“I think the elves enjoyed their cookie and milk party on Christmas Morning,” I said to Bernard, my head elf, as we walked towards the toy shops to check on production.

“They certainly did. I could not believe that the extra cookies from your visits would be enough to give each elf three cookies. Ms. Claus seemed especially pleased.”

“I think she was just happy knowing that I did not eat all the cookies myself, as I have in the past. She is really looking out for my health these days.”

“And it seems to be paying off.” As he opened the doors to the stuffed animal shop, he continued, “You seem to have more energy after the ‘Big’ night and are ready to get the last day of deliveries completed.”

Walking into the toy shop I responded, “I do feel better after delivering the toys to the 122 countries that have already celebrated Christmas. The 18 countries that are left should be like a walk in the park.”

“I never did understand why everyone can’t celebrate Christmas on the same day.”

“I think that is part of what makes Christmas such a great holiday. Traditions and religious beliefs are different across the world from country to country. For example, the Netherlands and Belgium celebrate on Saint Nicholas Day, December 6^th, and I arrive the day before as Sinterklaas.”

“Sinterklaas?” Bernard questioned.

“Sinterklaas is Dutch for Saint Nicolas. As time went on, Sinterklass became Santa Claus. Their tradition is based on Saint Nicholas, and the children leave shoes out for me to fill, instead of hanging stockings on the fireplace. I do not arrive in my sleigh with reindeer either. In those countries, I arrive by boat with Black Pete and travel on a white horse.”

“Who is Black Pete?”

“He would be your equal, Bernard. He is like my head elf, and some legends have him taking care of the Naughty List.”

“What about the eighteen countries you deliver to on January 7^th?”

“The date to celebrate Christmas comes from an ancient calendar that dates back over 2,000 years to 46  BC, called the Julian calendar. While our modern calendar has the date as January 7^th, the calendar they use has the date as December 25^th as well. So, they do celebrate on the same date.”

“Wow, 2000 years is a long time ago.”

“Most of these countries observe a fast of some kind before Christmas, and then have a feast on Christmas Day. But the real emphasis for these countries is on the time to reflect on their lives and enjoy the company of friends and family members.”

“But you deliver toys to the children …”

“Why of course I do,” I interrupted. “But the toys and other gifts are secondary to the gift of helping others.”

“That sounds a lot like our elves. We would rather do something for someone than give them something.”

“But let’s not forget; when you do something for someone, you are giving them a gift of love and respect.”

“If my math is right, that accounts for about,” Bernard paused as he added in his head then concluded, “140 countries.”

“That’s right,” I replied.

“But there are more countries than that.”

“Fifty-nine more to be exact. But they do not celebrate Christmas.”

“I thought everyone did. Why don’t they?”

“Christmas is a Christian celebration, and not all religions are part of Christendom. For example, the Jewish religion celebrates Hanukkah in December, which honors their ancestors who rose up against their oppressors in the second century BC. In August, the Hindu in India celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi, which is the birth of Lord Ganesha. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. To the Hindu, Lord Ganesha is the symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. He also plays an important role in Buddhism.”

“I never thought about different religions having different holiday celebrations.”

“And, not everyone follows the beliefs of a religion. Some people, like atheists and agnostics, believe the story of Christmas is a myth.”

“Santa, I don’t know how you keep up with all the different religions in the world,” he replied picking up the production report from the desk in the toy shop.

“It’s important. We need to ensure that those who celebrate Christmas get the most out of the holiday. They should rejoice in their religious beliefs while enjoying the traditional celebrations with me as Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, or Santa Claus.”

“And those who are not Christians?” Bernard asked.

“They should be respected for their beliefs, just like they respect others’ religion.”

Putting on my reading glasses, I continued, “Now let’s take a look at that report. We have eighteen countries left who are looking forward to their celebration, and we don’t want to disappoint the children.”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday January 18, 2025  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

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My head elf was busy at his desk when I entered with a hearty, “Morning Bernard. Ready for our pre-Christmas check-in on all the workshops?”

“I sure am,” he answered with a grin. “I finished looking over the reports and made a record of the things we need to check.”

I examined the list and nodded. “With only a month left until Christmas, we need to make sure production keeps up. Grab your coat and let’s get going.”

Before we even made it out the door, Pete and Repete, my elves in charge of quality control, burst into the office, their faces as pale as fresh snow.

“Santa, Bernard! We’ve got a major problem,” they panted. “It’s the new automated production line—it’s jammed!”

“You mean the Turbo-Tinsel 3000?” Bernard wanted to know.

“Yes!” Repete shouted. “You know how Pete checks the systems, and then I examine them again to really be sure everything is in order? Well, the second time, the system started to jam.”

I looked at Bernard. “We just installed this and tested it for months. It was producing toys at twice the speed of our old toy line. How could anything be wrong with it so soon?”

“We know, Santa. But now every lever is jammed, and every cog is stuck tight. The conveyor belt carrying freshly painted toy trains has stalled. Then the other one kept spitting out teddy bears creating a mountain of them at the end of the line. We had to shut it down.”

“Worse still,” Repete interrupted. “The control panel is flashing with more colors than lights on a Christmas tree. The screen showed a single blinking message: “ERROR: OVERLOAD—TOO MUCH CHEER”.

“Well, this is a holly-jolly mess, isn’t it?” I said, scratching my beard.

Bernard quickly called Fixens, the elf in charge of maintenance, and Quinten, the elf in charge of Research and Development, and told them to meet us at the Turbo-Tinsel 3000 immediately. “Let’s go, there’s no time to waste.”

Once everyone was at the 3000, Bernard yelled, “Everyone, let’s try to correct these lines! Quinten, run diagnostics. Fixens, check the power supply. Everyone else, see if there is something broken or jammed in the system.”

About an hour later, Quinten found the issue. “I think the new software doesn’t just measure our toy output—it somehow measures ‘holiday cheer’ levels,” he explained. “And… well…. if you can believe it, we are exceeding the cheer limit.”

“What?!” I asked. “Exceeded it? How is that even possible?”

Bernard nodded. “We’ve been so focused on getting everything perfect, the elves’ cheer levels went through the roof. The machine must be reading it as an overload.”

The elves all exchanged looks. Had they really been too cheerful?

I began reviewing everything that had been happening since the Turbo-Tinsel had been installed and let out a loud “Ah-ha!”

Everyone stared at me.

“Remember, when we thought that mischievous Gremlin, Malodor, was in the workshops?”

“Yeah, but we could never find him. His scent of dirt with hint of Sulphur eventually disappeared like he hadn’t even been here,” Fixens said wringing his hands.

“And we didn’t find anything he messed with….” Bernard suddenly stopped. He looked at me and grinned, “Until now!”

“That’s right. Malodor must have come in and added something to the Turbo-Tinsel 3000’s programming so that our cheerfulness would be punished by stopping production,” I informed everyone.

“That is so Malodor.” Quinten smacked the machine. “If he isn’t happy, he doesn’t think anyone else should be.”

“That’s the opposite of how it works,” Bernard said as he shook his head. “We all know that when you see someone who is not happy, you try to cheer them up and make them happy again. You never try to get someone who is happy to be unhappy.”

“That’s right. But what are we going to do about the system?” I demanded.

“No problem, Santa. Give me about twenty minutes to remove the instructions that the Gremlin added. Then the Turbo-Tinsel 3000 will be up and running again,” Quinten explained.

Within the hour, the toys began to roll off the line. I could feel Elfin cheer rise even higher than when it shut down the 3000. “Tonight, after dinner,” I announced, “we celebrate with some of Judy’s special hot chocolate and Doheny’s cookies. Christmas has been saved.”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday January 4, 2025.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

To read other adventures of Malodor please check out:

Sleigh Problems – January 4, 2021
Cookie Problems – December 1, 2021
False Alarm – July 15, 2022
Heads Up – October 7, 2023
Santa’s Lost Key – October 5, 2024

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook – Instagram – Threads – X (Twitter)

Image and Video from Atmos FX

The scent of gingerbread lingered in the hallway as I stopped by the kitchen.

“Santa!” Blanche hollered above the racket of a blender. “Good to see you.”  Grinning, the elf in charge of the kitchen walked over and gave me a hug. “Isn’t this fantastic? The section in my kitchen is finally set up for making gingerbread.”

“The smell of molasses and spices is making me hungry,” I said, rubbing my hands together. “Thought I’d drop by and help.”

“Really?” My wife appeared behind me complete with flour on her hands and nose. “So how do you think you can help us?”

“Well, I, um… could do some tasting,” I stammered. “You always do a test batch to make sure the ovens are in working order and the ingredients are the best.”

“True,” Blanch began, “but you’re not the only one looking forward to the gingerbread creations made in this kitchen. The elves are already signing up for their slot in the Great Gingerbread Bake-Off.”

“Every year I look forward to this contest held in November. There are so many family recipes. Some have been passed down for centuries and a few are older than my sleigh,” I chuckled.

“We know, dear.” Anya smiled. “Over the next two weeks the elves will be crafting their gingerbread recipes into various objects or designs.”

“Each treat will be unique,” Blanche explained. “For instance, gingerbread men remind us of energy, gingerbread women of kindness, and gingerbread stars of amazement. So, the blend of spices will match those purposes. Then when we bite into the cookie with that purpose, we should feel that sensation.”

“I didn’t know that,” I responded as I looked around, hoping to find some warm gingerbread.

“Of course not,” my wife began with a laugh. “All you’re interested in is eating them.”

“And you won’t be doing much of that this year,” Blanch calmly stated.

“WHAT!!”

“Remember when I told you about the elves cleaning up the theater and stage?” Ms. Claus began.

“Vaguely, but what does that have to do with gingerbread?” Impatient, I strolled around the kitchen in search of some cookies on cooling racks.”

“Well, Tinsel, your elf in charge of decorations in Christmas Village,” my wife continued, “came up with a new idea of having everyone create scenes for a Gingerbread Village. The elves would build their own gingerbread houses, shops, and even a gingerbread sleigh for Santa towed by miniature gingerbread reindeer.”

“On Thanksgiving, all of us will vote on who made the best gingerbread scene,” Blanch added.

“OK, but then we can eat the village, right?”

“Of course not, Santa,” Lyra laughed. Finished with wiping down the baking tables, she strolled over in my direction. “The Village will stay up until Christmas.”

“But why?” I whined, desperate for a gingerbread cookie.

“Santa!” Blanche exclaimed. “You should already know that elves see ginger as a symbol of life, warmth, and good luck. Having the village remain during our busiest time here at the North Pole will help to keep the elfin spirit strong.”

Anya walked over and patted my shoulder. “Think of it this way, dear, a robust attitude will give the elves the energy needed to work even harder.”

Stoking my beard, I thought about what had been said. “Hmm. I guess under those circumstances, it will be okay to leave the village up.”

When a buzzing noise from one of the stoves was heard, Lyra jumped up. She grabbed a towel and slid out two baking sheets of cookies. Setting them on racks, she turned proudly. “Isn’t the aroma amazing?”

Anya, Blanche, and I stood their mesmerized by an unusual fragrance.

“Aren’t they supposed to be gingerbread cookies?” wondered Blanche aloud.

“They are.”

Lyra’s quiet voice surprised all of us.

“This is a gingerbread recipe that has been in our family for centuries. I have tried to make it work, and this year I succeeded.” She handed Blanche, Anya, and I a cookie, keeping one for herself. “Wait a few more minutes till they cool.”

When the time was right, we each took a bite and savored the taste. “CHRISTMAS!” we yelled in unison.

“How is this possible?” I asked still overwhelmed by the scent and taste.

“I’m not sure.” Lyra looked puzzled as she tried to explain. “The recipe is so old that the story about how this cookie was created has been lost. All I know is that my great-great-grandmother finally gave it a name, Jouka. She took jou from the Finnish for Christmas- Joula and blended it with ka from taika which is Finnish for magic/magical. Jouka- Christmas Magic.”

“Elves are a unique people.” Blanche shook her head and savored her next taste of Jouka.

“Feeling the magic of Christmas from one bite of a cookie is wonderful. Makes me smile and want to give those closest to me…” She stopped and reached over to give me a hug. “Doesn’t that feel good?”

“Yes, dear, it does,” I replied and took another nibble. The flavor worked its way from my taste buds to my brain. Suddenly I felt the magic of Christmas. “Truly amazing. Lyra, you need to make these cookies year-round and send them out to as many people as possible.”

“I thought of that,” the elf replied. “But then the magic of Christmas would become ordinary.”

“Good point.” I reached over and gave Lyra a side hug. “Let’s keep Christmas special.”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday November 16, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook – Instagram – Threads – X (Twitter)

Created with Microsoft Copilot

Looking over the production reports from the workshops, I heard a knock and yelled, “Come on in.”

“You wanted to see us, Santa?” Rackem asked as he and his buddy, Gaucho, entered my office.

“Yes, I did,” I responded and laid down the reports. “It’s less than two months until Christmas, and we will be testing the sleigh with the reindeer, and the teletransportation of gifts from the warehouse to my bag in the sleigh.” I reached for two cloth bags sitting on top of my safe. “This one has the Red Magic Fairy Dust, used to make my reindeer fly,” I explained and held it up by the drawstrings in my right hand. “The other contains Green Fairy Dust, which magically transports toys from the North Pole warehouse to my sleigh.”

Both elves smiled. “Always heard about the magic fairy dust, but never got to see it,” Gaucho said and peeked into the bags.

“Careful, Gaucho. Both bags of dust are necessary for my upcoming Christmas Eve journey. I need you two to take the bag of Red Dust to Highstep and the green one to Houser. Be careful and make sure these get there safely. Can I count on you?”

“Absolutely!” they both exclaimed as each elf picked up one of the pouches. Together they headed towards the Christmas Village courtyard.

“Careful with the Red Magic Fairy Dust!” said Rackem, his eyes wide with excitement. “One sprinkle, and the reindeer will soar higher than the moon!”

“Don’t you drop or spill the Green Fairy Dust,” added Gaucho. “Without that, Santa would have to put all the toys in one bag.”

“Imagine Santa trying to stuff thousands of toys into his delivery bag,” Rackem shouted as the two elves laughed and chased each other around the courtyard.

In their playful frenzy, Gaucho tripped and stumbled into Rackem. The pouches fell to the ground with the dust from the two mixing into a swirling cloud of red and green sparkles.

“Oh no!” Rackem cried, staring at the shimmering mess. “We weren’t supposed to mix them!”

Gaucho’s eyes widened. “What do we do now? Santa’s going to notice for sure!”

They tried to scoop the dust back into separate piles, but it was impossible. In their panic, they filled each sack with the mixture of red and green dust.

“Nobody will notice, right?” Rackem asked.

“Nah, they will just reach in the bag and grab a pinch to use.” Gaucho grinned, as the two rushed off to deliver the dust.

When I arrived at the barn, I watched Highstep and Sledge hook up the reindeer to the sleigh. “Have the reindeer had their Red Magic Fairy Dust?” I asked

“Of course, Santa!” Highstep remarked as he placed his hands on his hips. “I’m not new to this you know. All you have to do is snap the reins and call out their names, they’ll do the rest.”

“Ho, Ho, Ho, I was just kidding!”

I nodded to my elves and climbed aboard. Highstep and Sledge slid open the huge door and the reindeer walked outside and were soon in position. With a snap of the reins I called out, “Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer, and Vixen. On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, and Blitzen.”

Instead of soaring into the sky, the reindeer vanished into thin air, leaving behind the sleigh and their harnesses while a trail of confused sparkles drifted in the air.

“What’s happening,” I shouted as the reindeer blinked in and out of existence, teleporting from one place in the sky to another. Some even reappeared on the sides of the village buildings.

Just then, Houser’s voice came over the sleigh’s radio. “I’m sending the first batch of toys. Ready or not, here they come!”

“NO!!!!” I screamed, but it was too late. Soon the flood of toys began floating everywhere. Some even appeared to be chasing reindeer, who were popping in and out of sight across the night sky!

Back in the workshop, Rackem and Gaucho watched in horror through a window. “We’ve ruined Christmas!” they wailed.

I had been doing this for centuries, and a little magic mishap wasn’t going to stop me now. The scattered reindeer were now blinking in and out of the atmosphere with toys attached to their antlers. I reached into the emergency box in my sleigh for a small container of red dust and blew some into the air and yelled in Finnish, “Korjata tilanne nyt.” (Fix the situation now). Immediately the dust settled on the reindeer, and my team found their way back to the barn.

I then took some green dust and did the same. The drifting Christmas gifts swirled above the sleigh. When I opened the bag, they flowed into my sack.

Before trying to run the test again, I called for Rackem and Gaucho.

With down-cast eyes, the two elves slowly ambled in my direction. “We’re so sorry, Santa,” Gaucho stammered. “We mixed the dust by accident.”

I looked down sternly at both elves, while trying to hold back from giggling. “Christmas isn’t about perfection, my dear elves,” I informed them. “It’s about spreading joy, no matter what happens. Next time,” I added with a wink, “let’s keep the fairy dusts separate. Remember some magic is meant to be mixed, and some is best kept apart.”

Rackem and Gaucho sighed in relief, knowing I had saved the day. “For sure,” they said and promised to be more careful next time.

“Ho, ho, ho!” I chuckled. “Let’s try this again.” I snapped the reins and called out, “On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen. On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, and Blitzen.” The team moved in unison as my sack began to fill with toys. Christmas 2024 was shaping up to be a success.

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday November 2, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

To read more Fairy Tales or Folk Tales told by Santa please check out:

Flying High – July 29, 2019
Lost Fairy Dust – May 11, 2020
Fairy Dust Shortage – July 26, 2021
Green Magic Fairy Dust – May 18, 2024

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook – Instagram – Threads – X (Twitter) 

The Yellow Magic Fairy Dust had just arrived from the Arctic Fairies. When I opened the door to my safe to store the dust, glowing colors of red, blue, green, and yellow dust already inside spilled out. “I love that glow.” I chuckled and clicked the door shut.

Returning to read the letters I had received from children, I realized that my Magic Key on my desk was gone. Without it, I would not be able to get into houses that had no chimneys.

Thinking I might have put it in the safe with the Fairy Dust, I removed everything. I did not see my key. Then I cleared my desk and rummaged through the deep pockets of my red coat; still no key.

“Whoa, Santa. Are you redecorating? This place is a mess,” said Bernard as he entered my office.

“I can’t find my magic key! It’s irreplaceable!” I shouted. “It was made centuries ago and allows me to open any door with a touch of the key. Without it, half of the world’s children won’t receive their gifts.”

“Don’t worry, Santa! We’ll find it! I’ll notify all the elves to begin looking for the key right away.”

The entire North Pole sprang into action. Elves searched every corner of the workshops, the stables, and even the reindeer pens. The kitchen elves scoured their pantries and the dining room. Then we combed through the snow outside and checked my sleigh from top to bottom. Hours passed, but still no key.

As night approached, I sat in my office, stroking my beard. The key and its power were unique. I would not be able to enter the homes of children whose houses had no chimneys.

A soft voice interrupted my thoughts. “I found this by the workshops,” Sprinkles whispered. She walked over to my chair and held up something golden that sparkled in the light. “Could this belong to the key?”

My eyes lit up. “That’s the key’s chain! Can you show me where you found it?”

“Of course, Santa,” Sprinkles said, and grabbed my hand as she led me to a spot by the workshops.

While approaching, I could smell a familiar odor. “Malodor!” I screamed.

Several elves who were close came running. “Santa, what’s wrong,” they all asked.

“Smell that? Now who leaves behind an earthy scent with a hint of Sulphur?”

“Malador,” they yelled.

“Yes, and I bet he is responsible for my missing key.”

A mischievous giggle echoed by a small tree. “Let’s get him,” the elves screamed and took off running.

When the elves gave chase to Malodor, I walked over to the tree where my foe had been hiding.

“What are you looking for Santa?” Lyra called out.

“My key.”

“We’ll help.” Lyra and her two elven friends joined me. Together we sifted through the snow under and around the tree, and inspected each branch for clues. Suddenly, Lyra poked me on my shoulder and pointed down the path between the workshops where elves with unhappy faces were walking.

“Sorry Santa,” Bernard said when he and a group of elves arrived. “We thought we had Malodor, but then he gave us the slip. Unfortunately, we could not pick up his scent again.”

A sense of hopelessness came over me. I shook my head. “Thanks for trying,” I mumbled. “You know this key cannot be replaced.”

Bernard and all the elves nodded. While several whispered, “We’re sorry,” I heard Sprinkles yell my name. Pushing her way through the crowd, she held up my key in her right hand.

“What? I thought Malodor got away. How did you get my key back?”

“In his rush to escape, the Gremlin must have dropped it,” Sprinkles said and placed the key in my hand.

The elves cheered as I gave Sprinkles a hug. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me. There are more homes without chimneys than those that have them. Without this key, there would be many unhappy children this Christmas.”

“Santa, you need to be a bit more careful with your magic key.” Bernard began, as he put his hands on his hips. “Maybe you should put Ms. Claus in charge of it. She never loses anything.”

“Ho! Ho! Ho! That’s a good one Bernard.”

“Well, I think he might be right!” I heard my wife call out. Anya strolled towards me smiling. “At least create a spare and let me guard it.”

“But this key is one of a kind. How do you expect me to make another one?”

“I don’t. Our elves, however, can put their magic to good use. Think about it,” Anya explained and slipped her arm through mine.

“Thanks, my dear. I will take that under advisement.” I winked and together all of us made our way back to the dining room to share some cocoa and cookies.

 Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday October 19, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

To read other adventures of Malodor please check out:

Sleigh Problems – January 4, 2021
Cookie Problems – December 1, 2021
False Alarm – July 15, 2022
Heads Up – October 7, 2023

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Threads

Walking up to the south entrance, Bootsie, one of the cobblers who makes shoes for everyone at the North Pole, was placing a pair of snowshoes back on the rack. “How’s the weather outside today,” I asked.

“It’s beautiful out there today,” he told me. “We did get some fresh snow overnight, so make sure you keep your snowshoes on.”

At the North Pole the snow can be several feet deep. When people and even elves step into deep snow they sink down into it, especially when it’s newly fallen. Snowshoes, however, provide a larger surface on someone’s feet, making it possible to walk on top of the snow.

“It sure would be nice if I didn’t have to wear these every time I go outside,” I expressed as I picked a pair of snowshoes from the rack.

“It’s better than getting stuck in the snow,” Bootsie responded.

“You’re right. It just takes so much time to put them on and take them off. It’s especially a problem when I am delivering gifts in places that get a lot of snow. I have to put them on to get to the chimney and then take them off to get down the chimney. Once I am done in the house and return to the roof, I have to put them on again to get back to the sleigh and then off so I can get into the sleigh.”

“Wow! I never thought about that!” Bootsie exclaimed. “Have you ever tried to get to the chimney without them?”

“A long time ago, I did. I immediately sunk down into the snow almost to my knee, and when I tried to take a step toward the chimney, I slipped and almost fell off the roof!” I explained.

“Seems like there should be something to make it easier,” Bootsie thought out loud.

“If you come up with something, let me know. I’d try almost anything not to have to wear these all the time in deep snow,” I said as I stood up, snowshoes all laced up.

“I hope you enjoy your walk Santa,” Bootsie said turning back toward the village.

When Bootsie returned to the Village he decided to go directly to the Cobbler Workshop. Once in the workshop, he called all the other cobblers together. Explaining in detail what I had told him about the burden of snowshoes, he said, “I’m sure between all of us, we can find a solution to Santa’s problem. Does anyone have any ideas?”

After a few awkward moments of silence, Sandy asked, “Could we use something besides straps on them? Maybe something similar to what we put on skis and snowboards we make for children. That would at least make it easier to put them on and save Santa a little bit of time.”

“That’s certainly a possibility, but I was hoping there would be a way to eliminate his need for snowshoes altogether.”

“Seriously? We might as well make it so that all a child has to do is wish for something, and it will instantly appear,” an elf in the back hollered.

“Come on. Don’t we owe it to Santa to at least try?” Bootsie responded.

“I have an idea,” Cletus said raising his hand. With everyone looking at him now, he continued, “Have any of you ever been to a circus?” When two elves raised their hands, he asked them, “What did you think of the clowns?”

“I loved the way they dress. They wear even more bright colors than we do, and I loved the way they painted their faces,” one elf responded.

“Not to mention the big red noses!” the other chimed in. “They remind me of Rudolph’s.”

“But did you ever notice their shoes?” Cletus asked. When the two shook their heads side to side, indicating that they didn’t, he continued, “The toes of their shoes are oversized, kind of like someone blew them up like a balloon.”

“I think I see what you mean Cletus!” Bootsie exclaimed. “If we could make Santa a pair of boots like them, where they are big enough to keep him from sinking in the snow . . . “

Completing Bootsie’s thought, Cletus added, “But yet small enough that he can still walk without tripping!”

“Let’s give it a try,” Bootsie said.

“Already ahead of you,” Sandy said waving a paper in the air. “This is the pattern for Santa’s boots. I’ll begin drawing a new pattern right away.”

“I’ll begin researching what materials we should use for the large toe of the boots,” an elf in the back of the room shouted.

“Okay, we have a plan. We need to keep this a secret until we have them done and tested. This plan does not leave the workshop,” Bootsie insisted.

Every elf in the room gave Bootsie a thumbs up as they got to work.

Over the next two weeks the cobblers made four different versions, but when they tested them, they all failed for one reason or another. It was the fifth pair that finally passed all their tests, and they were ready to surprise Santa.

One day after lunch, I headed down the tunnel so I could go out on my daily walk. Approaching the end, I saw a number of elves hanging out by the snowshoe rack. “Are all of you going for a walk or did you just come in?”

Bootsie made his way to the front of the elves and said, “Santa, we actually have a surprise for you. Do you remember a few weeks ago when you told me how much trouble it was to keep putting on and taking off your snowshoes while making deliveries?”

“I do, but what does…”

With all the excitement of a child on Christmas morning, Cletus came forward holding the new boots. “We made these for you, so that you will never have to use snowshoes again, Santa!”

“Those are awfully big. I’m afraid I’d trip walking in them,” I stated a bit concerned with the size of the toes.

Sandy spoke up. “Santa, we designed these for, and tested them on, every surface we could think where you would walk. I think you may be surprised how well they work.”

“Well let’s give them a try then,” I said excited about the possibilities.

Pulling them on, they fit my feet perfectly and were very comfortable. Walking slowly at first inside the tunnel, I gradually walked faster, satisfied that I was not going to trip. “These feel great, and I am impressed with how easy it is to walk in them. I guess now we need to test them outside.”

All the elves parted so that I could get to the outside, where about ten inches of new snow had fallen overnight. Slowly placing one foot on the snow, and then the other, I stood for a few moments, to see if I would sink into the snow.

“Come on Santa! Take a few steps, you won’t sink,” I heard one of the elves shout out.

Trusting them as I always have, I began walking around. Amazingly I stayed right on top of the snow as if I had snowshoes on. After a few minutes of walking around I returned to the entrance and exclaimed, “You guys are the best! I can’t wait to show Ms. Claus!”

After a big group hug, I headed down the tunnel excited to show Anya. Walking into our place, it did not take long before Anya asked, “What on earth do you have on? I’ve never seen boots that big!”

“The cobblers made these for me so that I will not have to change in and out of snowshoes all the time. I just tested them, and they are fantastic!”

“Your excitement reminds me of how the children react when they get to talk with you. I hope you properly thanked the elves for their hard work.”

“You bet I did! The best part of this, is that I did not ask them to do it. They saw my need and took it on themselves to solve the problem for me.”

“After all these years you have developed a loving bond with the elves, and obviously they have done the same with you,” Anya said as she kissed my cheek. “I like how they always watch over us and try to make life easier. What a blessing they are.”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday October 5, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

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“Santa, what time does the rocking horse race begin?” my wife asked as she placed a sheet of cookies in the oven.

“The elves have finished setting up the race course. Starting time is 4:00.”

“Can’t wait for all the action.” Laughing, Anya clapped her hands.

“There’s so much excitement in the air,” I said as my wife and I sat on the sofa. “Remember when Rocky and Timber challenged each other to see who could make the best hobby horse 10 years ago? The elves have been counting on this event every year. It gives us all a chance to have fun before our busy season.

“Do you have a favorite this year?”

“Ho, Ho, Ho, you know I never play favorites. Besides, we all win by just enjoying the race.”

“How did I know that would be your answer?” Ms. Claus responded with a chuckle.

“Gotta keep it fair.” I smiled at Anya and stood up to get my coat. “I’m going to check on the preparations.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you at the starting line. If you’re lucky, I may bring you a warm cookie or two.”

A snowy track had been cleared in the middle of Christmas Village. Weaving between all the workshops, the roadway circled around the elves’ dormitories, and continued past the reindeer barns. Then it looped back to the finish line near the gazebo in the courtyard. A pole painted like a candy cane marked every turn.

The elves were beginning to gather around, cheering and waving signs with the names of their favorite horse or elf. Soon the participants brought their horses to the starting line.

Chestnut led the group. Riding ‘Blitzen’s Comet,’ he was determined to win this year. After painting his horse red and green with golden reins, he spent countless nights polishing Comet’s wooden frame so that it gleamed like a shooting star.

Rocky stepped up to the line with pride. He had won last year’s race and four of the nine races so far. His rocking horse, ‘Turbo Dasher,’ was crafted with tiny gears and springs that he hoped would provide extra speed. Rocky grinned, certain that his changes would give him the edge.

With three previous wins, Timber found his place in line. His horse, ‘Frosty Lightning,’ had twinkling fairy lights that flickered in sync with the rhythm of his rocking horse. Resolute, he felt certain that this year he would tie Rocky for the most wins.

The final contestant, Jingle, led her rocking horse, ‘Snowy Whisper,’ to the final spot. Though plain looking, it was sturdy. She had carved it from a single piece of wood hoping to produce a winner. Most of the elves knew that Jingle was strong-minded and wondered if she had a secret up her sleeve.

Ms. Claus joined me at the start as riders and horses waited. After we put our hands in the air, everyone quieted down.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! Welcome, my little friends to this year’s Rocking Horse Race!” I shouted in a strong voice. “In lane one, Turbo Dasher, ridden by Rocky. Lane two has Snowy Whisper, with Jingle, who is making her first appearance in the race.” The crowd roared. “Next, in lane three, is Frosty Lightning, with Timber as the jockey, and in the last lane is Blitzen’s Comet, guided by Chestnut.”

“Before Ms. Claus starts the race, I want everyone to remember, this is not just about winning—it’s about having fun!”

Loud cheering exploded. Ms. Claus, holding a candy cane-striped flag, took her place at the starting line.

“On your mark! Get Set! Go!” Ms. Claus yelled, and with a flick of her wrist, she waved the flag and the race began!

The elves rocked furiously as their horses magically sprang to life and surged forward. As the jockeys swayed back and forth, the rocking horses’ legs continuously pushed the right rocker down, then the left, causing the hobby horse to move forward.

Blitzen’s Comet shot ahead while Chestnut clutched the jingling reins. Turbo Dasher’s gears whirred when Rocky leaned forward, urging it on. Frosty Lightning blazed with light, dazzling the spectators with his speed, and Snowy Whisper moved with a smooth and steady pace.

The race was neck and neck as they passed the elves’ dormitories. Turbo Dasher steadily gained on Blitzen’s Comet. Suddenly, one of the gears popped loose, slowing him down. Chestnut grinned, certain that he had the lead. Then with a burst of speed, Frosty Lightning zoomed past, his fairy lights casting a bright glow on the snow.

The excited elves roared when the horses approached the reindeer barns. Frosty Lightning remained in the lead, with Blitzen’s Comet closing fast. Snowy Whisper soon passed Rocky, struggling with his malfunctioning Turbo Dasher. When Frosty Lightning turned toward the finish line, one of his lights flickered, causing him to lose his rhythm. Blitzen’s Comet surged ahead, but Snowy Whisper, quiet and steady, closed the gap.

As the horses started down the home stretch, the crowd erupted in cheers. It was anyone’s race now. Blitzen’s Comet was giving it everything he had, but Snowy Whisper was gaining with every rock. The two horses were neck and neck entering the final stretch. The sound of crunching snow and bells filled the air.

In a photo-finish, the two horses crossed the line. The crowd held its breath as I inspected the results. It was not long before I declared in a booming voice, “By a half-nose… the winner is Snowy Whisper with Jingle in the saddle!”

Jingle, still blushing from the attention, smiled with pride while Ms. Claus handed her a golden rocking horse trophy. The inscription read: “Great Rocking Horse Race Champion.”

The elves erupted in cheers, lifting Jingle onto their shoulders.

Chestnut and Rocky, though disappointed, couldn’t help but grin as they congratulated their friend. After all, the race was about fun, and they certainly had plenty of that.

When the sun set and the northern lights danced in the sky, the elves gathered around a bonfire. Sipping hot cocoa, they relived the day’s excitement.

Anya and I sat on a bench watching the elves. Nudging me, she nodded toward a group of elves. “Where else can you see all of the participants talking and laughing together after a race.”

“I see many children being good sports. Like the elves, they are supportive of each other and have a positive attitude.” I squeezed my wife’s hand and added, “You know, adults could learn a lot from the simple joys of elves and children.”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday September 14, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

To read more about North Pole Contests please check out:

The Great Cookie Bakeoff – July 6, 2020
If I Could Be Anything – September 14, 2020
Let the Games Begin – August 16, 2021
Reindeer Games – September 6, 2021
International Games – August 5, 2023
Lego Contest – February 17, 2024

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook– Instagram– Threads – X (Twitter)

Illustrations Created with Microsoft Copilot

Tatler was walking past the stuffed animal toy shop on his way to his job in the reindeer barn, when he heard Stanley and Brixton yelling at each other. It appeared they both thought of themselves as the best at making stuffed animals, and their tempers were flaring.

Thinking that Bernard, my head elf, should know about this, Tatler headed toward his office. When he arrived, he found Bernard and I looking over production reports. We needed to be sure there would be plenty of the most popular toys for Christmas.

Nearly out of breath and with a concerned look on his face, he stuck his head in Bernard’s office door and said, “Bernard, Santa, do you have a moment?”

“Sure. Come on in,” Bernard replied.

Getting up and pulling a chair over for Tatler, I said, “How can we help you?”

“I really don’t like telling you this, but I just heard Stanley and Brixton, in the stuffed animal toy shop, arguing over their work.”

“Well that’s not good, and certainly not elf-like,” I said.

I then turned to Bernard and simply said, “Temperance?”

“I could not agree more,” Bernard responded. “She would be perfect for this.” He pushed the intercom button, and asked, “Telsa, could you ask Temperance to come to my office?”

“I’ll tell her right away, Bernard,” she responded.

All the elves call her Tempe. She’s the calmest elf, has never raised her voice to anyone, and has the unique ability to help others get along. You could ask any elf who their best friend is, and they would most likely say ‘Tempe.’

When Bernard finished talking with Telsa, I said, “Tatler you did the right thing letting us know. Bernard and I will take it from here. You should head over to the barn. Highstep will be looking for you to help feed the reindeer.”

A few minutes later, Tempe knocked on the frame of Bernard’s open door, and said, “You wanted to see me?”

“We do,” Bernard replied. He pointed towards a chair, “come on in and have a seat. We have a special job for you today.”

At four feet, six inches tall, Tempe, is one of the tallest elves. Thinner than most elves, she usually wears long button up dresses, and glasses.

“Tempe, it seems Stanley and Brixton are having a problem getting along with each other today. We heard that their tempers flared up over who’s the best at making stuffed animals,” I said sinking into Bernard’s overstuffed couch.

Bernard leaned forward in his chair, and placing his elbows on his desk, he put his hands together as if to pray. “We hoped you could get them to solve their differences.”

“I would be willing to see what I can do. Would you like me to look into it now or after their shift?” Tempe asked, standing up and smoothed her dress.

“I think the sooner the better.”

Tempe turned toward the door, “Then I’ll go right over and see what I can do.”

“Thanks, Temperance!”

#   #   #

When Tempe walked in the workshop, she immediately heard the two elves arguing. Moving across the room she came to the table where the elves worked and said, “What are you two so upset about?”

Stanley wasted no time.  He explained to Tempe, “Brixton is not pulling his weight! I am making two animals to his one, yet he claims he’s the best . . .”

Brixton immediately broke in at Stanley’s claim, “In your dreams! I can build more animals than you any day!”

“Okay, I think I heard enough,” Tempe said. “You have been friends and working together for a long time, and I don’t think you should let this get in the way of your friendship.” Then she asked Stanley, “Why do you think Brixton can’t make as many animals as you?”

“He can’t sew the back of the animals up fast enough!”

She then turned to Brixton and asked, “Why do you think Stanley can’t make as many animals as you?”

“He is too slow at putting the stuffing in!”

“So, if I understand it correctly, Brixton you are the best at stuffing the animals, and Stanley you are best at sewing their backs up. Do I have that right?”

Stanley with his hands on his hips, and Brixton with his arms folded on his chest, both nodded in agreement.

“I think I see a solution. Instead of you each stuffing and sewing your own, Brixton you should stuff all the animals, and Stanley, you sew them all up. Doing that I bet you could make more together than you each could alone.”

The elves faced each other and Brixton said, “She has a point. We’d be helping Santa if we could make more.”

“I agree,” Stanley added, raising his right hand to shake Brixton’s, “after all you are better at stuffing than I am. Let’s give it a try!”

As Tempe walked out of the workshop, she overheard Brixton say, “I like working with you where we each get to do what we are best at!”

“Could not agree more! Hey, what would you say to a game of checkers tonight after dinner?”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday September 7, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook – Instagram – Threads – X (Twitter)

Illustration by FireMane Studio

“This has been a good summer meeting,” I announced and watched my department heads pack up to leave. “But I think you have forgotten our tradition.” Everyone stopped what they were doing. “Remember, the last thing on the agenda is time for any of the elves we invited to speak about whatever is on their minds.”

I heard the soft groans but knew my department heads would honor this custom. “Does anyone have any suggestions for improvements or ideas for new toys?” I stated as my eyes traveled around the room.

Kinkie, a member of the Research and Development department, raised his hand.  “What about something you can use to draw? Then whatever you draw comes to life.”

The elves broke into laughter. “Where do you get these crazy ideas?” one of them yelled.

“Yeah, you must be reading comic books for crazy concepts!” another elf exclaimed.

I held up my hand, and the room went quiet. “Kinkie,” I said, “I love your spirit and creativity, but I can’t imagine something like that actually working.”

“I know I’ve had some strange ideas before, so I understand why you might not think this would work.” He paused, and a grin spread across his face. “What if I told you that I already have a working model?”

There was a loud gasp from everyone in the room. Several shook their heads and muttered in disbelief.

“I hope you brought your creation and can demonstrate how it works.” I stepped aside and motioned for Kinkie to come up.

The young elf nodded and picked up his bag. He pulled out what looked like an oversized pen and laid it on my desk. The shaft was silver and the writing point was an upside-down Christmas Tree. On the top was a Santa who looked just like me.

“That’s just an ordinary Christmas pen!” one elf shouted while the others laughed.

Kinkie ignored their sarcasm and looked at me. “Santa, would you like me to demonstrate?”

“Certainly!”

Kinkie picked up the device. As his fingers slid down the shaft, the tree sparkled with small red and green lights. When his hand reached the end, Santa’s nose flashed yellow.

Satisfied, he grabbed the end of the device just like a pen. “Santa, would you like a cup of hot cocoa?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Sure.”

As the elf created the image of a cup of cocoa on my desk, the lines took on a purple color. When he finished, Kinkie grabbed the pen by its Christmas Tree end and gently touched the drawing with the Santa end of the pen.

Suddenly, the drawing turned into a steaming cup of hot cocoa. The elves and I gasped at what we saw.

I slowly picked up the cup and took a sip. “Hmm, this is almost as good as Judy’s!” I looked up at Kinkie, “Unbelievable. What else can you make with this?”

“Anything.” The elf looked around the room. “Is there something special one of you would like?”

“I could use a way to quickly get around all the workshops!” Bernard called out.

All eyes watched the elf as he moved to a clear wall space in the room. After drawing a door, Kinkie turned to Bernard. “Where would you like to go?”

“The bicycle shop,” my head elf responded.

Kinkie printed ‘Bike Shop’ on the door. Again, he tapped the drawing with Santa’s head.

When the door appeared, Bernard walked over and touched it to see if the door was real.

“Open it,” the elves shouted.

Bernard grabbed the door knob and pulled the door open. “What!? I can’t believe it!”

I got up and stood behind Bernard to see the inside. “This can’t be real!” I said and gazed at the interior of the Bicycle Shop.

“Go in! Go in!” the elves chanted.

“Try it. I promise you’ll be safe. However, remember to shut the door after entering so it will be there when you want to return.

Bernard began to enter, but stopped suddenly. “You coming with me?”

“Sure! Let’s do it.”

After entering the workshop, I pulled the door closed. Bernard and I giggled while we took a few steps, staring in disbelief.

“How is this possible Santa? We’re really in the bike shop.”

I walked over to touch one of the bikes to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. “I don’t know Bernard, but this is a ten-minute walk from the conference room, and all we did was walk through a door.”

“Yeah! A door that didn’t exist five minutes ago!”

“Come on. Let’s go back to the other elves.”

Bernard opened the door, and we returned to the meeting room to the cheering of the elves.

Kinkie wore a huge smile on his face while many of the other elves congratulated him on his Magic Pen.

I motioned for everyone to take their seats. “Kinkie,” I began after everyone settled down, “you are to be commended on this ‘Magic Pen’ you designed. Workshop managers, how do you feel about this pen.”

Quinten was the first to talk. “This pen could create models of any new toy to see if they would be worth making for the children.”

“True,” I mumbled. “Houser, what do you think?”

“Santa, instead of having all the toys stored in warehouses until we send them to your bag with the teletransportation Magic Dust, we could just keep your list handy and draw each toy when needed. That would reduce the need for so much warehouse space.”

While some of the elves cheered, one elf stood up. “That sounds great, but what would all the toy making elves do? We’d be out of work!”

The room erupted in disagreements over the Magic Pen. I listened to all the arguments for and against this new creation. When I had heard enough, I raised my hands to silence the elves.

“First, let me congratulate Kinkie for his invention. I’m sure he put a lot of work and creativity into making this magic pen. I can see a lot of good uses for it. The possibilities are endless.”

“Magic Pen – Magic Pen – Magic Pen,” yelled the elves as they danced around the room.

“But!” I shouted.

The chanting stop, and the elves stared at me.

“I’ve heard that BUT before,” Bernard remarked. “Usually, it’s not a good sign.”

After the elves took their seats, I explained. “I am not sure this is something we should be using, especially not something we would want others to have.”

“WHAT?” I heard someone yell. “You got to be kidding.”

“Santa, do you know how much work this would save us and others!” another elf added.

“Yes, I do! I know how great a tool this would be. Yet, have any of you thought of the harm Kinkie’s creation might cause?” As I looked around the room, no one responded. “Think about it. We already heard one of our elves worry if this tool would force him out of his job. And what if it fell into the hands of someone who wanted to use it for evil purposes?”

“We could just use it here at Christmas Village. There is no one here that would misuse it,” Lyra said.

“You know, Santa’s got a point. Malodor is always hanging around and causing trouble for us. Imagine the damage he could cause if he found out about the Magic Pen,” Bernard remarked.

“I’m afraid this is something we need to keep in the safe until I am assured it won’t be misused,” I announced. “More research will be needed, and we might want to put some limits on it.”

Though Kinkie had kept quiet, I saw him raise his hand. “Would you like to say something Kinkie?”

The inventor stood up. “Since it’s my creation, I feel like I should have a say in this. You see,” he explained, “I was just thinking about how much fun it would be. I never thought about all the bad things that could happen. And, well,” he paused and smiled at me. “Santa, you’re right. I think the pen and all the design papers should be locked up where they will be safe.”

The elves began nodding their heads in agreement. As always, I counted on their wisdom to see the entire picture of what a pen like Kinkie’s could do. When they chanted, ‘Lock it up – lock it up’, I knew the elves understood.

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday August 17, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook – Instagram– Threads – X (Twitter)

The Summer sun was shining brightly as I walked across the courtyard.

I noticed Lyra sitting on a bench near the gazebo, and called out, “Good morning.”

Lyra turned and smiled. “Hi, Santa. It sure is a beautiful day.”

“I agree. Mind if I take in the warm sun with you?”

“I’d be honored Santa,” she replied and slid over to make room. “It’s too bad we don’t have weather like this when it’s time for you to deliver Christmas gifts.”

“It is like this in the southern hemisphere, south of the Tropic of Capricorn, at Christmas. Right now, the people who live there are getting the cold and snow.”

“Too bad it’s not the opposite!”

“Why do you say that?”

“Don’t you remember that time long ago when a horrible storm slammed the Christmas Village?” Lyra shook her head. “You almost never got to make your deliveries!” she said, her voice serious.

I rubbed my beard and nodded. “How could I forget. It lasted for days. Finally, I was able to leave.”

Lyra pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “That’s true, but I was too young to remember how you did it.”

“Well,” I began, “if it weren’t for the elves, Christmas would not have happened that year.”

*     *     *     *     *

I stood at my office window, gazing out at the snow storm that had been blowing hard for three days. Hearing a knock, I turned to see Weller entering the room.

“You wanted to see me, Santa?”

I pointed to the window. “Since you monitor the weather, can you tell me my chances of delivering gifts on Christmas Eve? That’s only two days away!” My face was intense as I paced around the room.

“I wish I could Santa,” Weller responded nervously. “This system seems to have stalled, and I don’t see it moving any time soon. “I can’t control the weather, Santa. I can only predict it.”

Silence fell over the room as I stopped to stare out the window at the storm.

There was a hard knock on my door that made both of us jump. Highstep, the reindeer wrangler; Sledge, manager of the sleighs; and Quinten, director of research and development, stepped inside.

“Thanks for coming,” I said as I moved toward my desk and motioned for the elves to take a seat.

“Weller does not seem to think this blizzard is going to end in time for my departure in two days, and I am hoping one of you may have a solution. I can’t possibly disappoint all the good boys and girls who are counting on me to leave presents for them.”

The three elves looked at each other.

“We have worked on a few things,” Quinten began. “A shield to slice through the snow and wind was our first attempt.”

“That had promise,” Sledge jumped in. “We tested it and had some good results with a smaller sleigh and four reindeer. But, with your large sleigh and nine reindeer, the shield had to be a lot larger.”

“Yeah, and heavier,” Highstep said in agreement. “The reindeer would never have been able to lift all that extra weight.”

I agreed and looked at Quinten. “What about fairy dust. You said that might work.”

“I talked with Queen Gwendolen, and I’m afraid that is not an option,” Quinten answered.

“Why? I thought for sure that either the Green Magic Fairy Dust we use to tele-transport the toys from the North Pole to my bag, or the blue dust that manipulates time would work.”

“According to the Queen of the Artic Fairies, the Green Dust uses your bag as a target. However, there is no target on the other side of the storm. So,” Quinten continued, “we could not transport you, the reindeer, and sleigh. It wouldn’t work. And the Blue Dust is designed to make the time you spend in a house disappear after you’ve left. The Queen thought you could use it to make the time the storm has been here disappear.”

“Then it would not be Christmas Eve,” Highstep interrupted and sighed.

Quentin dropped his eyes and mumbled, “She did say that the Yellow Dust could work if you had some sort of tunnel to be transported through. But that doesn’t exist.”

“All the magic we have here at the North Pole, and we can’t work around this weather,” I grumbled, placing my head in my hands on the desk.

“Now Santa, you know elves never give up,” Sledge began as he looked at the other three.

I stared at him. “OK, what is it?”

“Back on Korvatunturi Mountain there is a hidden cavern near our home town of Ferrishyn, called Crystal Cavern.”

“Santa, these enchanted crystals have a special property. They repel things around them. Elves have been working with these crystals for hundreds of years and understand how to use them,” Quinten explained.

“Do we have any here?” I asked.

Highstep shook his head. “Not really, we’d have to go to Crystal Cavern to get some, but. . . “

“Wait a minute,” Weller shouted excitedly. “Doesn’t Lector have some in the Elf University’s Lab?”

“You may be right!” Quinten exclaimed. The four elves got up and rushed out of my office.

On Christmas Eve I went over to the Sleigh Barn early, worried whether the crystals would work.

When I arrived, my elves had just completed the installation of the crystals on my sleigh and reindeer harnesses.

“You’re just in time for the big test Santa,” Sledge said.

“All we have to do is activate the crystals, and you can take your sleigh out for a test drive.” Quinten grabbed an elven magic wand.

The elves went together to each crystal on the sleigh. While holding hands, they began to chant an ancient incantation while waving the wand in a specific pattern over each crystal.

The crystals began to glow, getting brighter as the energy got stronger. Soon they shimmered and emitted a faint hum.

The elves turned to me. “The sleigh is ready.”

“Santa,” Quinten directed, “take the sleigh up and test it out. Everything should be fine, but if it isn’t, make sure you come right back.”

I was very nervous, but trusted my elves. With a snap of the reigns, I called out to my reindeer, and they responded.  It was as if there was no storm. The snow moved out of the way and the only wind I felt was from the movement of the sleigh.

After giving the crystals a good test, I returned to the barn and immediately jumped out of the sleigh to give my elves a huge hug for what they were able to do.

*     *     *     *     *

Lyra clapped her hands. “The rest is history,” she laughed.

“Yes, it is, but it made me realize how special my elves are,” I said and gave Lyra a side hug. “I can’t do everything. Having friends that I can rely on, especially those who never give up, means everything to me. They are the ones who help out when you need it the most.”

Notes From Santa

I hope you enjoyed today’s story. Stories are posted on the 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of each month, except December. Santa’s next story will be posted on Saturday August 3, 2024.  If you have any comments or if there is something you would like me to tell you about, please feel free to leave me a comment. Until the next time . . .

Find Cincy Santa (@CincySanta) on:

Facebook– Instagram – Threads – X (Twitter)

Illustration from GetWallpapers