Life has been tough for Pauline Winter. Since her husband passed away, she has struggled to bring up her three young children in their remote country cottage. So remote, in fact, that Santa Claus hasn’t visited these two Christmases past.
So when the neighbouring farmer Chris Moss promises the children he will call this year, the pressure is on to make sure he does.
Elspeth Moss creates a Santa costume. All Chris has to do is make some presents, build a sleigh, find some reindeer, fly to the Winter’s snow covered roof, clamber down their chimney and leave the gifts by the roaring log fire.
It seems an impossible task, yet the real Father Christmas does it time and time again, all over the world. Chris only has the one house to deal with.
There are problems all the way. Simply making the toys is hard enough. For the sleigh, he must restore and adapt the rusting old carriage from his Awesome Carts business. Randolph, the retired shire-horse, may just about pass as a ‘team’ of reindeer with some fake horns and a flashing red nose. But how can he get Randolph and the sleigh to fly? The real Father Christmas makes walking on a slippery roof look easy, but you try it (actually, don’t; it is very, very dangerous). And how do you cope with a burning fire?
It’s impossible, but it has to be done. Chris recalls the joy on the face of his own son Derek (long since emigrated to Australia) as he opened his presents!
If you really want something, you will find way to do it. Farmer Chris Moss is determined to bring some seasonal cheer to those three children.
The story is as much fun for adults as for children. For anyone who has lost the magic and mystery of Christmas this (literally) uplifting story demonstrates how under-appreciated the real Father Christmas is.
