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Four pairs of elfin eyes stared at poor Pepper in shocked awe after Santa had given her a stern talking to about the “swamp incident” and the “dangers of over-imbibing” on maple syrup.
“But…why did you drink so much maple syrup?” asked Lil.
“Er, it tasted good?” offered Pepper.
Lil tilted her head.
“I was…thirsty?” Pepper tried again.
Smarti raised a pencil thin eyebrow.
“Oh ok. She’d never had maple syrup!”
“Who on earth has never had maple syrup?!” Nim and Flaky exchanged incredulous looks.
“Lucile,” said Pepper miserably.
When all four elves stared blankly at her, she expounded.
“Lucile is…and this is going to sound crazy…she’s a giraffalope and she’s been helping me with the activities. We just got a bit carried away, that’s all.”
Silence blanketed the room as each elf stared at Pepper.
“Look,” she said uncomfortably. “I know it might seem like cheating, but there is nothing that says we can’t take a little help where–.”
“Leonard,” interrupted Nim. “He appeared that first night.”
“Gretyl,” said Flaky.
“Harold,” sighed Smarti.
Lil shook her head in wonder. “Mildred.”
Pepper’s eyes widened. “And they all appeared to you the first night?”
Four elves nodded.
Nim frowned. “How on earth do we each have a giraffalope at our houses?”
Lil puffed out her cheeks. “I’d never even heard of a giraffalope before this season.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Something fishy is going on,” said Smarti.
“Maybe we should tell Santa and Mrs. Claus,” Flaky added.
“NO!” The other four elves shouted at once.
“Not yet, Flaky,” said Pepper. “Let’s just…wait a bit.”
Each elf flew off to their assigned homes in varying levels of distraction. What in the North Pole was going on?
a pinch of homestead 