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Pixie and Figgy were talking quietly outside the Reindeer Romp when Nim and Lil approached.
“What are you two doing?” asked Nim.
“Spying,” said Figgy.
“On Glitter,” added Pixie.
“Oh,” said Lil. “That’s…why?”
Figgy sighed. “She’s been avoiding us.”
Nim cocked his head to the side. “I’m sure that is not true.”
“No, really,” said Pixie. “After Cookie’s house last night, her pager, or whatever it is, went off and she galloped away without explanation.”
Nim snorted. “Glitter has a pager?”
“She does,” said Figgy. “Mrs. Claus gave it to her this year. For ‘Reindeer Game emergencies.’ ”
Nim and Lil looked startled.
“What?” asked Figgy.
“Well,” said Lil. “It’s just…Mrs. Clause doesn’t normally get involved with the Reindeer Games. She’s more in charge of the Gnome and Narwal Reception.”
“So? Maybe Santa wants her to take a more active role in the Reindeer Games.”
“Maybe,” said Nim. “Still, it’s odd.”
They were interrupted by a tangle of limbs falling at their feet. Dazed, the gangly elf looked up at the foursome. “H-hi, I’m Flick. Sorry I’m late.”
Pixie pulled out the paperwork and flipped through to Flick’s letter as Figgy helped him to his feet and brushed the snow off.
“Hi Flick, I’m Figgy. This is Pixie. And, you know Nim and Lil of course.”
“Oh I know who you all are,” he said reverently. “And I am so honored that you are going to help me with my family.”
“Oh,” said Pixie, finally finding the right letter. “It says here that your kids, Harry and Lily, are addicted to…is this right? They are addicted to Hide and Seek?”
Figgy, Nim, and Lil all snorted.
Flick looked flustered. “Yes, that’s right. They won’t stop playing the game with each other and I think that they think that I’m supposed to search for them each morning.”
“This seems like an easy fix,” said Figgy. “Have you tried leaving them a note, or The Storybook to explain.”
“Of course!” Flick responded quickly. “I’ve tried the storybook, I’ve tried a note, I’ve tried writing on the mirror with shaving cream, I’ve tried…”.
“It’s ok Flick,” said Pixie. “We know you’ve tried. Let’s get going and see what we can do to help get your house back on track.”
“Bye guys!” said Nim.
“We’ll keep an eye out for Glitter,” said Lil.
Figgy, Pixie and Flick flew through the starry skies, ready to tackle Flick’s problem head on. All was quiet when they landed in the living room. Flick let out a long, heavy sigh.
“It’s ok, Flick,” said Pixie. “I thought of something we can try on the flight over.”
Flick looked hopefully at Pixie. “Really?”
“Yes. I think a scavenger hunt is in order.”
Figgy looked doubtful. “A scavenger hunt? Really?”
“Have you tried that, Flick?” asked Pixie.
“No, but—.”
“Then we’ve nothing to lose!”
“Even if they do the hunt, they’ll just go back to hiding from me tomorrow.”
Pixie gave a sly smile. “Oh, but this scavenger hunt will last the rest of the season. They will have to get up each morning to find the next clue.”
Flick’s eyes brightened as he caught on. “And to find the next clue, they’ll have to find me?”
Pixie nodded.
Figgy looked at her in awe. “That is a great idea, Pixie!”
“I’ve been known to have a few good ideas.”
Figgy laughed.
“Ok, Flick. You and Figgy go get the items we need for this first night and I’ll jot down the clues for the rest of the season.”
“Yes ma’am! What do we need?”
“First, I’ll need a piece of cardstock, the book A Christmas Carol–every library should have it, and a marker to change the title just a bit.”
Not sure where she was going with this, but trusting her just the same. Flick and Figgy gathered all the materials she needed and reported back, watching as she wrote “A Christmas Critter” on the piece of cardstock.
“We’ll start the hunt off with a poem…
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows that you have lots of books
So find the one with a mistake…
…and at the end of the season, they will find a real, live Christmas Critter under the tree!”
Figgy clapped while Flick looked doubtful.
“What if, you know, the parents aren’t excited about this…critter?”
Pixie grinned. “Don’t worry. They’re going to love it!”
a pinch of homestead 