法奶日報www.lulij en.com【原國內版：www.lulijen.com/old.htm】
The Elf
that Saved Christmas
（10）
--By Audrey Chiang (江婉柔)
Chapter
Eight
Ruby Kookien:
Head Inventor
Ruby stared in awe at the
embroidered golden letters on a velvet cushion.
This was no ordinary velvet cushion, it was the seat of a tall heavyset
chair at the head of the longest table in the factory. Ruby was the Head Inventor of a group of the
most skilled factory elves in the whole North Pole! She could not believe it.
"Well, are you going to take a
seat or not? Work starts in five
minutes," a calm voice interrupted her thoughts. Ruby looked up at the serious Talen with
shining eyes.
"I'm completely flabbergasted,
"confuzzled," and "befrazzled"! How can I sit down!? Oh Talen, this is the most amazing thing that
has ever happened to me in my whole entire life!"
Ruby turned back to stare at her seat
that was in front of the most important table at the factory! Suddenly a loud bell rang out, filling the
air with a vibrating sound.
"Everyone's coming in," Talen
warned. "You should sit before you
make a scene." So Ruby sat.
The first elf who came to the table was
stocky with a worn face and sparkling eyes.
He introduced himself as Xander and seated himself in front of a pile of
clay and silver wires. The second elf
was a female, with wispy white blonde hair and startling starry green
eyes. Her name was Paisley Cadence, but
most elves called her plain Paisley or PC.
Soon so many elves were arriving that Ruby couldn't keep track. All of them instantly began to work.
Ruby looked down at the piece of paper
that looked fresh out of the printer.
The page was clean and white. It
lay on top of a cardboard box in front of her.
Ruby was eager to read it and see what was inside the box. The paper read:
HEAD INVENTOR JOB DESCRIPTION
Your main job is
to create new inventions and advise your fellow workers. Share and discuss your ideas with your
co-workers.
Think about what
the Good Children want. Make toys that
will make them happy.
The Inventor Table
just invent toys. The Production Table
makes the toy itself.
You can experiment
with any supplies in the factory for projects.
The materials are always in a box on your table.
Once a toy,
decoration, furnishing etc. is completed, ask the runner to transport it to the
Production table. The runner will always
be by your side.
Work hard and
enjoy your work!
Ruby smiled. She had a dozen ideas already. She found a blue-print paper inside her
supply box and began to sketch. She drew
a puzzle that could be put together in six different scenes for a 10 year old
girl named Brooklyn. Her fellow workers
were awed by the way the puzzle could shift and change into different
pictures. That idea was immediately sent
off to the Production Table with much enthusiasm.
"That idea was simply
clever!" Paisley exclaimed.
Xander came up to Ruby and asked if it
was possible to create a bell that could ring in 5 different tones. Ruby was happy to suggest different types of
metal for each part of the bell. That
idea was greeted with open arms also.
Ruby was in eternal bliss. She had never felt so happy in her life. Soon, the Inventor Table was releasing brand
new ideas with clever twists in them.
Work ended all too soon for Ruby.
When the final light dimmed from interior of the factory, Ruby found
herself outside in the chilly night air surrounded by chattering elves, trying
to talk to her.
"Ruby, you have an appointment, do
you not remember? Hurry, I must take you
to the Santa's cottage before the Sleigh Sendoff," Talen reminded Ruby as
he approached, ending the conversations among the elves.
Ruby had to run to keep up with Talen's
long-legged strides as they hurried down the path to Santa's cottage.
歡迎各界惠賜各類創作稿件，email：lulijen46@gmail.com
並歡迎轉載，但務請註明出處----編者
【法奶日報www.lulijen.com2015.3.4.出刊，第9-1342號】