Kris Moose usually spent Christmas with the Roberts family. This Christmas, he was going to visit with a special friend, Emily. Emily was six years old, and she lived with her parents at the penguin research station at the South Pole. She and Kris Moose had been pen pals, which meant they wrote letters to each other all year long. Emily had invited Kris to spend Christmas with her and her family.

Kris packed his extra sweater and extra-warm scarf. Then he said good-bye to the Roberts kids and headed off for the South Pole.

Once Kris reached Emily’s house at the research station, he and Emily got started on all the fun things they had planned to do. They played games with the penguins, built a snowman and a snow moose, and drank hot chocolate. Then they sledded and had a snowball fight.

For Christmas Eve, Emily’s mom made a special dinner with hot apple pie and chilly frozen yogurt and ice cream for dessert.

After dinner, Emily’s parents read Christmas stories to her and Kris. Then it was time to say goodnight.

“Kris?” Emily said. “Can you be my look-out for Santa tonight? I don’t know when he’ll get here, and I don’t want to miss him.”

“Oh, sure!” Kris promised. “I’ll get up super early so I can see him come. And I’ll let you know when he’s here.”

Now, Emily was always good for Santa, but since she was the farthest away from the North Pole of all the children in the world, she was always last on Santa’s list.

Just like he promised, Kris was up super early on Christmas morning. He put on his extra sweater and his extra-warm scarf, and tip-toed through the house. There were still no presents under the Christmas tree in the living room. No Santa yet.

Kris went outside to take a walk and see if he could see Santa’s sleigh coming. The stars twinkled in the dark purple sky. But still no Santa.

Kris’s breath steamed in the chilly Polar air. “I’m glad I took my extra sweater,” he thought.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH his moosey hooves went as he walked carefully down to the penguins’ nests. The penguins were all asleep.

Kris looked up at the sky. Still no Santa. But he did see something: A big, dark storm cloud. It was so big it stretched from one side of the huge Polar sky to the other. It was so dark that he couldn’t even see the stars as the cloud ZOOMED across the sky. Then it started snowing. It snowed, and snowed, and snowed. The penguins were used to the snow, so they just cuddled closer to each other and stayed in bed. But Kris shivered. The Polar storm was much colder than storms at his house.  “Now I’m really glad I packed my extra sweater.”

The snow fell harder and harder until Kris couldn’t see the clouds through it. He couldn’t see the penguins through it. And he certainly wasn’t going to be able to see Santa through all that snow. So he turned around and, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, he headed back toward the house, following his moosey hoof prints before they got covered up.

Just then, he heard bells Jingle-Jingling and a “HO-HO-HO-WHOA!” and a sleigh pulled by nine tiny reindeer ZIPPED by and SWISHED to a stop right in front of him!

“Santa!?” Kris exclaimed.

“Why hello, Kris!” Santa said. “I haven’t seen you since you lived up in the North Pole. What are you doing way down here? By the way, do you know how to get the house of a very good little girl named Emily? My reindeer won’t be able to find her house in this storm.”

“Oh, of course I do!” Kris said. “That’s why I’m here. I’m Emily’s pen pal, and we’re spending Christmas together. Follow me!”

So, Kris Moose led the reindeer right to Emily’s front door.

Inside the house, Emily heard the sleigh bells Jingle-Jingling and jumped out of bed to answer the door.

“EEE!” Emily squealed as she saw the sleigh and the reindeer. “Santa!”

“Why hello, Emily,” Santa said. “I know you’ve been very good. So I brought you special presents. And I think I’ll have to stay awhile until this snow storm is over. Is that okay?”

“Yippee!” Emily shouted, dancing up and down.

By now Emily’s parents were awake, and they came to see what all the excitement was about.

Emily’s dad helped Kris and Santa get the reindeer to the big shed at the back of the house to stay warm. Then he, Santa, and Kris came back inside the house.

Santa brought his big bag of presents into the living room. He gave gifts to Emily and her parents. Most of Kris’s presents were at home under his Christmas tree, but Santa had still brought him a tiny snow globe that would fit in his moosey suitcase.

“Now, I think I have one more present for you, Emily,” Santa said. “What do you want the very most of all for Christmas?”

Emily looked out the window at the snow storm. “Thank you for the presents. I think most of all, I’d like to go someplace warm for Christmas.”

“HO-HO-HO!” Santa laughed. “I think I can arrange that.”

As soon as the snow stopped, Santa got the sleigh and reindeer ready. Kris even got to help pull the sleigh, since sleigh-pulling was his very own winter sport.

Emily and her parents got into the sleigh with Santa, and SWISH, away they went. The reindeer flew them all the way to warm, sunny Hawaii. Emily was thrilled. A few penguins had stowed away on the sleigh, too. They were just as thrilled as she was with the tropical green plants, warm yellow sand, and sparkling blue ocean.

Everyone had a great time swimming, making sand castles, and playing beach games.

“Hey, everyone!” Emily’s dad called. “Picture time!”

Kris, Emily, Santa, and the penguins squished into a group, and Emily’s dad snapped the picture. It was the best Christmas ever!

The End