It
is a truth universally acknowledged that a most unusual reindeer may, in fact,
come in useful, from time to time. And so it came to pass, a long time ago on a quiet Yuletide eve, in the county of Northlandia, a fledgling reindeer had the
great misfortune to be born with a highly unusual nose. This nose, to the great
shock of his mother, and the even greater shock of his father—who was often
said to be proud nearly to the point of arrogance—was quite, quite red. In
addition, the aforementioned facial feature actually glowed. Indeed, no one in the neighborhood could account for such a
deformity, and young Rudolph, as he was named, felt himself from the first in great
danger of losing the comfort and consequence which would otherwise have been
due to him as the sole heir to Mr. Dasher, who had himself for many years
enjoyed a high position in the favor of Mr. Santa Claus.
An
unfortunate and ill-advised attempt to hide the glowing proboscis served only
to highlight how unsuitable poor Rudolph seemed to be to inherit his father’s
position. The young deer suffered a not inconsiderable amount of teasing, and
was sometimes rudely and with impolitic cruelty excluded from various reindeer
games, a loss which Rudolph felt quite keenly, for he was an animal of fine feelings.
It
was not until some years had passed that another Yuletide evening dawned, not
clear and bright like the night of young Rudoph’s birth, but dark and
tempest-tossed. Santa Claus found the prospect of proceeding into the darkness
unaided by any light source to be a daunting one. But one felicitous glance at
Rudolph convinced him that the instrument of his salvation was very close at
hand! Young Rudolph would guide his sleigh that night! And guide he did, his
gleaming red olfactory organ yielding sufficient illumination to carry the day.
Then, how the other reindeers loved and praised him! They even shouted out with
jubilation—and glee.
And so, Rudolph, once a dispirited wretch, found a
new purpose in life. Let other pens dwell on misery: Rudloph, with so much true
merit and true love, and no want of fortune and friends, and possessed of a
skill no other reindeer could boast, passed many a happy year with his furry
friends.
THE END
