343 Make the North Pole Great Again

"Sir?" asked an elf.

"Yes, Pippy?" answered Santa.

"Sir, about the NICE list. Last month someone from the NAUGHTY list was transferred over to it." Pippy held a tightly rolled-up scroll. Santa waved his fingers, indicating Pippy should let it spill out onto the floor, which it did.

"Who?" Santa asked.

"Here, sir," the elf pointed out.

"Donald...J...Trump," Santa read slowly and deliberately. "So what? What's the problem?"

"Sir, he's naughty, not nice."

"Some see that as leadership, Pippy. You can't lead nations without being stern—even mean. You've gotta make tough choices."

"Well, sir, it's his choices that put him on the NAUGHTY list. Where do I even start?"

"You don't, you little Democrat runt!" Pippy's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He began to cry.

"There, there," Santa cooed, attempting to assuage him. "Y'know, I've never been elected anything. I'm Santa...well...just because."

"Because you're St. Nick. Jolly St. Nick. You're a saint! You don't need to be elected. But what you just did isn't jolly or saintly. It was naughty!"

Santa's assuaging countenance stiffened, becoming severe, even angry. He had a very dark moment.

"What did you just say?" he seethed.

"Oh! Oh! I didn't say you were naughty. Just what you did."

"You want I should put myself on that NAUGHTY LIST, do you?"

"Of course not, Santa. Never! But him? It's a mistake. Big mistake."

"Not really."

"But," the elf said, "I think it is. I mean, there's a whole list of things that he's—"

"Pippy, Pippy," Santa cajoled him. "Do you think anyone's above forgiveness? Remember little Jimmy Dubbin? Set his sister on fire but was really sorry after. Remember?"

"Remember the uproar at the list-assignment conclave where half you little guys thought he should stay on the NAUGHTY list? And what did you say? Remember?"

"Yes, Santa..." Pippy answered, swinging a loose foot back and forth.

"You said, 'Don't judge someone by their past, but by the promise of their future.'"

"I guess so..."

"Well said! You were so persuasive that little Jimmy ended up on the NICE list again. So, waddaya say now about Mr. Trump?"

"Pardon him?"

"He doesn't need me for that. We'll just get him a nice fruitcake."

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For Sunday, December 8, Day 343 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge.

366 WORDS (without A/N)

23 DAYS TO GO! THE STORIES KEEP HOME-STRETCHIN' ON IN THIS VOCAL CHALLENGE, 366 WORDS A DAY.

There are currently three Vocal writers in this 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:

• L.C. (Cool) Schäfer

• Rachel (Yule) Deeming

• Gerard (Fool) DiLeo