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The Elf that Saved Christmas

（11）

      --By Audrey Chiang (江婉柔)

Chapter Nine

        As soon as Talen and Ruby arrived at Santa's cottage, Mrs. Claus was there to greet Ruby with a new outfit and a warm coat.

        Five minutes later, Ruby, dressed in a flouncy red velvet dress lined with white furs, stood in front of a huge throng of elves.  A snug red cap hugged her head, and thick holly-red coat kept her warm.  Ruby rubbed her knit mittens together under her mink fur muff and tapped her suede lined boots together.  She had never dreamed of such a beautiful attire.

        Suddenly, cries of "there's Santa, there's his sleigh!" rang through the air.  Sure enough, the elegant vehicle lead by the neat lines of the reindeers glided gracefully down to the ground.  Ruby looked up and saw the brightest reindeer in the line.  The Christmas Light Reindeer Harness she had made shone brightly on Rudolph.  Ruby was sure she saw him turn and gaze at her. 

        The sleigh was even bigger up close.  It had a powerful presence somehow, and a few elves staggered back as if they were hit by a ocean wave.  The sleigh glowed with a bright golden aura tinged with red.  Then the most gigantic bag in the world was rolled up onto the sleigh and packed away into the back of the sleigh.  It was the toy bag.

        Santa, in his traditional red velvet tunic and floppy hat, stepped out of the sleigh.  His cheeks were rosier than ever and his eyes twinkled brighter than the stars.

        "Come in Ruby!" He boomed. 

        And the elves cheered. "Ru-by, Ru-by!" They began to chant.

        Ruby ecstatically jumped into the sleigh.  She sat down on the soft springy leather seat and inhaled.  The sleigh smelled like a spicy blend of sweet cinnamon and fresh pine.

        Santa boarded the sleigh and plopped down with a "Oof."  He turned to smile at Ruby. 

        "Are you enjoying everything?" he asked.

        "OH yes! I don't know how anything can get any better!" Ruby eagerly exclaimed.

        "Well!" Santa chuckled.  "You just wait until we get up there!"

        With his signature, "HO, HO, HO," Santa flicked the reins and they soared up into the night.

        The experience was exhilarating.  The wind whistled past Ruby's ears as they cruised smoothly along in the sky.  She looked down and saw what looked like a huge mass of a green puddle, which turned out to be the elves.

        "Goodbye!  Stay safe!  Merry Christmas!" they called out.  Ruby waved and grinned.  She couldn't stop grinning and screaming goodbye until the North Pole was out of sight. 

        "This is going to be the best, and most memorable Christmas ever!"  Ruby declared as they whizzed through the clouds.

                                         【THE END】

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【法奶日報www.lulijen.com2015.3.5.出刊，第9-1344號】