inviting, most of the time the family
gathered in the kitchen. Peg and Grams laughed at them when
they tried to do some crazy dance steps and strongly encouraged
them to sit down. When they finished their hot beverages, the
four moved to the softer chairs in front of the fireplace where
the two men stretched and fell asleep. Peg and Grams snuggled
next to each other on the couch, pulled the quilts up to their
chins, and soon Grams joined the men in dreamland.
Peg sat there in the quiet room, thinking only of her two
babies outside freezing, alone, hungry, and in the dark. What
if a pack of wolves had found them and carried them off to
their den? The newspapers were full of such sickening stories.
What if they had been kidnapped by a band of gypsies and
were going to be sold to the highest bidder, usually to a king
or foreigner? When Peg was a child, she remembered going to
the carnival with her family and her father warning her not to
wander off by herself because the “carneys” would get her, put
her in a suitcase, and take her with them. What if one of them
got lost or injured, or they simply got too hungry or thirsty, and couldn’t go on any farther? Or what if they were getting colder
and colder and finally went to sleep and never woke up? There
were stories about people who were lost in storms and their
: 102:
s a n ta' s n e w e s t r e i n Deer
bodies were never found until the next spring during planting
season. And, and, and . . .
She sat there, too tired to think and too tired to sleep. The
fire had retired to its bed of fading orange embers. The oth-
ers seemed to be engaged in a contest of who could snore the
loudest. The grandfather clock and Peg shared the night watch
. . . tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick . . . As the minutes slowly grew into hours, the sandman cast a slumber on her, leaving
but one sentinel on night watch.
: 103:
Chapter
SixTeen
“Welcome to Santa’s Village,” proclaimed Noel, the mayor of
the globed village. He was attired in a red stocking cap with
a white, furry ball at its tip. A red Christmas bow jutted from
under his neck, and a green jacket covered his pencil-thin torso.
Red-and white-striped leotards covered his legs, and tan ankle
booties sheltered his feet.
“Santa’s Village is the most exciting place in the universe
to visit. We are happy that you are here. Before you meet with
Santa, we are going to take you on a guided tour. You will visit
places that you have read about or someone has told you about.
The village is full of fun things to see,” he bragged, pulling his red suspenders and letting them snap against his chest.
“Each of the cottages is represented by a head elf, who will
explain how his or her industry fits into Santa’s overall plan.
We don’t have much time, so please limit your questions. Also,
just as you have family secrets, so do we who live and work
here. Therefore, what you see, hear, and do in Santa’s Village
must stay in Santa’s Village. If you remember, Jeepers shared
: 105:
De n is t rom
some secrets with you that you promised never to tell anyone.
You are sworn to keep the Code of Elves secrecy.”
Ellie and Will were speechless. They turned several times in
full circles, nearly falling down from the dizzying effect. They
had read Christmas books detailing Santa’s winter wonderland
through a writer’s imagination, but they never, ever thought they would real y travel to the North Pole, Arctic Circle, to visit Santa Claus’s Village. They could hardly wait to tell their friends back home. What would their classmates say? Would their dad and
mom and grandparents believe them? Should they tell anyone?
This is truly a world within a world! Ellie’s head was spinning.
She placed her hands on her knees, closed her eyes, and reopened
them. She was not dreaming. She was at Santa’s Village.
A space travel center at its best! Will rested his fists on his hips and nodded in
gathered in the kitchen. Peg and Grams laughed at them when
they tried to do some crazy dance steps and strongly encouraged
them to sit down. When they finished their hot beverages, the
four moved to the softer chairs in front of the fireplace where
the two men stretched and fell asleep. Peg and Grams snuggled
next to each other on the couch, pulled the quilts up to their
chins, and soon Grams joined the men in dreamland.
Peg sat there in the quiet room, thinking only of her two
babies outside freezing, alone, hungry, and in the dark. What
if a pack of wolves had found them and carried them off to
their den? The newspapers were full of such sickening stories.
What if they had been kidnapped by a band of gypsies and
were going to be sold to the highest bidder, usually to a king
or foreigner? When Peg was a child, she remembered going to
the carnival with her family and her father warning her not to
wander off by herself because the “carneys” would get her, put
her in a suitcase, and take her with them. What if one of them
got lost or injured, or they simply got too hungry or thirsty, and couldn’t go on any farther? Or what if they were getting colder
and colder and finally went to sleep and never woke up? There
were stories about people who were lost in storms and their
: 102:
s a n ta' s n e w e s t r e i n Deer
bodies were never found until the next spring during planting
season. And, and, and . . .
She sat there, too tired to think and too tired to sleep. The
fire had retired to its bed of fading orange embers. The oth-
ers seemed to be engaged in a contest of who could snore the
loudest. The grandfather clock and Peg shared the night watch
. . . tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick . . . As the minutes slowly grew into hours, the sandman cast a slumber on her, leaving
but one sentinel on night watch.
: 103:
Chapter
SixTeen
“Welcome to Santa’s Village,” proclaimed Noel, the mayor of
the globed village. He was attired in a red stocking cap with
a white, furry ball at its tip. A red Christmas bow jutted from
under his neck, and a green jacket covered his pencil-thin torso.
Red-and white-striped leotards covered his legs, and tan ankle
booties sheltered his feet.
“Santa’s Village is the most exciting place in the universe
to visit. We are happy that you are here. Before you meet with
Santa, we are going to take you on a guided tour. You will visit
places that you have read about or someone has told you about.
The village is full of fun things to see,” he bragged, pulling his red suspenders and letting them snap against his chest.
“Each of the cottages is represented by a head elf, who will
explain how his or her industry fits into Santa’s overall plan.
We don’t have much time, so please limit your questions. Also,
just as you have family secrets, so do we who live and work
here. Therefore, what you see, hear, and do in Santa’s Village
must stay in Santa’s Village. If you remember, Jeepers shared
: 105:
De n is t rom
some secrets with you that you promised never to tell anyone.
You are sworn to keep the Code of Elves secrecy.”
Ellie and Will were speechless. They turned several times in
full circles, nearly falling down from the dizzying effect. They
had read Christmas books detailing Santa’s winter wonderland
through a writer’s imagination, but they never, ever thought they would real y travel to the North Pole, Arctic Circle, to visit Santa Claus’s Village. They could hardly wait to tell their friends back home. What would their classmates say? Would their dad and
mom and grandparents believe them? Should they tell anyone?
This is truly a world within a world! Ellie’s head was spinning.
She placed her hands on her knees, closed her eyes, and reopened
them. She was not dreaming. She was at Santa’s Village.
A space travel center at its best! Will rested his fists on his hips and nodded in
Similar Books
