For Ellia, Tallan and Frankie
It was Christmas Eve and the stars were twinkling like diamonds in the frosty sky, Father Christmas was racing across the sky in his sleigh, pulling a load of toys for children all around the world. His reindeer were flying through the clouds, the jingling of the sleigh bells rang out through the night.
But then, with a sudden bang, the sleigh jolted, the bang was quickly followed by a loud clunk and the reindeers skidded to a halt. "Oh dear," said Father Christmas with a worried frown. "It looks like we’ve got a problem."
He peered over the edge of the sleigh and saw smoke coming from underneath, "Oh no! That’s not good" said Father Christmas "the bang must have been something coming off the sleigh and whatever it was has bent one of the runners and that must have been the clunk after the load bang!"
"We’ll have to land and make repairs," Father Christmas muttered to himself, guiding the sleigh down through the snowy sky. Below him, the fairy lights outside a cosy farmhouse twinkled. It was just the place to stop and ask for help!
As the sleigh gently settled down in the farmer’s field, the reindeer huffed with relief, and Father Christmas hopped out. The cold air nipped at his cheeks, but he was used to it. He trotted to the farmhouse and knocked on the door.
Inside, a kind farmer named Farmer Ham was sitting by the fire, sipping a cup of cocoa. His cows were sleeping in the barn, and the light breeze blew the snowflakes around outside. When the farmer opened the door, he blinked in surprise at the sight of the jolly white bearded man dressed in red – "FATHER CHRISTMAS" he gasped .
"HO HO HO - Good evening, Farmer Ham" Father Christmas said cheerfully to a shocked Farmer Ham. "I’m afraid I’ve had a little mishap. My sleigh’s broken down, and I need some help."
Then Farmer Ham’s surprise turned to delight. "Well, I never thought I’d be helping Father Christmas with a broken sleigh! Let me have a look."
The farmer put on his coat and wellington boots and grabbed his trusty old repair manual, which was filled with diagrams and instructions for fixing all sorts of things around the farm—water troughs, fences, the tractor and even an old horse drawn sleigh. As Farmer Ham and Father Christmas made their way through the snow to the sleigh Farmer Ham flipped through the repair manual looking for instructions for a Father Christmas reindeer sleigh.
After looking at the broken sleigh and the repair manual for a few minutes "Well now," he said thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "There’s nothing in the old manual about a Father Christmas reindeer sleigh, but I think if I use some of the tractor instructions and a bit about repairing horse sleighs, with some luck we will be able to get you on your way!"
Father Christmas smiled. "You’re a clever man, Farmer Ham. What do you think we should try?"
The farmer led him to the barn where his cows were quietly chewing hay. "We’ll need to use what we have here," Farmer Ham said. "First, we’ll need my toolbox, this odd looking piece of metal that I kept just in case I might need it one day and some sturdy rope. Then, we’ll borrow some of the hay from the barn to cushion the sleigh while we fix it. And one of my cows can help, too!"
Father Christmas looked confused for a moment. "How can a cow help with a broken sleigh?"
Farmer Ham winked. "Watch this!"
He went over to the cows and patted one of the gentle creatures. "Bessie, my dear, we need your strength for just a moment." With a little nudge, Bessie stood up and walked outside to the sleigh, where Farmer Ham had laid out the rope and used the hay to prop the sleigh on so it didn’t get scratched.
Father Christmas watched amazed as the farmer tied the rope carefully around the broken part of the sleigh, using Bessie’s steady movements to help pull the bent runner back into place. Then Farmer Ham attached the old piece of metal he had found in the barn and with a little more work adjusting a few nuts and screws the sleigh was as good as new!
"HO HO HO now, that’s some fine teamwork," Father Christmas said with a grin. "Thank you, Farmer Ham, and thank you, Bessie! You’ve saved Christmas for me tonight."
Bessie mooed softly, as if to say, "You’re welcome!"
The reindeer stamped their hooves, ready to get back into the sky, and Father Christmas climbed into the sleigh. "HO HO HO, I think this old sleigh is ready to fly again!"
Farmer Ham waved as Father Christmas and his reindeer soared back into the night sky. "Safe travels, Father Christmas" he called, tipping his hat.
With the sleigh fixed and the stars shining brightly, Father Christmas flew off into the winter night, his heart filled with Christmas delight. And as he went on his way to deliver all the presents to the good children, he couldn’t help but think: there was Christmas magic in unexpected places—like in the heart of a kind farmer, his trusty cow, and the spirit of teamwork that made anything possible.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
