Wexler’s Tractor-Built Surprise — Every winter evening, Wexler tightened bolts in the lantern shed and tested his little gift trailer behind the farm tractor. Read the full story →
Every winter evening, Wexler tightened bolts in the lantern shed and tested his little gift trailer behind the farm tractor. He wanted Santa to use it on the north fields, where sleigh runners scraped on icy ruts and the wind smelled like cold hay. He had built the trailer himself from old apple crates, wagon wheels, and a string of jingle bells that went chink-chink-chink.
Until one day, the snow came sideways and buried the sleigh path. Santa climbed onto the tractor, Wexler hopped beside the trailer, and off they roared past the fence. Because of the drifts, the heavy presents slid and thumped. Because of that, the trailer hitch bent with a sharp ping! Wexler’s cheeks burned. His best-made thing was failing right in front of Santa.
Then the tractor seat bounced open. Under it, where nobody ever looked, lay Wexler’s spare latch, wrapped in oilcloth with a note from himself: FOR THE PART I FORGET. “I made that!” he shouted over the engine. His mittened hands snapped the latch into place, and the trailer rolled true all the way to the hill farms. Next time you spot Santa by the tractor, see if you can find the road where the bells still go chink-chink-chink.
