The Year They Kidnapped Christmas

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Nohope was a small village at the foot of Glasshouse Mountain in the
Northern tundra of the artic circle . The population of Nohope was
seventy thousand and seventy seven .
Nohope was one of those quiet untouched out of the way places in the
world , where visitors where few and far between .
A few very small shops had set up business in groceries , clothes , and
hardware items . They where all very small concerns except for Goons
toyshop which stood in the centre of Main Street like a giant fortress
overlooking the entire town .
Goons with its steel shutters on the windows , iron bars on the doors
and barbed wire thrown over the roof .
They had cameras and alarm systems and eight hungry guard dogs who
howled and growled all night until dawn .

It was three weeks before Christmas and business at Goons toyshop was
the worst it had ever been . Basically because of the prices on their
toys . It was a crime what they where asking for at Goons but as it was
the only toyshop around , people where forced to pay their high costs .
Goons toyshop had been in town for almost a century and they had made
sure that it would always stay that way . Over the years a number of
other toyshops had opened up a new toy stores but they always seemed to
end up going broke and closing . Some shops had even been burned to the
ground . Other shops where broken into , and vandalised .
There was a long a list of unfortunate accidents that had befallen many
new shop owners . No one ever found out who or why or what was behind
each of these tragic events .

Anyway in the end most people ended up doing their shopping in Goons
and getting hooked up in a repayment scheme with double the interest
rate of anywhere else .

After closing up the shop one Friday evening the three greedy Goon
brothers had a great idea . Their plan was to kidnap Santa and hold the
town at ransom . If the town wanted Christmas , they would have to pay
for it in cold hard cash .

The next day the three Goons set off on their journey across the cold
snowy landscape that stretched out across the North Pole .
Maybe it was meant to be but as it happened they actually stumbled
right into Santa Street .

The Goons slowly made their way to Santas workshop and looked inside
the frosty windows . Dozens of little elves where working at great
speed making toys and packing them into boxes .
When it was dark and all Santas helpers had finished work , the Goons
crept inside the toy factory and found Santa sitting at the desk in his
office reading all the letters that had come from boys and girls all
around the world . In the twinkle of an eye Santa was handcuffed and
gagged , then blindfolded and carried out into the cold night air
.

The next morning when the elves came to work they where horrified , for
there on Santas desk was a note that read ,

We've got the big man with the white beard .
If you want to hear him go Ho Ho Ho again place a million pounds into a
sleigh and bring it to Goons Toyshop in the Main Street of Nohope
.
If the money isn't there by the end of the week you can forget the big
man in the red suit and Christmas . Until the money is in our hands
Santa stays with us .

All the elves and Mrs Clause where in a desperate state . They didn't
know what to do . There where only two weeks left to Christmas . Where
would they ever get a million pounds ?
Nobody had an answer . All Santa had ever did was make children happy .
It was never about money or greed . The days passed and no matter what
anybody thought up was not enough .

When another three days passed and not a word was spoken around Santa
Street , as Mrs Clause decided to call a conference at the toy factory
. She ordered a stop to all toy production , and made the only decision
she could . For the first time ever ,
this year there would be no Christmas for children .

With less than a week left to Christmas Mrs Clause sat down with all
the elves and started to write an answer to all the letters that had
come in from all around the world . It was a very sad day when each
letter had to be refused .

The return letters where placed in bags and placed one after the other
into Santas sleigh . It was now very late . Night had fallen
like a dark and wet blanket over the heads of everyone there .

Suddenly and unexpectedly something very special happened . The magic
of Christmas illuminated the darkness of the night .
The door of the Toy factory opened , and the happiest Ho Ho Ho you ever
heard echoed through the place . Santa was being carried in by the
three Goon brothers .

"Santa what is going on ?"
shouted a very relieved Mrs Clause .

"Well , I have been just telling my three young friends all about their
childhood . I remember how these three boys used to be as kids and it
seemed that they had forgotten what Christmas is all about ."

" Thank you Santa for showing us what Christmas really is "
said the Goons .

Santa winked to Mrs Clause .
Mrs Clause smiled .

The elves began to jump and shout .

" Its too late now Santa , We haven't enough toys for the children
.Theres not enough time left to make it up . "

Santa sat down and stroked his beard .
The elves sat down around him . Mrs Clause looked at the Goons .
The Goons looked at eachother and said ,

"Wait . We have the biggest toyshop in Nohope . There is more than
enough toys to go around Santa . Please let us do something nice for
Christmas . Take our toys for the children "

That Christmas came and went and what a Christmas it was . Somehow in
just one night the town of Nohope had a new name .
In the town of Hope more people came to visit and stay .

Hope became an important City and before long boasted over a million
people . Everyone who lived in Hope knew the Goons as kind and generous
.

Each year The Goon Toyshop gave out free toys for children and became
the biggest and most popular chain toystore in the world .

THE END

By Paul Mc Cann