Fujii Nao
His Fault
Santa Claus was free in August. He wanted a present for himself, so he asked his helpers to make something. He had wanted some furniture for a long time, especially chairs. He didn’t have any chair to sit on. He drew a picture of an ideal chair. His helpers were very small but they could do everything. When he told them about this job, they accepted it willingly. They talked about the picture of Santa’s ideal chair and soon they began to work. One cut through the wood with a little saw, another painted and the others put the chairs together. Several days later they brought a big sack whose contents Santa thought were a nice present for him. He was aching to open it right away. But after he opened it, he was very surprised. There were many chairs in the sack and they were too small for Santa to sit on. He had forgotten to tell them the chair was not for children but for himself. He was disappointed but they went home in triumph. After they left, Santa reflected about it, but he was helpless to do anything. Now he sits on a sack full of tiny chairs. It’s less comfortable than what he’s used to, but he can’t be angry with anyone because it is his own fault.
Ichikawa Shiho
To Diet!
Once upon a time, Josse lived with some small men in a rural area. The small men thought Josse was too fat because Josse broke his chair with his weight. What’s more, he was too fat to wear other clothes, so he had only a big pair of red pajamas.
One day his friends asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He drew a picture of a chair because he wanted another chair. As soon as they received that sketch, they went home and discussed it. Actually, they wanted him to slim down, so they decided to construct a diet chair for him.
Finally, Christmas Day arrived. They invited him to their house. “Look, these are our new chairs,” they said. “Nice,” he said. “Josse, this is the present for you,” they said and gave him a bag. “Thank you! May I open this?” he asked. “No,” they said. “There is a chair in that bag, but it is too small for you to sit on. So you should lose enough weight to sit on it.” From then on, he lessened his food intake and began to exercise in order to get slim and sit on the chair.
Ishibashi Yuko
Santa Sits on Small Chairs
One day, Santa and his four companions were speaking in the living room. Santa said, “Please make a chair following this blueprint,” and his companions said, “It will be easy for us to make it.” Then they went to their workshop while talking about how to make it. As soon as they reached the room, they began to make the chair. They sang Christmas songs while they worked. A few hours later, they finished and went to Santa’s office to show him the chairs. They said, “Please take a look.” Santa said, “Wow! Thank you.” They thought he was satisfied with the chairs they had made, but actually he was very surprised because he had wanted them to make one chair for him. The chairs they had made were too small. After they returned to their room, he regretted not having said, “Please make a chair like this for me,” but he couldn’t tell them the truth, so he ate supper sitting on the small chairs. It was a very funny and strange sight.
Kawamura Sanae
Hungry Santa Claus
Christmas will come soon. Santa Claus’ house is full of letters from children which say, “Please give me a present.” He wants to visit children’s houses because they prepare dinner for him.
He decides on the present for this year. It’s a wonderful chair. In fact he can’t make chairs, so he hires four elves. He shows them a plan of a chair which he designed. They divide up the tasks and begin immediately. Two days later they’ve finished all the presents. Santa is surprised by their speed and the beauty of the chairs. He gives them a lot of money and they go home.
On December 25th, Christmas comes. At midnight he leaves his house with the children’s presents. First he visits a rich house, and he finds a delicious treat and a letter which says, “Please help yourself.” He is pleased and eats it all before giving the child a present. When he’s finished, two police officers come. “We’ve caught you,” they say and they arrest him.
When he gets into their patrol car he hears a girl crying. What do you think she is saying? She is crying, “I hate Santa. He ate the treat which my mother cooked for me.”
Kodama Chikako
Santa’s Funny Life
All the world loves Christmas. We look forward to eating Christmas cake and getting a Christmas present from Santa Claus. You think that there is only one Santa Claus in the world, don’t you? In fact, however, there are many Santa Clauses. Strictly speaking, there are one Santa Claus and his many children. The children work very hard in winter, but they are bored in summer. They have no work, so their father, Santa Claus, always asks them to do many things.
The other day, he broke his chair accidentally. Then he asked four of his children to make a new chair. He explained his idea with a picture. Immediately they started to work very hard. Two days later, they called on him and handed over the present. He was very pleased and opened the bag. He thought that there was one chair in the bag, but he found that it held many small chairs. He was amazed, but he smiled and said to them, “Thank you very much. These chairs are so nice!” They were satisfied to hear that and returned to their own rooms. What they gave him was different from what he wanted, but he didn’t want to sadden his dear children, so he uses the chairs today.
Koga Ryo
The Elves’ Failure
Mr. Santa Claus always gives presents to children all over the world on Christmas. One day, four elves who live at his home by his mercy (because their house had been destroyed by a storm five years before) thought, “Mr. Santa always gives, gives and gives. That is sad.” They hit on an idea. “Let’s give something to him from us!”
The next day, they asked him, “Don’t you want to get something now?” He replied, “If you and the children are healthy and happy, I want nothing,” and he smiled. “Is that true?” they asked. “Yes. It is true,” he replied. “Is that true?” they asked again. He was lost in thought for a few seconds and then replied, “To tell the truth, I want to have a new chair.” He took out a picture from his pocket slowly and showed it to them. They looked at it and said, “O.K. We understand!”
Soon after that they went out from the room, discussing the chair. “I think it is expensive,” one said. “I think so, too,” another one agreed. “I have a good idea,” the third one said. “Let’s make it by ourselves!” he suggested with a hint of excitement. “That’s a good idea!” the others chimed in. That night they worked as hard as they could, making a chair.
The next day, when Mr. Santa woke up and opened the door, the elves were waiting for him. They said, “Thank you for everything. This is a present for you!” They gave him a big bag. He was surprised at the sudden happening, but he opened it. In it, there were very small chairs. “How amazing! They are very wonderful. The size is especially cool. They are just what I wanted. Thank you!” he said with gratitude. The elves were very pleased with his reaction. “Hurray! He was very glad for them.”
After they left the room, he closed the door and breathed a short sigh. Since then, Mr. Santa has been using the chairs, but because of their size he has found it very difficult to eat meals.
Kurokawa Tomomi
Chair?
One day, Santa Claus showed a picture of a chair to his followers. He asked them to make the chair. First they talked about how to make it. After they had discussed it, they had a good idea. They began the task. They worked very hard. One person cut materials with a saw, another person painted them, and the others pounded in nails with hammers. Thanks to the cooperation of the four elves, they finally could make what Santa wanted. Then, they gave the gift to him. They wanted him to rejoice, so they made a lot of chairs. He was surprised at them, but he was pleased, which they were happy to see. After they returned home, Santa tried to sit on the chairs which the elves had made while he was having diner. The chairs, however, were too small for him to sit on. Though he tried to sit on all the chairs, they were so low that he couldn’t eat. After all, he didn’t get the chair he wanted.
Mizoue Yuho
Our Hero, Santa
Every year, we look forward to the Christmas season. We can eat delicious meals, play games, and sing Christmas songs. Above all, we may expect presents. All children consider what they will ask Santa for. It’s said that Santa gives a present not to a naughty but to a nice kid. Here’s an interesting story about a funny accident he had.
One day, Santa Claus asked his helpers to make some chairs for Christmas presents. He showed them a blueprint of what he wanted. The helpers observed the blueprint very carefully. It seemed a little complex. They began to make the chairs. First, they cut the wood. Second, they painted it. Next, they put the pieces together and fastened them. Finally, they completed some very nice chairs. They showed them to Santa. Santa was satisfied and thanked them. But, in fact, the helpers had made chairs by using Santa’s chair. Santa lost his own chair. Santa was embarrassed, but soon he began to laugh, thinking that the children would never dream of having received Santa’s own chair.
That very warm story shows how Santa sometimes denies himself for children. But he doesn’t regard it as an unhappy thing. The most important thing for him may be children’s smiles. Santa has a warm, generous and tender heart. That’s why Santa is an eternal hero for us.
Nakamura Mayuka
Four Silly Elves
Once upon a time, there was an old man whose name was Santa. He lived in a small village with four little elves. He was always doing his job. His job was to make toys for children all over the world and distribute them on Christmas Eve after the children went to bed.
One day, while he was working four little elves suggested to Santa that they should help him work. So Santa asked them if they could make a chair so that he could sit on while working.
Three days later, the elves brought a bag of chairs to Santa. He opened it with a smile on his face. Soon, his face turned blue. Guess what! The chairs were so small that he couldn’t sit on them. The four little elves weren’t aware that they had made them too small a size for Santa. What silly elves!
Nishimura Risa
Too Small Chairs
Do you believe in Santa? Of course, almost all people used to believe in him in their childhood. Santa lives with four elves. They are much younger than him. They are always working for him.
One day he said to them, “I want a good chair made of wood.” He showed them a picture of the chair he wanted. On hearing the request, they began to make it. He was looking forward to sitting on his own chair.
Several days later, they brought him many chairs. They were colorful and strong, but all of them were too small for him to sit on. He was disappointed, but he thought of a wonderful thing. He said, “I’ll give the children of the world these chairs.” Since then he has given presents to children every year on the same day. The day was December twenty-fifth.
Osajima Momoko
An Idle Santa Claus
We believed in Santa Clauses in our childhood and almost all of us thought they worked hard, but there is an exception. I’ll introduce a story of an idle Santa Claus.
In a certain place, Santa Claus was fond of eating and always eating, having his elves make the presents for children. He ate a great deal of food and put on more and more weight. Finally, he became so fat that he broke his chair.
He asked four elves to make a new chair, showing them a picture of the chair he wanted. They worked hard, studying the picture. After a while, they finished the work. They put it in a large bundle and took it to Santa Claus.
He was surprised to see the present. There were a lot of small chairs. They took the chair to be a present for children. He was irritated, but he made believe to thank them. After the elves returned to their home, he ate his meal, sitting on the bundle of many chairs. He suffered for his laziness.
This is the story of an idle Santa Claus, but almost all Santa Clauses work hard for children all over the world. Santa Clauses give children not only presents but also dreams.
Oda Rei
The Big Santa Claus
A fat Santa Claus lived in a northern area. Though it was very cold and remote, he spent his life happily with his friends and his many reindeer. His friends were elves. He was always busy because he had to make presents for children around the world. So they often helped him out.
One day just before Christmas, he broke his favorite chair. He sketched a chair just like his favorite one and called the elves. “Please make this. As I broke my old chair, I need a new one,” he said. They took the picture and planned how to make it. They worked hard, so their completed chair was very nice. After they finished, they set out for his office. They each told him how great it was and how useful it was. As looked pleased, they were satisfied and returned home.
However, he was bothered by this wonderful present. Why? It was strong and great. But it was not his size. It was too small for him. Santa Claus, who had a large heart and large body, put up with it and used the small, small chair.
Oshima Saori
Small but Plentiful Presents
It was 4th May, a week before Mother’s Day, on which we thank our mothers. There was a father who wanted to give his wife a chair as a present for that occasion. He lived in a very cold country so carnations didn’t bloom in late spring. He thought it would be better to work together with his children, so he made a blueprint of the chair. He told his children to make a chair for their mother. He showed them the design. The children said, “Yes, we can do that!” willingly. They started to build by themselves. They worked really hard and finished the task in two days.
The children hurried to their father to show him what they had produced. “Daddy, look at mine!” “Mine’s perfect, isn’t it?” The Father was really surprised because each child had made his own chair, so there were four chairs. What was worse, the chairs were too small for adults to sit on. The children had made chairs of their own size. Though surprised, the father smiled and said, “Boys, good job! Your mother will certainly be happy.” The father could understand the children’s feelings. They weren’t wrong. He decided to stack the small chairs for his own seat at the dinner table. “I have five days to make another present,” he assured himself.
Watanabe Akari
The Little Present
In northern Russia, Santa was living secretly with his friends, the elves. Their house was in the heart of a mountain. They made a lot of presents and gave them to the children on Christmas Eve.
It was happy for him to see their smiles, but he felt lonely. He hadn’t got any present for a long time. He wanted a present, too. He asked the elves to make a chair as a Christmas present and handed them a design. Humming and chattering, they worked very hard. Three days later, the present was completed. They handed a bag to Santa saying, “Merry Christmas!”
He opened the bag and felt a little disappointed. There were many chairs, which were just like the design he had handed them, but they were too small for him. He glanced at the elves. They seemed to be proud of themselves. He smiled and said, “Thank you very much. This is the best present that I’ve ever got.”
He jammed the little chairs into a bag and used it as a chair. The new chair was far from comfortable, but he has been using it. He was happy the feel the elves’ warm hearts. Next Christmas, he’ll give them a present in return.
Yamase Ryousuke
The Tiny Chairs
Sam, who was old and fat, lived with four tiny servants in Ireland. One day he showed his servants a picture of a chair and asked them to make some. His servants undertook this task and began to work. Since he heard the sound of them working hard from their workshop, he expected some marvelous chairs to be made. The next day, they brought the finished products to him. He was amazed to see quite a few chairs. However, those chairs were too tiny for him to sit on. In fact, those chairs were made for tiny humans. At any rate, he thanked them for they furniture and saw them out. In the end, he was not satisfied with those chairs and regretted having asked tiny servants to do the job. He should have asked them to make a large chair. He had no other option than to sit on all the chairs at once.
Yasunaga Daisuke
A Present for Santa Claus
Santa was too fat because he worked only one day a year. He got so heavy that eventually his favorite chair got broken. He cried with sadness but before long a good idea occurred to him. “I always give presents to children, so I may well give myself a present.” Fortunately he knew whom he could ask. He asked elves to make toys every year, so he decided to ask them. “Please make a cool chair like the one in this picture.” The elves were used to making toys so they were soon absorbed in making furniture. They quickly finished a lot of chairs which were similar to the one in the picture. They were so involved in making chairs that they made too many, but they thought Santa would be pleased.
The following day they visited Santa Claus’ house and handed over their work. He said, “Thank you. They are exactly like the one in my picture.” They replied, “Of course. We are professionals.” He saw them off with happiness. But, you know, the elves were not professionals at making furniture, but at making toys. That is why the chairs they made were too small to hold Santa’s weight.
Yokota Yumi
The Warm Story of Santa and His Sons
It was December twenty-third. Santa was wondering what to give to children all over the world. That night he became feverish and couldn’t prepare presents. His four little sons found that he was very confused. They remembered that he had said that he was thinking of making chairs and giving them to children. So they decided to make the chairs in his place. First of all, they draughted a design for the chairs and then they shared the job of making them, one for cutting lumber, another for painting it, and the others for putting together the chairs. They worked so hard all night that they finished making them. The next morning, Santa recovered from his sickness. He found the many cute little chairs. He praised his four little sons for making them. It is the night of December twenty-fourth. Santa is leaving with many chairs to deliver all over the world.
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