“I hear
them, I hear them!”
The list
was still being written.
“The
naughty, the nice, and Billy-Bob.”
Santa read
through the list again and again.
“Why isn’t
Billy-Bob listed as either naughty or nice? Every year, it’s the same thing.
Billy-Bob needs to learn a lesson. Elf?”
The elf rushed
in.
“No present
for Billy-Bob.”
The elf nodded.
“We are
late!” Santa ran out the door and hurried away.
After an
exhausting trip throughout the world, Santa was surprised to see Billy-Bob
standing at his door, arms crossed and looking even more crossed than his arms.
“Santa,
where is my present?”
"Billy-Bob,
don’t be insolent, there’s no present for you this year.”
“Why?”
“You don’t
behave for the first six months of the year. Then you behave like an angel. I
never know whether to list you as naughty or as nice.”
“Nice, of
course.”
“Every
single year, Billy-Bob, every single year.”
Billy-Bob
frowned, clutching his arms closer to his chest.
“I want my
present.”
“No. Go
home and behave. Perhaps next year you’ll receive a present, IF you’re nice.”
Billy-Bob walked
away, not before knocking down the snowman’s hat and kicking the sleigh, making
its bells chuckle, amused by the scene.
“I’m taking
a note of that, Billy-Bob,” yelled Santa.
The next
year, as he was preparing for Christmas, Santa saw a box at his doorstep. He
opened it. Inside, there was nothing but a card. It said “Dear Santa, you’re
taking the year off. No Christmas. I have the list, I have the sleigh, and I
have the bells. I took the elves too. Signed, Billy-Bob”
Santa was
furious. He trotted down from the Pole straight to Billy-Bob’s house.
“Open this
door immediately. From now on, you’re on the naughty list, do you hear me?”
Billy-Bob
looked through the window and waved defiantly.
Santa was
livid. He kicked the door in and grabbed the kid by the arm, dragging him
outside. With the elves rushing out behind them. They had never seen Santa
angry. Billy-Bob’s parents couldn’t believe their eyes either.
And
Billy-Bob’s smug face anticipated the long overdue revenge. “Even you are a bit
naughty sometimes, aren’t you, Santa?”
Santa
froze, waking up from a stupor of rage. He let go of the kid and crossed his
arms over his chest.
“Elves,
let’s go home.”
Santa did
manage to give each child in the world a present in time, even Billy-Bob. His
gift was a note. It said “Dear Billy-Bob, you’re taking another year off. No
Christmas. I have the list, I have the sleigh, and I have the bells. I took the
elves too. See you next year. Signed, Santa”
And this was
how a long-lasting war between a kid and Santa started, a war that would
inevitably teach each one of them a few things!
