Who Stole Santa Claus’s Reindeer’s Carrots?
Every year, the Snowman Trail booklet has a wonderful Christmas tale to tell. This year we hear what happened to the carrots on Christmas Eve...
Christmas at Borough Ridge Farm was a bit of a lottery. Located high up in the Yorkshire Dales where from the front of the house you overlooked Lancashire and from the back you overlooked Yorkshire, but as the Autumn days grew shorter and the cold winter skies turned the ground white with frost, you knew it was going to be a long cold hard winter. It would not be the first time that visitors during the Christmas celebrations had to spend a few days waiting for the roads to be clear before they could leave the farm and return to their own homes.
This Christmas all the families of both Mr and Mrs Joe White, had as usual been invited to come and spend a few days in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Joe had always said that the scenery was much better in Yorkshire than Lancashire, yet Margaret insisted they were the same fields but failed to see her husband’s joke!
“This Christmas, it looks like another great time will be had, as both our parents are coming along with our sisters and brothers, a couple of friends with their families and even your old grandma. Jack and Jill will be able to play along with the other children. Thank goodness we altered the barn by attaching it to the main farm building for us to use, to set everything out and to put up the Christmas trees and decorations. This is going to be a great time, with gifts for everyone, plenty of food, quizzes and pass the parcel. I just cannot wait to get started”, added Margaret.
This Christmas all the families of both Mr and Mrs Joe White, had as usual been invited to come and spend a few days in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Joe had always said that the scenery was much better in Yorkshire than Lancashire, yet Margaret insisted they were the same fields but failed to see her husband’s joke!
“This Christmas, it looks like another great time will be had, as both our parents are coming along with our sisters and brothers, a couple of friends with their families and even your old grandma. Jack and Jill will be able to play along with the other children. Thank goodness we altered the barn by attaching it to the main farm building for us to use, to set everything out and to put up the Christmas trees and decorations. This is going to be a great time, with gifts for everyone, plenty of food, quizzes and pass the parcel. I just cannot wait to get started”, added Margaret.
“Hope Santa knows where to leave the presents in here and not in the living room where it was too small and very cramped. With all these people coming, it will be a great Christmas, and your cooking will top everything off, my dear”, commented Joe.
Margaret wondered if she had heard what Joe had really said, was it the Christmas spirit, after all the only drink he had was a cup of coffee. She thought to herself, we will see how he feels when I give him a four-pound bag of sprouts to peel (and don’t forget to put a cross in the bottom of each one of them), she thought to herself.
Jack and Jill looked out of the window, it was so cold today that they both thought they saw a snowflake dancing down from the sky and yes, there was another. In unison they both shouted, “Mummy and Daddy it’s snowing, look it’s really snowing. It could be a white Christmas after all.”
Joe looked up and knew that he might be called out if the weather got any worse to clear the roads and pull unlucky motorists out of the snow. It was only a slight snowstorm, so fingers crossed, the kids could have a white Christmas, and he could stay at home with his family and friends this Christmas and keep warm.
That night everyone went to bed. Jack and jill prayed for more snow, mum set the clock to be up early to start getting things ready, and dad, climbed into bed, turned over and even before the light went out was snoring away to himself.
Christmas Eve arrived with a heavy frost, a very light covering of snow and a watery looking sky with the weak sun trying to break through. The house was full of excitement, mum running around, the kids were up and helping, but dad was still asleep.
Margaret wondered if she had heard what Joe had really said, was it the Christmas spirit, after all the only drink he had was a cup of coffee. She thought to herself, we will see how he feels when I give him a four-pound bag of sprouts to peel (and don’t forget to put a cross in the bottom of each one of them), she thought to herself.
Jack and Jill looked out of the window, it was so cold today that they both thought they saw a snowflake dancing down from the sky and yes, there was another. In unison they both shouted, “Mummy and Daddy it’s snowing, look it’s really snowing. It could be a white Christmas after all.”
Joe looked up and knew that he might be called out if the weather got any worse to clear the roads and pull unlucky motorists out of the snow. It was only a slight snowstorm, so fingers crossed, the kids could have a white Christmas, and he could stay at home with his family and friends this Christmas and keep warm.
That night everyone went to bed. Jack and jill prayed for more snow, mum set the clock to be up early to start getting things ready, and dad, climbed into bed, turned over and even before the light went out was snoring away to himself.
Christmas Eve arrived with a heavy frost, a very light covering of snow and a watery looking sky with the weak sun trying to break through. The house was full of excitement, mum running around, the kids were up and helping, but dad was still asleep.
“Can’t you just for once, make an effort and get up and give me a hand”, Margaret asked.
“Merry Christmas dear” retorted Joe with tongue in cheek, as he rose from the bed.
By early afternoon most of the guests had arrived, the animals had been fed, the house was beautifully decked out with decorations and trees. There were no prizes for guessing who would be last to arrive. Grandma, even though she only lived a short distance away everybody knew who would be last to arrive, as she had “so much to do.”
That night everyone sat down to a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. Would there be room for another big dinner tomorrow, Christmas Day?
The log fire burned brightly, and everyone talked well into the night. This was a special night and one by one the family and guests went off to their beds. The children knew that they would not sleep tonight, in fact they had made it very clear that they would stay awake all night and see Santa bring their presents to add to the pile in the barn extension. Tomorrow, there would be gifts for everyone.
The last two people to leave the barn were mother and grandma. Mother had a special job to prepare the drink and mince pie for Santa Claus, and to place nine carrots for Santa’s Reindeer’s, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph. Grandma walked towards her presents and like a naughty child began to poke each one in the hope of ripping the paper and being able to guess what was inside.
“Right, mum, everything is ready for tomorrow. I am going off to bed now. I will lock the internal door into the house, can you use the external door when you have finished? Good night, “A tired Margaret retreated leaving grandma alone in the barn. Grandma still could not figure out what presents she had got from the family, and finally she was beaten and opened the door of the barn to leave. She pulled the door to and thought everything was okay, and off she went to bed.
“Merry Christmas dear” retorted Joe with tongue in cheek, as he rose from the bed.
By early afternoon most of the guests had arrived, the animals had been fed, the house was beautifully decked out with decorations and trees. There were no prizes for guessing who would be last to arrive. Grandma, even though she only lived a short distance away everybody knew who would be last to arrive, as she had “so much to do.”
That night everyone sat down to a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. Would there be room for another big dinner tomorrow, Christmas Day?
The log fire burned brightly, and everyone talked well into the night. This was a special night and one by one the family and guests went off to their beds. The children knew that they would not sleep tonight, in fact they had made it very clear that they would stay awake all night and see Santa bring their presents to add to the pile in the barn extension. Tomorrow, there would be gifts for everyone.
The last two people to leave the barn were mother and grandma. Mother had a special job to prepare the drink and mince pie for Santa Claus, and to place nine carrots for Santa’s Reindeer’s, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph. Grandma walked towards her presents and like a naughty child began to poke each one in the hope of ripping the paper and being able to guess what was inside.
“Right, mum, everything is ready for tomorrow. I am going off to bed now. I will lock the internal door into the house, can you use the external door when you have finished? Good night, “A tired Margaret retreated leaving grandma alone in the barn. Grandma still could not figure out what presents she had got from the family, and finally she was beaten and opened the door of the barn to leave. She pulled the door to and thought everything was okay, and off she went to bed.
Seven little pairs of eyes watched as she disappeared into the house and the lights went out. Mummy rabbit was the first to move. Carefully she crept along the side of the barn, everything was silent, and nothing moved only daddy rabbit and five little rabbits. They stopped outside the barn door, there had been no click and mummy rabbit was sure the door was not fully closed. Seven little hungry mouths might just find something to eat on this cold night. Mummy rabbit turned and with her back paws jumped up at the door which slipped off the catch and clicked open. The lights from the trees twinkled in the dark, the room was warm, and the rabbits were happy. They did not understand Christmas but what they saw, they liked. Daddy rabbit was the first to notice a cloth hung from the table and he was able to climb up the cloth onto the chair and get onto the table.
” They must have known we were coming as they have laid out nine juicy carrots for us, one for each little rabbit, and two for mummy and daddy. How thoughtful.” he said.
He moved the carrots to the edge of the table and dropped each one to mummy rabbit and the five small rabbits, before eating the biggest two carrots for himself. He noticed the drink in the glass and placed his paw into the brown funny smelling liquid. It was horrible so he left it alone and moved onto the mince pie. One smell was enough to put him off.
Climbing down from the chair and with full bellies, the seven rabbits made their way back to the door. Mummy rabbit pushed her nose into the gap and open the door wider so they could all leave. Once they were all out, she again turned and with a kick fully closed the door.
Next day everybody was up bright and early, Grandma was the first to arrive at the barn. She was still not sure if she had closed the door to the barn properly as it always seemed to stick for her. Everything looked okay but out of the corner of her eye she saw what appeared to be a small pile of round droppings which looked remarkably like rabbit droppings. Quickly she found the brush and shovel and swept them up. How and why were they there. She lightly bit her lip, nothing seemed out of place. What had happened when she left the barn?
He moved the carrots to the edge of the table and dropped each one to mummy rabbit and the five small rabbits, before eating the biggest two carrots for himself. He noticed the drink in the glass and placed his paw into the brown funny smelling liquid. It was horrible so he left it alone and moved onto the mince pie. One smell was enough to put him off.
Climbing down from the chair and with full bellies, the seven rabbits made their way back to the door. Mummy rabbit pushed her nose into the gap and open the door wider so they could all leave. Once they were all out, she again turned and with a kick fully closed the door.
Next day everybody was up bright and early, Grandma was the first to arrive at the barn. She was still not sure if she had closed the door to the barn properly as it always seemed to stick for her. Everything looked okay but out of the corner of her eye she saw what appeared to be a small pile of round droppings which looked remarkably like rabbit droppings. Quickly she found the brush and shovel and swept them up. How and why were they there. She lightly bit her lip, nothing seemed out of place. What had happened when she left the barn?
Mother arrived next and noticed the empty glass and the crumbs from the mince pie, but she looked baffled by the note Santa Claus had left. Many thanks for the mince pie and the drink. Why did you leave nine paper plates and no carrots for my reindeers, you know how much they love them. Regards to all. Love Santa.
“I just wonder what happened in here last night. I left nine carrots, yet they seem to have disappeared and vanished. I can’t for one minute think what happened to them. Anyone would think that you ate them grandma?
Grandma looked and smiled, “I know I did not eat them. It must have been some sort of miracle“.
She looked up to the sky winked her eye and said a silent prayer, for she knew that only the person reading this story and her knew what really happened to Santa Claus’s disappearing carrots.
“I just wonder what happened in here last night. I left nine carrots, yet they seem to have disappeared and vanished. I can’t for one minute think what happened to them. Anyone would think that you ate them grandma?
Grandma looked and smiled, “I know I did not eat them. It must have been some sort of miracle“.
She looked up to the sky winked her eye and said a silent prayer, for she knew that only the person reading this story and her knew what really happened to Santa Claus’s disappearing carrots.
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