Santa’s youngest elf, Funny was always getting into trouble. Not because he was funny, but because he was full of beans. He would finish his work quickly and then prowl around the factory bothering the other elves.
On the day before Christmas when Santa was loading his sleigh, Funny was excited and was forever getting in the way. Santa reprimanded him, but Funny could not be quietened.
By the time Santa sailed off, the elves were annoyed and tired of Funny. So, when he didn’t turn up at dinner they were relieved. But when he didn’t appear at breakfast they began to worry.
Santa returned just after they had finished breakfast. He was tired and hungry after a long night’s work.
He thought to himself, “I thought climbing roofs and slipping through chimneys was hard work. But visiting apartments and high rises is much tougher.”
It was noon when Santa was told about the missing elf.
“Oh my goodness! Where could he have gone? Did you try to locate him with the Tracer?” All the elves and Santa too carried an electronic identity card. So they could be found wherever they were.
“Yes, we tried. But we didn’t get any signal. I think he has turned it off!”
“That was silly of him,” said Santa. “How are we going to find him now?”
Meanwhile far away in a small cottage, Funny was trying his best to hide himself.
The previous day, he had sneaked onto Santa’s sleigh. He had switched off his electronic card so that he would not be detected. He had a great time sailing across the night sky with Santa. He did feel cold but he snuggled in between the sacks of gifts and watched the stars fly past the sleigh. The moon was so close he felt if he stretched out his hand he could touch it.
In and out and stuck!
When ever Santa stopped by a house and got off to give his gifts, he too followed. And scurried back to the sleigh when Santa had finished. Then Santa went to visit a cottage. Inside, Funny found a tree so big and beautiful that he got excited and climbed it. By the time he had checked the lights and decorations, Santa had left.
Frightened, he ran back and hid in the tree. Worn out with worry and travelling, he snuggled between the gifts at the bottom of the tree and fell asleep. He was rudely awakened early the next morning by a loud scream. Peering out from behind the gifts he saw two little girls, dressed in similar pink pyjamas and their long hair in plaits. They rushed to the tree and grabbed the gifts. They were swiftly followed by a large, brown, hairy dog. The dog spotted Funny behind the gifts and came whining and sniffing and wagging his tail. Funny had just about time to escape up the tree. The dog stood under the tree, his nose twitching and excitedly wagging his tail. Funny wondered how he would ever escape and get back home.
Just then, a woman came into the room. “Sanjana! Sangita! You are not to open your gifts till you have had a shower and breakfast. Go on, get ready!”
Then she looked at the dog and said, “Bozo, what are you trying to do? I don’t want you jumping and bringing down the tree. Out of the room! OUT! OUT!”
The dog too went away. Funny breathed a sigh of relief and got down. But then, a man entered and he began to read his newspaper. Funny climbed the tree and hid himself. “This is the safest place, I think,” he said to himself.
He found a large bell on the tree and he crawled into it and fell asleep. Suddenly, the room burst into life as the girls, the dog, and the woman came back. There was much excitement as the gifts were opened. The phone began to ring and everyone crowded around it and shouted and cheered and sang. Funny watched them eat cake. His stomach rumbled and he remembered he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch yesterday. All through the day he watched the celebrations from his hideout. By night fall he was tired and hungry and he began to reconcile to the fact that he would never get back home! He was going to be so miserable! How would he live on this tree forever? What would happen after Christmas? He began to cry aloud.
“Did you hear that sound?” asked the man. Nobody answered. “It sounded like a squeak.”
They searched the room for rats. “No, there is nothing here,” said the woman at long last.
“I wish I could get back home,” thought Funny. He was sad, lonely and hungry. There was no way he could contact Santa. Then he remembered his electronic card and how he had switched it off when he sneaked onto the sleigh. So silly of me to have switched it off, he thought to himself. Quickly, he switched it on. There was a faint beep as it came alive. He whispered his problem to the head elf.
That night, he waited at the window of the sleeping cottage for Santa. When he saw the sleigh in the sky he knew that this would be a good Christmas for him after all!
Santa’s ride
Without me, Santa is immobile. To find out what I am
called solve this easy-peasy puzzle.
The first letter is in MISER but not in MIXER
The second letter is in TALK and not in TANK
The third letter is in NEW and not in NOW
The fourth letter is in SAID and not in SAND
The fifth letter is in PANG and not in PANT
The sixth letter is in THE and not in TOE
Answer : Santa’s Ride: SLEIGH
