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 1st and 3rd 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
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