Mylee Has Questions About Santa And His Elves

 Mylee had so many questions about Santa Claus. She knew that he lived at the North Pole, but where exactly was that North Pole? Then there were elves. She had always heard that Santa needed help making toys and gifts for good little boys and girls, but how many did he need? Did he need ten elves or a hundred? She had looked at a globe and the world was really big. Then she had heard about one of the elves that sat on a shelf. Was he lazy? Was he naughty? Why would Santa want a lazy naughty elf to help him make gifts for little boys and girls? She just had so many questions. One day she decided to ask her grandma about this. She had heard her mom and her grandma talking one day about the elf on the shelf, but it seemed like to her he was all over the place. One day he was in the refrigerator getting into their food. Then one morning she discovered that he had slept by her bed all night! She had found him on the Christmas tree and even in the bathtub floating in hot chocolate and marshmallows. He had left a terrible mess for her mama to clean up. She knew he was naughty, but in spite of herself she laughed when she saw him in the tub. This elf just did not sound or act like the kind of elf that Santa would want working with him.

One day Mylee went to her grandma's house while her mom was at work. "Nana, I have so many questions about Santa and his elves. Do you have time to explain it to me? I really don't understand why Santa would want a naughty elf at the North Pole? Where is that elf now? Did he run away from the North Pole? Oh no! Nana, is he homeless? We might have to keep him."

Mylee's grandma said, "You know what? I think I heard that there is a book about Santa's Elf Mates that might explain some of your questions. Some questions we never do find the answers to, but we can use our imaginations to make up our own answers. Our imaginations let us change things in our mind and make us smile. Right now I can imagine what you look like with your shoes on and a pair of freshly washed hands," she laughed. Mylee made a silly face but quickly went and washed her hands and put her shoes on. She was going to find the answer to all of her questions at the library. She just knew it.

When they walked in there were several grownups and children in the library. Some were reading books, and in one room there was a lady reading a story to some children. Mylee's grandma had explained that they needed to be very quiet in the library. She took her Nana's hand and walked up to the desk where the librarian was working. She listened while her grandma asked her some questions. She quietly spoke and pointed to some shelves not far from her desk. There was a Christmas tree all decorated with lights and decorations. The shelves of Santa and elf books were nearby. Mylee's grandma walked quietly up and down the shelves. She reached up and found a book. She quietly leafed through it and said. "Mylee, some of your questions are answered in this book. You might not be able to read all the words, but I will help you. There is a little chair by the tree. Go sit there and I will be right back with a chair so that we can look at the book together."

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 Marlee was so excited to have her mom read the new book to her, but something wasn't right. Her mom looked funny as she opened up the book. "What's wrong, Mommie? Don't you like the book that I picked out at the library?"

Her mom looked at her and said, "I don't think this is the same book that you picked out, Marlee. This book should never had been on a shelf at the library, Honey. It's a one of a kind book written by a queen in a faraway country hundreds of years ago. See the inscription on the inside of the book, Queen Harleigh 1782  Dedicated to all of those that have the courage to dream and do. This book should actually be in a museum. I wonder how in the world it ever got to Texas and in a little library like ours. See how brittle the pages are, Marlee? Books this old should never be touched because of the oil in our skin. We need to return this book immediately and see where on earth it came from. It seems like we have a mystery on our hands, Marlee. 

Marlee was a little interested, but would rather have kept the book. She loved unicorns and dreamed of being a princess with her own castle and her very own unicorn someday. "Yes, someday I will own a unicorn farm. I might even let my little brother touch one if he's good. Okay, Mom. I'm ready to go back to the library, but let's pick out a book I don't have to give back for awhile, okay?"

 But her little brother said, "Mom, I don't feel so good. I need to go to bed. Sorry, Marlee."   

And sick he was, so the old old book was put in a safe place until it could be returned to the library or it's original owner.