Santa

[marval]

Santa and his reindeer need to be really quiet when they deliver presents so no one will know they are there.

One Christmas Eve when they landed on a roof top, there was a loud, "Snort, snort, sniff, honk, honk, sniff."

"Shhh," said Santa and he proceeded to get out of the sleigh.

Once again, louder this time, there was a "Snort, snort, sniff, honk, honk, sniff."

Dogs began to bark in the neighbourhood. "Shhh," Santa said again, "Stop doing that."

He started to lift his sack of toys out of the sleigh when he heard it again, even louder.

"SNORT, SNORT, SNIFF, HONK, HONK, SNIFF."

Lights came on all over the neighborhood. Some people opened their windows and stuck out their heads trying to see where the noise came from.

Horrified, Santa jumped back in the sled and flew off to the North Pole. When he got there, he lined up all the reindeer and said, "OK, we are not going to deliver any more presents until the reindeer who is trying to be funny by making those noises confesses and apologizes."

He waited. No reindeer came forward.

"I know who it is," said Santa. He held up a piece of paper. "I've written your name here and I will read it. But I want to give you a chance to do the right thing."

Still no reindeer came forward.

So Santa did the only thing he could. He read off the rude-nosed reindeer.