Tish Heads North (standard:fantasy, 1878 words)
Author: pheonix	Added: Nov 29 2008	Views/Reads: 2862/1758	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
These are stories about  six-year-old Ticianita Arabella  Wobbles-Arlott'. Her friends call her 'Tish'.  She has a Talking Kitten - 'Kitty', and a Magic Tummy Button.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

read, ‘ELVES ONLY'. 

The next one said ‘DELIVERIES' and pointed to a really big door. She
read the next arrow, it said, ‘REINDEER STABLES' and pointed round the 
side of the building. There was one sign pointing straight up. That 
just said, ‘NORTH POLE'. 

The very last one read, ‘VISITORS' in very large letters. Underneath
that in brackets, a small note read, ‘No Visitors allowed on Pancake 
Day.' The arrow pointed to a door straight in front of her. Feeling 
very cold, Tish ran and opened that door. 

She found herself in a large waiting room. There was a large desk in
front of her, with a notice and a hand bell. Either side of the desk 
were rows of fur coats hung on hooks. Small ones one side, and large 
ones on the other. Tish read the notice:  ‘Please get a fur coat and 
put it on, because it is cold inside. Button the coat tight, then ring 
the bell.' 

Tish thought, ‘It's cold outside too'.  She quickly grabbed a coat and
wrapped herself in it. The coat had a fur hood. She pulled that up too. 
She felt warmer immediately and got hold of the bell. 

It took all her strength to ring it with one hand, whilst holding Dolly
in the other. The bell rang loud and hollow. Absolutely in an instant, 
an Elf stood behind the desk. He was dressed in a thick red wool 
sweater, and thick red wool tights. On his head was a thick red wool 
hat, with a white bobble on top. 

“Yes Miss. What can I do for you?” He spoke in a very deep voice for
such a small Elf. (He was only half the height of Tish, but had a very 
fat tummy.) 

“I would like to see Father Christmas please.” Said Tish. 

The Elf shook his head, and his white bobble wobbled all round. 

“Oh dear. Sorry miss. There IS no Father Christmas. It's just a name
parents make up to tell their children.” 

Tish was totally shocked. Mamma told her there was a Father Christmas.
So did Papa and Aunty Dorothy – Even Mary the Maid had said so, and 
Tish just KNEW Mary wouldn't tell her a fib. 

The Elf spoke again. 

“I expect the gentleman you are looking for is Mr. Santa Claus. Just
wait here, and I will check if he can see you.” Absolutely in an 
instant, the Elf disappeared. Then, absolutely in an instant, he was 
back saying, “He can see you for a moment, if you come this way.” 

A door - which Tish hadn't noticed before - opened in the desk and the
Elf ushered her through, then he walked through a door in the wall. 
Tish hadn't noticed that door before either. 

She was quite unprepared for the noise, or the sight in front of her.
There were rows and rows of long tables in the largest room Tish had 
ever seen. At each table sat at least three Elves. All were singing at 
the top of their voices. The trouble was, they were all singing 
different songs, and, worse than that, all were singing out of tune. 

The tables were piled high with all sorts of bits and pieces of games
and toys. Each Elf seemed to work at random, fitting bits and pieces 
together. It all seemed such a noisy mad jumble. The funny thing was, 
at the end of each table there were appearing heaps of correctly 
assembled toys and games, and cycles and computers and goodness knows 
what else, all neatly packed. 

Another batch of Elves were busy packing these into four-wheeled carts,
and taking them to a huge store at the far end of the room. 

Tish felt the Elf grab her arm and he shouted above the noise, “Hurry
along Miss. He hasn't all day.” He guided her into an office at the 
side of the room, giving her a little push inside. Then absolutely in 
an instant, he was gone. Tish found herself looking at a very old 
rosy-cheeked man with a very red nose and absolutely no hair at all. He 
sat smiling in a rocking chair. He looked at Tish and scratched his 
chin. 

“Now let me see if I remember. I never forget a face – I just can't seem
to put a name to yours. Wait a minute.” The old man reached behind him, 
and produced a mass of white hair and whiskers. Quickly he pulled them 
over his head and face. 

“Now let me see. That's better; you look different when I view you
through my whiskers. I know you now. You are young Miss Ticianita 
Arabella Wobbles-Arlott. How is that young kitten of yours behaving?” 

Tish took a deep breath, “Well it is really because of him I have come.”
She told Mister Santa Claus all about it, and asked if he could fix 
Dolly. 

“Well I hope you didn't scold your kitten too much, young lady.
Accidents happen to all of us – Well all but me.” He gave a big ‘Ho, 
ho, ho'. 

Tish blushed a bit, and Mr. Santa Claus noticed. 

“Well you'd better say sorry to him as soon as you return – Now let me
see the damage.” He took Dolly and peered very hard at her. 

“Wait a minute.” He pulled off his hair and beard saying, “I only wear
this on my Christmas journeys. I hate children knowing I'm so old that 
I have gone bald – and besides, it keeps my ears warm. The trouble is, 
some children tug my beard and it slips a bit.” He snapped his fingers. 


Absolutely in an instant, an Elf appeared by his side. Mr. Santa Claus
handed Dolly to the Elf. 

“Get Dolly fixed good as new.” he said. Absolutely in an instant, the
Elf disappeared. Then absolutely in an instant, he was back. In his 
hand he held Dolly. Mr. Santa Claus took Dolly and handed her to Tish. 

Dolly was as good as new. Tish was so delighted. She hugged Dolly and
said, “Oh, thank you, thank you, Mister Santa Claus. You are just 
wonderful.” She leaned forwards and gave him a kiss. He just laughed, 
“Ho, ho, ho, I know I am, I know I am. Just call me Santa. I like just 
being called Santa – and I will call you Tish. Now off with you Tish, 
and be nice to that kitten.” Absolutely in an instant, the fur coat had 
disappeared, and Tish was back in her bedroom, clutching Dolly. 

Tish remembered what Santa had said, so she called her Pussycat, and
said she was sorry, and promised Kitty he could have sardines and 
custard for tea after all. 

Just then Mary the Maid returned. She told Tish it was lunchtime, and
then she saw Dolly. She held her head in her hands in disbelief. 

“Well, I do declare Miss Tish. I just don't believe what is going on
here at times. Next thing you will have me believing there are Fairies 
at the bottom of the garden.” Tish smiled and gave her Pussycat a 
wink... 

We knew what had been going on don't we, children? And we know there
really are Fairies at the bottom of the garden - Tish told us about 
those earlier. But now it's time for tea. 


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