The Magic Hole Dug By Santa's Magic Bucket & Spade

One Christmas, Santa went to the church fete. He looked at the carboot for some stuff - there was a bucket and spade which were great ! He thought it would be a good idea for the Summer - Santa turned it upside - down and used it to carol sing "Little Drummer". Rather than fly through the sky, this year Santa had a new idea that he thought he would try. His new reindeer was frightened of heights and Santa didn't want him to be scared by the dazzling lights. So, instead of using his famous sleigh, Santa dug down into the Earth, making an underground tunnel for his Christmas get - away. As soon as he got his new bucket and spade home, Gerome the gnome began building a snowman, with an igloo for his home. Together, the new bucket and spade were so magic, the snowman could dance and sing - he was really fantastic ! When the sleigh bells started to ring, the snowman knew the words to everything ! Meanwhile, Santa continued digging ... on and on ... one by none ... he only paused for a rest when the daffodils had all gone ! He shovelled a bit here and dug a bit there ... soon there were elves constructing everywhere ! Next Santa made a footpath, for the gnomes to tread, which wove it's way from the grotto, through the flowerbed, right upto the garden shed ! Mrs. Christmas had some bulbs that she needed planting, so Santa got cracking straight away (just to stop her ranting !). The tunnel that he dug was so long, he zoomed beneath the English Channel : by Boxing Day the French could hear him sing strong as he went along. The hole that Santa dug with the magic bucket and spade, was so deep that it reached from North to South Pole. Santa cried "Hello !", loudly, into the black hole. Just like a message into a bottle, Santa's sleigh carried glad tidings around the world to everyone (no wonder it needed to be on full throttle !). With so many wishes and mistletoe kissing, every year Santa had to take care that none went missing. So a tunnel came in very handy indeed, (despite the odd weed !). Everyone in the grotto came to watch Santa depart, looking forward to his safe return, so that the party could start. As a good luck token, they put something different into the hole. Gerome the gnome kicked a football, scoring a hat - trick goal ! Rudolph the red nose reindeer buried the bell from the sleigh. Santa spent all afternoon, looking for the culprit who'd taken it away ! Now, every time that the wind blows on the Christmas tree, the sleigh bells ring harmoniously ! As a surprise, Mrs. Christmas buried a plate of mince pies - there were so many in the freezer, she had to throw away all the french fries ! Frosty the Snowman buried his boot - very soon the bucket and spade were also walking about ! The Christmas fairy threw in her magic wand. Magic started working the minute that it left her hand ! By three, there were magic wishes growing on the tree. Mo the eskimo put in a large fish, which went swimming off in the rain. Luckily his fishing rod was so long that he could easily fish it out again ! (I don't want to tell you what the reindeers buried in the hole : except to say that it left a very smelly mole !). Into the hole, the elves planted all the grotto's broken furniture and toys that they didn't particularly like - there was a teddy with one eye, a car with three wheels and a worn - out, tyreless bike ! After a Winter of snow, a shoot appeared that slowly started to grow and grow. Before long, it was as big as Santa's hoe. When it fell over, it almost broke Santa's toe ! From the highest branch, when the wind began to blow, the Christmas fairy could see for miles around. Everyone looked as small as a garden gnome, when seen from two thousand feet off the ground ! Santa drew the entrance to the hole on a secret treasure map. When a tree grew so fast it was difficult to measure and the branches began to snap. Santa used the bucket and spade, to collect all the baubles and quickly put them back ! The following year, at Harvest - time, when the fruit started to blossom and bloom, some toys appeared on the branches, as the present tree quickly filled the room. There were more presents than underneath the Christmas tree - with so many glorious decorations that Mrs. Christmas could hardly see. The present tree soon shadowed the grotto door. It took a ladder fifty feet tall to reach the top from the floor ! The bucket also came in very handy, when Santa had to carry three sackfuls of candy. But of course, a bucket doesn't fit down chimney pots as well as a sack - when Santa it took three reindeers to pull him back ! The bucket also had another use - to gather up snowflakes and all the feathers that had fallen from the goose ! Outside in the cold, Santa collected icicles, though they were difficult to hold. Rather a lot grew on the edge of Gerome the gnome's shed ... Santa climbed up to the top branch - and almost banged his head ! When the icicles started to melt a bit, Santa filled the bucket with ice - cream instead - he ate so much that his belt soon didn't fit. From the bucket he drank lemonade and covered marmalade sandwiches with the magic spade. Back in the grotto garden, all the gnomes kept watch - for Santa to reappear from the hole, (compared to a passing sleigh, he was much easier to catch !).

© Jacqueline Richards 2008