Dancer's Story
By David Stoner
It was one early spring morning and Santa was sleeping in. All of Santa's elves were up and doing their chores. All of Santa's elves have chores. Some of them make toys. Others take care of the reindeer or help Mrs. Claus make cookies, breads, cakes, and candy. Elmer, one of Santa's oldest elves, studied very hard in school and became Santa's number one reindeer vet. That spring morning he was checking the reindeer barn and all the mother deer were having their babies. All of the mothers and babies were just fine jumping and playing and having fun. Elmer was very happy for all the mothers and babies but he did not see his favorite reindeer Patti. Elmer ran to tell Santa he could not find Patti. Santa and Elmer went back to the barn to look for her.
Patti was going to have a baby. Santa asked his elves to come help look for Patti. Santa has a very large barn so they all came to help. All the elves look behind the hay in the stalls. They could not find Patti. Elmer heard a sound in a dark corner and went to see. In the corner he found Patti and her new baby. She was very weak and could not stand up. Her baby was not able to get up there so Elmer told Santa that Patti would not be able to take care of her baby. Elmer tried to help the baby stand up but his legs were not straight. He was very weak. Elmer told Santa he would never be able to pull your sleigh, his legs are too crooked and weak. When Elmer tried to help him stand on his feet everyone laughed at him and said he looks like he is dancing, so Santa said we will call him Dancer.
Elmer took Dancer into his room to keep him warm and safe. Elmer had to feed Dancer every few hours around the clock. Everyday Elmer would help Dancer try to stand and he could see he was trying hard and getting stronger everyday. Soon Dancer was standing up by himself. His legs were still bent and weak but he was trying. Elmer told Santa that Dancer was a very brave reindeer and had a big heart to keep trying.
Every night Elmer would sit by the fireplace and rub Dancer's bent legs. Dancer would fall asleep with his head in Elmer's lap. Dancer and Elmer became as close as a reindeer and elf could. When Elmer would leave his room Dancer would try to jump out of his pen. The more he would try to jump out the stronger his legs would become.
Elmer said, "I cannot leave you by yourself. You are going to get hurt." So Elmer asked some of the other elves to help make a light harness and cart for Dancer. The first harness they made was too big. The next one was too heavy. But they kept trying and got the harness just right. Now they had to make a cart. The first cart had four wheels and was too large and heavy. Santa said, "Why don't you make a small two wheel cart. I think it would be just right." They worked all day to make the cart the right size for Dancer.
It was late when they finished the cart so Elmer said, "Let's all go to bed and let Dancer rest and we will let him try it in the morning. The next morning all the elves got up early to get their chores finished so they could watch Dancer try his new cart and harness. Santa even got up early to help. Elmer brought Dancer out of his room to hook him to his cart and harness. Santa always helps harness a new reindeer the first time. Santa can talk to the deer so they are not afraid. Dancer looked very good in the harness but he was scared.
Santa said, "OK Dancer. Pull your cart."
Dancer looked at Santa and said, "I can't."
Santa looked at Dancer and said, "No, Dancer, at the North Pole we do not say 'I can't'. We say, 'I will try'."
Santa told Dancer, "If you try, you can. One step at a time and you can do anything."
Every day Elmer got up early to put Dancer in his harness and cart so he could try to help Elmer do chores. Elmer could see that Dancer's legs were getting straighter and stronger every day. Each day Dancer would follow Elmer as he would do his chores. Elmer could see that Dancer's legs were getting straighter and stronger so he would put a little bit of hay in the cart. Dancer was very proud of himself when Santa would tell him how well he was doing. One day Elmer told Dancer he was getting too big for his cart.
Elmer said, "Why don't we try the four wheel cart. I think you can pull it now."
Dancer said, "I will try." And he pulled the cart very well. Soon he was pulling the four-wheel cart full of hay to help feed all of the other reindeer and to clean the barn.
Elmer could see Dancer was working harder and getting stronger everyday. Soon he was doing more and more work. He was helping to pull the hay in from the field to the Hay Barn. He would help to put the hay in the top of the barn.
Dancer's legs were getting very strong and straight. He was one year old now and was a very large deer. Elmer said, "Dancer, you are getting too big to stay in my room. We will have to find you your own stall in the barn."
The next morning they went to the barn to look for a stall for Dancer. The only stall not in use was a small stall in the back of the barn but Dancer said, "This will do just fine."
Elmer asked some of the elves to clean the stall and put down some new straw in Dancer's new home. Dancer was not used to being with the other deer, so he was very shy and did not play with the others. Dancer would stay in his stall and wait for Elmer to come and get him to help do the chores. Dancer loved to work and help Elmer. Elmer knew Dancer was a very special reindeer. He was growing very large for his age. Santa said, "Dancer, you are getting so big and strong, someday you may be able to pull my sleigh on Christmas Eve."
Dancer was so proud to think Santa would even think he might be good enough.
Dancer kept working and helping Elmer do the chores. His legs were very straight and strong. Then one Christmas Eve one of Santa's main deer got sick. Santa asked Elmer to check him to see if he could make the flight. Elmer checked the deer and told Santa he was too sick and could not pull his sleigh. Santa said, "Oh what will I do. No one else is in good enough shape to pull my sleigh and it is too heavy for seven reindeer. Oh what will I do!"
Elmer said, "Santa did you forget Dancer is in very good shape and is one of your strongest reindeer. He could pull you sleigh and would be very happy if you asked."
Santa asked Dancer if he would help pull the sleigh and save Christmas. Dancer said, "Yes, I would love to help." So Santa hitched up the reindeer and set off to spread Christmas cheer.
By David Stoner
It was one early spring morning and Santa was sleeping in. All of Santa's elves were up and doing their chores. All of Santa's elves have chores. Some of them make toys. Others take care of the reindeer or help Mrs. Claus make cookies, breads, cakes, and candy. Elmer, one of Santa's oldest elves, studied very hard in school and became Santa's number one reindeer vet. That spring morning he was checking the reindeer barn and all the mother deer were having their babies. All of the mothers and babies were just fine jumping and playing and having fun. Elmer was very happy for all the mothers and babies but he did not see his favorite reindeer Patti. Elmer ran to tell Santa he could not find Patti. Santa and Elmer went back to the barn to look for her.
Patti was going to have a baby. Santa asked his elves to come help look for Patti. Santa has a very large barn so they all came to help. All the elves look behind the hay in the stalls. They could not find Patti. Elmer heard a sound in a dark corner and went to see. In the corner he found Patti and her new baby. She was very weak and could not stand up. Her baby was not able to get up there so Elmer told Santa that Patti would not be able to take care of her baby. Elmer tried to help the baby stand up but his legs were not straight. He was very weak. Elmer told Santa he would never be able to pull your sleigh, his legs are too crooked and weak. When Elmer tried to help him stand on his feet everyone laughed at him and said he looks like he is dancing, so Santa said we will call him Dancer.
Elmer took Dancer into his room to keep him warm and safe. Elmer had to feed Dancer every few hours around the clock. Everyday Elmer would help Dancer try to stand and he could see he was trying hard and getting stronger everyday. Soon Dancer was standing up by himself. His legs were still bent and weak but he was trying. Elmer told Santa that Dancer was a very brave reindeer and had a big heart to keep trying.
Every night Elmer would sit by the fireplace and rub Dancer's bent legs. Dancer would fall asleep with his head in Elmer's lap. Dancer and Elmer became as close as a reindeer and elf could. When Elmer would leave his room Dancer would try to jump out of his pen. The more he would try to jump out the stronger his legs would become.
Elmer said, "I cannot leave you by yourself. You are going to get hurt." So Elmer asked some of the other elves to help make a light harness and cart for Dancer. The first harness they made was too big. The next one was too heavy. But they kept trying and got the harness just right. Now they had to make a cart. The first cart had four wheels and was too large and heavy. Santa said, "Why don't you make a small two wheel cart. I think it would be just right." They worked all day to make the cart the right size for Dancer.
It was late when they finished the cart so Elmer said, "Let's all go to bed and let Dancer rest and we will let him try it in the morning. The next morning all the elves got up early to get their chores finished so they could watch Dancer try his new cart and harness. Santa even got up early to help. Elmer brought Dancer out of his room to hook him to his cart and harness. Santa always helps harness a new reindeer the first time. Santa can talk to the deer so they are not afraid. Dancer looked very good in the harness but he was scared.
Santa said, "OK Dancer. Pull your cart."
Dancer looked at Santa and said, "I can't."
Santa looked at Dancer and said, "No, Dancer, at the North Pole we do not say 'I can't'. We say, 'I will try'."
Santa told Dancer, "If you try, you can. One step at a time and you can do anything."
Every day Elmer got up early to put Dancer in his harness and cart so he could try to help Elmer do chores. Elmer could see that Dancer's legs were getting straighter and stronger every day. Each day Dancer would follow Elmer as he would do his chores. Elmer could see that Dancer's legs were getting straighter and stronger so he would put a little bit of hay in the cart. Dancer was very proud of himself when Santa would tell him how well he was doing. One day Elmer told Dancer he was getting too big for his cart.
Elmer said, "Why don't we try the four wheel cart. I think you can pull it now."
Dancer said, "I will try." And he pulled the cart very well. Soon he was pulling the four-wheel cart full of hay to help feed all of the other reindeer and to clean the barn.
Elmer could see Dancer was working harder and getting stronger everyday. Soon he was doing more and more work. He was helping to pull the hay in from the field to the Hay Barn. He would help to put the hay in the top of the barn.
Dancer's legs were getting very strong and straight. He was one year old now and was a very large deer. Elmer said, "Dancer, you are getting too big to stay in my room. We will have to find you your own stall in the barn."
The next morning they went to the barn to look for a stall for Dancer. The only stall not in use was a small stall in the back of the barn but Dancer said, "This will do just fine."
Elmer asked some of the elves to clean the stall and put down some new straw in Dancer's new home. Dancer was not used to being with the other deer, so he was very shy and did not play with the others. Dancer would stay in his stall and wait for Elmer to come and get him to help do the chores. Dancer loved to work and help Elmer. Elmer knew Dancer was a very special reindeer. He was growing very large for his age. Santa said, "Dancer, you are getting so big and strong, someday you may be able to pull my sleigh on Christmas Eve."
Dancer was so proud to think Santa would even think he might be good enough.
Dancer kept working and helping Elmer do the chores. His legs were very straight and strong. Then one Christmas Eve one of Santa's main deer got sick. Santa asked Elmer to check him to see if he could make the flight. Elmer checked the deer and told Santa he was too sick and could not pull his sleigh. Santa said, "Oh what will I do. No one else is in good enough shape to pull my sleigh and it is too heavy for seven reindeer. Oh what will I do!"
Elmer said, "Santa did you forget Dancer is in very good shape and is one of your strongest reindeer. He could pull you sleigh and would be very happy if you asked."
Santa asked Dancer if he would help pull the sleigh and save Christmas. Dancer said, "Yes, I would love to help." So Santa hitched up the reindeer and set off to spread Christmas cheer.
