RAYMOND REINDEER: REINDEER GAMES

With the first snowflakes of winter, the little reindeer games of tag and hide-and-seek change to challenges of skill and daring. They want to prove to themselves and others that they are strong and fast. Just like the young bucks and fillies that Santa would choose at the Reindeer Games to fill the openings on his teams.

This particular morning, a competitive little deer challenged his friends to a race.

"Line up here for the race!" Raymond shouted as he galloped around his circle of friends.

The little deer pawed the ground as his friends toed the mark. "Ready! Set! Go!" he screamed as he burst ahead of the others racing across the meadow.

"I win! I win!" he boasted as he pranced about.

It was the same when they practiced their jumping. The little reindeer would pause on the large rocks at the base of the mountains pretending to jump from rooftop to rooftop. Raymond would practice his leaps and bounds until he could jump farther and higher than all the little deer.

There was no match in the sled pull. Raymond made sure that other deer were aware that he could pull a sleigh with at least three or four more stones than the last participant.

He bragged and boasted daily. "When I'm old enough, I'll be the first to be chosen for Santa's team," he repeated over and over again.

The other reindeer grew tired of his bragging and returned to playing their games of tag and hide and seek.

After the first big snow, preparations began for the Annual Reindeer Games. Santa began his search for healthy young deer worthy of a place on the reindeer teams.

Although Raymond was much too young to compete, he was very excited. This was the first year he was old enough to attend the games. He was going to be seated in the judge's booth beside his father, an older, experienced member of Santa's team.

Looking onto the field, Raymond announced," I know Randy is the fastest. I've watched him take on all the others. He never loses a race," he said to his father.

"Being fastest doesn't make you a winner," his father replied.

Raymond stared at his father in disbelief. Then his attention was drawn to the center of the field.

"Do you see Ruthie over there?" he asked as he pointed to a long-legged young doe. "She can jump farther than anyone. I bet she wins the contest."

"You never know," is all his father said as he straightened up a pile of scorecards on the table.

Raymond was beginning to wonder about his father.

"Look! Look! It's Ryan. He can pull a sleigh loaded with a ton of stones all by himself," cried Raymond delightedly when he spotted his hero.

"Why would you want to do that?" questioned his father.

Their attention was directed to the end of the field. There stood Santa. He announced, "We are here to select the newest members of my team. Let the games begin!"

On the field pranced pairs of youthful male and female reindeer. They stopped for Santa to hitch their harnesses together. Side by side they raced, climbed, jumped, and pulled. No reindeer competed alone. Each pair worked as one.

"I don't understand," said Raymond. "How will Santa choose a winner if they all work together?"

"Son, winners selected for Santa's team are young reindeer that can work together. He's looking for cooperation and teamwork. That's how great things are accomplished," answered his father.

Raymond thought about what his father had said. He thought about Santa's team harnessed side by side throughout their Christmas Eve journey. He began to realize the message his father was trying to tell him.

When he returned to the meadow, Raymond suggested a new game for him and his friends. "We'll all line up and trot down this field together,"

"OK, everybody. Step right! Step left! Together now! That's it, teamwork," he announced proudly as they trotted side by side across the meadow.

THE END!