A Frozen Affair

The night was cold, no colder than any other Christmas Eve night but still the radiance of Rudolph's nose seemed brighter. Santa noticed that his team of reindeer, the elves, and the gift giving was way ahead of schedule. The jolly elf hoped, though, that they didn't make the same mistake as they did the back in 1938. . .

After all those miserable Christmas Eves Rudolph stopped playing all of those silly reindeer games. No matter how much the other reindeers would torment him he wouldn't take part. You see Rudolph thought he was in love with a little reindeer vixen, a doe named Clarice.

Clarice wasn't your average doe. She had big, dark brown eyes that could warm a chilled heart in the worst snowstorm. She had well defined black lips and shiny white teeth. Her long shapely legs and her slender neck and they way she ate the tasty grass was an enticing site for a buck like Rudolph.

Rudolph was smitten by Clarice and he would do anything for a wink from one of her long eyelashed eyes. For most men this was the start of our downfall, a pretty doe, the animal instincts, and a beautiful smile. And of course women wonder why us men won't stop and ask for directions.

Clarice and Rudolph were content having wild oats and hay on those moonlit nights. Sometimes they played "Tag" as they ran romantically around the decorated Christmas trees. They laughed and sang into the early morning hours. The two of them were young and very much in love.

As Christmas Eve approached, the two spent a few minutes everyday watching the weather forecasts. With Rudolph's shiny nose they wanted to make sure that his guiding skills weren't going to be needed. They'd been lucky so far, having not heard any storms forecasted or even smelled any hint of snow in the air. Rudolph and Clarice were making plans to elope and they weren't going to wait until after Christmas eve.

Their plans were made, reservations made, bags were packed...yeah right, they are reindeer and all they care about, besides each other, is nice grass and a warm place to lay down. They were ready, though, to start this journey into reindeer marriage.

Then the worst thing in the world that could possibly happen, happened. Santa and his infinite wisdom decided that this year's sleigh needed a extra reindeer to economically pull its added weight. The jolly elf sent for his bright-nosed reindeer. The messenger caught Rudolph in the middle of rubbing noses with Clarice.

Clarice was not to be undone by an elf with a white beard, large belly and loved by children all over the world. She whispered in Rudolph's ear, "Rudolph, if you love me..."

Needless to say Rudolph was in the biggest dilemna of his young life. On one side we have Rudolph, loyal to a fault to Santa, the sleigh, and his fellow reindeers. The opposite side was Clarice, the reindeer he loved more than his own mother.

As with everyone or thing with his back against the wall, Rudolph made himself a silent compromise and. . .

That night, Christmas Eve 1938, Santa, sleigh, and elves set a speed record. They also set a record for missing the most houses in one night! It cost Santa a small fortune in postage and stationery to send announcements to all the good kids of the world explaining what had happened.

Of course, Santa being a jolly old elf had promised all of the good girls and boys twice as many presents the following year. After the elves heard about Labor and Industries,and their fight for equal rights for employees, they threatened to strike. They grounded their dispute on having to work extra hours to make up for a reindeers mistake.

That was several decades ago and Santa, the elves, and even Rudolph have reconciled their differences. So now I bet you are now wondering about the relationship between Rudolph and Clarice.

Well let's just say, Rudolph performed his feats of speed for nothing. As it turns out, Rudolph wasn't the only buck that had won the affection of Clarice. Luckily for Rudolph, he never had to share half his home, his hay, water, or fame with the hussy.

So Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night...