Horace's Race Against Time
A story for children aged 3 - 7
by
Freda Lowe

Horace the engine puffed and wheezed his way along the railway track. Cruising downhill was easy, but going uphill was getting harder and poor Horace wasn’t getting any younger. So he puffed and wheezed his way into the railway station and sighed with relief that at last he could stop for a few minutes and get his breath back.

Eddie the elf came out of the ticket office and greeted Horace with a smile, but Horace just puffed and wheezed and looked sad. “What ever is the matter?” asked Eddie.“Are you ill? Shall I bring you a jug of oil or something?”

“It’s Christmas Eve,” replied Horace, “and I still have all these presents and parcels to deliver to Santa Clause in Lapland by 11 o’clock tonight, so that he can deliver them to the girls and boys before morning. I’ll never be able to do it, I don’t seem to have any puff left.”

“0h dear,” said Eddie, “but we can’t disappoint all those children can we? Stay where you are Horace, while I make a ‘phone call.” Then off he went into the ticket office as fast as his little legs could go. Eddie was gone for some time, but then he came back smiling.
“Don’t you worry anymore Horace, help is on the way and the children will get their Christmas presents on time after all.”

A few minutes later there was a big flurry along the railway track and dust flew about everywhere. Six reindeer suddenly appeared at a gallop, tossing their heads and jingling their bells as they stopped beside Horace.

“Here we are,” said Prancer, and Dancer shook his head and jingled his bells in agreement. “We come with special permission from Santa Clause to help you Horace, so if you will ask Eddie to tie our reins to your chimney, we will pull you all the way to Lapland, so that the children can enjoy a happy Christmas.”

And so the little band of helpers went to the front of Horace the engine, and with one last jingle of bells, set off along the track all the way to Lapland. The journey was long and hard, but at last they saw the welcoming lights of Santa’s grotto in the distance, and an anxious Santa waiting for them by the door.

“I’m so glad to see you,” said Santa. “We have a long night ahead of us, but we will do our best to get round to every house so that no child will be disappointed.”

And so the disaster was avoided, and Horace huffed and puffed his way back along the railway track thankful that another Christmas Eve was over, and he could puff his way into his shed for a rest and some sleep.

The End

Freda Lowe © 2006

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Category: Children's Stories