Now gather round, children, and scoot up real close on the floor..... OK,
here we go--

Not too long ago, far away at the North Pole, Santa was making final
preparations for his annual trip to bring presents to good little girls and
boys everywhere.

Ah, but there were problems!

Four of his elves had come down with the flu, and the trainee elves just
did not produce the toys as fast as the regular ones, so Santa was
beginning to feel the pressure of being behind schedule.

Then Mrs. Claus informed Santa that her mother would arrive shortly for an
extended visit.  Somehow this added to Santa's stress.

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!  Oh dear, more stress!

Then, when he began to load the sleigh, one of the boards cracked, and the
toy bag fell to the ground, scattering the toys everywhere.

Now frustrated and dejected, Santa returned to his house for a cup of
coffee and a medicinal shot of distilled adult beverage.  But when he went
to the cupboard, he found the elves had hit the liquor cabinet and there
was nothing to drink.

In his growing frustration, he dropped the coffee pot and it broke into a
hundred shards all over the kitchen floor.  Going to fetch the broom he
found that mice had eaten the straw it was made from.

Well just then, children, the doorbell rang and Santa stomped angrily to
the door, mumbling bad words under his breath.    He opened the door and
there stood a little angel holding a great big Christmas tree.

The little angel asked Santa, "Where would you like to put this tree,
fat man?"

And that, dear children, is how the little angel came to be on top of the
Christmas tree.
****************

Regards,

John Rodgers
88n GL Driver