How to Trap Santa's Reindeer
8 pages · 6 min · ages 6+
Leo tied a thick knot around the biggest carrot in the kitchen crisper drawer. He pulled the rough twine tight and checked his watch. “Tonight we prove Santa’s reindeer are real,” Leo whispered, adjusting his goggles. “If we fail, cousin Marvin wins my entire shiny gold chocolate coin collection.” Nell balanced a brass bell on her boot. “Your traps never catch anything except Dad,” Nell said. “This one is different,” Leo said, puffing out his chest. “Operation Reindeer Snare is completely foolproof!” Leo felt certain their clever plan could not fail.
Operation Reindeer Snare was completely foolproof. Leo crouched behind the freezing boxwood hedge with frosty fingers, gripping the taut string tied to their red wooden sled. A soft clatter shook the fence, and a small, clumsy reindeer with crooked antlers tumbled into the garden. Twinkle sniffed the carrot, gave a loud snort, and yanked the string. TWANG! The sled tipped sideways, dumping an avalanche of powdery snow right down the back of Leo’s jacket. “I think he liked the carrot,” Nell said, brushing flakes from her eyelashes. Leo shivered, knowing their first trap had failed.
Operation Reindeer Snare was completely foolproof. Leo hauled a heavy fishing net up between two prickly pine trees, sweating beneath his woolly scarf. Nell piled sweet red apples in a shiny pyramid directly under the mesh. “This net is wide enough to catch three flying reindeer,” Leo whispered, holding the release rope. “Or one very annoyed squirrel,” Nell said, tapping her mittens together. A faint jingle echoed across the snowy lawn. Twinkle wobbled back through the hedge, drawn by the spicy scent of fresh apples. Leo held his breath, waiting for the perfect moment.
Twinkle stepped beneath the net, opened his mouth wide, and let out an enormous sneeze. ACHOO! The little reindeer jerked his head, snagging the counterweight rope with his left antler. SWOOSH! The net snapped shut in reverse, scooping Leo and Nell into the pine branches like two squirming snowsuit sausages. Twinkle calmly munched a fallen apple beneath their swinging boots. “My toes are numb,” Nell said, hanging upside down. “He was supposed to be inside the net,” Leo said, kicking his boots in vain. Leo disliked dangling like a Christmas ornament while Twinkle trotted away.
Operation Reindeer Snare was completely foolproof. After wriggling free from the pine branches, Leo laid a trail of cinnamon gingerbread cookies straight across the frozen path into the dark garage. “Reindeer cannot resist cinnamon,” Leo insisted, tying the garage door pull-cord to a springy rake. “The garage smells like Dad’s lawnmower,” Nell said, sniffing the cold air. “Cookies beat lawnmowers every time,” Leo said, crouching behind a metal trash can. Twinkle trotted around the corner, vacuuming up cookies with noisy crunching sounds. CRUNCH-MUNCH! Leo felt his heart thumping against his ribs with wild excitement.
Twinkle trotted inside the garage, but when Leo pulled the cord, the rake snapped and launched a metal shovel. CRASH-BUMP! The heavy garage door slammed shut, locking Leo and Nell outside in a freezing snowdrift while Twinkle munched peacefully inside. Leo’s ears burned with embarrassment as cold wind howled around them. “Now we are trapped outside our own house,” Nell sighed. Leo peered through the frosted window and saw Twinkle shivering beside an empty bowl, licking an icicle. “He is not greedy,” Leo said softly. “He is just exhausted and thirsty from all that flying.”
Operation Reindeer Care was completely foolproof. Leo and Nell carried a bright red bucket filled with steaming warm water and sweet oats to the garden bench. Twinkle wiggled out through the open garage side flap, sniffed the steam, and drank with loud gulps. SLURP-GULP! “Look how thirsty he was,” Leo whispered. “He loves the warm oats,” Nell whispered back as Twinkle nuzzled her mitten. Above the roof, a giant sleigh shadow glided across the full moon with a merry chuckle. Leo smiled, knowing they did not need a cage.
On Christmas morning, the garden smelled of crisp pine and frost. Leo and Nell raced outside to find the red bucket completely empty beside a crisp hoofprint stamped in the glittering ice. Tucked under the handle was a sparkling brass jingle bell and a card written in wobbly green crayon: BEST SNACK EVER - TWINKLE. “We have proof!” Leo shouted, waving the glowing bell in the air. “Marvin loses his bet,” Nell said, pointing toward cousin Marvin’s window. Then a sleepy voice came from the pine trees. “Kids? Why am I upside down?” Dad was dangling in the big fishing net in his dressing gown, still holding his morning coffee. Nell grinned. “See? Your traps only ever catch Dad.”