Dolce's Story Chair - The Tiny Red Sack (Part 4)

Dolce's Story Chair

Dad: I see that Dolce and Baci have made sure all the refreshments are restocked. I won't bother asking if Dolce is here. I see she is already curled up with Scout next to the fireplace. So lets continue with the story. I left you with Jingles planning to do something nice for all the cats and kittens on the Naughty List...


In the months leading up to Christmas Eve, Jingles had barely a spare moment. Soon after Taylor finished his red velvet toy sack, Jingles delivered it to Loading Dock ZZ99. He placed it under the delivery chute in preparation for the start of the production run of the catnip mice. Jingles and Sammy Sleighmaster had finished the modifications early and Sammy had Jingles practice getting on and off the sleigh daily. Jingles praticed with a large burlap sack filled with teddy bears so that he would be used carrying his own toy sack when the time came.

Soon the great toy production machinery of the North Pole fired up and catnip mice began to fill up the toy sack. As each new cat name was entered onto the Naughty List, a new catnip mouse was built and then delivered to Loading Dock ZZ99. Jingles went by the loading dock everyday and checked on the toys. As the number of mice increased, so did Jingles’ anticipation. Christmas Eve was less than three months away.


A great chiming bell rang out and woke everyone at the North Pole from their slumber; it was Christmas Eve. Jingles quickly rose and had breakfast with Taylor.

“Are you ready, Jingles?” Taylor asked, seeing his friend’s nervousness.

“Yes.” Jingles replied. “I’m just going over the plan in my head. I’ll be better once I’m in the sleigh and Santa and I are on our way to the first house.”

“So is everything ready to go?” Taylor asked as he took Jingles red velvet cap from the desk and held it out to his friend.

“Sammy had my toy sack loaded with Santa’s.” Jingles stated. “He placed it inside the trap door on the back of the sleigh. I have to get there so that Santa can see me wish him well and then I have to dash to the back of the sleigh open the trapdoor and get on board.”

“Will you have enough time?” Taylor asked.

“Yes.” Jingles replied. “Sammy had me train all summer so that I can do it in under ten seconds. Oh. I am so nervous.”

“You will be fine.“ Taylor said. “Just remember all the cats that are depending on you to give them a Merry Christmas. Now you better get going.”

“I will see you after Santa’s ride is finished.” Jingles said.

Taylor smiled and gently pushed his feline friend out the door.


Jingles ran as fast as he could to the Great Square where Santa would be taking off for his yearly ride. Jingles had to slink and manourver through the hundreds of elves who had gathered to see Santa off. He saw Sammy Sleighmaster who gave him a bright cheerful wink. During Santa’s final take off checklist, Sammy was to open the trapdoor for Jingles so that he would not have to try and open it and board at the same time. Jingles took his place.


“Merry Christmas Santa.” Jingles said as he watched Santa Claus climb aboard his sleigh.

“Merry Christmas, Jingles.” Santa said with a wink, he then turned to Sammy Sleighmaster. “Are we ready for final flight check?”

“Ready for final flight check, Santa.” Sammy said, as he gave Jingles the signal.

Jingles slowly moved away from the side of the slay and once he was sure that he was out of Santa’s sight, he made a dash for the open trapdoor. It opened smoothly with a slight pull of his paw. Jingles dashed inside and pulled the trapdoor shut behind him. If any of the other elves saw him enter, no one made any commotion over it. Most were engrossed in watching the spectacle of Santa’s take off.

Snuggly inside his secret compartment, Jingles felt rather than saw the take off of Santa’s sleigh. Even over the tinkling whirr of the wreath gyroscopes, Jingles could hear Santa call out to all his reindeeer. The nervousness that Jingles thought would dissipate once he was in the air only seemed to get worse. Maybe it will get better once I visit the first house, Jingles hoped, as he pulled on his red velvet hat.


Jingles felt the sleigh suddenly slow down and land. Jingles listened for Santa stepping off the sleigh onto the snow covered roof. He pushed the trapdoor open, grabbed his toy sack, and dashed for the shimmering portal that appeared next to the sleigh. Jingle let out a little grunt as he realized that the sack was a little heavier than he expected.

Jingles crossed the threshold just behind Santa. He quickly moved out of Santa’s line of sight. He looked at his list and saw that he was to leave five catnip mice at this house. As he pulled them from the toy, the label was filled in automatically.

The labels read Merry Christmas to Grr, To Midnight, To Cocoa, To Riley and To Rascal. They were signed Jingles.

Jingles saw that Santa had already finished placing his gifts around the tree and eating the cookies left for him. Jingles had to dash to make it to the portal before it closed behind. Jingles felt a sharp tug on his tail and he realized that he had barely made it across the threshold. As he reappeared on the roof, Jingles was horrified to see Santa already calling the reindeer onto the next house. Jingles ran with his toy sack towards the rear of the sleigh. It was already a foot off the roof when Jingles leapt up and tried to catch the edge of the trap door.

Jingles did not manage to get all the way into the sleigh. He flew to the next house with his rear end hanging over the edge and his toy sack banging against the back of the sleigh. When the sleigh landed, Jingles more fell off the sleigh than climbed off. He had to dash to make the portal once again. Once again his list told him how many mice to leave, and the labels filled themselves in as they were pulled from the toy sack.

For all his practicing with Sammy with the dummy toy sack, Jingles was finding it harder and harder to keep up with Santa. Four hundred times he rode to the next house with his rear end hanging out the back of the sleigh. Another thousand times, he held on desperately to his toy sack that did not quite make it into the sleigh with him. Jingles was certain that there was no more hair left on his tail from barely making it through the portal into the house. Jingles cringed at the thought of what might happen if he got stuck halfway through as the portal closed.

As he went from house to house, Jingles felt the exhaustion began to creep over him. Soon the desire to sleep was almost as strong as the desire to deliver the next catnip mouse. The only thing that saved Jingles from collapsing entirely was that the toy sack was slowly getting lighter and lighter. Jingles looked into his toy sack and saw that there were only three catnip mice left. Jingles was so tired; there might as well have been thirty mice or three hundred. Jingles’ heart felt hollow as he worried that he might not be able to fufill his dearest wish.

As the sleigh stopped on the roof, Jingles pushed the trapdoor open. He looked down at the ground. For all he knew this was his last house, but Jingles could not find the energy to jump down onto the roof and follow Santa though the portal. Jingles put his head down on his white mitted paws. A small tear slid down his cheek.


To be continued tomorrow...