Christmas Spirit

It was December first and the snow was falling softly outside the window of an ancient castle. Cheerful, red and white stripped triangle shaped banners waved gently in the breeze.

Inside a very big and jolly man with a long white beard and twinkling blue eyes, wearing a red suit trimmed in white fur, was calling a roomful of small elves, with pointed ears under red caps, together.

“Listen up” he said loudly “it is time to decorate for Christmas.” He unrolled a scroll he had in his red chapped hands. “I have a list of what we need to do this year.”

“First we need a tree.”

“I can do that!” exclaimed Peppermint and Holly together. They looked at each other and laughed.

“Alright, then we need to hang the holly branches and wreaths, that Jingle and Mrs. C. cut and made yesterday.”

“Oh, we can do that!” Joi and Candi called out excitedly.

“ Next, the tree decorations need to be brought down.”

“I know where that stuff  is in the attic, so I will do it.” said Berry

* * * *

As Peppermint and Holly were going out the big weathered wooden
double-doors, carrying a long saw between them, Jingle stopped them. “Do you think you should take Donnor with you to bring the tree back?”

“What a great idea!” exclaimed Peppermint.

So Peppermint and Holly crunched through the snow to the stables, where the reindeer lived.

“Donnor would you please help us bring a Christmas tree back for the Great Hall of the Castle.”

“STOMP, STOMP, STOMP!”

Donnor stomped his feet excitedly and nodded his head up and down.

Out the three went. Up and down hills, with each step they sunk in the snow up to their knees.

“CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH” went their feet in the snow.

Finally they reached the trees. Holly circled one and called to Peppermint, “How about this tree?”

“No I don’t think it is tall enough for the Hall.” So they looked some more.

“Hey look at this one!” cried Peppermint.

“No, it is not round enough.” disagreed Holly.

Then Donnor stomped his foot. Both Holly and Peppermint ran to him.
“I think he has found the right tree.” said Holly

“It’s perfect!” exclaimed Peppermint.

So they took turns pushing and pulling the saw, until the tree fell.

“CRASH!”

Then they tied one end of the rope around the tree and the other end to Donnor’s harness. Off the three of them went pulling the tree behind them back to the castle.

* * * *

Meanwhile, Joi and Candi were busy hanging wreaths and holly branches around the castle. Finally they only had the biggest two that were to be hung on the huge wooden double-doors that opened onto the Hall.

“How are we going to get them hung on the door?” asked Candi

“We need a ladder.” replied Joi “But I don’t know where one is.”

“Neither do I.” wailed Candi

Just then Jingle walked by. “Look in the closet under the stairs.”

Joi and Candi looked at each other. “Do you think -” they said in unison. Then they ran to the closet under the stairs. Candi opened the door and Joi looked in. “I see it!” she cried.

Candi and Joi carried the ladder to the huge double-doors together.
Joi climbed the ladder and Candi handed up one wreath for Joi to hang then the other.

* * * *

While all this was going on, Berry was climbing the stairs up and down bringing down box after box of tree decorations. Until, finally, Berry muttered to himself, “There’s got to be a faster way to take these downstairs!”

Just then Jingle came up the stairs. Why don’t you use the dumbwaiter. It’s right here at the top of the stairs and goes down to the main floor.”

“That’s a great idea!” exclaimed Berry.

“I’ll unload the boxes downstairs.” volunteered Jingle.

“Oh, Thank You!” cried Berry happily.

* * * *

Later that afternoon all the elves gathered in the Hall to help decorate the tree.

“Ho, Ho, Ho!” laughed Santa. “This is the perfect tree, Holly and Peppermint, how did you get it back to the castle?”

“Donnor helped!” they said together. “It was Jingle’s idea!”

“The holly and wreaths look great too!” exclaimed Santa. “How did you get those big wreaths up on the doors?”

Joi and Candi said together “We used the ladder from the closet under the stairs!”

“I didn’t  know there was one in that closet.” said Santa.

“Jingle told us!”

“Berry, that must have been a lot of trips up and down the stairs with all those boxes!”

“It was, at first, but it would have been a lot more if Jingle hadn’t helped me.” laughed Berry.

“Well Jingle you are the only one who I didn’t give a job to, but it sounds like none of the jobs would have been finished without your help.” said Santa solemnly.

“That’s what the spirit of Christmas is all about.”