Meet Santa Christina!
(“Mrs. Santa Claus”)
Santa Christina Delivers Half the Toys by Dog Sled
By George William Kelly
Meet Santa Christina!
(“Mrs. Santa Claus”)
Santa Christina Delivers Half the Toys by Dog Sled
Copyright 2015 George William Kelly
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eBook Cover Image: Canstock Photo
Table of Contents
Foreword: A Christmas “Storyteller” eBook
Meet Santa Christina!
Santa Christina Wish List
Santa Christina Children’s Christmas Carol
About the Author
Other Titles by George William Kelly
Acknowledgments
Foreword:
A Christmas “Storyteller” eBook
This children’s Christmas eBook does not have illustrations. It allows each child to imagine his or her own characters and scenes—based on her or his own family, ethnic, or sociological background. Parents who read it aloud with their children are like storytellers of ancient times. They paint the story in each child’s mind with words alone.
Meet Santa Christina!
For a long, long time children have never known the real name of Mrs. Santa Claus.
They just called her “Mrs. Claus.”
They never thought to ask if she had a real name of her own.
Besides, they were more interested in Santa Claus and toys than in “Mrs. Claus.”
So, what is the real name of “Mrs. Claus?”
How much do girls and boys know about “Mrs. Claus?”
What do boys and girls imagine that “Mrs. Claus” does day after day at the North Pole?
Some children imagine “Mrs. Claus” knitting sweaters in a rocking chair beside the North Pole fireplace.
Some children imagine “Mrs. Claus” baking Christmas cookies in the North Pole kitchen.
Some children imagine “Mrs. Claus” helping Santa Claus and the Elves build toys in the North Pole workshop.
Some children imagine “Mrs. Claus” reading Christmas Wish Lists mailed to the North Pole by girls and boys around the world.
Some children may even imagine “Mrs. Claus” feeding carrots to those reindeer hitched to Santa Claus’s sleigh.
Parents, grandparents, boys, and girls all imagine “Mrs. Claus” staying at home and keeping house for Santa Claus and the Elves. Everyone imagines “Mrs. Claus” preparing breakfast and hot chocolate for Santa Claus when he returns after delivering Christmas toys.
Until now, however, nobody, not even parents and grandparents, knew the real name of “Mrs. Claus.”
Now, listen to me, and I shall tell you how I found out the real name of “Mrs. Santa Claus” and how she helps her husband, Santa Claus.
One Christmas Eve, not so very long ago, when everyone was asleep, and not a creature was stirring (not even a mouse), I dreamed that I was awakened by dogs barking. I ran to the window and looked outside. There on the snow-covered roof below was a dog sled with seven sled dogs. I ran downstairs to our living room. There by the Christmas tree stood “Mrs. Claus” beside a brand new bicycle for my daughter, Georgette.
“Who are you?” I asked. “You are not Santa Claus. Where is Santa Claus? Why are those dogs barking outside?”
“I am Santa Christina—Santa Claus’s wife,” she said. “The job of delivering toys got too big for Santa Claus alone. Now I am delivering half the toys with my sled dogs. Santa Claus and his reindeer are delivering the other half. Working together makes the job easy for all of us.”
Then she disappeared, somehow, as if by magic, up the chimney, and out of sight.
Because of my meeting with Santa Christina, I have written this eBook. I want to tell boys and girls, and parents, and grandparents, and everybody else, that “Mrs. Claus” has a real name of her own—“Santa Christina!” I want them to know she is an active outdoor sportswoman. She is a musher. She mushes through the snow on her sled pulled by seven sled dogs.
So, boys and girls, please meet SANTA CHRISTINA!
Santa Christina is now delivering one-half of the Christmas toys on Christmas Eve. This news should make Santa Christina and her sled dogs just as famous as Santa Claus and his reindeer.
Would you like to hear how Santa Christina began mushing, and then how she began helping her husband deliver toys? Here’s how.
Santa Christina took up the sport of mushing because Santa Claus and the Elves gave her a dog sled as a Christmas present. She thought it was the most beautiful dog sled in the world.
The Elves searched far and wide to find sled dogs for Santa Christina’s sled. They searched in seven Arctic countries surrounding the North Pole: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Greenland, Canada, Alaska (USA), and Russia. They chose one sled dog from each of the seven countries. That gave Santa Christina a team of seven strong sled dogs to pull her sled.
Santa Christina named the dogs Ginger, Strudel, Cocoa, Marzipan, Stollen, Nutmeg, and Haark. She chose Haark as the lead dog of her team. Haark is very clever. He always finds the trail, even in a blizzard.
Santa Christina loves to mush through deep snow during the long winter nights at the North Pole. The stars twinkle bright and cold. The Northern Lights sway back and forth across the night sky like giant curtains of waving and changing colors.
Because of their love for the sport of mushing, Santa Christina and her dog team visit the famous Iditarod sled dog race each year in Alaska. The Iditarod race follows the trail that Balto the sled dog took long ago. Balto was a hero sled dog. He guided his team through a blinding blizzard and delivered medicine for an epidemic in time to save the people of Nome, Alaska. A widely known book was written about Balto, and a bronze statue of Balto still stands in New York City’s Central Park.
Every year Santa Claus and his reindeer invite Santa Christina and her sled dogs to go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Macy’s parade opens the Christmas season in New York City, as well as many other cities.
After the parade, Santa Claus and Santa Christina go together to Macy’s Santa Land. There the two Santas listen to boys’ and girls’ Christmas wishes.
While Santa Christina and her sled dogs are in New York City, they go mushing through the snow in Central Park. The sled dogs always stop at the bronze statue of Balto the sled dog. Nutmeg jumps. Strudel yelps. Stollen howls. The statue of Balto stares straight ahead, just like the real Balto following a trail.
Santa Christina and her dog team then follow their own make-believe “Balto trail” through Central Park. They are happy mushing so near the statue of Balto, but they are always eager to return home to the North Pole. Soon they fly away, back to the North Pole.
Once, not long ago, when they were back at the North Pole, Blitzen the reindeer bragged to Marzipan the sled dog. He said reindeer can run faster than sled dogs. Marzipan argued that sled dogs can run faster than reindeer. The two of them asked Santa Claus and Santa Christina to have a race to prove whether sled dogs or reindeer can run faster. Both Santas agreed. They said it would be fun to race against each other.
The race course followed the Arctic Circle around the Earth. Santa Claus and his reindeer dashed west around the Arctic Circle. Santa Christina and her sled dogs mushed east around the Arctic
Circle. If you look at a globe of the Earth, you can see the opposite paths they took.
Halfway around the Arctic Circle the two teams passed each other. Santa Claus and Santa Christina waved. Both teams returned to the starting point at the same time. The race was a tie.
When Santa Claus and his reindeer saw how fast Santa Christina and her sled dogs could go, they asked them to help deliver the Christmas toys to girls and boys on Christmas Eve. The sled dogs jumped and ran and howled in excitement.
“The dogs and I would love to help deliver the toys,” said Santa Christina, “but I shall need a new outfit.”
In the blink of an eye the Elves stitched a new outfit for her. Santa Christina’s outfit was different from Santa Claus’s outfit. Santa Claus’s outfit is Christmas red, like holly berries. Santa Christina’s outfit is Christmas green, like holly leaves. Both of their outfits are trimmed with white.
The sled dogs and the reindeer thought Christmas would never come, but at last it did. On Christmas Eve they were ready and eager to go.
The Elves put half the toys on Santa Claus’s sleigh. They loaded the other half on Santa Christina’s sled. Santa Claus and his reindeer sped southwestward through the sky. Santa Christina and her sled dogs sped southeastward. They delivered all the toys while the boys and girls were sound asleep.
Both teams arrived back at home at the North Pole in time for an early breakfast.
“Thank you,” said Santa Claus and his reindeer to Santa Christina and her sled dogs. “Two teams make delivering toys much easier.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Santa Christina and her sled dogs. “It’s fun delivering toys to girls and boys.”
Santa Christina and her sled dogs promised they would help Santa Claus and his reindeer deliver toys every Christmas, forever and ever. She asked the Elves to tell everyone, everywhere, that her real name is Santa Christina. She said to tell boys and girls that they may now send their Christmas Wish Lists either to “Santa Claus” or to “Santa Christina.” She told the Elves that kids can also call her “Santa Chris.” (“Santa Chris” is the nickname for Santa Christina, just as “Santa Claus” is the nickname for Saint Nicholas.)
Now, children, my story is over.
Please listen to me.
Christmas will soon be here.
Don’t forget!
What is the real name of “Mrs. Claus?”
Santa Christina!
The End
YES! IT IS CHRISTMAS!
A Christmas Carol Sung to the Historic Tune “Jesus Loves Me”
VERSE ONE
Santa Claus delivers toys
For us little girls and boys.
Busy elves pack Santa’s sleigh,
And his reindeer fly away.
REFRAIN
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
The Babe is born this day!
VERSE TWO
Santa dashes through the snow,
Stops on rooftops down below.
He leaves toys beside the tree
For good kids like you and me.
REFRAIN
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
The Babe is born this day!
VERSE THREE
Santa’s job has grown too big
For dear Santa and his rig.
“I’ll help you,” says Claus’s wife.
She loves Claus as dear as life.
REFRAIN
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
The Babe is born this day!
VERSE FOUR
Santa Christina is her name.
Mushing is her sport and game.
Her sled dogs pull half the toys
That are wished by girls and boys.
REFRAIN
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
The Babe is born this day!
VERSE FIVE
Both good Santas make a team,
Guided by a starlight beam.
We’ll send Lists to Chris and Claus
And leave snacks for deer and dogs.
REFRAIN
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
The Babe is born this day!
VERSE SIX
We’ll be good and say our prayers,
Dream of dolls and Teddy bears.
Please dear Santas, do your best.
Bring to us a Christmas blessed.
REFRAIN
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
Yes! It is Christmas!
The Babe is born this day!
The End of This Carol
&
A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
About the Author
Born in Evergreen, Alabama, George William Kelly has lived most of his adult life in New York City’s Borough of Manhattan. He is now retired after a career in journalism and public relations. He holds BSJ and MSJ degrees in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He also attended the University of Alabama and the University of Pennsylvania. His wife, Jain Wright Kelly, is a writer-editor-historian in the field of art photography. Their daughter, Georgette Kelly, a playwright and educator, lives in Chicago.
Other Titles by George William Kelly
Santa Christina and Her Sled Dogs [McRoy & Blackburn, Publishers] A children’s picture book. Illustrated by Amy Cameron.
Yes! It Is Christmas! A “free-download” CD performance of a children’s Christmas carol about Santa Christina (to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me”—the historic children’s hymn composed by William B. Bradbury in 1862). Music performed by Michael Bellar and Erin Inglish. Words to Yes! It Is Christmas! written by George William Kelly. www.cdbaby.com/cd/georgewilliamkelly
Georgette’s Apple Bivortex Theory of Everything [XLibris and NOOK] A collection of stories for children.
What Does the Tooth Fairy Do with All Those Teeth? [C.R.Gibson Company] A children’s picture book. Illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye.
Acknowledgments
Book Cover Design: Rita Toews, www.yourebookcover.com
Book Cover Image: Canstock Photo, uploaded by Smaglov
Book Format: Maureen Cutajar, Go Published, www.gopublished.com
Editor: Jain Wright Kelly,
[email protected]