There once was an elf named Teddy. He was a skinny runt with tight brown curls and bright blue eyes. He always wore his green sneakers, red shirt and ripped jeans. He was considered the naughty one in his class of elves. They went to school every day for training to become a working elf in the toy factory. His father, Jack, was one of the chief elves who had the major task of producing bicycles and then transporting the toys to Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. Jack wanted his son to work very hard to complete his training so he could take his place after his retirement. Teddy hated school and ditched most classes to go hang out with Dasher and Comet, who were his good buddies. They were an odd bunch together but were as close as can be.It was Christmas Eve, and Teddy was taking his final exam to get is qualifications. He hadn’t studied yet and didn’t really care if he passed or not. He didn’t want to work; he didn’t want to be in the toy factory. He thought, ‘Why do we make toys for kids EVERY YEAR when we don’t even get any thanks!’ He thought it was a complete waste of his time. So instead of going to the school he hid in the barn until his test was over and he would tell his dad he had finished. After two hours passed, he thought the coast was clear. As he was creeping out of the stables, he heard his dad coming in to make the final checks on the reindeer to ensure they were set for the long trip ahead of them that night. Teddy panicked and frantically looked around for a good hiding spot but all that he could find was Santa’s sleigh nearby. He had no choice; he bolted for the sleigh, jumped in the back, collapsing into a pile of presents where he nestled deep so no one could see him. Eventually he fell asleep.He was awoken by strong gusts of wind blowing through his snug curls. He wondered ‘what on earth is that’? He noticed the black sky and shimmering stars whizzing by him. Then he turned around only to see Santa Claus himself! They were high in the sky and flying around the world. How could he possibly be in such a mess? He did not want his father finding out about this nightmare. He would be dead! Hoping Santa would not see him, he carefully stepped onto each colourful gift and bow to make sure he didn’t slip and fall. Determined to see where he was he made his way to the edge of the sleigh. Suddenly his sneaker lace got tangled in a large pink bow. He struggled to get it unhooked and in the process and after taking a huge tug, he lost his balance and before he could hold on to something he was in mid-air plummeting down to earth. Teddy screamed for help but he was only so small that no one could hear his cries.Landing on the wispy frond of a palm tree he bounces around. Trying to figure out where he was he searched around the area. Teddy was shocked to see no snow or ice covering the landscape. He was startled to hear two voices, a young girl and a mother. They were sitting on a tile patio next to a pink home with a white rippled roof. The daughter was talking about Christmas and how much she wanted a new doll. The kind where her hair perfectly curls and her cheeks are roundly rosy. Her hands have delicate little fingers and her clothes are soft and lacy. Teddy thought to himself, ’The kids really care about their toys and obviously hope and wish for the perfect thing, maybe this whole production isn’t that bad.’ Teddy eventually fell asleep again to the sounds of the family and the warm air breezes.He heard the click of hooves on the pavement. He carefully stood up to avoid another fall and see what the clamour was below. To his surprise he saw his buddies, Dasher and Comet and the rest of the gang along with Santa Claus.‘What are you doing up that tree, in Bermuda young fellow?’ Santa yelled up.‘I kind fell out of your sleigh’ Teddy said timidly. ‘I slipped on a present when you took off; I kind of got into a big mess.’‘Oh, ho, ho its ok, everyone makes a little slip up every now and then, but would you like to get a ride back to the North Pole with me?’‘But there is one thing I would like to do before we go’Teddy told Santa about how badly that little girl wanted the perfect doll; and how much he would be honoured to create it for her. Santa said, ‘Thank you for finally appreciating the beautiful occasion Christmas is but there is no time to go back to the factory and make the toy for her’. Teddy sighed. But a small grin grew upon Santa’s face. He started swirling he finger around his hand and suddenly the perfect doll appeared.Together Santa and Teddy delivered the rest of the toys and returned home safely. Teddy soon became the next chief elf in the factory and took over in his father’s place. He also got to do a special job every year; to accompany Santa distributing the toys around the world. What a wonderful Christmas it was from then on.