Three Father Christmas Letters for 2013 Read online

THREE FATHER CHRISTMAS LETTERS FOR 2013

  Written and illustrated by

  Leone Annabella Betts

  Cover art by

  Keith Dando

  * * * * *

  Published by

  www.rooftoppost.co.uk

  Three Father Christmas Letters for 2013

  Copyright © 2013 Leone Annabella Betts

  Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author. Quotes used in reviews are the exception, as is printing letters direct from the website rooftoppost.co.uk for personal, non-commercial use, such as reading to your child. No alteration of content is allowed. If you enjoyed this book, then encourage your friends to download their own free copy.

  Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  This book is suitable for children.

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Letter 1: Father Christmas and the Christmas Tree

  Letter 2: Rudolph's Fishy Tale

  Letter 3: Father Christmas and the Pirates

  Spot the Difference Games

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  FOREWORD

  There are three letters in this book. Father Christmas wrote the first two before Christmas, from his home up at the North Pole and the third on Christmas Eve, while dropping off his gifts.

  A Note to Children from the Author: Father Christmas has let me have these lovely letters to put on the internet for everyone to enjoy. I have typed them out for this ebook and tidied up the pictures here and there, as he has a very busy life and is often pressed for time. I am quite handy with a paintbrush, so I don't mind helping out. He hopes you will enjoy reading his letters and finding out a bit more about his secret world.

  A Note from the Publisher: This short ebook was put together by Rooftop Post, a very small British business which provides fun, free resources for parents to print online. It was created by popular demand from Father Christmas letters already available on our website, where they can be printed for non-commercial use without charge. With a nod to the spirit of Christmas, we have also made this book free. We hope you and your children have fun reading it.

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  THREE FATHER CHRISTMAS LETTERS FOR 2013

  LETTER 1:

  FATHER CHRISTMAS AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

  I am writing you this letter from my house, far up at the North Pole. It stands on the frozen ocean surrounded by icy sea mists, where your world ends and a magical one begins. I have to have a foot in both you see, for I need a bit of magic to help deliver all the presents on Christmas Eve. Talking of presents, I can't wait to drop off yours. I hope you're being good! The elves tell me you can be wonderfully well behaved when you try.

  Are you getting excited about Christmas yet? I am. And I tell you what; I was even more excited yesterday, when I discovered that my Christmas tree could talk. Of course, I have always suspected he could, because he is very old - and very old trees know all sorts of secrets - but it was lovely to actually hear his voice. I was on my way to breakfast at the time, thinking of nothing but my morning mince pie. My house is very big and it's quite a long walk from my bedroom to the dining room.

  To get there, I have to go all the way down a crooked, winding staircase, then along a dark, spidery corridor, then through a large, light hall. And that's where the Christmas tree lives. He isn't in a pot or a stand mind you; he's actually growing out of the floor. Some of the elves say that his roots are so deep they stick out of the South Pole! I suspect that's not quite true myself, but it's a fine and fun idea.

  Anyway, I was on my way past him when he suddenly coughed and said, "O Father Christmas, goodly soul and friend of all, I hate to trouble thee."

  I smiled to myself, for I had long heard that trees are very old fashioned and polite and this one was obviously no different. "No trouble at all dear tree," I said softly. "What can I do for you?"

  "O bless my branches I hate to mention it but hast though given any thought to decorating me?"

  "Oh dear!" I muttered, for I had completely forgotten. "I'll get on to it straight away. What colours would you like this year?"

  "O, well, if I may, then the sparkly gleam of a moon glow and the glitter of a dragon's hoard," answered the tree.

  "Right you are," I replied with a grin, "silver and gold."

  The old tree creaked in what I think was a kind of chuckle. "Indeed. O and if I may keep thee one moment more," he went on, "I might make mention of a small imp who hath been extraordinarily good this year. He hath scampered up and down my branches a-polishing my bark and a-sharpening my needles whenever I called."

  "Really?" I asked. "I thought I knew all the fairy folk around here but a tree imp? Why, I've never seen one outside Fairyland. I thought they needed forests to build their homes in. Where does he live?" There was another creak and down beside my feet, the Christmas tree shifted one of his roots... to reveal a tiny red door.

  Well, well, well!" I exclaimed. "Don't you worry, I shall make sure a few tiny presents find their way through this particular door."

  The Christmas tree rustled his branches with pleasure. "May your bark never break and your roots never wither," he shushed.

  "You're welcome," I said.

  Well my dear, the time has come to end this letter, but I do hope you've enjoyed it and that you have a very merry Christmas. Oh, and by the way, my Christmas tree tells me he's not the only one who can talk - so whenever you see one keep an ear out, won't you? You never know.

  Lots of love,

  PRINT THIS LETER FREE:

  Below is a picture of the original letter you have just read. If you want a physical copy of it to keep, Father Christmas has made it free to print at rooftoppost.co.uk.

  Have a very merry Christmas. Ho, ho ho!

  *****

  LETTER 2:

  RUDOLPH’S FISHY TALE

  Goodness, what a day! It started well enough; I was in my office, happily adding all the good children to my Nice List (which includes you by the way so well done!) when an elf came bursting in.

  "What's the matter?" I asked, spinning around.

  "It's Rudolph," panted the elf, "Come quick! There's something wrong with him!"

  I jumped out of my chair and rushed out of the house. As I skidded to a halt outside the reindeer stables, I could hear Rudolph snorting and neighing within. I flung open the doors. He galloped up to me at once. "Please, please make it stop!" he said.

  I, on the other hand, said nothing, for I couldn't believe my eyes. Rudolph wasn't ill as I had imagined, oh no... but he had grown fins. Great, bright orange ones, like a goldfish and to make matters worse, his back legs were turning into a fish's tail. He tried to talk to me again but all that came out was an unpleasant gurgling sound.

  "Water!" I bellowed at the other reindeer. "We have to put him in water, now!" Dasher and Dancer leapt forward and with the help of several elves, I hoisted Rudolph onto their backs. They soared out of the stable, across the frozen ocean and dropped Rudolph into a fishing hole in the ice.

  As I peered into the sea, Rudolph the fish blinked back at me from just beneath the surface, a miserable look on his face. He had completely changed shape. The only way we could still tell it was him was by his bright red nose.

  "Hmph," I said because I thou
ght I knew what had happened and I wasn't very pleased. "Now then Rudolph, tell me the truth. You've been upsetting mermaids again, haven't you?"

  The fish nodded.

  "What was it this time, eh? Shells to decorate the stable? Pearls to sew into your saddle? Pretty combs to brush your fur?" Rudolph nodded again. "Oh Rudolph," I sighed, exasperated. "How many times have I told you, I will buy you combs from Fairyland if you want them, but you can't go flying over the ocean waiting for mermaids to surface so you can snatch them out of their hair?!"

  The fish hung its head and I softened, for I'm very fond of Rudolph and he does find it ever so hard to resist pretty things. "You're going to have to say sorry. You know that, don't you?" I asked. The fish nodded for a third time, so I took my special merwhistle out of my pocket and blew. Within minutes a stern looking mermaid bobbed out of the water.

  "You called," she said to me, fixing Rudolph with a cold stare.

  "I take it you did this?" I asked.

  "Yes," she said. We heard there was a sky-thief about so we put a spell on all our combs. Anyone who took one would be turned into a fish. I'm very disappointed to find it's one of your reindeer."

  "So am I", I agreed. "But I believe he's sorry, aren't you?" and Rudolph nodded furiously. "So I'd like you to lift the spell."

  Well my dear, she did as I asked, though I had to promise her that Rudolph wouldn't fly lower than half a mile above the sea for a whole year. So I have my reindeer back. Thank goodness, eh? Because let's face it, if I had a fish at the front of my sleigh, we'd never get anywhere on Christmas Eve.

  I hope you've enjoyed this letter and I can't wait to drop off your presents. Don't forget to keep on being good!

  Lots of love,

  PRINT THIS LETER FREE:

  Below is a picture of the original letter you have just read. If you want a physical copy of it to keep, Father Christmas has made it free to print at rooftoppost.co.uk.

  Have a very merry Christmas. Ho, ho ho!

  *****

  LETTER 3:

  FATHER CHRISTMAS AND THE PIRATES

  It's been a hair raising night tonight and no mistake! Thank goodness I got here in one piece. I ran into pirates my dear, pirates! Far up in the freezing northern seas, just left of Fairyland and a couple of hours flight from my home at the North Pole. They were the magical kind, of course. They'd have been completely invisible to grown-ups, though you would have seen them just as clearly as I. And they were quite something to set eyes on, my dear, oh yes indeed. Their ship was black, their sails were black and when you got up close, you could see a number of their teeth were black too! At the front of the ship, (which we should really call the "prow", shouldn't we?), was the carved head of a great dragon, roaring at the ocean as it cut through the waves. I have drawn it for you as best I can, but I fear I haven't done it justice, as my hands are rather old and shaky these days. I expect you could do a fine drawing of a pirate ship yourself, why don't you give it a try?

  Anyway, to get back to what happened... at first I didn't see the ship at all. It was nothing but a tiny black dot to me and my reindeer as we sped across the sky. But then, all of a sudden, we heard a shrill cry, "There he be me hearties! Net him!" and as I peered through the gloom I saw a brightly coloured parrot streaking its way towards my sleigh, accompanied by a huge flock of seagulls.

  It was the parrot who had spoken and now he screeched again, "Sack ahoy! Sack ahoy! There be treasure inside for all!"

  Of course, I knew when I heard this that they were after my presents and as they drew nearer, I saw how they planned to get them, too. The flock of seagulls was carrying a great net, stretched out across the sky, and that wicked parrot was directing them to drop it over us so that they could capture my sleigh.

  Rudolph, who is the cleverest of my reindeer, also saw it coming. He tried his best to zigzag between the clouds and give them the slip, but it was no good. They were just too quick.

  "Why, you bad birds!" I shouted, waving my fist at them as the net came down, "It will be a hot day at the North Pole before I let any of you have a Christmas gift!" They paid no attention. The net swooped around us and they dragged us down towards the waiting ship.

  We landed on the deck with a crash. The net fell open and several pirates grabbed the reindeer's reigns to stop them taking off. The birds all settled in the rigging, except for the parrot, who landed on the shoulder of the biggest, ugliest looking pirate I have ever seen. He had a patch over one eye, a row of very crooked teeth, a long scar across his cheek and a missing earlobe. I bet it was bitten off in a fight, my dear!

  "Hand over them pressies, old man!" growled the pirate. I clutched my sack and shook my head. "That be an order from Captain Scabb, scourge o' the Seven Seas."

  "I don't care who you are," I said. "You have to be good to get presents. And looking at you lot", I cast my eye over his motley crew; "I'd say you haven't been good for years."

  "Ye be testing me patience, landlubber," snapped the captain and I saw his hand move to the hilt of his long pirate sword, "I wants a pressie. Now."

  I don't mind telling you that I was a bit scared at this point, but luckily I had an idea. You see my dear, the gifts in my sack aren't just for the children of your world, some of them are for the children of magical people and this Christmas a little mermaid girl had asked me to bring her a pet sea monster. And do you know what scares pirates the most? That's right, sea monsters. So, I stared straight into the eye of Captain Scabb and said, "Alright. Have it your own way." Then I reached into my sack, drew out the sea monster and hurled it into the waves.

  The moment it hit the water, it began to grow, for I had had to shrink it to fit it aboard my sleigh. Soon it was the size of a car, then a house, then a big blue whale! Not that it looked like a whale mind you; it was pink and spotted and had lots of very long tentacles, several of which shot straight towards the ship.

  The crew ran away and hid below deck and the captain turned as white as my beard. "Shiver me timbers!" he yelled as a tentacle slithered up the side of his boat. "It'll drag us down to Davy Jones!"

  "Drag us down! Drag us down!" echoed the parrot from his shoulder.

  "Shut yer beak, bird!" snapped the captain and took a step towards me, drawing his sword. I moved back, thinking he was going to start a fight but I needn't have worried. He threw the sword at my feet. "There!" he bellowed. "You win. Now call off yon beastie and get off me vessel!"

  Well, I was only too happy to oblige. My reindeer and I took flight, swooped down over the sea monster and scattered shrinking dust upon it to make it small again. Then I lifted it gently out of the water and popped it back into my sack. It's really quite sweet for a sea monster - the little mermaid girl is going to love it.

  As for the pirates, before left I made them promise to be good but to tell you the truth my dear, I suspect they won't. Pirates are pirates after all. On the other hand, at least they'll think twice before trying to steal my presents again. I do hope you enjoy yours by the way - and that they're not damp from all the sea spray! Merry Christmas my dear and yo ho.

  Lots of love,

  PRINT THIS LETER FREE:

  Below is a picture of the original letter you have just read. If you want a physical copy of it to keep, Father Christmas has made it free to print at rooftoppost.co.uk.

  Have a very merry Christmas. Ho, ho ho!

  END

  GAMES:

  SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 1 – SOLUTION

  1. The ink has changed colour.

  2. The bobble on Father Christmas's hat has become round.

  3. One of the wavy lines on the chair has disappeared.

  4. The feather has turned purple.

  5. The blue pattern on the rim of the chair has disappeared.

  6. One of the table legs has changed shape.

  SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 2 – SOLUTION

  1. A snowflake has disappeared.

  2. One of the tree lights has changed colour.

  3. A light in
the castle window has been turned off.

  4. The penguin's legs have turned yellow.

  5. The knot has come undone in the polar bear's scarf.

  6. One of the tree trunks is missing.

  7. One of the marks made by the skates on the ice is missing.

  8. One of the polar bear's ears is missing.

  9. The polar bear's nose has turned pink.

  10. One of the castle turrets has changed shape.

  SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 3 – SOLUTION

  1. A green present has turned brown.

  2. One of the bubbles has disappeared.