Elias and the Magical Mirrors

By Carl Reader

Elias, The Twelfth Elf of Kindness, is excited when summoned by Santa Claus one day in late winter near Christmas. He knows he about to be sent out on his Christmas missions of kindness, but Santa has a surprise waiting for him. Santa informs him of the terrible shape the world is in, and asks him to leave immediately to help fix it. To the cheers of his fellow elves, he does so, but while flying over the world with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer he's nearly blown out of sky by a couple of explosions. He finds a little girl, Greta Lunberg, clinging to his sleigh high in the sky and in desperate need of help. She's become the victim of the Badmun Brothers, a band of miscreants who blew up her house and enslaved her family. Elias and Rudolph agree to help, and despite being shot at and threatened, manage to free Greta's family and transport them to the North Pole, where Santa Claus agrees at once to help them. He has his elves build a new home for the Lunberg family and employs Rolf Lunberg as a mirror-maker. The Badmun Brothers are not happy about losing their slaves and soon attack the North Pole to re-capture them. Elias and Greta manage to escape enslavement, but then are determined to follow the Badmun Brothers to their plantation and free the rest of the family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carl Reader
• Release date: Aug 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005672584

Carl Reader

Carl Reader trained as a journalist at Temple University and has worked as a reporter, photographer and editor in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Montana. He's published short stories in literary magazines and on the Internet and has self-published a children's Christmas story called THE TWELFTH ELF OF KINDNESS.That book was partially published in Russia under the Sister Cities program. He's also self-published a novella called THE PERSECUTION OF WILLIAM PENN, which has been well-received in several college libraries. He works as a professional photographer and freelance writer.

Book preview

Elias and the Magical Mirrors

By

Carl Reader

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2021 Carl Reader

Smashwords License Notes

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

1

When the sun set at the North Pole that day Santa Claus sent a note to Elias. It asked Elias to come see him.

Whoopee! Elias screamed out. Santa, here I come!

Every time he went to see Santa he felt as though he was sliding fast down a snowy white mountain on skis and flying off a ski jump high into the sky. He was so happy at the summons he flailed his arms around and almost could not control his giggling. He tingled inside, sliding down that mountain and launching himself in the air while laughing. He knew he would once again be sent out on his Christmas mission of kindness.

It was one of the best days of the year for the happy old elf, and his grin grew so large the ends of his mouth nearly touched his ears.

Quickly he blinked and nodded and was inside Santa’s home.

Santa!

Elias’ grin still touched his ears.

Just in time, Santa said. I hope you’re feeling well today. You look very well. Why are you jumping around?

I’m happy, Santa, and I’m ready, he said. How are you? Happy? Ready for Christmas? Today is my day for kindness, correct?

Yes, today is that day. The first day of kindness.

Santa knew exactly when to send his best and kindest helper out into the world. The setting sun told him. On the day each year Elias was to depart the North Pole, the huge blazing sun said good-bye to the northern world with a mighty wave of its burning hand. The dying light rolled over the shining white frozen surface of the North Pole, lighting it up with a festival of joy. It was as though the sun was waving good-bye as it signaled the beginnings of a long winter. It set the white frost ablaze with thrilling waves of oranges and reds. Then earth’s star would flicker its last as it descended below the horizon for its winter rest, waving good-bye with its last flames, as though reminding everyone to be kind in the wintertime shadows. The North Pole world would darken for the year and grow sleepy, but the kindness would return to the world. Elias’ dreams of doing his favorite job rushed out into the world as the sun left it.

Ah, Elias, always ready to be kind, Santa said. He sat by his fire rubbing his toes. He got up and hugged Elias warmly, and sat down again and bent down and returned to rubbing each of his toes individually, as though counting each one. Ah, that feels good.

I know what day it is, Elias said eagerly. It’s the first day of kindness.

Santa pinched his little toe, sighed with relief and grinned up at his best little old elf.

Oh, my feet feel wonderful today. Yes, he said, suddenly letting go of his toes. Then he grew sad, blinking seriously. I know you will bring kindness to the world again. That is wonderful and is never a problem. But there is far more to do this year than any other year.

Yes, Santa?

I’m afraid many more people have been naughty than nice. Naughtiness has shown up like dark stormy weather in many minds, all at once. It is like an illness.

Elias gasped and held his breath.

There are greater problems this year with it than most. Some minds have become very, very dark.

Elias exhaled.

Many people believe cruelty is good. It’s a terrible thing to think, Elias. It’s madness.

All the joy drained from Elias at this news. He gasped. A tear came to his eye, and he quivered and blinked fast in disbelief.

He shrank with despair, losing a full inch of height.

Who hates kindness? What sort of person would hate kindness? I feel sorry for such people.

Santa gave out a great sigh and shook his head of white.

Some think that cruelty makes them strong and happy. It only makes them evil and foolish. These people have anger in them, Elias. They have angry storms in their minds and souls.

What makes them so angry, Santa?

Bad men lie to them to make them angry. They tell them others are evil and to hate them. Then the people believe their shouting because it is so loud and hurts inside their heads. First, they hate the people they’re told to hate. Then they become bad because they hate and do others harm.

Elias was still, confused to silence. He had never heard of anything like this. Why would anyone forget kindness?

They forget. They forget kindness because of the storms in their minds, their hate and anger. Kindness only whispers. They can not hear it whispering. Hate drowns it out with shouting.

Elias stood up straight, determined and sure of himself.

Then I must leave tonight to help these people.

Santa rose and placed his large soft hand on Elias’ shoulder.

No, Elias, you must not leave tonight. That is not correct. You must leave right now. We have not a second to waste before kindness disappears from the world, and then the world itself will disappear from the lack of love. People can not love if there is no kindness, and if there is no love or kindness there can not be a world.

Elias was already growing smaller in distress as Santa related to him the growing cruelty in the world. He was made of pure kindness, and as kindness departs the earth, he grows less and less in stature. He was an accurate measurement of the growth of cruelty in the world, for as cruelties grow, he diminishes.

I’m ready, then. I have to be. If all kindness fades from people because of the storms in their minds, nothing will be. I understand that.

As though in great sadness, Santa sat back in his