“Shhhhhh!” Flaky hissed at the barking dog. “You’re going to wake everyone up!!”
RRRRUUUUUFFFF!
Flaky sighed in exasperation and plopped on the floor. Nothing was working to quiet Bowser.
“Please, Bowser. I need to finish this house of cards before everyone gets up.”
“Have you tried singing?” asked Gretyl the Giraffalope.
Flaky turned. “Singing?”
RRRRUUUUFFFF!
“Oh yes,” said Gretyl. “Bowser’s favorite song is ‘Roll out the Barrel’.”
“Really?”
Gretyl smiled. “Really.”
Figuring she had little to lose, Flaky cleared her throat and began.
Roll out the barrel, we’ll have a snowball of fun Pour out the eggnog, tinsel and lights on the run Zing boom tararrel, ring out a song of good cheer Now’s the time to roll the barrel, for Christmas is here
RRRRUUUUFFFF!
Gretyl frowned. “Huh, I don’t think those are the right lyrics. Try Jingle Bells.”
Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh O’r the fields we go Laughing all the—HEY!
Flaky, now covered in dog slobber, glared at Bowser who had just licked her toe to hat.
“Hmmm,” mused Gretyl. “How about treats. Have you tried his favorite biscuits?”
Flaky’s eyes lit up. “Biscuits?”
Gretyl led her over to Bowser’s treat container sitting high on the shelf in the kitchen. “Up there.”
The container looked heavy, but Flaky was desperate so she floated to the top of the shelf and tugged on the container. It wouldn’t budge.
RRRRUUUUFFFF!
Flaky, with all the desperation of a sugar-deprived elf, tried again. This time, the treat container tumbled into his arms. She realized, suddenly and with horror, that she had made a mistake. She hovered for a beat, two, and then plummeted down, down, down.
CRASH!
RRRRUUUUFFFF!
The explosion was tremendous. Treats scattered everywhere. Bowser’s barks turned to the clatter of his nails and grunts as he chased dog biscuits all over the kitchen and living room, scarfing them up with abandon.
“You probably only needed to get one or two of the treats,” Gretyl unhelplfully pointed out.
Breaking News!North Pole in Floury Frenzy: Mrs. Claus’ Sugar Cookie Recipe Missing!
North Pole Gazette By Taffy Twinkles, Lead Reporter
In a twist of events, during the annual post-Christmas party, Mrs. Claus’ famous sugar cookie recipe has gone missing!
NonPareil, Mrs. Claus’ sous chef, came running into the festivities, huffing and puffing with tears in her eyes.
“Santa’s Sugar Cookie…huff-puff…is…is gone!!”
This recipe is the key to Santa’s sleigh ride on Christmas Eve. The soft and sweet treat keeps him energized and able to finish all deliveries. Without it…well, no one knows what will happen. The only clues left behind are a few small, floury footprints.
Santa, in a fit of turmoil, turned to our four famous mystery-solving friends. “Mischief Makers…can you find the recipe before next season?”
The four elves, determined to help solve this mystery, accepted the task. But will they find the recipe in time? The clock is ticking, and the North Pole’s sweetest tradition hangs in the balance.
Sparkly Sprinkles stirred from her slumber, the delectable scent of gingerbread surrounding her. As her eyes fluttered open, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite as sweet as it seemed.
“Good afternoon, Sparkly,” Stripes mewed, his eyes filled with amusement.
Sparkly yawned and sat up, looking around the candy coated room, getting her bearings, scheming her next move. “Thank you so much for the hospitality, Stripes. How rude of me to fall asleep.”
The cat arched an eyebrow. “Think nothing of it, Sparkly. All are welcome at the Candy Cane Cottage.”
“Ah, yes,” said Sparkly. “Speaking of ‘all’, I heard you had a few visitors recently.”
Stripes, sensing her curiosity, curled up on a licorice-patterned cushion. “I have received many visitors.”
Sparkly leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. “These would have been very recent visitors. I’m searching for the four elves and the reindeer that follows them around.”
Stripes twitched his whiskers. “Yes, now that you mention it, Santa’s Mischief Makers and their faithful reindeer did stop by recently.”
Sparkly’s eyes widened with interest. “And did they say where they were going…what they were searching for?”
The Candy Cane Cat chuckled. “Nice try, Sparkly. Some mysteries are meant to unfold in due time.”
Stripes curled up on the cushion, his tail whipping around to cover his feet. “Let’s just say that the Mischief Makers are off on a little adventure.”
Sparkly, quickly losing any patience she had left, huffed. “I just want to talk to them, Stripes. That’s all. Just talk.”
“Ah Sparkly, always in pursuit of a good, juicy story,” said Stripes. “I’ve read your column, you know. I know your style.”
“My style? My style is getting to the bottom of this story. These elves and their reindeer pal are missing, Stripes. MISSING! This is the biggest story to hit the Gazette since The Grinch. And I’m going to be the reporter who breaks it. So, please, please if you know anything…tell me!”
The last bit came out as a petulant whine of frustration. Sparkly was desperate. And desperation did not look good on her.
After a long pause, Stripes appeared to give in. “Since, as a few of your more colorful headlines suggest, you’re so fond of a good mystery, how about a little hint?”
Sparkly’s eyes lit up.
Leaning closer, Stripes whispered, “Head south, where the Perilous Reindeer Always Need Knives.”
Sparkly raised an eyebrow, annoyed.
Stripes gave a sly smile. “Head South, Sparkly. You’ll find what you need if you head South.”
“Thanks, Stripes.” Without a backwards glance, Sparkly took off, heading South. The opposite direction the Mischief Makers took.
Sparkly was having a rough day. As it turned out, her choice to go left had been a mistake. She had wasted time walking for hours, only to hit a dead end. Frustration rolled off her like snow on a mountain.
“Stupid gnomes.”
As she slogged her way back, snow began to fall.
Sigh.
And fall.
Huff.
And fall some more. Soon, visibility was nearly zero and Sparkly was struggling against the wind so much that she was forced to stop and hunker down in a small alcove in the trees.
“This can’t last long,” she muttered.
Plip! A snowflake zipped in, bonking her on the nose.
“What in the–?”
Plip, plip! Two more snowflakes zoomed at her, hitting each cheek.
“Hey!”
Plip, plip, PLIP!
“Stop that!” she shouted into the wind.
Snowflakes whirled and twirled until a face loomed in front of Sparkly. And smiled.
“Come play with us,” said the snow face.
Speechless with shock, Sparkly shook her head.
“Suit yourself,” shrugged the snow face. It burst apart in a shower of snow and began dancing and moving in intricate patterns around her. More snowflakes joined until Sparkly was surrounded entirely by a white wall of snow.
“Ok!” she shouted into the howling wind. “I’ll come out!”
The snow gentled and fell in soft waves as she emerged from the nook in the tree.
“Wh-what are you?” asked Sparkly.
Tinkly laughter surrounded her.
“We are Snow Spirits.”
“Okaaay.” Sparkly tapped her tiny toes. “What does that mean? Snow spirits?”
“We are the remnants of past snowstorms. The big blizzards race through the land, leaving us behind,” the spirits grumbled and in their discontent, rumbled and whirled creating a snow sculpture of a dopey looking snow devil.
Sparkly gasped at the sculpture, impressed. And then, she smiled, an idea forming in her mind.
“Wow,” she said slowly. “That is an impressive sculpture.”
“Oh, this?” The snow spirits puffed up, seeming to glow in Sparkly’s praise. “This is nothing.”
As one, the snow spirits flurried and flounced, creating an intricate sculpture of…her.
Sparkly clapped at the likeness. It really was very good.
Encouraged by her delight, the snow spirits continued making sculptures of elves, Santa, snowflakes, wrapped presents, and a rather realistic yeti.
“This is all very nice,” she interrupted. “But can you do something more intricate?”
The snow spirits paused. “What do you have in mind?”
“Santa’s Spectacular Snow Carnival!”
The snow grew, excited for this new challenge. They split into several small snowstorms, each creating a different attraction for the scene.
One group worked on a Frosty Ferris Wheel, while another built an ice rollercoaster. Sparkly was awed by the storm making a Snowman Carousel that actually spun, when she realized her plan was working. The snow spirits were distracted, all their attention focused on building this snow scene. Now was her chance to escape.
Working her way through the snow construction crews, Sparkly started back the way she had come. As she reached a turn in the path, she chanced a look back at the snow spirits. The carnival was truly magnificent. Maybe she could just stay and see the finished scene…but no, she was on a mission. Finding the Mischief Makers and their reindeer sidekick was her top priority.
Sparkly squared her shoulders and started swiftly down the path, not noticing the lone snow spirit quietly following her.
“I sure hope Sparkly is kinder to the Jingle Jest Squad in her headlines,” said Lil as they trekked further North of Santa’s workshop.
“Pah! Yeah right,” said Pixie. “That snoopy snit is only interested in selling papers. I can only imagine what today’s headline says about us.”
“Stop!” said Glitter. “Do you hear that?”
They all halted their progress and strained their ears to listen.
Hassha shhh. Shap ha shhh.
“Hosh Posh?” asked Figgy.
“Hash Shap?” wondered Nim.
“I think it’s just the wind. Let’s keep moving,” said Lil.
They took a few more steps and the whispers grew louder.
“Ok,” said Figgy. “You all heard that, right?”
AGGGHHHH!
Seemingly out of nowhere, a small green clad sprite with a tunic of pine needles ran straight into Figgy’s ankle and started to fiercely attack him. Figgy looked down in surprise, then gently lifted the sprite by the collar and brought it to eye level.
“Let me go, villain! Or you will regret your interference in the Whispering Woods!”
The tiny sprite waved its tiny arms, brandishing a tiny sword. Figgy looked at Glitter. “What is this thing?”
Adopting a calm, respectful tone, Glitter said, “Fear not, brave warrior. My friends and I come in peace.”
As if a switch flipped, the small green creature immediately calmed and turned its head to Glitter.
“Glitter!” it said with excitement. “We’ve not seen you in these parts since the last time the Reindeer Games were held here and you—.”
“Yes,” Glitter hastily interrupted. “It has been a long time Flip. Too long.”
Flip cleared his throat and glared at Figgy who was still holding him by the collar.
“Oh!” said Figgy. “Of course, so sorry.” He set the creature atop a small boulder and took a step back.
Making a big show of straightening his…leaves, Flip turned back to Glitter. “What are you doing here, Glitter? I thought you were permanently with Santa at the North Pole?”
“I was, that is, I am, but there is a situation at the North Pole that requires investigation. We–Figgy, Pixie, Nim, Lil, and I–are on a mission from Santa himself.”
Immediately, the small sprite straightened his back. “What can I do to help?”
“We need information. We found a book with an old story about a mailbox full of forgotten letters. Wish lists that children had written that never made it to Santa. Have you ever heard of anything like that?”
Flip’s eyes grew wide. “Missing wish lists? Oh that’s bad. Santa is known for his generosity and kindness. If word gets out that he is not fulfilling children’s wishes, his reputation will be tarnished, and people will stop believing in him!
Lil nodded. “That’s why finding these lost letters is crucial. Not only for maintaining Santa’s reputation, but also for keeping the magic of Christmas alive.”
Glitter nodded. “It gets worse.”
Nim, startled, turned to Glitter. “More than what you’ve told us?”
Glitter nodded grimly.
Pixie gasped. “What could possibly make it worse?”
Glitter continued. “Santa received a letter from a child who is losing faith in the magic of Christmas because his wish was not granted last year.”
A collective gasp filled the night. “Santa is determined to find the missing letters and fulfill every child’s wish to restore the magic of Christmas. Before it is too late.”
“This is Sparkly Sprinkles on location with…I’m so sorry, what was your name again?” Her voice was sickly sweet and her eyes glittered with mischief. Not the good, fun kind. The oh-I’m-going-to-make-your-life-miserable kind.
Figgy gulped. “F-Figgy, ma’am. I’m Figgy.” His eyes glowed as he gazed at the sparkling elf with her fluffy pink pen poised over her notebook.
“Ah, yes of course…Biggy.”
Figgy, enchanted by the chic elf with her long dark hair, big bright smile, and razor sharp nails, gazed at her in adoration.
Pixie rolled her eyes. “Figgy! Get over here and help us plan the fort. You’re in charge of jokes and surprises, remember?”
“Of course! Sorry!” With a bashful smile, Figgy zipped over to the pile of pillows and blankets in the cafeteria of the St. Francis Children’s Hospital. “What’s the plan?”
Nim, who had a grand vision for the massive fort they were about to build, took the lead.
“First, we need to set the tables up in two rows, end to end. Then, we can work with the blankets to make a big enough tunnel for all the kids to go through. Then Lil…”.
“I have a few ideas to add adventure to the experience. Surprises throughout. Pixie will help with the decorations.”
Pixie nodded. “And Figgy will add the jokes to make the kids laugh.”
Figgy cleared his throat, eying Sparkly Sprinkles who stood on the edge of the group, writing everything they said down. “Like, Why did the snowman cross the road?”
Pixie, Lil, and Nim stared expectantly at Figgy.
“To get to the other snowbank!”
Pixie raised her brow. “Er, that’s not–.”
But Sparkly Sprinkles’ tinkling laugh filled the room. “Oh Biggy! Aren’t you just hilarious!”
Figgy blushed.
Nim shook his head. “But it wasn’t even fun–”.
“Come, tell me what other…jokes you have in mind.”
Figgy, bright red with delight, dutifully followed the reporter to the corner of the room where she began talking animatedly and coaxing more lame jokes out of him.
“I don’t like her,” said Pixie.
“I don’t trust her,” said Lil. “What do you think, Nim?”
But Nim was staring after Figgy and Sparkly with a dark scowl on his face.
“Just two more houses to go!” exclaimed Figgy as he landed with a thump on the kitchen counter at the Sampsons.
“Wow, it’s gone by so fast,” said Pixie.
“I know,” said Figgy slowly, hesitantly. “Meeting so many different kids, helping all these Mischief Makers has been…”.
“Frustrating?”
“Well…”.
“Eye-opening?”
“Erm…”
“Fun because we’ve helped so many Mischief Makers and kids enjoy the season more, but a little lonely because we haven’t really connected with any one family?”
“Yeah, something like that,” agreed Figgy.
Lil nodded. “Yes, I miss our old job a little too. Both are fun, but there is something special about making mischief in one house for the whole season.”
Figgy smiled and nodded, happy to have a partner who understood the joy of Mischief Making.
“Ok,” said Pixie. “We have the Sampsons tonight and tomorrow the Talbots.”
“Yep,” said Figgy. “Sparkle couldn’t meet us tonight, she had an emergency appointment with Santa about something that happened a few nights ago with cotton balls, sand and the Sampson’s television.”
“Yikes.”
“I know, but I have her notes here. Samantha Sampson will not eat her breakfast and she refuses lunch and dinner. All she wants to eat are oranges and grapes.”
“Ick,” said Pixie.
“I know,” agreed Figgy. “If she’s going to eat only one thing, it should be something good. Like marshmallows dipped in syrup.”
“Or marshmallows dipped in syrup then dipped in crushed up candy canes.”
“Yum! Or, marshmallows dipped in syrup, dipped in crushed up candy canes, then dipped in dark chocolate candy coating.”
Pixie and Figgy stared blissfully at the microwave, imagining all the melted chocolate and marshmallows.
“What if,” Pixie began slowly. “What if we made Samantha our favorite breakfast?”
Figgy’s face brightened. “Yeah, maybe she just hasn’t found the right breakfast combination yet. We could totally help her with that.”
Pixie beamed and headed for the pantry while Figgy raided the fridge. “Let’s see what we have to work with.”
A few minutes later, they had pulled out all of the ingredients they thought they needed.
“Spaghetti noodles?” asked Pixie.
“Check!”
“Marshmallows?”
“Check!”
“Powdered sugar? Candy canes? Sprinkles and chocolate sauce?”
“Check, check, check and check!” said Figgy.
Pixie scratched her head, surveying all the ingredients. “Something is missing.”
“You are right, this doesn’t look like a very balanced breakfast,” agreed Figgy.
“Oh!” shouted Pixie. “Maple syrup!”
Figgy nodded. Maple syrup, one of the key food groups, was a must.
“Ok, Pixie,” said Figgy. “I think we are all set. Samantha will not be able to resist this delicious breakfast.”
They left a note, forging Sparkle’s signature, and then headed out into the stars.
When they arrived back at the North Pole, satisfied with their work for the night, Glitter was waiting for them on the tarmac.
“Hey Glitter, what’s up?” asked Pixie.
Glitter looked at them gravely. “It’s time for you to find out what Mrs. C. and I have been up to this season. Come with me.”
“Whoa.” Figgy stared at the clever trap laid for Cookie.
“Yes. Whoa, indeed,” Cookie said grimly. “I told you. Her behavior is atrocious. She is sly and sneaky and she’s been laying traps for me since day one!”
Pixie and Glitter carefully tip-toed around the large mound of cake and treats. On first glance, it looked innocent and tempting. Piles and piles of sweet treats. Enough to tempt any elf. Sugar cubes, chocolate, sprinkles and a large bottle of maple syrup at the very top.
“But she made a mistake this time,” said Cookie with satisfaction.
“She did?” asked Pixie.
“Yep,” he pointed to the bottle of syrup. “That syrup is NOT the right grade.”
Figgy peered closer at the bottle. “But, it’s grade A. That’s the best, isn’t it?”
Cookie looked imperiously at Figgy. “Any elf worth his sugar knows that grade B is, in every way, superior to grade A.”
Figgy glared at Cookie. “Oh no it isn’t! Grade A is the best!” He looked and Pixie to back him up, but she was distracted by the string attached to the cap of the syrup bottle.
“Now you listen here, Figgy. Grade B is better! It’s darker in color and much more flavorful!”
“But, Grade A is lighter, crisper—“.
“Grade A has no depth of flavor, no time soak up all that maple taste. It’s taken from the tree too early!”
Figgy opened and closed his mouth, flabbergasted. Grade B, better? Ludicrous.
Glitter stomped her hooves, interrupting what was clearly becoming an all-out battle. “What did you find, Pixie?”
“Clever,” murmured Pixie. “Very clever.”
Figgy, with a final glare at Cookie, joined Pixie near the pile. “What’s clever?”
Pixie pointed. “See that string? Looks like fishing line. If you follow it from the cap of the bottle down to this pile, you can almost see the tiny trap door.”
Figgy, Cookie and Glitter peered closer at the middle of the pile.
“What do you think is inside?” asked Figgy.
“Nothing good,” grumbled Cookie.
Carefully, very, very carefully, Pixie lifted the small flap and peered inside. “It looks like…a whole bag of sugar!”
“Really?” asked Cookie skeptically.
“Yes, and she’s dyed it different colors. Almost like Christmas sprinkles.”
“Colored sugar!” shouted Figgy, and without stopping to consider, he dove straight for the door as if he were going for a swim.
“PLLLTTTHH!” Figgy surfaced spitting and wiping frantically at his tongue. “SALT! IT’S SALT!”
Cookie sighed. “I told you. She’s devious.”
Pixie pulled Figgy out of the trap and helped dust the salt off of him. Glitter pushed a shot of maple syrup and a sugar cube to him.
“Thanks,” he said gratefully. “How could she do that?” He looked sympathetically at Cookie and he gulped the syrup.
“Devious,” repeated Cookie.
Pixie met Glitter’s eyes and nodded. It was clear what needed to be done.
“Well,” started Pixie. “Clearly Casey Calloway is bored.”
“Bored?!” spluttered Cookie. “How can she be bored!? I haven’t even had the chance to do ANY of thing things I had planned. I’m too busy trying to escape from all of these horrendous traps she sets!”
“Trust us,” said Glitter. “With this sort of atrocious behavior, there is only one remedy.”
Cookie and Figgy looked expectantly at Glitter and Pixie.
“Games,” said Pixie.
“Obviously,” agreed Glitter.
“How do you figure that?” Figgy asked.
“Cookie, what were the other traps this season?”
“Oh let’s see,” said Cookie peevishly. “There was the little obstacle course she set up for me that ended in a mud bath. Then, there was the terrifying jack-in-the-box at the end of the race track she’d made. And, my personal favorite, sarcasm intended, the exploding bowling pin.”
“Exploding bowling pin?” asked Figgy.
“That’s right. She lured me in with what looked like an innocent game of bowling, but when my ball struck the pins, they exploded and rained down sticky goo. It took me ages to get it out of my hat.”
“But don’t you see, Cookie,” asked Glitter. “Casey loves games.”
Cookie stared incredulously at Glitter. “Games?”
“Yes,” added Pixie. “All we have to do is play along. We’ll start tonight and leave you with a list of other games to play with her.”
“Wait,” said Glitter, reaching into her harness. “I have an idea.”
She pulled out a box of Chessmen cookies. “Lets play a game!”
Figgy and Pixie eyed Glitter in awe. “So, you just…have those with you in case of…what? A game emergency?”
Glitter sniffed. “Well, you never know when you’ll have time for a quick game.”
Cookie smiled, willing to give the idea a try. “Ok, Knight to E4.”
“Figgy,” said Pixie in exasperation. “I can feel your glare.”
“Hmph.”
“You should have explained the rules better. How was I supposed to know??”
“How were you supposed to—what? You don’t know that it is NOT ok to steal other peoples resources?”
“Wel–.”
“OR, destroy their houses that they worked very, VERY hard on?”
“I thought it was—.”
“And for goodness’ sake Pixie. Everyone knows that you are never, under any circumstances, supposed to dig…STRAIGHT DOWN!”
“Hem-hem.”
Figgy and Pixie turned to see a small, tiny really, elf waiting patiently in front of the Toy Shop.
“Oh, hello there,” said Pixie. “We were just, er, debriefing from last night’s job.”
“Hmph.”
Pixie rolled her eyes at Figgy and then turned back to the tiny elf. “You must be Tinsel?”
Tinsel nodded once.
Giving Figgy a “we’ll-talk-about-this-later” look, Pixie pulled out the folder on Tinsel’s assigned home. “Yes, of course. Let’s see, you have…Molly and she refuses to go to bed?”
Tinsel nodded a second time.
“Oh, that is a problem,” said Figgy.
Tinsel nodded a third time.
“Well, let’s get to the house and see what we have to work with. I’m sure we can figure some way to tire Molly out.”
Tinsel shot into the air toward Molly’s house, Pixie and Figgy close behind.
***
Fifteen minutes later, all three elves, having run down the hall and into the pantry, were panting and trying to catch their breath.
“She’s a menace!” grumbled Figgy.
“A terror,” added Pixie.
Tinsel nodded…again.
“Tinsel,” said Pixie, noticing that the elf had yet to speak. “Can you…that is to say, are you able to…”.
“Can you talk?” finished Figgy. “It’s just, you haven’t made a sound beyond clearing your throat.
Tinsel sighed and when she finally spoke, Pixie and Figgy were shocked by the tone of her voice. Expecting a high squeaky voice from one so small, what came out was a deep, baritone voice belonging to a much larger elf. Like Santa or the abominable snowman.
“I try not to. My voice is too loud, even at a whisper.”
“You’re whispering?” asked Figgy.
Tinsel nodded. “I think it might be why Molly doesn’t want to go to sleep. You see, she heard me on the first night and I’m pretty sure she thinks there is a big scary monster under her bed, so she finds any excuse not to go there.”
A loud gasp came from below. The elves peeked down to see Molly staring straight above the spot where they were hiding, a look of pure terror on her face.
“See,” said Tinsel, trying to be quieter. “She can—AGH!—hear me—AGHHHH!—even when I’m—AGGGGHHHH!—whispering.”
Pixie and Figgy could only stare. They were still unable to believe that such a deep voice came out of such a small body.
Tinsel nodded.
“Ok,” said Pixie, snapping out of her reverie. “We are just going to have to show Molly that there is absolutely nothing to be scared of.”
“How are we going to do that?” asked Tinsel.
“We’ll have to get a little goofy,” said Pixie.
“And a little messy,” added Figgy, picking up on Pixie’s plan.
Minecraft forgotten, Pixie and Figgy filled Tinsel in on the plan and got to work.
***
“Are you sure about this?” asked Tinsel staring at all the candy, sprinkles, icing, gummies, sugar coated chips, and ice cream cones strewn over the table.
“Trust us! Molly is going to love it. You said yourself she likes to do crafts. What better craft is there than sugar cone Christmas trees?”
“No, not that. I mean this!” Tinsel pointed to the sugar cone hat on top of his head. Icing and candy dripped down the sides into his eyes and all over his clothes. He felt ridiculous.
“Oh,” giggled Pixie. “Well, this way, maybe Molly won’t be so scared of you. It should work.
“Should? SHOULD??”
Pixie and Figgy backed away slowly. Tinsel was getting angry.
“Let us know how it goes!” shouted Figgy on his way out the door.
Figgy Frost paced in front of a small crowd of red and green clad elves. The snow crunching under his tiny toes.
“Ok Crew, it’s game time!”
“Yes, Sir!” the elves chanted back.
“We’ve been training!”
“Sir!”
“We’ve been toiling!”
“Sir!”
“We’ve been trying our–.”
“I think,” Pixie Powder interrupted, “what Figgy is trying to say is…good luck to you all this season! He and I will be working in the trenches with you, but will meet back here each night to debrief and troubleshoot.”
The select group cheered, spun mid-air, and flew off into the night.
“Er, thanks Pixie,” Figgy said sheepishly. “Got a little carried away there.”
Pixie smiled. She and Figgy had been working hard training the new recruits of the B.R.A.T.T. Correctional Crew every day since Santa had assigned them the job as Co-Chiefs the previous year.
B.R.A.T.T., or, the Big Rowdy Association of Tiny Tyrants had increased in number over the last several years. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the rest of the Care of Christmas Board decided that the B.R.A.T.T. Correctional Crew needed to be re-instated to combat the growing problem.
After the announcement, Mischief Makers across the globe had eagerly submitted complaints about their charges. Some were legitimate, some…not so much.
Lars, whose kid set up a mouse trap to capture him, among other dangerous stunts, definitely needed help. But then there was Spark, who had sent in complaints about her kid’s lack of excitement about the gifts she left. As if a kid could or would be excited about receiving plain white socks on the first night…and every night of the season.
Santa had put Pixie and Figgy in charge of the program after their turbulent year with the Malloy family, a longtime member of B.R.A.T.T. Over the past year, the duo had assembled a small strike team and run training exercises to get ready for the season. Every team had a list of kids who needed a little extra nudge in the good behavior department. Each one on their last chance before the Christmas Magic Reversal Squad paid a visit to their home, causing them to lose their assigned elf and be put on the Naughty List. Permanently.
“Great job guys!” Lil, Co-Chair of the Mischief Maker Program, fluttered to the ground beside Pixie and Figgy followed closely by her partner Nim.
“Yeah, you two are naturals!” Nim, added.
“You really think so?” asked Figgy, smiling.
“Absolutely!” said Nim.
“Are you guys ready?” asked Pixie.
“Yep,” said Lil. “We have just enough time to pay a quick visit before we have to get back for the Mischief Maker Launch Party.”
The four friends were headed to their original assignment for a pre-season pep talk from their first and favorite charges, Joe and Jake. They were just about to take off when the sound of galloping hooves thundered behind them.
“Wait!” Glitter, head of the Reindeer Program, skidded to a halt in front of the foursome. “Wait, huff-puff, huff-puff, just a minute.”
“Sorry Glitter! We almost forgot to get you!” exclaimed Pixie.
“No, no. That’s not it,” Glitter panted. “There’s been an emergency down at the toy shop. Santa needs all of you asap.”
Concerned, the elves and reindeer sped to the toy shop, breathless with worry.
“Surprise!”
Shouts and greetings, laughter and applause greeted them as they burst through the doors. Mischief Makers cheered, Santa chortled and two bewildered boys beamed at the foursome.
“Joe?!” gasped Nim and Lil. “Wha–???”
“Jake!?” shouted Figgy and Pixie. “How–???”
Santa’s eyes twinkled. “I made an exception to the rules. I am Santa after all. I wanted a special surprise to kick off this season and Figgy and Pixie’s new assignment.” Joe and Jake smiled broadly, eyes sparkling and cheeks splitting. “This is going to be the best Christmas ever!”
a pinch of homestead 