The Christmas Santa Took the Wrong Flight Path

Christmasland airport is reall quite extra - ordinairy - the pilots are all like Rudolph the Reindeer (with red noes) and every air hostess is really a Christmas fairy ! There are helicopters and aeroplanes, gliders and hot air balloons, everywhere, but none of them fly as fast as Santa's sleigh flies through the air. There even was a Boeing 747, too, so Santa could hardly choose which was the best way to get to Timbuktu ! One particular Christmas, Santa couldn't decide, if he should travel by sleigh, or perhaps take a helicopter for a ride. He bought a ticket, for a North to South Pole trip ... and checked what toy - making days on the Christmas calendar Santa knew he could skip. When Santa arrived, he had a great view of his Christmas Boeing 747, boarding at platform two. He could clearly see the control tower, around which seagulls flew. "All aboard !", the Captain cried, getting ready for take - off on a special Christmas round - the - globe - glide. Putting the shuttle into first gear, off they zoomed towards New Year. Joking with the cabin crew as they flew, they were all soon at an altitude of two thousand and forty - two. The only trouble was, all Santa's parcels caused a real tiswas ! The crew, of course, were rather used to lost baggage, but there had never been quite so many suitcases, boxes and parcels to carry, and how best to do it, no - one knew ! With so many toys packaged and tied, oh ! so pretty ! the aeroplane was lop - sided and wobbled all over the city. Luckily, Santa had prepared, a comic book to read in case he got scared. Around Mount Everest, Santa's Boeing 747 sleigh did shoot, picking up a considerable number of snowflakes en route ! Flying East to West, the pilot was naturally pleased to have Santa as a guest. Travelling at hyper - speed, was the best way to get around the globe, delivering Christmas presents and the gnomes agreed ! Oops ! the pilot didn't look which way he was going ... or at the cargo of Christmas trees they were towing. Before long, the trip had turned into a map - reading disaster ... all because the pilot tried flying faster and faster. Instead of over France, they accidentally headed off on a merry dance. Before Santa knew it, they were tied in a knot, not knowing how many parcels they'd got, and they didn't know how to undo it ! As over the Arctic the aeroplane flew, Santa dropped presents in parachutes which landed as the wind blew. Taking a left turn, rather than a right - everyone on Santa's Christmas special was really flying higher than a kite ! The only trouble that the crew then found, was how to stop, whilst three thousand feet above the ground ! Luckily, Santa had an excellent idea ... if only he could get a message to one of his magical deer. "SOS !", Santa signalled in Christmas code, "We're coming in to land - but cannot see the right road !". The reindeers shone their noses so Santa's flight could land ... as they came to a halt on the runway, to carols played by Santa's sleigh bells band. © Jacqueline Richards 2008