Pip's Story

A Christmas story

In this episode, we head back to the North Pole and meet Pip, a curious elf who hides away in Santa's sleigh, so he can join Santa's Christmas Eve journey. 

Age range: 4-10

Transcript

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22 December 2021

Sits & Giggles
Pip's Story, Season 1 Episode 10

Kiki: Hi and welcome to Sits & Giggles. It’s the week of Christmas, and I hope you’re all just as excited as I am. I absolutely love Christmas. Especially decorating the house.

If you also like to decorate the house for Christmas, then try out my favourite window decoration. I cut out shapes like stars, hearts and Christmas trees, and I put them on the window using water and a bit of soap. I then dry them with a dry cloth, so they stay on the window without any water around them. Then I mix plain white toothpaste with water, and I spray the toothpaste water onto the window using a toothbrush, so it kind of splatters. Then, when the toothpaste has dried, you can peel the paper shapes off the window and the shapes will show up inside the toothpaste. Cool right?! Just remember to always ask your mom and dad if it’s ok to do the decorating, and get them to help you with everything – they are usually especially good at cutting out cool Christmas shapes.

If you do these window decorations, then please take pictures and tag me on Instagram on @sits_giggles.

And because it’s Christmas, we have a fun Christmas story for you in this episode. Remember how we met Santa and Rudolph in Santa and Rudolph have an adventure? (https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/sits-giggles/id1597341760?l=en&i=1000544730252)

Well, in this episode we’re heading back to Santa’s home in the North Pole, and we’re meeting Pip. Pip is a very curious little elf, and he wants to find out all about Santa’s trip on Christmas Eve, and so he hides away in Santa’s sleigh so he can go too. So let’s sit back, relax, and find out what happens in Pip’s story.

Musical introduction.

Pip was one of Santa’s youngest elves, and everyone in the North Pole knew him as naughty Pip, because he was always getting himself into trouble somehow. It wasn’t that Pip was actually naughty, he was just curious, and would often try to satisfy his curiosity in ways that got him into trouble. Like one time, he wanted to know if reindeers snored in their sleep. So one night he hid in Dasher’s bedroom, underneath a big bale of hay, to watch Dasher sleep. This sounds like an OK plan in theory right? Well, wrong, because when Pip tried to leave Dasher’s room at midnight, after finding out that Dasher did indeed snore – and very loudly – he woke the poor reindeer up by falling over some furniture in the dark, and gave Dasher such a fright that Prancer was forced to sleep by Dasher’s side for 2 weeks, because the reindeer had become so terrified of elves watching him sleep.

Now, Pip’s latest obsession was about Santa’s journey every Christmas Eve. The curious little elf simply HAD to know how, what and where this trip was all about. How long did Santa take at each house? What did these houses look like? Did he ever get to talk to humans? So many questions swirled around poor little Pip’s head – he simply had to find the answers somehow. And so, one night while lying in bed next to his brothers Silt and Mill, he decided to hide away in Santa’s sack of gifts and experience the journey for himself.

Finally, the afternoon of Christmas Eve arrived. The whole of the North Pole was in a flurry – elves running around and loading the sled with last-minute gifts, the reindeer eating carbohydrates to build up their energy for the long ride, and Santa trying to fit into his red suit, with Mary Christmas behind him, loosening the elastic around his waist.

As the darkness settled around the Christmas workshop, and everyone’s chores started to come to an end, Pip snuck up to Santa’s sleigh and heaved himself up. Right at the back, behind Santa’s comfy bench, lay the big sack containing all the presents. Loosening the chord just a little, Pip was able to pull himself up and inside the sack, where he quickly nestled in among the gifts – hidden among wrapping paper and bows. It was quite warm and cozy in there, and soon Pip found himself drifting off to sleep – dreaming of humans and their giant Christmas trees. Suddenly, a loud “HO HO HO FAREWELL MY BELOVED ELVES” woke him up with a start. The sack was vibrating as the sleigh took off into the sky – its bells ringing among the clouds. The time had come – Santa and Pip’s journey was finally beginning! Excitedly, Pip peered over the opening of the sack, looking around at the cold winter sky and the snow-covered landscape beneath him. In the distance, he could see rooftops and chimneys billowing smoke – human homes, all ready and waiting for Santa’s arrival. He wanted to scream out an excited whoop, but he knew that Santa would just turn around and take him home if his presence was discovered. So he made sure to keep hidden in the bag as he watched the reindeer land on the very first rooftop.

He heard Santa laughing with the reindeer “Ho ho how funny” and then the sack of gifts was picked up. Next thing Pip heard was WHOOSH as he slid down the chimney in Santa’s big hands. It really was quite a thrilling feeling – his stomach made about 5 somersaults – until he heard Santa’s boots thud onto the floor. The string around the sack loosened and Pip saw Santa’s fingers rifling through the gifts, feeling their way to the right one. And then a big, colourfully wrapped present was taken out of the top. Pip snuck to the top and watched Santa putting the present underneath a beautiful big tree – it was filled with lights, paper cutouts of Santa, and big red dangling balls. Pip had never seen anything so bright or beautiful in his whole life! But then he heard Santa returning to the sack and he was forced to hide again. Next thing, he heard another whooshing sound, and he was right back in the sled, and the reindeer had taken off again. Santa must have somehow jumped right back up the chimney – like magic.

He felt the reindeer land again, and the same funny feeling happened in his stomach as Santa jumped down the chimney. Then Santa’s big hand was back inside the sack, searching around, except this time, the fingers grabbed hold of Pip and pulled him up. He was lifted straight out of the sack. Pip panicked and looked around. Santa hadn’t seen him yet, but was walking towards another big Christmas tree. Santa bent down and placed Pip right underneath the prickly branches and then stood back up. But then Santa turned and looked straight at him. Pip froze. He sat as still as he could while Santa continued to stare at him. Then Santa rubbed his eyes with his hands, shook his head and looked back at Pip. “Ho ho how strange!” said Santa. “That little doll looks exactly like Pip. The elves really did make it very lifelike.” And then he turned around and started walking back towards his sack. Pip let out a heavy sigh of relief that he hadn’t been caught, but as he did so, one of the prickly branches poked right into his back and made him shout “ooooooouch!!” Santa spun around, present sack in hand. “Well well well, it really is Pip. You naughty elf. What are you doing here, pretending to be a gift? What would you have done if I’d left you here?” Pip started to cry. “I’m so sorry Santa. I really just wanted to join you on your journey. I wanted to see humans and human houses. I didn’t mean to be naughty or to trick you.” Tears streamed down Pip’s cheeks, and he snorted loudly as snot began to drip from his nose. “Please forgive me Santa!”

“Now now little elf, it’s ok. We will just find the correct present for this tree, and then you can leave with me.”

So Pip helped Santa find the right present, lay it under the tree gently (to avoid any more prickles) and then Santa took his hand and together they jumped up the chimney and back onto the roof. The reindeer looked confused to see Pip emerging from the chimney, but Santa just helped him up into the front of the sleigh, threw the sack back into the back and said “Well lovely reindeer, I hope you don’t mind pulling an extra passenger tonight. Pip has come along for the ride, to learn the family business.” The reindeer just smiled at Pip and nodded their heads. “Welcome welcome” they all chanted, and then jumped off the roof towards the next house.

And that was how the evening continued. Pip got to tag along across the world – Finland, Alaska, Hong Kong, Argentina, Kenya – all these amazing places he’d heard of but never visited. And one of the children had fallen asleep next to the Christmas tree. So even though they had to be very quiet, he could see for himself what humans really looked like. It was all very exciting, and when they finally arrived back home to the North Pole, Pip was ushered off to bed, to dream about the possibility of joining Santa again next year. A dream he really hoped would come true.

Kiki: Do you think Pip was being naughty, or would you also like to tag along on Santa’s sleigh ride? I know I would want to go with Santa – it sounds like fun!

Thanks for listening and until next time, I hope you have a very merry Christmas! Bye