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“There it is,” whispered Figgy.
The friends were all crouched behind a fallen log staring at a decadent and mouth watering Gingerbread Cottage.
“What is that?” Lil pointed at a large creature pacing back and forth on the porch of the cottage. Every few steps, it stopped and licked the doorknob. Or the porch rail. Or the doorbell.
“I think it’s a–,” began Nim.
“It’s a cat!” Pixie squealed, causing said cat to freeze, its red and white tail curved slightly at the top, just like a candy cane. Its swirly green eyes focused on the five trespassers hiding in the woods.
They all held their breath.
GRRRRUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLEE!
“Figgy!” hissed Pixie.
“Sorry!”
They watched as the red and white striped cat with swirly green eyes slowly, slowly sat on the shortbread porch, wrapping its question mark tail around its legs. Once settled, it nodded at the group as if to say “Come”.
Looking at each other for reassurance, they emerged from behind the trees and approached the cottage carefully. Once they were within range, the cat spoke.
“I’m Stripes. Guardian of Candy Cane Cottage. Who are you?”
Gulp.
Lil spoke. “We are Santa’s Mischief Makers. I’m Lil. This is Nim, Figgy, Pixie, and Glitter. We are on a quest directly from Santa and we’re looking for–.”
“The Forgotten Mailbox,” said Stripes with a purr.
“Y-yes,” said Nim. “Do you know of it?”
Stripes gave one brisk nod.
“Then you can tell us—.”
“First, you must solve a riddle. You will get three riddles. Three chances to answer correctly. If you get just one riddle correct, you may enter the house and gain the clue to the whereabouts of the missing mailbox.”
“Oh here we go,” grumbled Glitter. “More riddles, more puzzles, more obstacles in our way. Can’t we just find this mailbox already!?”
“Um…Glitter?” Pixie looked at her in concern.
“Sorry,” sighed the disgruntled reindeer. “It’s just…I know this cat. Go on.”
Stripes smirked. “It’s been some time, Glitter. I trust you are well since we last met?”
“Yes. Fine. Please, just get on with the riddles.”
“I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?”
“Oh! I know this one.” Figgy turned to Stripes, chest puffed. “”A giraffe on a diet! They start tall and then, you know, they get shorter when they eat less!”
Stripes raised a whisker. “No, I’m afraid that is not the answer to the riddle.”
“FIG-GEE!” Lil shouted.
“Don’t just shout out an answer!” huffed Pixie. “We have to discuss it first!
“A giraffe…on a diet?” asked Nim. “Really, Figgy?”
Figgy hung his head. “Sorry. I was sure that was the right answer.”
“The correct answer is a candle,” Stripes calmly stated. “It starts tall when lit and becomes shorter as it burns.”
“Ok, two more chances,” said Lil. “Stripes, what is the second riddle?”
“The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?”
“That’s easy!” said Figgy, sure he was going to get it right this time. “It’s my sock collection. The more socks I take out of the drawer, the more I leave scattered around the workshop!”
“FIGGGGGEEEEE!”
“Close,” smiled Stripes. “The correct answer is footsteps. The more footsteps you take, the more you leave behind on the path.”
Glitter glared at Figgy.
Nim, beyond frustrated, pointed to a gumdrop door knocker. “May I?” he asked.
Stripes smiled and nodded.
Nim grabbed the gumdrop and shoved it into Figgy’s mouth. “There! May we have the final riddle, please?
“I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”
Figgy frantically chewed the sticky gumdrop, bouncing up and down on his toes.
Pixie, Lil, and Glitter wracked their brains for the answer to this riddle, while Nim tackled Figgy to the ground in an attempt to stop him from shouting out the wrong answer. Again.
Pixie’s eyes lit. “An echo!”
Stripes nodded. “Correct. An echo “speaks” by reflecting sound, “hears” by repeating the sound, and is intangible like the wind. Well done.”
With a sigh of relief, Nim stopped struggling with Figgy and helped him up. “Out of curiosity, what were you going to say, Figgy?”
Figgy shrugged. “I was going to say it’s a ghost whispering secrets in the breeze. I’ve heard they’re quite chatty!”
Even Stripes groaned.
“Come in,” said the Candy Cane Cat. “I’ll tell you what I know about the missing mailbox.”
a pinch of homestead 