I ignored him until he throttled down. That was not normal. It was a pleasant night, but an hour after curfew. City lights from Saigon to the east turned the dark a velvety purple, and the sweet smell ... [+]
Translated by Wendy Cross
Once upon a time in the North Pole, Santa Claus realized he had a problem. Santa Claus was getting up there in age, and he was starting to get tired. His rheumatism and impressive plumpness had even prevented him sliding down some chimneys last year. Now that another year had come and gone, Santa was starting to feel a little nervous about being able to get everything done.
It didn't take long for the elves to begin whispering about how the present distribution and even Christmas itself were in grave danger. For the sake of boys and girls around the world, a solution must be found! A clever