Sally saves Christmas

It was a cold, snowy Christmas Eve. Sally hung her stocking from a nail by the fire and went upstairs to her room.

Sally was about to close her eyes and fall asleep when she thought she would have a last look out the window.

She wanted to see Santa Claus in his sleigh.

She crawled out from under her blanket and went to the window. Outside, in the tree, the sparrows were bundled up for the cold night. Christmas decorations hung all around their cozy nest.

As Sally watched the moon rise over the town, a magic moonbeam shone down and touched the windowsill.

Sally opened the window to the cold winter night. She heard a faraway horn blow three notes. Ta Ta Taa.

She climbed out onto the magic moonbeam.

The littlest sparrow in the nest woke and saw Sally."Where are you going," asked the sparrow. "Up there. To the moon," Sally whispered."On Christmas Eve?" grumped the little sparrow. "Don't you hear that horn blowing? That means we have to go," Sally said as she started up the moonbeam.

The sparrow flew after her as she led the way. Higher and higher they went, through the cold night, over the clouds and all the way to the moon. They came to a door in the wall of a moon castle.Before Sally could knock, the door swung open. There stood the Moon Queen. She was very worried."This way!" cried the Moon Queen, waving her arms. "We must hurry!"

Sally, the sparrow and the Moon Queen ran through the winding hallways of the castle.They climbed to the top of a tall tower. The Queen went to the edge and pointed at a shorter tower with a big spring on top. "Jumparoooo!" cried the Moon Queen.

Sally held onto the sparrow as all three of them jumped onto the spring. It went SPRAAAANG! and sent them flying off the tower and clear to the other side of the moon. They landed with a WHUMP!

There, stuck in the moon dust, was Santa's sleigh. His reindeer stood around cleaning their fur. Santa himself sat in his sleigh staring at the stars.

Stuck on his head was a big shiny satellite all broken and smashed. "What's wrong with Santa?" Sally asked. "He crashed into a satellite," said the Queen. "And he doesn't even remember who he is. It's terrible! And on Christmas Eve!" Sally went to Santa and spoke."Santa, let me take that satellite off of your head," she said.

"Satellite? Oh...oh, yes. Certainly, my child. Take it off of my head," Santa said in a most puzzled way.

Sally tossed the broken satellite onto the ground and patted Santa's aching head. "Ouch!" cried Santa. "It's Christmas Eve", said Sally.

"It's what? Christmas Eve? I don't know what you mean, I'm afraid," said Santa. "You have to take presents to all the children in the world," said Sally.

"Ho Ho!" laughed Santa. "Surely you're cracked! Let's see... That would be...umm...one...two...three..." Santa started counting on his fingers all the children in the world.

Sally took the reins from Santa's hands.

"I'll show you," she said. With a tremendous tug, she cried to the reindeer, "Be off!" The reindeer leaped and pulled the sleigh into the starry sky. The sparrow flew as fast as he could and sat on Santa's shoulder.The Moon Queen waved and called out, "Save Christmas, Sally! Save Christmas!" Sally tried with all her might to fly Santa's sleigh straight. They flew over a town in Kansas and landed on a roof with a THUMP!

"Now, Santa," Sally said. "You've got to go down the chimney and put presents under the tree."

"Chimney! And get soot on my suit! Heavens child! Have you no respect for the elderly?" huffed Santa. Sally pulled him out of the sleigh. With all her might, she pushed him to the chimney and stuffed him in head first. Santa roared with displeasure as he slid to the bottom.

He landed on his head and went, "Ooof!"

Then Santa sat up and gazed at the shining Christmas tree before him. He saw the two stockings that children had hung. Then, in a twinkling, the knock on his head made his memory come back! "OH!" said Santa. "Claus is my name! It's Christmas Eve and I'm late!" He piled presents under the tree and scrambled back to the roof.

"Sally, you've saved Christmas!" Santa said as he climbed into his sleigh. "I would be proud if you'd fly with me tonight."

Sally smiled as Santa shouted to the reindeer, "Be off!" The reindeer snorted and pulled the sleigh into the air. They flew as fast as Santa's magic could carry them, over oceans and countries and islands and cities.

When Santa was finished, he brought Sally and the sparrow back home to their town.

"Goodnight, dear intrepid Sally," Santa said with a chuckle. As he flew back to the North Pole, Santa shouted:

"Christmas is saved! To all a goodnight!"

The End.