(A long, long, long, long, long, long time ago when my contemporaries were just little lads and lassies, the Pawtucket Times in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, published a serialized story over the two weeks leading up to Christmas. One had to read each chapter, then wait a whole day for the next. Several years ago, I began my version of this tradition. Where the story goes, I have no idea. I just let the spirit within create magic. I am but a scribe writing it down for us all to read. Let’s take this journey together, as we do every day on this planet, and see where it takes us. I hope you enjoy the ride. Please share the story with everyone you know!)

Missing!

“Missing? What do you mean, it is missing?” Alouisus Xavier Elf asked. He stood taller than the average elf with the least friendly of normally overly-friendly faces. Arms folded, he glared (as best an elf could) at Maria Gloria and Barnabus Michael Elf. They were the Chief List Keepers responsible for maintaining Santa’s List of Naughty and Nice.

“It’s missing, Axe. Gone. Vanished. Absent without leave. M.I.A.,” Maria said. Only a few elves could get away calling Alouisus by his nickname, Axe. Maria was one of them.

“I know what missing means,” Axe answered, now turning red with anger. Normally, whenever an elf felt the least bit angry, a service elf would appear with hot chocolate and candy canes, leading a chorus of other elves singing happy elfish songs. But not today. Today they were cowering behind the newest reindeer as this disaster unfolded.

Here it was just a month before Christmas, when Santa and his chief Elves, Axe, Maria, and Barnabus, gathered together to map out the journey for Christmas Eve, and the list was gone!

Without the list, they had no way of knowing who was naughty and nice. And without that, Santa couldn’t plot his journey. He needed to know where to start and where to finish. He needed to know how long each stop would take. He needed to know what to put where and for which child. He needed to know these things or Christmas wouldn’t happen.

“When did you see it last?” Axe asked, signaling for the hot chocolate as he regained his composure.

“Yesterday,” Maria said. “After Barnabus and I added those new names to the Just Arrived Nothing Naughty to Report Yet Section, we put it back in the cabinet in the equipment room. When we came to update it today—there was an incident in Cumberland, Rhode Island involving some not so nice practical jokes played on a teacher named Dan Walsh—we had to move some names from Nice to Almost Naughty But Not Quite Yet Classification. we found it missing.”

“Found it missing. If you found it, how could it be missing?” Axe said, obviously distressed and needing more hot chocolate.

“Okay, we discovered it is missing. Is this an English Grammar class or a serious discussion?” Barnabus added. “What are we gonna do?”

“Do about what?” a gentle voice asked. All heads turned to see the smiling, eyes twinkling, slightly chubby cheeked face of Mrs. Claus, the true boss of Christmas Town.

“The List,” Axe said, shaking his head. “The List.”

“Oh, my,” said Mrs. Claus. “Does Santa know?”

“Not yet. I was going to go find him now.”

“I’ll get him. you keep looking. Without that list, Santa can’t find his way out of the North Pole, let alone around the world. Oh, my, what a disaster.”

A few moments later, they all gathered around the table in Santa’s house. Axe, Maria, Barnabus, Mrs. Claus and the rest of the Planning Santa’s Trip So He Doesn’t Get Lost Committee. Like all committees, only a few did the work, but they all wanted to be seen as concerned.

“Well, we looked everywhere,” Maria said. “We can’t find it. I told you we needed to create a backup.”

“Yeah, in my spare time,” Barnabus argued. “Do you have any idea how long that list is?”

“Duh, I’ve been working on this longer than you have.” Maria said, harrumphing and turning away from her partner.

“That’s enough,” Santa said. “Let’s think about this. Arguing won’t solve anything. Maybe I can just remember all the places. I’ve got an excellent memory, you know.”

Mrs. Claus laughed out loud. “Memory? Papa, if I didn’t sew your name into your suit, you’d forget it. Look, you’re great flying the sleigh, sliding up and down chimneys, and shouting Ho, Ho, Ho. But as for remembering, well, let’s just say you need that list.”

It was Santa’s turn to chuckle. “You’re right, mama. I’d be lost without you and the list.”

“’bout time you remember that,” Mrs. Claus said, reaching for Santa’s hand. “Now, if the list is nowhere to be found, someone must have taken it. Who would want to stop Christmas?”

“I have no idea,” Santa said. “But I have just the elf for the job.”

All heads turned. “Who?” they asked in an elfish-like chorus.

Santa stood and looked around the room. “I knew someday this might happen. And I knew someday this elf would find his calling. Today is that day. Axe, ah, we really have to do something about that nickname of yours, it is not very Christmas-like. Anyway, Axe, where is Levi Wyatt Elf these days?”

When Santa said the name, the room buzzed with murmurs.

“Did he say Levi Wyatt?”

“No, not Levi Wyatt?”

“He can’t be serious.”

“Ah, Levi is at his usual post, sir. He’s cleaning the reindeer pens. We assigned him there permanently since the last incident with the exploding Christmas Ornaments and the mess at the candy cane factory when he sprayed the workers with candy cane stripes.”

“Yes, I recall. But he’s a resourceful fellow. Go get him. He’ll be leading this investigation.”

“You mean it takes one to catch one?” Mrs. Claus said.

“Yup,” Santa nodded, “that too.”

In a flash,, Axe returned with a rather disheveled elf. He had hay in his hat, reindeer feed dust on his arms, and no one wanted to know what was on his boots. He stood looking around the room, then turned to Santa.

“Whatever happened, it wasn’t me.”

“Come here, Levi. I know you have done nothing,” Santa said. “But there is something important I need you to do.”

Tomorrow: More Than Just a List