The wind and snow swirled around Santa's home and a lone light lit up the dark in the early morning. Santa sat at the edge of his bed thinking while he stroked his beard. "Great North Star," he exclaimed to himself, "but I'm tired." Every little thing in his body seemed to hurt when the thought about going on that Christmas Ride. It was very difficult and when he ambled off to his workshop to look at all the toys, it looked impossible. There were dolls, trains, bicycles, cowboy hats, baseball gloves, and even a rocking horse. Santa Claus hadn't had a vacation in a thousand years and maybe it was about time he had one.
Santa began to move into action letting everyone know about the change in plans. "Warn the people, tell the papers, / I'm much too tired for Christmas capers. / Crick in may back, a cold that lingers, / aches in my toes and all ten fingers ..." In other words, there would be no Christmas. Word began to get around that Santa Claus was too tired and wasn't coming. It was even in the newspaper and all the children began to cry "except for Ignatius Thistlewhite." Of course being six-years-old, Ignatius knew one thing and that was that "Santa deserves a holiday!" There was something extra special that had to be done, but what could all the children do for Santa?
Santa has woken up on the wrong side of the bed. He’s got a crick in his neck, a cold in his nose, and aches in his fingers and all ten toes. So Santa decides to take his first vacation in one thousand years. The Elves, the reindeer, the Gnomes, and, most of all, the children around the world are upset when they find out. But then one six-year old boy comes to Santa’s rescue, and children everywhere band together to give Santa a Christmas he’ll never forget!
