Waldo Elf Saves the Day - Again!

"That airplane is powered by a reindeer!"

Waldo Elf had just said those words to the crowd at the Flemspackle Airport. They had just seen a miraculous event--the world's first 'pollution-free' airplane flight. No one knew what had made the engineless plane fly--until Waldo told them.

Of course, there are many problems with having an Elf tell you anything. One big problem is that not everyone believes in Elfves.

"What's that little guy doing up there?" asked someone in the crowd.

"What did he say?" asked someone else. "It sounded like he said the aiplane was powered by reindeer?"

"He also said his name was Waldo Elf!" said a third, who turned to Dolores Flemspackle and said "You don't expect us to believe this, do you?"

"I...I'm...it's..." stammered Dolores

"Its ridiculous!" said one person. "Expecting us to believe that this short person is an elf, and that your airplane is powered by reindeer! This is obviously some sort of fraud," she said, and she got up and walked away. Almost half the crowd walked out with her.

"It's an outrage!" said another. "You're forcing magic reindeer to power your airplanes? That's terrible! Magic reindeer should play reindeer games, and pull Santa's sleigh, and things like that. I won't be a part of this sort of operation!" and he walked out, taking just about everyone else with him. As they were leaving, too young girls waved shyly at the Elf on the podium. "Hi Waldo!" they said.

"Who's that?" asked Phil

"Those are my friends Katie and Sierra," said Waldo. "They believe in me."

"I don't understand, said Dolores. "What just happened?"

"It seems pretty obvious to me. Anyone who doesn't believe in Santa and Christmas magic thought that you were trying to trick them, so they left. And everyone who does believe in Santa and Christmas magic thinks that forcing reindeer to work like this is kind of mean, so they left, too."

Dolores and Phil looked around for the speaker. "Who said that?" Phil asked.

Waldo giggled and pointed. "He did!"

The Flemspackles looked where Waldo was pointing. What looked at first to be a shadow on the wall moved, and out of that shadow stepped...

"Grandpa Hap!" said Phil.

"Ha'penny Elf!" said Waldo.

"Right on both counts!" said Ha'penny. The lanky Elf walked up to the podium, where Dolores stood with her mouth wide open. "Dotty, what were you thinking, trying to make money off of a reindeer?" he asked her.

"Dotty? No one's called me that since I was a little girl," said Dolores, looking a little sad..

"I know," said Ha'penny. "I was the one who called you that." He took her hand, and held it to his heart. "Dotty, I thought that letting you grow up without an Elf around would be the best thing for you, but I see that I was wrong. Is it too late to bring a little Christmas spirit into your heart?"

Dolores Flemspackle smiled. It wasn't a greedy smile--but a happy one. "Oh, Grandpa Hap--you're back, and everything's better!" She put her arms around her grandfather. "I think it's Christmas already!"

Ha'penny's smile grew wider. "Well then, all that's left is to get those reindeer back to the North Pole!" he looked over at Phil. "Perhaps this young man here could see to that? "

"I'll be happy to, Grandpa Hap!" said Phil proudly.

"You're as smart as you are handsome!" said Ha'penny.

Could it be that everything's going to work out all right this year? Well, probably. But come back and read The North Pole times tomorrow anyways!