Nutik, that Naughty Dog!
Christmas, 2004, Will went to Saint Paul to visit his newest grandchild.
He had recently received a beautiful copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's Father Christmas Letters. On Christmas morning, mysteriously, the first Nutik letter arrived... As things developed, the Stockings of the Reimann Grandchildren were never to be the same. Abridged copies of the letters that accompanied the drawings have been included, for those who might like more explanation of the shenanigans... |
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Christmas Eve, 2004
Christmas, 2005
Midnight, Christmas Eve, 2006
Dear Children--
Thank you for the lovely cookies...
I very much hope you will enjoy your presents this year and be careful not to break any furniture while you are using them! Try not to make too much noise with your new instruments, my dears.
This year, I thought I would tell you a little bit about the other things I get up to on Christmas Day. You can imagine, after I have delivered all the presents, I am tired and hungry. Well, after I get the last of the presents delivered, I go home to Mrs. Claus and the elves and we have a huge feast together. It is very pleasant. Or perhaps I should say, USUALLY it is very pleasant. This year, Mrs. Claus felt harried and overworked (does she think she is the only one?). She asked, nay she insisted, that I make some contribution to the celebration. And she wanted that contribution to be CLAMS....
Are you familiar with clams? Fresh ones, as you probably know, must be dug up out of the sand on the beach. I suppose a good-side of all this is that even though I am very busy on Christmas, I do get to many places that have clams. Can you think of one of them? If you guessed MARTHA’S VINEYARD, you would be correct! Martha's Vineyard has many clams that are very good to eat at this time of year. Have you ever been clamming? Under some circumstances it is quite a bit of fun....
.... Please DO let me know some time before next year if you do find out that Nutik has misbehaved. You must see, he has been SO helpful to me this year—mostly he is in charge of carrying bundles, keeping the reindeer in line, making sure no packages fall out of the back of the sleigh when I am traveling &—ah, yes, the stockings. This year he was ENTIRELY put in charge of the stockings....
Lovingly,
SANTA
Thank you for the lovely cookies...
I very much hope you will enjoy your presents this year and be careful not to break any furniture while you are using them! Try not to make too much noise with your new instruments, my dears.
This year, I thought I would tell you a little bit about the other things I get up to on Christmas Day. You can imagine, after I have delivered all the presents, I am tired and hungry. Well, after I get the last of the presents delivered, I go home to Mrs. Claus and the elves and we have a huge feast together. It is very pleasant. Or perhaps I should say, USUALLY it is very pleasant. This year, Mrs. Claus felt harried and overworked (does she think she is the only one?). She asked, nay she insisted, that I make some contribution to the celebration. And she wanted that contribution to be CLAMS....
Are you familiar with clams? Fresh ones, as you probably know, must be dug up out of the sand on the beach. I suppose a good-side of all this is that even though I am very busy on Christmas, I do get to many places that have clams. Can you think of one of them? If you guessed MARTHA’S VINEYARD, you would be correct! Martha's Vineyard has many clams that are very good to eat at this time of year. Have you ever been clamming? Under some circumstances it is quite a bit of fun....
.... Please DO let me know some time before next year if you do find out that Nutik has misbehaved. You must see, he has been SO helpful to me this year—mostly he is in charge of carrying bundles, keeping the reindeer in line, making sure no packages fall out of the back of the sleigh when I am traveling &—ah, yes, the stockings. This year he was ENTIRELY put in charge of the stockings....
Lovingly,
SANTA
Midnight, Christmas Eve, 2008
My Dear Children--
Another year, already! It has been a good year. I took a nice vacation with Mrs. Claus and Nutik in July. We were in Australia. Nutik visited with the dingos while Mrs. C. and I enjoyed the arboreal rainforests. A pleasant change of pace, I must say! But really, as you may have noticed, we are true winter people--and tend to "summer," as it were, in the Southern Hemisphere....
I hope very much that you enjoy your presents. Remember--even Nutik is good about sharing (his misbehavior comes in other forms, I fear). Speaking of our friend--this year he really HAS surpassed himself....
I needed Nutik, for help with the loading [the sled], but he was no where to be found. Really, quite trying. Myself and all the elves had to stop everything to find him...
... That dog--he is incorrigible! I am sorry to tell you, children, but he has a terrible sweet tooth and a weakness, particularly, for chocolate. Of course, chocolate being not at all good for dogs, I do make sure that he never has access to the keys to the chocolate store rooms, but this year--oh my goodness! Such a sneak. He discovered a loose board at the back of a secondary staircase to the corridor of the candy store rooms. Pushing it open, he made his way inside... well, the picture shows the results.
....the amount of candy that has disappeared... it is hard to conceive.... Perhaps his punishment this year will at least have brought him to be more respectful of the contents of the stockings... Sadly, however, I fear he is beyond reform.
Love from Santa
Another year, already! It has been a good year. I took a nice vacation with Mrs. Claus and Nutik in July. We were in Australia. Nutik visited with the dingos while Mrs. C. and I enjoyed the arboreal rainforests. A pleasant change of pace, I must say! But really, as you may have noticed, we are true winter people--and tend to "summer," as it were, in the Southern Hemisphere....
I hope very much that you enjoy your presents. Remember--even Nutik is good about sharing (his misbehavior comes in other forms, I fear). Speaking of our friend--this year he really HAS surpassed himself....
I needed Nutik, for help with the loading [the sled], but he was no where to be found. Really, quite trying. Myself and all the elves had to stop everything to find him...
... That dog--he is incorrigible! I am sorry to tell you, children, but he has a terrible sweet tooth and a weakness, particularly, for chocolate. Of course, chocolate being not at all good for dogs, I do make sure that he never has access to the keys to the chocolate store rooms, but this year--oh my goodness! Such a sneak. He discovered a loose board at the back of a secondary staircase to the corridor of the candy store rooms. Pushing it open, he made his way inside... well, the picture shows the results.
....the amount of candy that has disappeared... it is hard to conceive.... Perhaps his punishment this year will at least have brought him to be more respectful of the contents of the stockings... Sadly, however, I fear he is beyond reform.
Love from Santa
