Storytime: A Slippery Situation

Thanks to a resourceful reindeer named Rowan, Christmas is saved!

When an ice storm hits close to Christmas, a clever reindeer named Rowan steps up to save the day!

Once upon a time, as Rowan Reindeer watched the elves hitching the reindeer to Santa’s sleigh for a test run, he tried not to cry. In two days, Santa would be leaving on his around-theworld trip and, once again, Rowan would be staying behind.

He had heard such wonderful stories from the other reindeer about their trips that he wanted to experience those adventures for himself.

But whenever Rowan asked to go along, Santa said that he already had his team, the same nine reindeer he had always taken.

Then the day before Christmas, freezing rain fell on the North Pole and much of Canada. Ice covered the roads, the trees and worst of all, the rooftops.

How could the reindeer land on icy rooftops? They could slip and break a leg. Santa might slide on his way to the chimney. Any of them could fall off a roof!

If Santa had to cancel Christmas, he would disappoint lots of boys and girls.

When Vixen slipped on the ice and banged his knee, Rowan realized he had to walk very carefully. He put each hoof down just right. When one of his hooves slipped a second time, it slid only so far, hitting a small piece of leather strap that was almost embedded in the ice.

Rowan had an idea. He searched in the shed for some leather straps. He fastened those to the bottom of the runners on Santa’s sleigh. When Santa saw how the leather kept the sleigh from sliding, he tied small strips of it on the hooves of each reindeer.

The reindeer pulled Santa and the sleigh up into the sky. They made a circuit and landed safely. No one slipped.

“Rowan,” Santa said, “you have saved Christmas. Because of that, you can come with me this year—taking Vixen’s place.” n