The Naughty Child - Santa's Village Stories - PNP

Five elves were enjoying a picnic just outside Santa’s village one day, when a blustery northern wind scooped them up!

The first elf, Retki, found his way home by following a red star on the horizon.

The second elf, Kyoki, was delivered home by mail.

The third elf, Kara, was carried home on the back of a flying zebra.

The fourth elf, Tarina, was dropped on the doorstep of a remote house high up on top of a mountain. Not daring to knock on the door, she peered through the windows of the house instead. When she saw a child’s room, she thought she was saved. “I just have to wait for Santa to drop off his toys, and then he can fly me back home!” Unfortunately, as she moved from one window to the next, she saw the room’s owner…busy cutting up the living room curtains! Just then, she realized — she’d landed at a naughty child’s house!

Knowing that the Do-Good elves only call into houses in remote areas about once a month, to try and correct naughty children’s behavior, Tarina decided to cover up the boy’s mischievous deeds so he would make it onto Santa’s nice list. For days, she washed the walls after he drew all over them. She picked up the couch cushions he kept throwing on the floor. And she recovered all the objects he’d tied to his cat’s tail. Exhausted, the elf knew she would have to change tactics.

When nighttime came around, she read Christmas stories to the boy as he slept. Gradually, night after night, the magic of Christmas made its way into his mind. He learned all about the bravery of the reindeer, the devotion of the elves, the generosity of Mrs. Claus, and most important, the kindness Santa shows towards all the children of the world. During the day, the boy started replacing his mischief with kind gestures. He stroked his cat, tidied his room, and listened to his parents.

When Christmas Eve came around, Santa’s sleigh, pulled by the reindeer and a zebra, landed on the roof of the house. The small elf had succeeded! Thanks to the boy’s good deeds, she could go home again. And he would be rewarded, too, with a beautiful and well-deserved gift from Santa!

Tarina’s Christmas gift was getting to return home to her friends and her bed. Climbing under the covers, she worried for her friend Makea, who still hadn’t returned home. “What could be taking him so long?” she wondered.