The Wild Christmas Reindeer By: Jan Brett

The wild Christmas rainbow. Written and illustrated by jam breadth. Tica was excited and a little afraid. This year, Santa had asked her to get the reindeer ready to fly on Christmas Eve. Tica had never done this before. And she wanted everything to be perfect. Tica lived up in the Arctic, in the shadow of Santa's winter fall. The last of the snow geese had blown south. And everyone's mind was all crystal. The workshop was alive with the sounds of sauce so hammers hemorrhage and brushes, and painting, as they all worked to have the toys and presents ready for delivery on Christmas Eve.

Tica knew it was time for her to search for the reindeer. They had been out on the tundra wild and free since last Christmas. And Tica was sure they wouldn't want to go back to the winter farm to train. She would have to be strong, and firm. At last, she found them. Bramble and Heather, windswept and lichen, snowball, crag, Twilight, and tundra. Tica took a deep breath and shouted out. Let's go. Move, move, move. The reindeer were bewildered by Tica's voice. Their heads went up to see who this loud creature won. But they let her hear them together and headed back toward Winterfell.

Tundra gave her the most trouble. Tica didn't know that he considered himself the leader. And was not used to being bossed around. He liked to stay next to Twilight. But she was separated from him and running near the front. When they got to the barn, Tica put them in different stalls. Tundra snorted, impatiently. By the next morning, when tica went into the barn, all the reindeer were restless and upset. Likens frightened of Craig, who kept nipping at him. Graham was so worried she drove Heather Wilde. And Twilight kept calling out to tundra, who was just plain angry, stamping his who.

Tica roomed each reindeer. She wanted them to look sleek and glossy for Santa. One by one, she brushed and combed their coats and pushed and pulled at their tangled manes, she brushed so long and hard, but their ears started to turn pink. Tica took the reindeer outside. Now she was ready for the real training to begin. Snowflakes danced in the air. As she tried to stand them in two lines and put on their harnesses. But they wouldn't stay lined up. She had put tundra at the back with Heather and instead of at the front with Twilight. So he kicked out of Heather, who then bolted into the bramble.

Take a skull of the reindeer. Don't move, she cried. They all ran off while along. And she had to go after them and bring them back. The next day, tikka harnessed the reindeer in the barn before taking them out into the snow. Everything went right until she got them lined up outside and tried to steer them, burst to the left, and then to the right. To make the slave fly. They would need to pull together smoothly. But everything went wrong. Tundra crashed into heaven, snowball blew up at the rim, windswept, knocked over Twilight, and then like antlers with crayon.

Stop, take a cry as she watched the reindeer pull the air. Unhook she shouted as they tried to free their long antlers. And like a crag fell over into the snow, the harder they pulled the more their antlers walked. The reindeer were frantic and tikka only made it worse by yelling at them. Tundra and Heather rushed to help, but the antlers did not break free. Windswept nudged it like him, and rambled ran to help crash. But the more they tried to help the more they got tangled up themselves.

Their next strange and their muscles bulge, but their antlers did not budge. Tica wailed oh please, it's almost Christmas Eve. But the reindeer could not move. A frosted silence hung in the air. Take a look at the tangled reindeer. Once so bold and free. And began to cry. It's my fault, she said. I've spent all my time yelling at you, instead of helping. I'm sorry. One by one, she gave each reindeer a hug. Tomorrow, she said, we'll go to work in a new way. No yelling, no screaming, and no bossing, I promise.

Let me try to help you get free. Reindeer. Listen to this new voice. Heather's eyes sparkle. Craig, crack the reindeer grin, bramble giggle, and snowballs some. Tundra laughed and Twilight smiled. The more they laugh, the more they shook. And as they shook, their ant right and wrong. And before tika could do anything, she heard a spring sprung sound, it was the antlers jiggling free. Quietly, tica led the reindeer back to the barn. She sleeks their coats. She gently brushed their ears and combed out their mane. Tundra nuzzled her cheek. The next day, the reindeer lined up in two lines.

Ready for the harness. With Twilight and tundra leaving the line. They practiced turning left, and they practiced turning white. Tica directed them softly. Tundra pulled for Twilight. Bramble was gentle to liken. Windswept helped Heather and snowball nestled against Cray. Together, they practiced long and hard. They didn't notice that it was getting dark. And they almost didn't hear a jingle in the distance. It was sent, standing by the slave. Piled high with presents and ready to go. Now the reindeer were ready too. And Tica led them to the slur. Santa smiled at Mardi with his thanks. Then he climbed the board and waved to take him. Who watched as the wild reindeer rose up together and carried the slave off into the night.