If you don't know my little Elf Greenby you are in for a treat. This little mischievious little elf constantly seems to get himself in trouble. Not because he is a bad little elf, but because he is so curious about everything you understand. Sometimes this just gets our little friends in trouble even when they absolutely try their best to stay safe and in their Mommy's and Daddy's good graces. I am sure you know all about being a little curious munchkin or at least know one. don't you?
Well in this case it really wasn't Greenby's fault that he got hurt, but let me start at the beginning..
Greenby was so excited. He got to go to the first ever North Pole Soccer Championships.
The “Polar Sledglings” (Reindeer team) were playing the “S.C. Whoopers” (Santa’s Elves). The onlookers were very excited as both teams half slid and half ran onto the playing field. Dragonlings had worked for hours to clear the playing field, but small patches of frost still remained. This was going to be a very interesting Game.
Greenby was running along the sidelines. Shouting to encourage the players. Imitating his sisters, who were cheering for the S.C. Whoopers.
Snowflake, one of Greenbys sisters was so excited, she couldn’t stand still. She ran up to Greenby and yelled:” You’re it slowpoke!” She tapped him on the shoulder and ran off again. Since Greenby can never let a challenge go unanswered, a game of catch was underway in no time.
Round and round they chased each other. Slipping here, sliding there always getting further from the Game. They looked like little steam engines, with the cold air blowing out of their wide open mouth. Their wild laughter and joyous screams mixed with the noise of the soccer game. One of the Goalies had stopped a very aggressive kick and a cheer went up. Still running Greenby turned around, trying to check what was going on. He did not see the big bright red and white stripped North Pole right in front of him.
They had come to the edge of Santa’s Village, where the 6 foot tall red and white North Pole stood. The North Pole, I am sure you know, is the magical entrance to Santa’s Village. Only those believing in Santa, his Elves and all other magical creatures can see the Pole. Tickling his cherry red stripes is the only way to gain entrance to the Village.
By the time Greenby turned around again to see where he was going it was too late and he ran smack into the Pole. Head first.
Greenby crumbled to the ground and was stunned. What had happened? All he saw for a few minutes were dozens of Santas flying around his head. (We see stars or birds maybe, Elves see Santas).
The Pole doubled over in pain and let out a high pitched squeal.
The game stopped suddenly and every one looked around in surprise. What was going on? Together they ran to the place were the little Elf sat. His head feeling about double the size and the Santas were literally dancing around the Christmas Tree around his throbbing head, making him gently sway from side to side.
The famous Reindeer Rudolph was the first to notice the blood running down Greenbys’ face. Snowflake huddled against one of the other Elves. Everybody was getting very worried. The blood was almost gushing now and it reminded them of a red raspberry river with very strange bubbles. Rudolph positioned Greenby carefully on his back. The little hurt Elf slumped down and fainted. Rudolph flew carefully but quickly to the Mistletoe Hospital, the oldest and most famous Hospital for Christmas Critters and North Pole Residents.
It seemed to take forever as the Doctors checked the little Elf over. The Winterfairy, who had been called, kept pacing up and down the hallway. She had never been a very patient person and when one of her little ones was hurt, it drove her insane.
She never noticed before how long a hospital hallway can be when you pace and worry. At one point she even resorted to counting the steps. I am glad to report to you that the 3rd floor of the Mistletoe Hospital takes exactly 368 ½ steps from one end to the other to pace. Greenby was the youngest of her eleven children and always in trouble somehow. For those of you that are not familiar with Greenby, and are confused to how Elves and other assorted People can be the children of the Winterfairy, let it be enough for now to say that she has a habit of adopting lost souls into her house and heart. Plus when you put a human person and a magical Winterfairy together you get an Elf.
She was thankful to have the Arch Mage Draconous by her side to keep her calm. He too had rushed to Greenby’s side as soon as he heard. He was quiet fond of the little trouble maker, evenso of course he would never admit to anything as trivial as emotions. Arch Mage Draconous, was famous for his “colder then ice” behavior and stern attitude. Only those that got to know him very well and caught him at a moment when he thought himself alone, saw the real side of him. (He really is just a cuddly, lonely old Teddy Bear, ahem Dragon) and happens to be the love of the Winterfairy’s life.
When the Hospital Pixie in charge finally came in with the needle-wand , she noticed that there was something wrong. Gently touching the wound, she realized that not all the bones were as they should be. Some seemed to be slightly out of place and one very tiny one even missing.
Smiling sweetly, she hooked the Winterfairy into her arms and pulled her aside. Miss Ginger Bread the Pixie, was a kindly older Nursing Pixie who had dealt with crises of this type many times before and she knew just how to handle it. In soothing tones she told the nervous Mother that they would have to use this special machine to check if everything was ok. The Winterfairy however, was not like most of the other Mommies that Miss Ginger usually dealt with and soon she found a Wand pointed at her with the sweet, but stern “request” that she would be present during those little checks.
They put Greenby in a Wheelchair and wheeled him down into another room. Putting a magical robe on him, they laid him on a moving bed. It slid into a Tunnel and Greenby watched a brightly lighted Toy train go round and round inside a Tube of the machine. If the poor Elf wasn’t dizzy before, he was now.
The pixie had gotten really tiny and was sitting inside the Train. From there she was able to take special photos that would look deep inside the bones and brain of Greenby. Scary thought really, because she got to see all the mischief the little elf could think up, but that is another story.
Since this was a magic camera it made Greenby’s head transparent.
After a few moments they found the problem. One of the bones in Greenby’s head had been broken and a tiny piece had come off. Well, even a naughty little Elf like Greenby, should never run around with a hole in his head and so it needed to be fixed. She even could see a little scrap of color on the surrounding bones. ( A bit of paint from the pole)
Gently talking to the Winterfairy, who like all mothers was worried out of her mind, the friendly nurse explained. She would have to call the Wizard of the Healing snow to fix it. The Winterfairy silently cried for worry, of course hiding her sniffles in an oversized handkerchief and proclaiming loudly that she hated getting colds. Since she was living at the North Pole, this was not a likely story, but who would be so unkind as to argue this with her right then. She loved Greenby so much, and that little Tike was constantly causing her one worry after the other. The Arch Mage Draconous put his arm around the Winterfairy and silently wove a spell of calm around them. He couldn’t stand all that sniffling for very long, or so he said.
It took several hours before they could reach the Wizard. He had been all the way on the South Pole to fix the broken wing of a little Penguin. That little Penguin was a handful for his Parents as well and was constantly getting into one adventure after the other.
As soon as the Wizard got the message he appeared at Greenbys side and took a close look at the magical pictures Miss Ginger had taken. Without a moments hesitation he knew what to do.
Two doxies with friendly smiles and funny glasses gave Greenby a sleeping potion. Greenby looked up at his Mom with his great big trusting eyes. Her heart just about broke. She softly kissed his upturned nose and promised him to be right at his side when he woke up.
She was told, she would not be able to be inside the Surgery Room. The Wizard would work with his potions, wands and other things. She waited outside as long as she could. She knew she had to check on her other little elves and make sure that they were ok. They would want to know how little Greenby was doing.
The Arch Mage placed his arms around her and in they went back to her little cottage in Santas Village .Quick as a flash they returned to the hospital to sit by her little broken down Elf.
When Greenby started to open his eyes she was allowed to sit with him.
He had a terrible headache and a scary looking scar. He was trying to be very brave, but it hurt so badly. The Winterfairy told him a story and the Night Nurse, a very funny looking Gnome, gave him a potion to take the pain away. At first he was crying too hard to take the potion and it did take some quick trickery to get him to open up his mouth wide enough to pour a spoonful in, but finally it took it like a good little boy. The medicine was marvelous and automatically became whatever his favorite ice-cream was that day. One he had swallowed the drops down he was quickly fast asleep. You have to sleep a lot when you get hurt so your body can heal.
The Lady Gnome watched and worried about the Winterfairy. She looked so tired, but did not want to move from Greenbys side. After several hours the kind Nurse told her, that she really should return to the North Pole. Who else would make sure that her other little Elves were taken care off? Who would make sure that the snow crystals would be watered? They needed to be groomed and made ready for delivery. The kind nurse had known just how to tell her the right things and how to make her remember her responsibilities. Finally she gave in and did as the Gnome had told her. It was hard for her to depart, but she understood the responsibility she held to her other little ones. What a horrible choice for a Mommy to have to make.
Greenby had a hard head however and an even stronger will. He would be ok, she knew that and she would hurry back to his side as quick as she could. So with a little magical dust sprinkled over her-self she was off to see to her children at home and the preparation for the upcoming holiday season.
Another victim of the accident didn’t fear quiet as well. When the Residents of Santa’s Village went past the North Pole the next day, an awful moaning and groaning could be heard. In all the worries, nobody had thought to check on the poor North Pole. He had been so strong, so stoic the entire time, nobody even thought that he might be hurt as well. When they stepped closer they noticed his colors seemed a lot paler and he had a terrible bend in him.
Why do you look so surprised? Oh of course, how silly of me, I have forgotten to tell you that everything in Santa’s village is alive in some form or the other. I just assumed you knew, which shows that you should never assume anything my little friends. The person in charge of the non-creature residence was Alfie the Head Elf and of course he was summoned immediately to the poor suffering North Pole. Everyone felt horrible that they had not done so a lot sooner. Alfie went over swiftly to the poor moaning Pole and carefully checked it from end to end. A big dent was right where Greenby had run into it. In the North Poles case he had gotten it right in the stomach with his head.
“Oh my tummy, oh my tummy;” the North Pole moaned miserably. Once he had attention of the everyone, he of course was hamming it up something fierce. After all it is no fun to moan, cry and fuss when nobody is there to feel sorry for you and make it all better. Not that he did not have a legit reason to cry, but he was turning the volume up a bit. Alfie called for a couple of strong Reindeer and together they carried it to the toyshop. Where the creatures go to the hospital, the Poles and Buildings, Cars and sleighs get taken to the toy store.
Carefully they straightened the bend in the Pole. Oh how the poor Pole cried. Sadly, they could not give him anything to make him sleep. Once he had stopped shaking, they lovingly repainted him with a new coat of cherry red and winter white.
They kept the North Pole in the Toyshop for two whole days to make sure he was feeling better and to pamper him a bit. Hey even older “people” need a bit of pampering and attention from time to time. They were feeling guilty that they had forgotten all about him in their worry about Greenby.
When they finally put him back in his place he looked just like new.
Greenby had to stay in the Hospital for several days as well. The Winterfairy, the Arch Mage and Greenbys Elven Sisters came to see him as often as they could.
Even Greenbys father came to see him once. (Greenbys father is a human. The winterfairy had sent him away, so he could be happy among his own kind. Magical and non-magical people seldom find happiness together. They both often get mean to each other, being unable to understand each other.)
The Winterfairy missed her little Greenby a lot. She told him that he must be much more careful. When Greenby came back home he had scar on his forehead, but that would heal in time.
As for the Pole, he ducks every time he sees Greenby coming around a corner and if he could move fully out of the way, he would!
copyright : Regina Sunderland aka Aunty Witch
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