The Reindeer Story

Nanny's Reindeer Food Parcels

It was Christmas Eve and Jack was staying with his Nanny and Grandad. It had just begun to get dark when it suddenly began to snow.

"Snow!" shouted Jack's sister, Amy. "Nanny, please can we go outside and play in the snow?" she squealed excitedly.

"Of course you can" said Nanny "Just make sure you put your coat and hat on. We don't want you having a cold for Christmas, do we?". Amy ran to get her coat and hat.

"Don't you want to go outside Jack?" asked Nanny, seeing that Jack was still staring out of the window. When Jack did not reply she asked what the matter was.

"Nanny, I'm worried that Father Christmas won't know where I am!" he said looking worried. "He doesn't know that Amy and I are staying with you this Christmas! Then his Nanny thought of something that would cheer him up.

"When I was a little girl, My Nanny always used to help us make some special food for Santa's reindeer on Christmas Eve." Jack's face lit up and he listened carefully. "We used to sprinkle the food in the garden before we went to bed on Christmas Eve. Then, when we woke up on Christmas Day, Father Christmas had always found us."

"Oh, please Nanny, can you help me make some?" Jack shouted excitedly, "Then Rudolf and the reindeer will know we are here!".

So Jack and his Nanny set about collecting all the things they needed to make their reindeer food. Soon they had collected everything and put it on the kitchen table. There were lots of shiny things which Jack liked, such as some sparkly silver stars and silver beads that Jack had found in his Nanny's sewing box! There were also some pieces of red net which Nanny had found in her cupboard and two big bells which were from one of Amy's old broken toys!

They soon set to work making their Reindeer food parcels. "What are all the sparkly things for Nanny?" asked Jack."Well, we put those in so that when the reindeer are flying in sky they can see all these sparkles twinkling" replied Nanny. "Then they know where to land!" shouted Jack. "That's right, Jack!" Grandad said coming into the room, "I'll call Amy in from the garden so she can help too?"

Amy came in rubbing her cold hands together. "My hands are freezing!" she shivered. "Look, Amy!" said Jack proudly "We're making food for Santa's reindeer!"

"Wow!" Amy said, "Can I help?"

Together, they filled two nets with the reindeer food and sparkles, fastening them with some pretty silver pipe cleaners, decorated with silver beads. Then Nanny helped them both to fasten a big gleaming bell onto their nets and finally write their names on a tag so they knew which one was theirs!

"Let's pop these on the mantelpiece for now!" said Nanny, admiring their work, "Then before we go to bed we can sprinkle them outside!".

Soon they were all settled at the big kitchen table with a warm dinner in front of them but Jack and Amy were so excited they could hardly eat a thing!

"So, what would you like Father Christmas to bring you?" asked Nanny.

"I'd really like a new doll!" replied Amy.

"What about you, Jack?" asked Grandad.

Jack thought for a short while. "I'm really hoping to get a set of toy soldiers Grandad!"

....

A while later, Jack and Amy were setting out a Mince Pie and a glass of milk for Santa when Nanny remembered the reindeer food parcels. "Don't forget to sprinkle the reindeer food!" she reminded the children. Jack had certainly not forgotten! They all hurried outside, shivering in the cold. They untied the nets and scattered the sparkling food all over the grass. Then they both rang the bells on their nets to call Rudolf and the other reindeer.

"I don't think that Santa and the Reindeer will miss our house tonight, do you Nanny?" asked Jack when she was tucking them up in bed later that night. "No, Jack, they won't" she chuckled, kissing him goodnight. "I won't be able to sleep. I'm too excited!" thought Jack as she left the room but soon he was fast asleep.

In fact, he was so fast asleep that he didn't even hear the soft tinkle of bells or the light footsteps creeping past his bed!

When Jack woke up the next morning, he sat bolt upright and the first thing he saw was the big stocking of presents at the end of his bed. "Yippee!" he cried jumping out of bed.

"I see that the reindeer came then!" laughed his Nanny and Grandad from the doorway, where they stood with Amy and her giant stocking of presents!

"It worked, Jack, It worked!" screamed Amy running into the room, dragging her sack of presents behind her.

"Thank You Nanny!" said Jack turning to her.

"That's OK Jack!" she replied hugging him tightly, "Now, have a look out of the window..."

Jack and Amy peeped out of the window and into the garden.

"Wow!" they squealed in delight. In the garden, laid amongst the snow, were the sparkling silver stars from the reindeer food. However, the food was gone!

Later that evening, when all the presents had been unwrapped, all the crackers had been pulled and all the food eaten, Jack was playing with his new toy soldiers. He suddenly turned to his Nanny and said, "Nanny, will you help Amy and I make some more reindeer food next year?"

"Of course Jack!" she said turning to where Amy was sat playing with her new doll, "As long as you are good until next Christmas!"

 

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