Hallo, whom?

Jill blew out the candle. They always went up to bed with a candle on Halloween night, it was more exciting than the electric light. "Goodnight, Susie .." she began, and then stopped.

Her sister whispered, "But everyone in the neighborhood has been and gone."

"Yeah," Jill whispered back.

They'd been trick-or-treating themselves, with a gang of their friends, and knew that all the other clusters of kids had already visited, their parents had told them so. In this way-out neighborhood, it was well known exactly how many kids would come trick-or-treating.

"Girls," came their father's voice. "Are both of you okay in your room?"

"Yes, Dad," they chorused. "But we heard a knock at the door."

"We did, too. There it goes again."

The light in the passage came on. Their parents were there in their pajamas.

All four of them went downstairs together. They tiptoed to the front door.

"Who is there?" the girls' mother called out.

There was no answer, but another knock.

All four of them looked at each other. Nine-year-old Susie was looking scared. Jill, being twelve, thought she ought to be brave.

Knock-knock.

Knock-knock.

"Who is there?"

Knock-knock.

"There's no window upstairs that looks out on this door," their father whispered.

"But Matilda can see our front door from her parents' window," Jill whispered back.

Quickly, their Dad texted Matilda's Dad. "Someone's knocking at our front door, can you see them from your window?"

Two minutes later, the mobile rang.

"Hello? WHAT? WHAT?"

Their Dad strode to the front door and opened it.

Standing outside was ...

Rudolph.

Rudolph, Santa's red-nose reindeer.

The family stared. Was this someone dressed in a reindeer costume?

Footsteps were heard. Matilda, her brother and their parents were coming up the driveway. Matilda's brother was only five years old, and he was loving this adventure. While the others were staring in disbelief, he flung his arms around Rudolph's neck, yelling, "Rudolph, Rudolph! Dad, here's a note."

Sure enough, there was a note tied to Rudolph's collar. Matilda's Dad unfolded it, and everyone leaned in to read by the light of his smartphone.

"To whoever gets this note: My husband was going to take Rudolph and do a spot of surprise 'TREATING' today. I told him it's not his holiday, but he said everyone loves a good present, and it's trick or TREAT, isn't it? But he does get absent minded sometimes and really, it's Comet and Prancer who are the sensible ones and make him get the work done. He'll be of no use with just Rudolph. If you're reading this note, it means my husband is somewhere on your premises, looking for a chimney or stuck in one that's too small. Please help him. Love, MRS. CLAUS."

Santa was stuck in the chimney that led to Dad's study.

They got him out and Mom insisted he had a bath before he did anything else. Then everyone sat down to a nice midnight feast, with Rudolph joining in through the kitchen window.

The next morning, four children found stocking-fulls of surprises at their places at the breakfast table!