'Well, kids, Santa is magical. He and his reindeer can fly with ease from house to house every Christmas Eve because of their very special powers. He can enter houses where there is no chimney, so don't you worry your sweet little heads,' Nana reassured the little ones. 'If you promise not to tell, I'll let you in on a little secret of my own.'
Nana smiled at her grandchildren, excited to let them in on a story she'd been saving, just waiting for them to get old enough to be trusted with her secret.
While Nana, Holly, and Nicholas busied themselves baking and decorating Christmas cookies to give as gifts, Nana began to tell the story of 'Santa's Magical Key.'
'Many, many years ago, fireplaces were the only way people had to keep warm. In most homes, they were also their only means of cooking, which meant there was always a fire burning in the fireplace. That also meant that Santa had to be very creative in finding ways to get into the houses as quickly and quietly as possible. He had to take care not to wake the children while he was delivering all the toys the elves had worked so hard on all year long, placing them under the trees so all the good little boys and girls would awaken early Christmas morning to a tree surrounded by presents.'
Nana put the cookies in the oven and continued. 'Now, how do you suppose Santa got into houses without using the chimney?' Nana asked, sitting down with the children at the kitchen table.
'Through a window?' Nicholas asked.
'Maybe one of the doors?' Holly added.
'Both are good suggestions,' Nana agreed, 'but how Santa does it is his big secret. So how do you think he gets in?'
Both children thought and thought, then shrugged their shoulders.
'We give up Nana. How does he get in if he can't come in through the windows or doors?' they asked in unison.
'Well,' Nana whispered, 'One day many, many years ago, about a week before Christmas ' Santa was pacing back and forth in the toy workshop, muttering to himself.
'What's the matter, Santa?' Ailfrid, the head elf of North Pole Village, inquired.
'We are in big trouble, Ailfrid,' Santa said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. 'When I was but a wee lad, learning the business on my father's knee, everyone was so innocent and trusting. My father told me getting the toys under the tree for the children to open first thing Christmas morning was not a problem. Now everyone locks their windows and doors, and I can't use the chimney and I worried I might get burned. How am I going to get into all the homes this year?'
His father had never encountered a problem like this, Santa thought, as he commenced his pacing.
After much thought, Ailfrid spoke up. 'I have an idea! Let's visit Elric, the wise old elf who lives on the far edge of town. He was your father's chief elf ruler before you were even born. He has been here longer than any elf in North Pole Village. He will know just what to do.'
To be continued...