The Year Santa Claus Fell Asleep

Esther Schönwandt

Once upon a time Santa Claus was feeling very tired on Christmas Eve. He had been working hard all year long to make sure every child would receive a present from him. But that day, of all days, he had forgotten to take a nap before he set out on his long journey around the world.

As he flew over the houses in his sleigh, he started to feel more and more tired. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open. Finally, he decided that he needed to take a short rest. He landed his sleigh on the roof of a beautiful red house, close to a forest. There was no other house as far as the eye could see. Santa Claus wanted to make sure, that nobody would spot him, his sleigh, and the reindeer. After all, he must remain the magical figure he is. He grabbed all the presents for the children who lived in this little house, climbed down the narrow chimney, and placed the presents under a beautifully decorated tree. He enjoyed the cookies the family left for him, and drank the milk. Santa Claus then decided to sit down for just a minute or two in what looked like the most comfortable chair next to the fireplace. Then the unthinkable happened. Santa fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already morning! He had slept through the entire night! Santa Claus was very worried that he wouldn’t be able to deliver all the presents in time. But then he remembered that he had some magic dust that could make his sleigh fly faster. Without waking anyone up in the house, Santa Claus climbed back up to his sleigh. He quickly sprinkled some magic gold dust on the reindeer. The reindeer started to fly faster than ever before! Santa Claus was able to deliver all his presents just in time for Christmas morning. Christmas was saved.

2023