The Flying Zebra - Santa's Village Stories - PNP
Five elves were enjoying a picnic just outside Santa’s village one day, when a blustery northern wind scooped them up!
The first elf, Retki, found his way home by following a red star on the horizon.
The second elf, Kyoki, was delivered home by mail.
The third elf, Kara, was a Holhooja, one of the elves that train Santa Claus’ reindeer. Used to navigating strong air currents to help her reindeer friends fly, she let the wind carry her all the way out into the middle of Africa.
“I’m such a long way from the North Pole!” she thought. “How am I ever going to find my way home?”
Kara was a very resourceful elf, capable of finding solutions to even the most difficult problems. Luckily, she had managed to keep her backpack on. She opened it and pulled out a potion made of magic lichen, which grows just outside of Santa’s village.
With the potion in hand, Kara approached a group of zebras and used her instinct and experience to pick out the fastest of the bunch. She patted his coat, brushed his mane, and gave him some of the potion to drink. When the zebra lifted his hooves from the ground, Kara climbed up onto his back and the two of them flew back to Santa Claus’ village. Santa was there to greet them with his usual jolly laugh. “Ho ho ho! Kind zebra, how can I ever thank you for bringing one of my lost elves home?” he asked.
The zebra leaned in towards Santa and whispered something secretively in his ear.
That very same year, the lucky few who managed to see Santa and his sleigh on the big night would have seen that one of the reindeer didn’t have any antlers on his head…and he had a black-and-white striped coat. The little zebra was very happy with his reward.
For Kara, being able to sleep back in her own bed was reward enough! She said goodnight to Retki and Kyoki, and hoped their two other missing friends would find their way back home soon, too.