It was midnight,
December,
The months of the winter solstice and Christmas.
The family were all asleep in bed and so Sock Monkey and the toys were starting to come to life.
Sock Monkey was fully awake first with a twinkle in her button eyes.
Tonight was a very special night indeed.
Sock Monkey,
50-year-old Teddy,
Mr.
Hat,
Jake,
Sheena the wolf puppet and her adopted cub Andrew were going on their first trip to Santaland.
How would they get there when 123 Elf Road North Pole 88888 was thousands of miles away from their cosy cottage in Scotland.
Tonight's the night,
Said Sock Monkey to the other toys excitedly.
She pointed out of the window to the family's silver car parked outside the front of the cottage.
Let's make Tara car fly.
Tara was new to the family,
But quite an old car.
The toys hadn't flown her before,
But Sock Monkey thought she definitely needed an adventure to perk her up a bit.
She and the other toys ambled outside and gathered around Tara.
Sock Monkey wiggled her ears.
Mr.
Hat tipped his hat again and again at speed.
Jake jiggled his arms.
Sheena and Andrew howled playfully and each of them added a sprinkle of their magic.
Tara lifted off the ground and then came back down with a gentle bump so the toys could climb aboard.
They zoomed through the sky,
Their shrieks and cries of joy echoing behind them like bells.
They brought Tara down in front of the snowy village that is Santa Land.
The air was crisp and carried the scent of pine and cinnamon.
Vanilla mingled with the aroma of roasted chestnuts.
Giant candy canes lined the pathways,
Each one swirling with vibrant red and white stripes.
Twinkling lights wrapped around every starry tree.
A merry tune played from a giant gingerbread house.
Laughter danced on the wind as happy elves zipped around in their bright green and red outfits,
Contrasting with the snowy blanket of sparkling snow that crunched under their feet.
Nearby,
A snowslide bustled with cheerful elves,
Their joyful squeals harmonizing with the jingle of their bells.
Sockmonkey and the toys looked about them joyfully,
Feeling completely at home.
Promising themselves that they would come back out to play later,
They raced inside.
Hanging garlands of fresh holly and glowing decorations sparkled from every corner.
The workshop booths buzzed with activity,
Little wooden tables covered in tools and paint and every toy part imaginable.
Elves were in various stages of toy making,
Their nimble fingers expertly crafting everything from wooden trains to fluffy stuffed animals.
The sound of hammers gently tapping against wood blended with the soft rustle of wrapping paper and the merry chatter of elves exchanging tips and stories.
In one corner,
There was a steaming hot chocolate station with marshmallows perched on top in fluffy clumps.
A giant wall was adorned with colorful wish lists from children worldwide,
Each bursting with dreams and desires.
In the North Pole mailroom,
Elves were sorting letters at a frantic pace,
Their cheeks flushed.
Sockmonkey and the toys were supposed to be there to help,
But they were so excited they couldn't stop themselves making a little mischief first.
Sockmonkey climbed up the giant Christmas tree and had to lead a mini rescue mission when some of the younger elves followed her up there and couldn't get back down again.
Mr.
Hat,
Who was supposed to be the serious senior Sockmonkey,
Created a wild hat-throwing competition.
Jake tried to use his long gangly legs and arms to jump inside a giant snow globe just as it was about to be sealed.
He sent pretend snow everywhere and Andrew howled with glee every time he ran past a snowman and made it wobble.
Sheena,
The wolf puppet,
With her gentleness and quiet charm,
Found joy in watching her friends as they created delightful chaos around themselves.
They settled down eventually and were very helpful to the elves carrying and lifting,
Making clothes for toys,
Sticking heads on bodies,
Painting wooden animals and putting in extra treats for all the children.
As the sun came up over the horizon,
A morning began to appear,
Painting the sky with pinks and oranges.
The friends gathered together outside.
They played a little on the snow slide and had a snowball fight,
But they were really ready to go home.
Tired but happy and still a little naughty from their day of fun.
They got back into Tara and drove out of the glittering gates of Santaland,
Their hearts feeling as warm as if they were wrapped in cozy blankets.
They arrived home before the family had started to get up.
They parked Tara in exactly the same place that she had been and went into the cottage to settle themselves on the back of the settee where they lived during the daytime,
Pretending to be just stuffed toys once again.
However,
They heard the family getting up and getting ready to go out shopping.
Through a haze of sleepiness,
Something unexpected happened.
Tara,
The car,
Wouldn't start.
Oh no,
I think her battery's flat,
They heard the mum of the house say as she came back inside.
It must be the cold,
Said the dad.
Jem and Kiera,
The kids,
Trailed out and stood watching gloomily.
The family can't go shopping,
They won't be able to buy anything for Christmas,
Jake whispered to the other toys when all the family were out of earshot.
It was something the toys hadn't anticipated because it had never happened with the family's other cars.
Because they'd used magic,
As usual,
To make Tara fly instead of driving her along the road,
Her battery hadn't charged in the way it normally would and they had forgotten to tell her to spin her wheels in the sky to help.
Let's go for a walk and gather some holly for the wreath we are going to make,
Said the mum,
Trying to cheer everyone up.
We can have a good think about what we should do.
Once they were gone into the woods,
The toys came to life,
Fully.
It was a little strange for them because it was daytime and night belonged to them,
But this was an emergency.
They had to do something,
But they had used up their quota of group magic to get to North Pole.
They huddled together at a bit of a loss to know what to do.
Then,
50-year-old Teddy,
With his eyes wise and glimmering,
Leaned in close.
I might have an idea of how to get Tara going,
He whispered as a secret smile crept across his worn,
Fluffy face.
The other toys gathered around him,
Hope sparkling in their button eyes.
What is it,
Teddy?
Sockmonkey asked,
Curiosity in a voice.
Remember my ancient magic?
50-year-old Teddy said,
Puffing out his chest slightly.
You know,
The little extra I have in reserve.
I think I can use it to stir Tara's spirit and charge her battery without the family catching on.
Rubbing his furry paws together,
Teddy began to chant softly under his breath,
A tune only toys can hear.
The air crackled with energy and they watched as 50-year-old Teddy began to glow with a warm,
Golden light.
Is Teddy a shaman,
Whispered Andrew.
Yes,
Something like that,
Said Sheena,
Hugging him close.
With each word,
He filled Tara with the magic of friendship and adventure.
Come on,
Tara,
Teddy called out.
Hesitant at first,
Tara shivered slightly.
The friends held their breath.
But then,
Nothing.
It wasn't going to work.
All their faces fell in disappointment.
Teddy tried again.
He glowed and he chanted,
And with a sudden sputtering,
Tara's engine came back to life.
Her headlights flickered playfully,
Sending little beams of light dancing like fireflies across the ground,
As if to send the toys a message of thanks.
Oh,
Thank you,
Teddy,
Cried Sheena,
Her tail wagging with delight as Tara's engine hummed.
Now,
Let's not let the family hear this,
Mr.
Hatt said,
Donning his most serious expression.
Just then,
The family walked out of the woods and back down the lane towards them.
Teddy shut Tara down and the toys raced back indoors.
Here we go,
Jake said,
His long limbs flopping back into place just in time.
Outside,
The dad said he'd give Tara one more go,
Just in case.
No one thought it would work,
But what did they have to lose?
Jem,
Mum and Kira watched on with their fingers and everything else crossed.
Dad turned the key,
And with one last burst of magic from Teddy traveling through the walls,
Tara's old battery surged into life,
Her engine revving like a tiger ready to pounce.
She's alive,
Jem shouted,
Jumping up and down with glee.
The family raced back inside to grab their purses,
Wallets and bags.
Then they piled into the car with laughter and happy,
Relieved chatter.
Off they drove with the joys of shopping for interesting gifts ahead of them.
None the wiser to the secret heroics of their beloved toys.
Back in their usual spots,
The toys shared a knowing smile.
They had saved Christmas,
And the warmth of their friendship was more powerful than ever.
Sheena wound up Jem's old musical box,
And with her soft,
Kind voice,
Talked them through their bodies,
From their toes to their head,
To help them settle into sleep after all the excitement.
Feet,
Feet,
Go to sleep.
Ankles,
Ankles,
Go to sleep.
Knees,
Knees,
Go to sleep.
Legs,
Legs,
Go to sleep.
Tummies,
Tummies,
Go to sleep.
Chest,
Chest,
Go to sleep.
Shoulders,
Shoulders,
Go to sleep.
Arms,
Arms,
Go to sleep.
Hands,
Hands,
Go to sleep.
Fingers,
Fingers,
Go to sleep.
Face,
Face,
Go to sleep.
Nose,
Nose,
Go to sleep.
Eyes,
Eyes,
Go to sleep.
Mouth,
Mouth,
Go to sleep.
Ears,
Ears,
Go to sleep.
Head,
Head,
Go to sleep.
Body,
Body,
Go to sleep.
Arms,
Arms,
Heavy and warm.
Legs,
Legs,
Heavy and warm.
Whole body,
Heavy and warm.
Whole body,
Heavy and warm.
Whole body,
Heavy and warm.
Whole body,
Heavy and warm.
