Chapter 11: Meeting Saint Nick

At a train station

"Maggie, Mrs. Calloway!" Grace called out to her friends who were walking straight toward a train station that would be taking them to the North Pole. A sign overhead said Yuletide Express, twelve o'clock. "You've got to try these; they're the best treats ever."

"There you are Grace," Mrs. Calloway spoke sternly without raising her voice. "Where have you been?" Then she noticed that Grace was hiding something at the tip of her tail. "And what's that you're holding in your tail?"

"A cookie girl offered me free samples of frozen treats," Grace showed them the two treats after uncurling her tail. "I saved two for each of you."

"So you went off on your own in search of more sweets?" Mrs. Calloway furrowed her brow, and then looked back down on the two bonbons. "I don't approve of candy; although I must say that those treats do look satisfying."

"If Grace says they're the best, why not try one?" Maggie insisted taking one from Grace and popping into her mouth. She chewed and chewed until there was nothing more. She was rather impressed with the sweetness. "You're right, these are rather good. Go on Mrs. C, we're about to leave Candy Land."

"Alright, but I still say they're unhealthy for us," Mrs. Calloway took the last bonbon and was about to eat it when she paused a moment before it entered all the way through her mouth. For some other reason, this was the strangest bonbon she had ever laid eyes on. The other two watched her place it under her hat. "I'll eat it when we get on the train."

Maggie and Grace looked at each other all puzzled and just shrugged their shoulders. It was just a simple blue bonbon, or so they thought.

"ALL ABOARD!" A whistle sounded.

Without asking, they just hopped on the train a few minutes after it arrived at the station. They leaned out the window to have one last look at Sweet Shop Lane; the last town in all of Candy Land. With the train gathering enough speed, the girls watched the citizens' wave and disappear as it rounded the corner with houses, trees, and snow mounds flashing past the window. Grace could feel a great leap of excitement run through her. She had no idea what else lies beyond the North Pole, but hopefully it would become much more enchanting than Candy Land.

"Eh," Grace grunted, clutching her stomach a moment before sitting on one of the cushioned seats in the compartment.

"What's wrong with you Grace, another stomachache?" Maggie asked, with a puzzled expression.

"No, just a small cramp that's all," said Grace said weakly. She glanced out the window and tried to pretend that it didn't happen. Deep down, she guessed that it might have been that frozen treat she nibbled on. But if that is what caused her tiny cramp, then it might have taken an entire mouthful to create a painful stomachache. It would go away recently.

"Alright I'll have a taste of that treat you gave me," said Mrs. Calloway, taking the bonbon out from under her hat. Despite its rather strange appearance, she shoved it inside and took a liking to its sweet flavor. "Hmm, sweet yet full of sugary fats."

Train ride

While the cows had been in the compartment looking out the window, the train had carried them out of Candy Land and through the Arctic regions. Now they were speeding past snowy mountains and ice bergs inhabited by polar bears, harp seals, Arctic foxes, snow hares, snow owls, and white wolves. The seals, foxes, hare, and owls seemed friendly enough for the cows to meet, yet the bears and wolves made them feel a bit edgy since they knew that carnivorous predators were too much for them to handle. That was only because they were wild and the cows were domestic.

"How cold is it outside?" Grace asked Rudolph, still staring outside.

"Well the Arctic temperatures are colder than you can ever imagine; at least down to -154 degrees Fahrenheit," Rudolph advised. The cows were shocked. None of them could possibly survive out in a region with extremely low temperatures like that. "But if you're a warm blooded animal, then the snow won't do that much harm to you."

"Are there any eskimos out there?" Maggie asked curiously. "I don't see any igloos."

"Don't be silly Maggie; eskimos live only in Alaska and we are still on our way to see Santa Clause at the North Pole," Mrs. Calloway corrected. "So I suggest that from now on, we stay together without any delays." Everyone was now quiet throughout the trip, watching the snowy mountains, forests, and other train stations flick past. Their destination to the North Pole was nonstop.

When it was now half past one, Grace had been growing tired of watching the snowy regions outside and insisted to the others that a song was what they needed to lighten up their spirits. She rose up from the seat and blurted. "Why don't I sing a song while we're still riding on this train?"

"Oh no, no we don't need anymore…" Maggie objected as she shook her head, but Grace sang anyway.

"DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY, FA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA, LA. TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY…!" as Grace went on singing, Maggie and Mrs. Calloway turned to the right side pulling down on their ears in irritation. Not wanting to hear anymore, Maggie started scratching underneath her chin to try and think of a way to put a stop to it without making Grace feel bad.

Then her ears perked up as an idea came crawling into her head: Maybe she could convince Grace into thinking that the Ice Empress may have stumbled upon the Yuletide Express and that her singing might attract her attention over to them. Should she say it to Grace? It may sound dishonest of her to say such a thing, but she had never been one to mince words.

"You know Grace…" She began, "…if you keep this up, then…" unexpectedly her voice was cut off from the cracking of an intercom before she had a chance to say anything.

"ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS, THIS IS THE CONDUCTOR SPEAKING. WHOEVER IT IS THAT IS HOLLERING IN ONE OF THE COMPARTMENTS, PLEASE SIT DOWN AND BE SILENT! THAT IS ALL." The intercom turned off.

Grace ceased singing and recognized who the conductor might have been talking about. She sat back down the seat with a sullen look on her face and crossed her legs. After that, she sang no more.

"Boy there must have been some complaints from every passenger on this train ride," Maggie thought heaving a sigh of relief. "I don't blame them for that; and now I won't have to fib."

Thirty minutes later

Although the afternoon was still passing slowly, the sky seemed to be growing dark as the cows peeked outside the window. But they didn't mind seeing that, especially Grace who was still sullen from being denied the right to sing.

"MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!" a voice spoke from the intercom. "WE WILL BE REACHING THE NORTH POLE IN FIVE MINUTES. PLEASE REMAIN SEATED UNTIL THE TRAIN HAS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP."

Grace peered out of the window in excitement. She had forgotten about being sullen and could see a sign about a mile away from where they're heading. The closer the train zoomed, the bigger the sign became clear to read: Welcome to the North Pole in painted gold letters, decorated with holly and two fake presents below.

The young heifer's stomach lurched with nerves from remembering what Maggie said about Santa keeping a list of all those who have been naughty or nice. So far, they have been good. Surely not perfect, but still good. And Grace already remembered what she and Maggie have done in Candy Land. Maggie got drunk off of Lemonade and Grace wandered off on her own into the candy garden before being chased away by Chuck, the angry moose. And Mrs. Calloway was only being strict in trying to protect them from going overboard with the sweets. Like most families, rules and orders were sometimes made to keep members in a straight line.

Grace peered out the window again to see an entire neighborhood of houses with snow covering the roofs. The sides were decorated with colored lights.

"Maggie, Mrs. Calloway, look outside!" Grace hollered, jumping for joy. The two moved closer to see what got her worked up. "It's the North Pole!"

"Indeed it is," Mrs. Calloway sounded quite impressed with what her eyes had set upon. "I wonder how many toys they keep in the workshop."

"Well you seem quite interested in this place than you did before," Maggie said with a friendly smirk on her face.

"I was just feeling reluctant to continue because of that ice woman following our trail," the proper cow contradicted. "You know, with her insisting that we be her servants."

"That's nothing to worry about now," assured Maggie, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "We still have Rudolph here to protect us at all costs."

"I just hope you're right," Mrs. Calloway whispered with her gaze out the window.

The train had finally slowed down to a stop. The cows could hear passengers pushing their way to the door to get off. With that many, it might be wise for them to wait until everyone was out. After a while, the rumbling of footsteps decreased.

"Its ok ladies, they're gone now," Rudolph smiled and opened the compartment door. "Watch your step while you get off."

As the cows followed Rudolph off the train, they saw more of the houses with lights and a couple of elves passing by carrying gifts or decorations from one house to another.

"Welcome to the North Pole!" one female elf with blond hair wearing a green dress said in unison. The cows kept blinking and rubbing their eyes to make sure they were still awake and not dreaming. So far, the houses were there still. The elves were definitely welcoming, despite their short size. The cows looked at each other in surprise.

"They must not get many outside visitors in this place," said Maggie, straitening her green scarf.

"Come on, follow me ladies!" called Rudolph, standing a few feet away from where they were.

The red-nosed reindeer lead the girls through the passing elves. Whenever one of them accidentally bumped in, the words were "excuse me" or "beg your pardon." Mrs. Calloway had to admit that she was rather impressed with their kind manners and from not hearing a single crude remark which she was never truly fond of. Then again, who else would be?

The group stopped before a lowly steep hill which leads down to an old log cabin with welcoming lights inside and a lazy plume of smoke rising out of the chimney at the bottom. From this point, the girls figured that the cabin must have been the house of Santa Clause. Small, yet somehow dazzling.

"Right this WAAAAYYY!!" The girls watched as Rudolph slid all the way down the slope. He slid until he landed close to the cabin door.

"WAIT FOR MMMEEEE!!" Grace whizzed down trying to mimic his move. Soon she was standing with Rudolph. Soon Mrs. Calloway came flying by to insist that they now move along. "But why don't we wait for…"

"LOOK OUT BELOW!" Grace never finished when Maggie shouted a warning to the group a little too late before crashing into them all the way zooming past the cabin door and the hallways inside. They didn't stop sliding until they landed in front of an large oak door.

"Oof!" Grace grunted after feeling either Maggie or Mrs. Calloway lean against her from the hard landing.

"Get your foot off my face!" Mrs. Calloway demanded, pushing Maggie off her back when she had tried to get back up.

"I'm not on your face!" replied Maggie annoyed.

"Let me up, I can't move!" cried Grace.

"Alright let's try to focus here," said Rudolph, still stuck under one of the girls. It was enough to prevent the cows from almost breaking into an endless struggle. "Starting one at a time, each one of us shall rise without hesitation. One, two, three…"

Finally pulling themselves apart, the group dusted the snow off their hides and turned their attention to the oak door in front of them. Rudolph knocked and the door flew wide open to reveal a sort of big, spacious family room with a warm, fanciful fireplace. The fire burned with a warm glow filling the room. The cows thought that they saw someone resting against a comfortable leather chair reading a few papers.

"Ho, ho, ho, I see you've made it to my cabin just in the nick of time," the person laughed in a loud jolly voice, but didn't turn around. "I can hardly remember the last time I ever saw a mortal enter my workshop. Normally I prefer to go about my business without being disturbed."

The cows moved closer slowly to have a better look of whoever was sitting in the chair and stepped back in shock when they noticed a familiar face of a recent arch nemesis.

"It's Alameda Slim, get him!"