The North Polar skies lay dark and cold, yet beckoning in their quiet.
Save for the Aurora Borealis, cosmic fires flickering above in seeming riot,
nothing but towering spires of the ancient castle pierced the Winter night.
From far atop the tallest tower, there shown forth a blinding bright red light!
Residents of the surrounding town saw it at once. It was precious to their sight.
For they knew that soon their benefactor and leader would fly out like a kite!
He had cheeks so red they rivaled the color of his furry suit as well as the cherry nose
of his lead reindeer, head of the team of eight that carried him forth on dancing toes.
In just this one night, he would circle all mankind again and again, bringing clothes
and toys and hand-carved goods made here from time immemorial. To all he'd pose
that ancient question, "Good or bad?" He knew if true or false the answers they chose!
If bad or false, rather than opening, instead the bottomless sack on his back would close.
The spreading of cheer and goodwill amongst men and women his sacred Honor and Duty,
he spent the whole year prior to this special night making and creating gifts of joy for all to see
when early on the morning of the Birth of Our Savior, Christ the King, they would jump with glee
and run from their bedrooms to look at the wonder of it all, brought magically to them by he
who was truly a jolly old soul and whose entire rotundity quivered like a bowstring when upon his knee
the tiny elf tickled him and called out to those catching them at their task: "Merry Christmas to thee!"
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mindbringer, 23 November 2016
