Snow Island: The community Christmas gift giveaway

Beautifully decorated for the Christmas gift giveaway, the Snow Island community hall buzzed with energy and trilled with cheerful voices. Throughout the room, ecstatic children played with presents just received — building blocks, storybooks, musical instruments, board games, and more. As for the adults, they happily chatted among themselves while watching their little ones.

Eight-year-old Orion was closely watching the action unfold as he waited his turn to receive a gift. That’s when he overheard a disturbing conversation between Santa’s helpers.

“There are only 32 gifts left,” the Star Fairy said to Peppy the Elf. “But according to the list, there are 33 children left who haven’t been called.”

“How is that possible?” Peppy exclaimed. “I checked everything myself yesterday. Three times!”

“We must have lost one this morning on the way over from the garage at city hall,” the Star Fairy deduced.

Orion couldn’t believe his ears.

“Did you hear that, Capella?” he asked his twin sister.

“What?”

“Someone’s not getting a present,” the boy explained.

“Oh no,” Capella replied. “We have to do something!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the siblings offered to retrace the route between the two buildings in search of the missing gift. With obvious relief, the fairy and elf accepted, but they urged the children to be quick.

Orion and Capella made a beeline for their parents. As they put on their hats and boots, they hurriedly explained the situation. Audrey and Patrick grabbed their coats and followed the kids out of the hall, ready to help on the important quest.

“Hurry up,” Capella urged as they headed outside. “We have to get back before Santa finishes handing out the last of the presents.”

“But if we go too fast, we might miss a clue,” Orion countered.

“You’re right, champ. We need to be quick but attentive,” Patrick said.

Halfway to the city hall garage, Orion raised a hand to signal his family to stop.

“That’s strange,” he said. “Do you hear that? It sounds like bells.”

“It’s coming from over there,” Capella exclaimed, immediately running toward the mysterious sound. “Look, there it is!”

The girl jumped up and down with excitement as her family ran to join her. “Don’t you see it?”

Hanging by its ribbon from a tree branch, the missing gift jingled as it swung gently in the breeze.

“You two make excellent detectives,” Audrey said with a smile as she reached up to retrieve the package. “Now, let’s hurry back before it’s too late.”

When the family returned to the community hall, they were out of breath but proud to have accomplished their mission. The twins bundled the present in one of their coats so they could discreetly return it to the pile of gifts — there were only three left!

“Phew! Just in time,” Peppy murmured.

“You saved the day,” the Star Fairy exclaimed.

Once all the gifts were handed out, the children of Snow Island prepared to head home — including one little boy who didn’t know that his new tambourine had almost been a gift for the squirrels instead of him.

Smiling from ear to ear, Orion and Capella wished everyone a happy holiday before rejoining their parents.

THE END

By Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard
Translated by Katya Teague