THE CHRISTMAS DOG by Brian Skinner

Bo was a dog, a different sort of dog, but still a dog. With his black pug nose, he sniffed around the room. He smelled Christmas cookies. That made sense, it was Christmas time, the perfect time for Christmas cookies. Of course, it was always Christmas-like around here, here being Santa's village, but Christmas cookies are only really Christmas cookies at Christmastime. Well, at least they seem to taste better at Christmastime thought Bo, and that's what mattered most.

"Why hello there Bo, looking for Christmas cookies are you?" asked Mrs Claus, and Bo woofed his answer. Bo was usually a quiet dog, but cookies are worth the effort.

"Well here you go boy, three cookies, but don't let Santa know you had them, he thinks you're getting too pudgy. He's one to talk, but of course, he's Santa, and Santa has to be pudgy", said Mrs Claus as she handed him three cookies.

Bo agreed that Santa should be pudgy, it was just one of those things that seem right the way they are. He also agreed that he shouldn't tell Santa about the cookies, not that he knew that he could, being a dog and all, but he agreed anyway. He wagged his tail at Mrs Claus in thanks for the cookies, as he was thankful, and scurried off, as he knew Mrs Claus was busy. He quite liked Mrs Claus, an altogether lovely woman to be owned by, at least by his standards. He figured that she was good by other standards as well, but he wasn't one to assume much, because he was that kind of dog.

He thought of visiting Santa, but quickly decided not to, because he probably would be busy at the moment, it being Christmas Eve and all, and he wasn't the kind of dog to get in someone's way. That would just be bad manners, and bad manners was not something that Bo had, he was not that kind of dog.

Bo decided to go watch the elves...perhaps they had some cookies to give him. The elves liked him, but then, elves liked most everyone. But it was still nice be liked by elves. Plus, he liked the elves as well, they gave him attention, and cookies.

He wandered into the workshop quietly in the way that small dogs do. He watched with delight as the elves made the toys for all the children of the world, in their own magic way. Bo had been around for several years now, but the sight still delighted him.

"Why hello there Bo, how's my favorite red pup doing today?" asked one of the elves, Ginger to be precise. Bo woofed in way of response that he was doing well. It was nice that he was their favorite red pup...of course he was the only dog around, but it was the thought that counted. The elves once told him that most dogs weren't red like him, as he was as red as Santa's hat and suit. Bo figured that might make him special, but he also thought it just made sense that Santa's dog would be red, it was just...right.

"Mighty busy today Bo, but I think we have some time to give you some cookies though. There's always time for Christmas cookies, right Bo?", asked Ginger.

"Woof!", agreed Bo, quite heartily. Ginger always had seemed a sensible person, for an elf of course.

"Here you go, four cookies. Don't tell Santa though, he says we give you too many snacks between dinners for a young dog such as yourself. I hope Santa is getting ready, we're too busy to check on him today. Oh well, he doesn't need us nagging him, he's done this enough times right Bo?" Bo agreed, Santa might seem a bit silly at times, but he could be quite sensible...for a human.

He gave a wag of his tail, and a thankful woof, then decided that perhaps he should go see Santa, just to make sure he was doing alright. Bo didn't want to be a bother, but then humans sometimes need dogs to check on them.

Meanwhile...Santa looked over his sleigh. Drat, he thought, one of the parts were loose. That'd need to be fixed. It was a shame really that getting ready for Christmas wasn't easier, more like the stories about him that made it seem easy. But it was worth it in the end, the good children deserved their gifts.

He decided to go to the tool shed behind the village castle, and get something to fix the sleigh. As he got into the tool shed, Santa's rather pudgy body bumped the door. It shut fast behind him. He searched for the tools, and quickly found it. He turned to open the door...it was locked...from the outside. This would not do! Santa tried again, and bumped the door. Still it did not budge. He shouted for help, but no one heard. Tired from the effort, and the business of the day, Santa sat down on a work bench for a moment to collect himself....

Bo couldn't find Santa in his study. Not surprising, Santa did move around a lot when he was busy, and he was quite busy today. He checked to see if he was with Mrs Claus. but he was not. Mrs Claus looked a bit worried, and was wondering aloud to some of the elves where Santa could have gotten himself off to.

Bo, not having much else to do, went to look for him around the castle, but he was no where to be found. He checked with the reindeer, but they weren't much help...he couldn't speak reindeer, and couldn't ask if they'd seen him. He was only a dog afterall. Santa seems to have gotten himself well hidden thought Bo, and he decided that he should be the one to find him. Santa was his master afterall, and dogs are good at these things.

Bo finally decided to check with Woody, in the magical Christms tree forest just outside the village. Woody was the tallest, and oldest Christmas tree in the forest, and being magical and all, he could talk. Some might find that strange, but Bo did not. It took a lot to be strange in Santa's village.

He went to Woody and greeted him with a woof, and asked him if he had seen Santa around. Woody was a wise old tree, and knew several languages, including dog. Woody said he had not, and expressed his worriedness over the situation. It wasn't like Santa to dissapear on Christmas Eve. Bo agreed, Santa was usually more sensible than that. He asked Woody for suggestions, and Woody said to bring one of the reindeer to him, and he'd ask them if they'd seen Santa last. Bo thought this was very sensible, and agreed to the plan.

He went to fetch a reindeer, Dasher he decided, to bring to Woody. He woofed at Dasher and motioned that he should follow Bo. Reindeer are a smart lot, if not a bit foolish sometimes, and so he followed the little red dog. When they reached Woody, the large old tree explained everything to Dasher, and then listened to his answer. Woody told Bo that Dasher had last saw Santa go behind the castle. Bo thanked Woody, and asked him to thank Dasher in reindeer, wagged his tail, and went to get Mrs Claus.

Mrs Claus was quite worried by then, walking around the castle shouting for Santa. Bo gave a woof when he found her, and a few more woofs, nudging her leg, trying to get her attention.

"What is it Bo, do you know where Santa is?", asked Mrs Claus. She always was a smart human thought Bo.

"Woof, woof!", answered Bo, and started toward the door, trying to get her to follow. She did follow, as was the sensible thing to do in Bo's estimation. He brought her behind the castle, but there was no sign of Santa.

Mrs Claus shouted his name, but there was no answer. Bo strained his doggy ears, since he could hear better, and he noticed a sound. He woofed to Mrs Claus, and went off in the direction of the sound. He got louder as they got nearer to the old tool shed.

"I know that sound", said Mrs Claus as she neared the tool shed, "It's...", she opened the tool shed door, "...Santa's snoring!". She was right, there was Santa, fast asleep on a work bench, snoring away. "Wake up Santa!" shouted Mrs Claus.

"Huh?! What? Oh, hello there! You found me, good, thank you, that didn't take too long", said Santa.

"Too long? You were in here asleep for hours Santa, you'd be way behind schedule if I didn't have the elves working extra hard. What do you think you are doing in here?", asked Mrs Claus, rather irritably.

"Hours? I just laid down a second ago, to rest, I was getting a tool to fix the sleigh, and the door locked behind me. I tried to get out, but it tired me out before long...I thought I'd just lay down on the bench for a second before trying again...", responded a rather confused, and sleepy still, looking Santa.

"Well you're lucky that Bo here found you, or we might have been in big trouble", said Mrs Claus.

"So you found me Bo?", asked Santa. Bo woofed a yes. "Well then, I know one dog who's going to get an extra good Christmas gift this year", said Santa.

It was busy and hard work, but Santa did get off for Christmas on time that night, and delivered all the gifts for the children. When Bo woke to find his presents that morning, he found an extra big present. Mrs Claus opened it for him, and inside was a new green scarf for him, and twenty Christmas cookies. A fine gift, Christmas cookies being a good thing to eat on Christmas day. Mrs Claus put the scarf around his small red neck, and Bo started to nibble on one of the cookies. A fine gift indeed, for a very fine Christmas.