Mischief Makers: All Tied Up

Before Nim and Lil headed to the North Pole to give Santa the Behavior Report, they’d left Glitter and Barrel in a clean, orderly and well-decorated living room.

“You two can start bringing the pillows out for the pillow fort we are making,” Nim had told the two animals. “We’ll be back soon.”

Then, they flew to the North Pole to file the first Behavior Report of the season.

Never would they EVER have imagined a small dog and reindeer could create the chaos they came back to early that morning.

“Oh Barrel!” cried Lil as she hovered above a sea of wrapping paper and ribbon.

“Well this certainly tops the mess Barrel made last night,” said Nim, barely holding back a chuckle.

The tiny dog just wagged his tail and cocked his head from side to side.

The elves heard and muffled honking sound coming from the tree.

“Yikes!” said Nim as he slowly flew toward the Christmas tree.

Somehow, Barrel had managed to wrap Glitter in red and green ribbon and hang her upside down in the Christmas tree. She looked like a crazed reindeer ornament.

“Easy there girl,” Nim said in calming tones as he slowly approached a very angry Glitter.

Glitter’s eyes were rolling. Nim was almost afraid to untie her.

“It’s ok Glitter,” Nim murmured removing the tinsel muzzle. “We’re here now. We’ll—“.

“Barrel, you’ve been very bad!” said Lil with her hands on her hips.

At the sound of Barrel’s name, Glitter completely lost it.

“HOOONK!!!”

Lil jumped and spun around with her arms up, ready to fight who or whatever was making such a horrible sound.

“HOOOOOONNNNNKKKK!!!”

“GLITTER! CALM DOWN!” Nim shouted with his hands over his ears.

“HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!”

“She sounds like an angry goose! Make it stop Nim!” Lil cried.

“I’m trying! She won’t stop moving her head!”

Glitter, angry and shaken, had gone berserk. Her eyes rolled and her head thrashed back and forth. With a sudden burst of strength, she broke through the ribbon and tinsel holding her to the tree and charged straight for Barrel.

“STOP HER LIL!” Nim shouted as he dove for the reindeer’s antlers.

Lil quickly rolled into a ball and bowled into Glitter’s legs, tripping her. Elf and reindeer landed in a big tangled heap of legs and antlers.

“Nim! I can’t hold her much longer!”

With a twirl and a leap, Nim joined the heap and they both struggled to calm and subdue the angry reindeer while Barrel ran around them yipping and yapping.

“I’ve got her, you grab Barrel,” said Nim, struggling to soothe the ruffled reindeer.

Lil turned, hands on hips to glare at Barrel.

“Bad dog! How could you make such a mess and treat poor Glitter so terribly?”

Barrel hung his head. Lil would have believed he was sorry for his behavior, but his tail still wagged back and forth excitedly.

“There’s nothing for it Barrel,” Lil said. “We’ll have to lock you up.”

At this, Barrel’s tail stopped wagging and he looked at Lil with sad, tearful eyes.

Lil built a makeshift dog kennel out of a shoebox while Nim found some eggnog for Glitter to drink.

She was calmer, but still shaking and mumbling “Chapter 2, section 1.5, no messes” over and over again.

After Barrel was secured and Glitter calmed, Nim and Lil started on the pillow fort. It was getting early and they had to work quickly to be done before the boys woke up.

“I don’t know what we are going to do about Barrel,” said Lil.

“What do you mean? He can’t do any harm when he’s in puppy jail,” Nim said.

“Somehow, I don’t think that is going to last long…” Lil said before flying to the tree to wait for the boys.