THE PUDDLE PIXIES - CHAPTER 20 - THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

One cold Winter’s day, Jack Puddle Pixie was looking out of his frosty window, trying to decide whether the ice on the Fairpuddle was thick enough to skate on. Snow had been falling gently all day, and the air was quiet and still. Some of the Puddle Pixies were already playing outside, dressed in their thickest macs and fur-lined wellies, with woolly hats, scarves and gloves too, all in their favourite rainbow colours. They were making snowmen; some big, some small, all with pointy carrot noses and cheerful grins.

Just as Jack had made up his mind to join them, there was a sudden commotion and a group of goblins came rushing over the hill, pelting the Puddle Pixies with snowballs as they came. The pixies, thinking it was a jolly Winter’s game, joined in, merrily throwing their own snowballs at the new arrivals in return. However, they soon realised they had been tricked. In the middle of each snowball thrown by the goblins was hidden a hard lump of ice!

‘Ouch, that’s not fair’ said the Pixies, as they rubbed their bruises and ran off home, leaving the goblins gleefully smashing up the snowmen and making off with the carrots and other bits and pieces the pixies had been using. Jack watched all this in amazement. ‘I wonder why they did that?’ he thought. ‘Everyone could have had a really nice time playing together, but now the day has been spoiled and the Puddle Pixies are upset’. He spoke to his Mum about it. She told him : ‘Unfortunately, not all folk are good and kind. But maybe the goblins do not have happy lives like we do, with nice homes and families and friends; perhaps they just don’t know how to be happy!’

Jack still felt sad for the pixies whose game had been ruined, and although he knew that what the goblins had done was wrong, he wondered if he should feel a bit sorry for them too.

The next day was even colder. The ice on the Fairpuddle was definitely much thicker, and Jack decided to join his friends skating on the ice. Dressed warmly, he hung his ice skates round his neck and trudged through the snow towards them, pulling his red toboggan behind him. As they were all laughing and joking, skating up and down and chatting about their preparations for Christmas, a group of small folk appeared out of nowhere; by their jolly red, green and gold outfits covered in little bells which tinkled prettily as they skipped along, the Puddle Pixies could see that they were in fact

FATHER CHRISTMAS’ ELVES!!

Down the hill they ran, chit-chatting away merrily, all carrying their skates, and they soon joined in the fun on the ice. They had races, chased each other round and round and taught the Puddle Pixies some of their jolly elf songs. Jack was having a little rest, sitting on a rock at the edge of the Puddle, for sometimes he got tired more quickly than his friends, and couldn’t always join in the races. But he was happy to sit and watch the others as they dashed about. Suddenly – BANG – something hit him in the middle of his back, making him fall off the rock onto the soft thick snow, and dropping his glasses in the process. Turning round as he put his spectacles back on, he saw the goblins from the previous day, rushing down the hill and pelting everyone with their icy snowballs.

Those skating on the puddle began to fall over on the slippery ice as the missiles hit them. Laughing in a rather horrid way, the goblins gathered up various scarves, boots and other things the Pixies had left on the bank and ran off. The pixies and elves, very cross indeed, picked themselves up and skated to the bank, where they sat down to examine their injuries. Luckily, none of the Puddle Pixies were very badly hurt, but they soon saw that one of the elves was still sitting on the ice, looking very sorry for himself. His friends skated up to him to see if the could help. ‘My legs hurt’
said the elf, whose name was Holly. ‘And I can’t put any weight on my arms’. They carefully helped him back to the bank, and some of them ran off to get Charlene the Puddle Pixie Paramedic.

She soon arrived in her special Winter ambulance, which had skis as well as wheels, and was easily able to cross the snow to get to the unfortunate elf. She checked him over, and pronounced that his legs were just badly bruised, but both his arms were broken and would have to be put in plaster. He had a really bad headache and misty eyes too, where a snowball had hit him on the head, so Charlene pronounced that he would have to spend at least three weeks in bed. She took him into the ambulance to patch him up, and Jack gave him his best warm green scarf and hat, as by now he was shivering.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and a kindly looking old gentleman with a long white beard and wearing a bright red outfit, appeared before them. It was of course :

FATHER CHRISTMAS!!

He had seen what had happened in his magic mirror, and had come to take his Elves home. They all stood in a circle around Father Christmas, with the injured Holly laying on the red toboggan borrowed from Jack. With a wave of his hand and a shower of snowflakes, Father Christmas and his helpers were gone, and the Puddle Pixies, all tired out by their adventures, went off home.

That night, when all the pixies were safely tucked up sound asleep in their warm little beds, Jack was suddenly woken by a flash of light which lit up the room. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he could just make out a familiar shape. ‘Is that you, Father Christmas?’
he called, recognising the red outfit and snowy beard. ‘Yes it’s me, and I have a favour to ask’ said Father Christmas.

By this time, Jack’s family had all been woken up by the unusual goings-on at this late hour, and were all gathered in his room. Father Christmas explained : ‘Holly the Christmas Elf wanted me to thank you for your help, and to return the things you lent him’ He handed Jack his belongings. ‘However, he has broken both his arms and won’t be able to work for several weeks. Now, this is the busiest time of year for us, and we need someone to take Holly’s place. I was wondering if you would agree to do this for me?’

Jack said : ‘But I am not very strong and I am afraid I won’t be able to work like Holly’. Father Christmas replied : ‘Ah yes, but Holly’s job is to count out the toys as they are made, then label them and make sure they are packed into the sleigh in exactly the right order. Then it must all be entered in the ledgers, and the days work written up neatly in the Diary. I have heard that you are very good at counting and making lists, and making sure everything is just so and in its place. So, what do you say? Will you help me and the Elves and all the children in the wide wide world by taking Holly’s place this year? That is of course if your parents say you may. And I will get you back home in time for Christmas’.

Jacks’ eyes grew round with wonder behind his specs. After all, what child
would want to say no to working with Father Christmas! ‘Oh yes please’, he said, looking at his parents, who nodded proudly in agreement. So Jack took Father Christmas’ hand, and they both disappeared in another flash of light, leaving a sprinkling of sparkling snowflakes on Jack’s bedroom floor.

Jack spent the next few weeks at Santa’s Magic Toy Factory. It was hard work, making careful notes of what had to be made, ticking the job off when it was done, and of course, checking each toy as the elves finished making it. At the end of each day, the parcels had to be labelled and packed into Santa’s sleigh in the order in which they were to be delivered. Jack’s last job of the day was to make sure all the work done that day was recorded in the diaries and ledgers, and this he did in his very best handwriting.

When all was finished, off he went happily to have supper with the elves and the other helpers, chatting and playing merrily until it was time for bed.

On the night before Christmas, when all the toys were safely stored away ready for delivery, and the reindeer had had their supper and were in their places at the front of the sleigh full of brightly wrapped parcels, Father Christmas turned to Jack and said: ‘You have been a tremendous help. In fact you have saved the day. We would have got into such a muddle without you keeping everything in such good order. Now jump in the sleigh and sit beside me. You can help me deliver the presents all over the wide wide world and when we have finished, we will ask Rudolf and his team to drop you off at home’.

Jack smiled happily as he climbed up into the sleigh beside Father Christmas, carrying the very last parcel, and whispered something secret into Father Christmas’ ear. Father Christmas threw back his head and laughed loudly. Then, he gave a sharp tug on the reins, which made all the bells on the harness tinkle and twinkle merrily, and in a cloud of magic stardust and a shower of sparkling snowflakes, the reindeer set off at a gallop, and the sleigh rose high into the snowy air, Rudolf’s glowing red nose lighting the starry wintry sky like a beacon.

Jack had great fun helping Father Christmas deliver all the presents to little folk all around the wide wide world, until at last there was just one parcel left – the one Jack had been holding on to so tightly.

At length Father Christmas pulled hard on the reins and called to the reindeer : ‘Whoaa there lads, whoaaaaa..’ and the sleigh came to a halt in the woods quite near to the Fairpuddle. Out jumped Jack with the parcel, and he tiptoed quietly into a ramshackle hut almost hidden between the dark trees.

He soon reappeared without the parcel, but with a cheeky smile on his face. ‘Job done’ he said. ‘Can I go home now Santa?’ WHOOOSH into the air rose the sleigh, and they soon arrived at Jack’s home. The reindeer were tired now, and were looking forward to getting back to their own warm beds. After a big hug with Father Christmas and each of the deer, Jack was soon back in his own little bed.

He quickly fell asleep , dreaming happy dreams of his adventures at Santa’s Factory, but felt a little sad that there would be no gifts for him this year, for he noticed he had made no delivery to his own house.

Early on Christmas morning, he ran happily into the kitchen calling : ‘Mum, Dad, Billy, I’m home! Happy Christmas to you’. As he gave his Mum a big cuddly kiss, he was astonished to see, hanging on the chimney breast over the fireplace, two huge stockings bursting with gifts – one them had the name BILLY on it – and the other said JACK! ‘Oh’ he gasped. ‘How can this be? I was with Father Christmas all night and he didn’t deliver here.’

Mummy laughed : ‘Don’t you know Father Christmas has his very own special magic! He would never leave you out!’

When all the presents had been opened, and wonderful smells were drifting out of the kitchen as Mum got the Christmas dinner ready, there came a knock at the cottage door.

Jack opened it, and was surprised to find six little goblins standing there, holding a large basket of fruit and berries and a big bunch of holly and mistletoe. The biggest goblin stepped forward and handed the basket to Jack, saying : ‘This is for you. We were so surprised and pleased when we woke up this morning and found the present you left for us. It made us feel very ashamed at the way we treated you and your friends. No-one has ever been kind to us before. We are so sorry and promise we will never steal nor hurt anyone ever again. Please accept our gift.’

‘Of course, thank you’ said Jack, taking the basket and shaking each goblin by the hand. ‘Now we can all be friends’. Jack’s Mum heard all this, and came to the door, the spicy aroma of a steaming plum pudding wafting up behind her. She said : ‘There is plenty of food for all if you would like to stay and share our dinner’. The goblins couldn’t believe their ears. The eldest one said: ‘You are so kind Mrs Puddle Pixie, we would love to stay’.

And so they did, and, after the delicious meal, spent a lovely day playing board games under the Christmas Tree with Jack and Billy, and telling tales sitting by the roaring fire, snow gently falling outside. Evening fell, and it was time for the goblins to go home. They said goodbye to their new friends, and never forgot that wonderful magical Christmas, when all of them learned how much nicer it was to be kind to each other.
As for Jack, every year when Christmastide came around again, he would watch out for his dear old friend Father Christmas, just in case he was ever called upon to help once more. I wonder if he was? But that’s another story………….