One Christmas Eve the head gnome at the Gnometown Cleaners had just finished
pressing Sant's best red coat. "All those soot marks have come off", he said to the smallest gnome,as he brushed off the white fur round the collar. "Now it looks as good as new".
The head gnome folded the coat carefully and put it in a large cardboard box. "Now take this along to Santa Claus right away" he told the smallest gnome.
So the smallest gnome set off, carrying the box carefully. He had quite a long way to go and the box seemed to get heavier and heavier as he went. "oh Dear" he sighed, as he walked through Winter Wood. "I do wish I could rest for a few minutes".
He looked around and spotted a large hollow tree, "Just the place" he said to himself. "It will be sheltered from the wind in there:. So he squeezed through the hole into the tree, then put the box down and sat on a pile of dry leaves. The smallest gnome only meant to rest for a little while, but soon fell sound asleep.
Sammy Squirrel lived much higher up in that tree. He was curled up on his bed of dry leaves, when he started to shiver. "It's starting to get much colder. I really need some more bed clothes" he thought. He jumped out of bed and looked out his front door, "Goodness it's beginning to snow" he cried! "I had better go and get some more dry leaves".
Sammy scurried down the tree trunk and hopped through the hole at the bottom. There he saw the smallest gnome fast asleep. "Someone else is using my bedclothes" Sammy sighed "What shall I do?"
Looking around he spotted the box that the small gnome had placed in the corner. He lifted the lid and saw Santa's best coat lying inside, :This will be much warmer than leaves" chuckled Sammy, and he slipped between the folds of the coat and pulled the lid back over him.
After a while the smallest gnome woke up. "Oh Dear, it's getting dark, I shall have to hurryor Santa won't have his best coat back in time to wear it tonight!" he exclaimed.
Looking outside he saw the snow was getting really deep and he thought about how hard it was going to be to walk in all that snow.
With a deep sigh he started to turn back to pick up the box, when out of the corner of his eye he caught a movement in the snow. It was Rudolph, Santa's reindeer. "Santa sent me to fetch his best red coat" called Rudolph. "He's been waiting for it all afternoon, Where have you been?"
"I fell asleep" confessed the smallest gnome, shame faced.
"Dear Me!" Said Rudolph shaking his head. "You'd better ride on my back or Santa will be late starting tonight".
So the smallest gnome lifted the box onto Rudolph's back, "It's heavier now than ever", he puffed, not knowing that Sammy the Squirrel was tucked cosily inside.
Off they trotted through the snowy woods until at last they saw the lights shining through the windows of Santa's house. Santa himself was shivering by the open door, wearing only his shirt. "Have you cleaned my coat well?' he asked.
"Oh yes" replied the smallest gnome, putting the box on the table and opening the lid. Sammy Squirrel lay curled up on the coat, still fast asleep.
"Wake up" Santa nudged Sammy. "We'll have to take you back to your home". "Oh
Hello Santa" yawned Sammy "Where am I?"
Santa let out a loud HO HO HO and told Sammy that he was wrapped up in his best red coat.
A little while later, Sammy and the smallest gnome climbed up beside Santa on his sleigh. Santa was wearing his best red coat and was toasty warm again.
The first stop for the night was Sammy's tree house in the Winter Wood. Before Sammy could crawl out of the sleigh,Santa reached into his big sack of presents and handed Sammy a cozy blanket made for a doll's bed. "Oh thank you Santa" murmured Sammy sleepily, "this will keep me warm for the rest of winter!" Then he bounded off the sleigh and scurried up the tree and into his nest, dragging his warm blanket behind him. Tje last thing Sammy heard before he drifted off into a cozy warm sleep, wrapped up in his blanket was the sound of Santa's sleigh bells and Santa saying "HO HO HO Merry Christmas Sammy!" as the sleigh rose into the air on the next leg of his journey.
The next stop was back at Gnometown to drop the smallest gnome home. Santa reached into his sack and pulled out a big parcel "Perhaps this will help you to make your deliveries on time" he chuckled, as he flew away with Rudolph in the lead. "HO HO HO Merry Christmas smallest gnome" he sang as he disappeared into the starry night sky.
"Thank you" yelled the smallest gnome, until he was out of sight. Then he quicky opened his big present. Inside was a shiny new bike with a big basket on the front, "It's just what I wanted!" cried the smallest gnome, jumping on and peddaling round and round with excitement! "This will make my work so much easier!"
So now, the smallest gnome can make his deliveries at top speed, and Santa never has any trouble getting his best red coat back from the cleaners on time. He has never been late again!
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