as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the pre-Christmas
pressure. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which
stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found
that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the
fence and were out, Heaven knows where. Then when he began to load the
sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and
all the toys were scattered. So, frustrated, Santa went in the house for a
cup of apple cider and a shot of rum.
When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all the
cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the
cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the
kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the
straw off the end of the broom.
Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked
it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The
angel said very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely
day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?"
And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree!
