Photography by John Stephens
In Santaland on Christmas Eve, you can be certain something is bound to go amiss. And just as surely, someone will make it all right. The little elf wanted everything to be perfect - he'd worked so hard to complete his task - and then, disaster! How could be possibly save the day? Once you have read Renée Schwartz's charming story, you'll want to make the little elf, exactly as she did.
The Elf's Gift
With a howl and a shriek, the wind tugged at the little elf's package. Twice it nearly succeeded in wrestling the box from his grasp, but Xiph held tight and struggled on. Finally, he reached the Christmas sleigh where the enormous load of toys sheltered him from the threatening wind.
Everything had been packed and ready for hours, awaiting the great journey. Everything, that is, except the little train Xiph had been working on. It was his first Christmas toy assignment, and it could well be his last. He had tried his best, but everything that could possibly go wrong, it seemed, had. But in the end, he had managed to finish it and, much to everyone's surprise, it was a magnificent train. It ran smoothly, puffing and tooting as it chugged along. "A truly splendid gift!" the head toy master had remarked.
The only problem was that Xiph was late, and Santa could not accept tardiness. Everyone agreed that this rule made complete sense. After all, Santa couldn't have hundreds of elves rushing about, loading their gifts at the last moment. No, that would only lead to mistakes, and so the rules stated everything had to be on board at least three hours before the sleigh rose into the sky. If Xiph failed to get his present onto the sleigh, well, he would never have another chance to become an official Christmas toy maker. Of course, there were other great jobs in Santa's workshops, but Xiph knew he had to be one of the toy makers. The one good thing about the storm that night was that no one was about. Usually there would be some little elf polishing the sleigh or checking the bells, but tonight the wind was far too fierce so the elves were celebrating inside by the crackling fire with almond crescent cookies and peppermint tea, the traditional elf Christmas Eve fare.
Frantically searching for the right sack, Xiph knew he didn't have much time. Santa would be leaving soon. Already snatches of the farewell bon voyage song drifted up from the shop. Desperate, Xiph quickly untied what seemed to be the lightest sack and he carefully lowered his wonderful present into it. And then, with a shriek, a gust of wind knocked him over and down Xiph went into the sack, with a muffled thud. Xiph tumbled to the very bottom of the deep, dark sack. When he realized what had happened, Xiph started to cry, a tiny elf cry. His leg really hurt, he was scared and he was stuck under a big, fluffy teddy bear. Suddenly, footsteps squeaking in the snow approached. They were big and heavy and unmistakable.
"What's this?" a loud voice boomed. "Those elves - leaving a sack untied!" Xiph cowered inside the sack. Santa's voice seemed rather gruff. Perhaps, Xiph thought, he could slip out unnoticed while Santa harnessed the reindeer?
Suddenly the whole world turned topsy-turvy as Santa grabbed the sack and tied it up. Xiph cried out "Stop!" but it was too little, too late. The sack was hoisted on top of the others. The thick fabric and the laughing wind concealed the elf's small voice. No one heard his cry.
