The Dragon at the North Pole Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Kate Klimo
musical.
“You know what that is, Jesse Tiger?” Daisy said, jumping up and down and flapping her mittened hands. “That’s sleigh bells!”
C HAPTER T HREE
BABES IN TOYLAND
The jingling sound grew louder until it filled the air. Daisy gasped as a team of reindeer with broad golden antlers came into view. Hitched two abreast by colorfully embroidered harnesses, they pulled a huge glossy black sleigh with golden runners thatcurled at the ends. Perched high up on the driver’s seat was a figure so strikingly familiar that Daisy nearly laughed out loud.
As she stared at him, Daisy found herself mentally checking off the details: red suit trimmed with white fur, cheeks like roses, nose like a cherry, beard white as snow—except that he wasn’t merry and lively and quick like the little man in the famous poem Jesse had been reading to Emmy. This man was big and hulking and serious-looking. As the sleigh bore down upon them, the driver pulled up on the reins and sat back. Then he burst into jolly laughter, his belly hanging over his low-slung black belt and jiggling like a bowl full of jelly.
“Ho-ho-ho, my wee little tykes! Welcome to the North Pole. You must be Emerald’s Keepers!”
His voice was loud and deep and filled Daisy’s head with a warm fuzzy feeling. Daisy groped for Jesse’s hand. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Why the long faces, youngsters? She’ll be happy to see you,” Santa Claus went on. “It’s a good thing I was out patrolling for my runaway reindeer.”
Now that Santa mentioned it, Daisy noticed that there was an empty spot in one of the runners. The eighth reindeer. Daisy blinked back tears. It was true. It was all true. She turned to Jesse andsaid, “Jess, it’s really him. It’s not a myth after all! Santa Claus is
real
!”
Jesse nodded eagerly as he looked over the reindeer. “I wonder which one ran off.”
“Look, Jess!” She pointed to the back of the sleigh to a compartment high up behind the driver’s seat. Tucked beneath a red blanket with white fur trim were at least a dozen adorable little creatures with pointy noses and chins, upturned eyes, and green caps with bells on the ends.
“Santa’s elves!” Jesse said. He turned to Daisy, his eyes as wide as hers.
“Hop in, my wee tykes, and I’ll give you a lift,” said Santa Claus. He held up a thick fur lap blanket. Jesse and Daisy scrambled into the bottom of the sleigh next to Santa’s big black silver-buckled boots. Santa tucked the blanket around them. Daisy was overwhelmed by a feeling of coziness. She said to herself,
It’s Christmas morning and here I am, tucked into Santa’s sleigh!
Just then, Santa snapped the reins and, as the sleigh started to move, called out the familiar string of names: “Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner!”
Daisy turned to Jesse and whispered, “There’s your answer, Jess.”
“That bad boy Blitzen,” Jesse said with a shiver of excitement.
The sound of the harness bells and the warmth of the blanket made Daisy feel drowsy. She didn’t want to fall asleep—she didn’t want to miss a single moment of this adventure—but all of a sudden her eyelids were so heavy, she couldn’t stay awake.
She woke to Jesse gently shaking her. Daisy rubbed her eyes and looked around. The sleigh had stopped. Reindeer hooves scraped restlessly on the ice and snow as Santa Claus heaved himself up and out of the sleigh.
“Oh, wow!” said Jesse, pointing.
Daisy saw not the cozy, quaint little snow-encrusted cottage featured in all the Santa’s Villages she had ever visited, but a shimmering white palace with towers that seemed to scrape the sky. Looking at the sky, Daisy noticed something odd. It might have been an illusion created by the high towers, but the aurora borealis seemed to shine everywhere except where the palace stood.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” said Santa. He clapped his hands, and the elves
“You know what that is, Jesse Tiger?” Daisy said, jumping up and down and flapping her mittened hands. “That’s sleigh bells!”
C HAPTER T HREE
BABES IN TOYLAND
The jingling sound grew louder until it filled the air. Daisy gasped as a team of reindeer with broad golden antlers came into view. Hitched two abreast by colorfully embroidered harnesses, they pulled a huge glossy black sleigh with golden runners thatcurled at the ends. Perched high up on the driver’s seat was a figure so strikingly familiar that Daisy nearly laughed out loud.
As she stared at him, Daisy found herself mentally checking off the details: red suit trimmed with white fur, cheeks like roses, nose like a cherry, beard white as snow—except that he wasn’t merry and lively and quick like the little man in the famous poem Jesse had been reading to Emmy. This man was big and hulking and serious-looking. As the sleigh bore down upon them, the driver pulled up on the reins and sat back. Then he burst into jolly laughter, his belly hanging over his low-slung black belt and jiggling like a bowl full of jelly.
“Ho-ho-ho, my wee little tykes! Welcome to the North Pole. You must be Emerald’s Keepers!”
His voice was loud and deep and filled Daisy’s head with a warm fuzzy feeling. Daisy groped for Jesse’s hand. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Why the long faces, youngsters? She’ll be happy to see you,” Santa Claus went on. “It’s a good thing I was out patrolling for my runaway reindeer.”
Now that Santa mentioned it, Daisy noticed that there was an empty spot in one of the runners. The eighth reindeer. Daisy blinked back tears. It was true. It was all true. She turned to Jesse andsaid, “Jess, it’s really him. It’s not a myth after all! Santa Claus is
real
!”
Jesse nodded eagerly as he looked over the reindeer. “I wonder which one ran off.”
“Look, Jess!” She pointed to the back of the sleigh to a compartment high up behind the driver’s seat. Tucked beneath a red blanket with white fur trim were at least a dozen adorable little creatures with pointy noses and chins, upturned eyes, and green caps with bells on the ends.
“Santa’s elves!” Jesse said. He turned to Daisy, his eyes as wide as hers.
“Hop in, my wee tykes, and I’ll give you a lift,” said Santa Claus. He held up a thick fur lap blanket. Jesse and Daisy scrambled into the bottom of the sleigh next to Santa’s big black silver-buckled boots. Santa tucked the blanket around them. Daisy was overwhelmed by a feeling of coziness. She said to herself,
It’s Christmas morning and here I am, tucked into Santa’s sleigh!
Just then, Santa snapped the reins and, as the sleigh started to move, called out the familiar string of names: “Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner!”
Daisy turned to Jesse and whispered, “There’s your answer, Jess.”
“That bad boy Blitzen,” Jesse said with a shiver of excitement.
The sound of the harness bells and the warmth of the blanket made Daisy feel drowsy. She didn’t want to fall asleep—she didn’t want to miss a single moment of this adventure—but all of a sudden her eyelids were so heavy, she couldn’t stay awake.
She woke to Jesse gently shaking her. Daisy rubbed her eyes and looked around. The sleigh had stopped. Reindeer hooves scraped restlessly on the ice and snow as Santa Claus heaved himself up and out of the sleigh.
“Oh, wow!” said Jesse, pointing.
Daisy saw not the cozy, quaint little snow-encrusted cottage featured in all the Santa’s Villages she had ever visited, but a shimmering white palace with towers that seemed to scrape the sky. Looking at the sky, Daisy noticed something odd. It might have been an illusion created by the high towers, but the aurora borealis seemed to shine everywhere except where the palace stood.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” said Santa. He clapped his hands, and the elves