creative ideas for the party.  This year, she decided to pick Starry Mistletoe, Candle Bow, Crimson Present, Ginger Frosting, and me.

This meeting was just about the rules, (don’t tell anyone you’re in the committee, share every idea, give good advice, never make fun of someone elses idea or degrade it, and have fun).  She also said that next meeting we would plan the theme.  Every year the theme is different.  Last year the theme was reindeer and everything was reindeer styled.

Day 8

December 8, 2020

Tomorrow night I get to go to the second meeting.  I’ve been thinking about what theme ideas I could come up with.  I made a list of my best ideas in order of my favorite to least favorite:

1.Gingerbread theme

2.Snowman theme

3.Christmas Tree theme

4.Starry Night theme

The ones that have been done that I remember are the Snowball Fight theme, the Present Swap theme, and the Christmas Carol theme.  I liked the Christmas Carol theme the best!  Everyone would be laughing and having a good time when someone would randomly start singing a carol, and the rules of that party were if anyone started a song, everyone had to finish it together!

So long for now!

Day 10

December 10, 2020

She loved my idea!!!  She thought very highly of my Gingerbread theme and it’s in the top 3.  We get to think them over and then we get to vote for them in two days at our next meeting.  The other two options are an Ornament theme and a Christmas Lights theme.  I really hope my idea goes through, but if everyone else likes a different theme better and thinks it will be more fun, then I want that one to be chosen.

I also got another last-minute child.  This one was a little boy with the name of Joseph Smith.  Joseph is a super-grouchy, but adorable, little boy.  His blue eyes sparkle with mischief whenever he opens them.  I can’t wait to read about his life every year!  I decided to put him down for a cute shirt that says, “My present to you is mischief!” in green and red letters.  On the back of the shirt will be a picture of the Grinch.  I think it will be a great present for him.

Day 11

December 11, 2020

Mr. Wreath came by with some forms and asked us to fill one out if we wanted to be considered for the group that goes to help the travel Route Department.  Of course I filled one out.  A few more people filled some out as well.  There weren’t too many so I think I’ve got a good chance of going this year.

In the cookie room where we go on our breaks, I heard someone talking about the Annual gift exchange.  Ever since the Present themed party a few years ago, someone has left a box with names in the cookie room on December 10.  Every elf takes a name and they get a gift for that person.  I had completely forgotten in all my excitement about getting on the committee.  I went to pick out a name and I got Snowy Bell!  (She’s the one who treated us to Rudolph’s Hot Chocolate Parlor a week ago.

Ooh!  Thinking about that got me to figure out what her present will be!  She brought us to the parlor because she loves hot chocolate and wanted to hang out with her friends.  I’ll get her a hot chocolate machine for her present.  I hope she’ll like it!

Bye for now.

Day 12

December 12, 2020

IT WENT THROUGH!!!!  My idea!  Mrs. Claus and everyone, myself included, voted and mine had the most votes.  Don’t worry, though.  I didn’t vote for my own because that’s cheating and rude.  I voted for the Ornament theme.  Maybe that’s the idea we’ll use next year!

After we figured out what theme to use, we started brainstorming ideas for the party’s theme.  Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Snacks:

-gingerbread cookies

• Snowflakes
• Christmas trees
• Ornaments
• Presents
• Bells
• Reindeer
• Wreaths
• Gingerbread men

-hot chocolate

-eggnog

Decorations:

-gingerbread houses/other gingerbread structures put all around the main entryway (where the party is held), and in all sizes:huge stands and miniature table toppers

-gingerbread cut-outs that go hang up in the room

-the main Christmas tree can have all its ornaments replaced with gingerbread men

Music:

-Christmas music of course

I’m so excited!  I can’t wait to share all my ideas during the next meeting. 

Till tomorrow!

Day 15

December 15, 2020

I better watch out!  I just keep getting good luck.  Today I got my form back that I sent to try to get into the group going to the Travel Route Department.  I’m in!!!

I can’t wait.  I finished up one more last-minute child and then started shutting everything down.  I get to go over tomorrow with some of the others and I’m so excited!!

Plus, earlier, at the SHPC meeting 

Day 20

December 20, 2020

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while.  We’ve been busy mapping Santa’s route and trying to predict where the storms, blizzards, and any other hazards will show up.  On top of that, planning the SHPC has become another full-time job.  We are busy making all the decorations and finalizing the plans for the treats and activities, plus the music needs to be chosen and put in an order that flows and still keeps the holiday mood in full bloom.  I never knew how much work went into planning the party.

Either way, There are only 5 days left until Christmas and only 24 before Santa’s big sleigh journey.  The work is piling on and I go to sleep exhausted every night.  But it’s the good kind of tired.  It’s the kind you feel when you’ve worked hard and can tell you’re accomplishing something.

Day 22,

December 22, 2020

The route for Santa has been finalized, checked, and quadruple checked.  Now, we all just need to keep an eye on the weather and hope nothing goes wrong.  I remember watching the Santa tracker and, like everyone else, freaking out when the 2004 Great Christmas Eve Snowstorm came roling into Texas.  The people working in the Travel Route Department were so cool, though.  They stayed calm and collected and helped Santa finish his deliveries with no harm to him, the reindeer, or the presents.  Though the sleigh was a bit beaten up.

I hope nothing like that happens this year, but if it does, I hope I can keep as calm and collected as they did.  Along with my mind on that, the decorations are finished and we’re getting ready to hang everything up.   While Santa is delivering presents and everyone else is watching the Santa Progress Tracker, the elves in SHPC all go and hang the decorations up, get the food and drinks set out, and make sure everything is ready.  Of course Mrs. Claus doesn’t get to help us because elves would wonder why she wasn’t watching the Santa Tracker.

Though I doubt she minds since she also seems a bit worried whenever Santa goes on his big trip.

Talk to you soon!

Day 24,

December 24, 2020

Alright.  I know it’s really early but I don’t think I’ll have much time to write once Santa takes off.  Since I’ve last written, the treats were made yesterday, the decorations are hidden and ready to go, and the Travel Route hasn’t changed.  And…one sec, someone is knocking.

It was Starry Mistle.  She says Santa is leaving soon.  When Santa leaves, all the elves and Mrs. Claus gather in the main hall to see him off.  The reindeer take off at his signal, Rudolph’s nose always shining bright, and then the big front doors open up and away he goes.  Once he’s gone, everyone will go to watch the Santa Progress Tracker.  Once he’s halfway done, the elves in SHPC will go set everything up and come back a few at a time, making it look inconspicuous.

Got to go.

Day 25

December 25, 2020

Christmas was incredible.  No weather changes caused any problems and Santa’s ride went without a hitch.  When he got back, he was thrilled to find the theme of the party was a Gingerbread theme!  All the elves partied until early this morning.  We all ate, and laughed, and talked, and sang, and exchanged presents.  Snowy Bell loved the hot chocolate machine I got her.  Turns out, through sheer coincidence, she pulled my name out of the box!

She’s so thoughtful and notices everything.   She knew that Mistle Star and I also go on our annual skiing trip as a job-well-done and decided to get me new skis.  I love them.  They’ve got little stockings with goodies in them to represent my last name.  She had them handmade by a specialist.  She’s so nice that way!

Anyways, after the party slowed down, Santa called our attention to the main Christmas tree, (which was covered in gingerbread ornaments to continue the theme), and we all got our holiday present from him.  This year we all got magical candy canes!  They sound lame, but everytime you lick them, you taste another flavor.  And, some of the flavors will turn your hair a different color, make your eyes have all the colors of the rainbow, and more (but don’t worry, it’s not permanent!).

We’ve all worked so hard, it’s sad to see another year go by.  But I’m glad that I’ve been given so many chances this year.  I’m now a member of SHPC, I got to work with the Travel Route Department, and I’ve read so many wonderful stories about the lives of so many incredible kids.  Plus, now I’m going to leave to go on my skiing trip with Mistle Star!

I’m glad my boss, Mr. Wreath, gave me this journal.  It’s been fun writing about my time.  I can’t wait to look back on these memories and remember how much fun I had!

Well, I’m off!  Until next year!!! And Merry Christmas!