The Sack That Stayed — Beside the sleigh rail, Orbin tucked one loose chimney tag under his drawstring and bounced onto the roof to return it before Santa noticed. Read the full story →
Beside the sleigh rail, Orbin tucked one loose chimney tag under his drawstring and bounced onto the roof to return it before Santa noticed. The night smelled of smoke and peppermint wind, and the shingles went click-clack under his soft bottom. Halfway across, a tiny soot-sprite popped from a chimney cap, coughing silver sparks. “Wrong roof,” it whispered, pointing to Orbin’s tag. “That house is waiting.”
Orbin squeezed through cold drifts, losing two striped candies and his best ribbon bow to the icy tiles. At the last chimney, he found Santa wedged tight, boots wiggling, because the missing tag had made the flue fold itself shut like a secret door. Orbin tied the tag to the brick, and the chimney sighed open with a warm whoof. Nobody below heard him do it. When the rooftops glittered again, Orbin sat beside the smoke, lighter by one bow but full of something better; next time you spot his worried face, see if you can find the little tag that started the click-clack journey.
