Young Jimmy Andrews'

Young Jimmy Andrews’ (all)-Most Wondrous Adventure!

The sleigh settled lightly on the steep roof with no more affect than any of the tiny snowflakes falling thickly from the sky. The weary old man peered carefully through the curtain of snow, his eyes were still sharp, but the night had been long and it took him several seconds before he spotted the stout chimney thrust into the sky.

With a deep sigh, the round little gentleman pulled a large sack out of the back of the sleigh and stepped onto the roof.

“I won’t be but a few moments, boys,” he whispered. Patting the warm brown rump of the nearest reindeer, he shouldered the sack and trod gently toward the chimney. “Last stop of the night and then its dash away, dash away, homeward bound!” He chuckled softly.

As the rotund man prepared the magic that would allow his large bulk and laden sack to slip improbably down the narrow smokestack, young Jimmy Andrews, alerted by the slightest creak of the light tread on the roof, waited patiently behind the green couch in the living room.

Jimmy had waited for this moment all year long; he loved his toys so very much, he loved any and all kinds of toys, large and small!

Jimmy knew Santa and the elves made toys at a shop at the North Pole; so he thought and thought until he came up with a plan, it was a really good plan he thought!

All he had to do was hide somewhere on the sleigh or in the sack, and he could ride along all the way back, he would have as many toys to play with as he wanted.

Jimmy’s eyes felt awfully tired though, the night had been very long for a 10 year old boy. He hadn’t been sure that he could stay awake long enough, but at long last HE was here!

Surely that was Santa he heard this time! Jimmy focused intently on the cooling embers banked to the rear of the small fireplace, and he grinned and shivered with delighted anticipation.

With barely a whisper, yet all at once; there was a twinkling sparkle and glow of quick light, it flashed briefly at the hearth, a soft whoosh and almost inaudible bang, there stood the jolly fat man!

Dressed entirely in red, with just a touch of white bunting; matched to his abundant white beard and curly white hair he looked quite stunning!

Saint Nicholas looked the room over; from tall green tree, to ornaments all shiny; he looked at the large matched stockings; no, they were not tiny, he smiled a broad smile and quickly began to zoom and hover.

With scarcely more than a blink from Jimmy’s awestruck eyes, the old gentleman flashed here and flashed there; he bent and he twisted, he lifted and he listed, then in a quick poof, he quite simply finished his task!

When he stopped and he paused, he let his sack crumple to the floor and turned for a sip of milk and a bite of the cookie that had been left out, only and especially for just Santa Clause!

Seizing his opportunity at last, Jimmy scurried across the floor and slipped inside the soft warm sack right fast. Burrowing as deeply as he could, Jimmy had to suppress a giggle, the sack was quite warm and empty so it was easy to wiggle; deeper he went, deeper and deeper, then he was at the bottom and curled up quite chipper!

At the table, his back to the daring infiltration, the jolly old man’s eyes never the less, still caught the movements and twinkled with excitement. Turning in a flash, he grasped the sack and upended it, the surprised young boy gently falling to the floor. Before his eyes could adjust to the sudden turn of events, a glittering cloud descended over his head and he was fast asleep.

“You’re not the first little scamp to try that trick, Jimmy!" The old gentleman chuckled softly. "Luckily, the Sandman is a friend of mine” He carefully placed the sleeping child safely upon the nearby couch. “Tomorrow morning you will remember, with only a slight regret, dozing off before Santa came.”

After surveying the filled stockings and small mountain under the tree, there was another slight whisper and sparkling flash, Saint Nicholas compressed and up the chimney he rose.

As he settled on the wide seat of the sleigh; he let loose a rumbling chuckle, then a great laugh, gave the leather reins a flick and the reindeer rose into the sky. Just as he, the sleigh and reindeer winked and flashed out of sight, he looked back over his shoulder

“HO, HO, HO; Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year, my friends, one and all!” He called through the snowy night. “HO, HO, HO may your dreams be wondrous and your life as well; to all, … a good night!”


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