Finding Santa

Zoie is the youngest of the cousins but older sister to her brother Ryon. Her cousins, Arielle, Reno and Isabelle, had been telling Zoie stories about how Santa lived in the woods near her house. But the cousins warned Zoie that she must never go looking for Santa because he had a mean elf called Toosie that lived there and watched after Santa's cabin while he was in the North Pole.

Well, this just was too much for curious Zoie. She was not one to let wonderful adventures go unexplored. So, Zoie buttoned up her favorite coat and pulled on her stocking cap and boots. Now she was nice and warm and ready for her adventure. Christmas was just one week away and it wouild be safe to visit Santa's summer cabin since she knew Santa was at the North Pole getting all the kids Christmas gifts ready for the trip on Christmas Eve.

Zoie decided to try a trail near her house that she had never explored before. She walked for about an hour, her toes and fingers were so cold by then that she was regretting being so curious and thinking she had made a mistake. The only things she had seen so far were some deers and bunnies which looked as cold as she felt. Zoie decided just one more curve in the trail and then she would head home.

Just as Zoie rounded the curve she saw the most wonderful sight. There was Santa and an elf standing in front of a truly delightful Christmas cabin and tree. Zoie was sort of scared but by then Santa and the elf had seen her. She just stood very still and stared. OH MY GOODNESS! Was that the mean elf, Toosie, her cousins had warned her about. Now Zoie was shivering from fright and the cold.

Santa came over to Zoie and with a ''Ho Ho Ho'', Santa asked what Zoie was doing so far out into the woods by herself. But Zoie had her own questions for Santa, like what was Santa doing so far from the North Pole this time of year. That really set Santa off with lots of ''ho ho's'' and he really did shake like a bowl full of jelly. ''Well," said Santa, "I came to bring a Christmas Pie that Mrs. Claus made for my friend Toosie". "Would you like to come in and share some with us?" said Santa.

"OH no one was going to believe this" thought Zoie. What a wonderful surprise to find Santa here and to find out his elf was very nice and to get to eat some of Mrs. Claus' Christmas Pie. "Could there possibly be a better Christmas?". Zoie got to see inside the wonderful little cabin and the lovely Christmas tree inside too. After she visited for awhile, Santa told Zoie she better hurry home before dark and keep an eye out for him on Christmas because there would be a very special gift for her under her own tree. "Oh my" shouted Zoie to the mountains as she hurried home, "my cousins are never going to believe this story."