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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1974-12-23, Page 15Crossroa t11!W ;'OurOur Lislowel. Banner, William Advance» Times aa4 Mount Forest Coale. dents Is read by UO0 people i tour .ante of Midwestern 4040104 a 3.4 readors 1* each of K,310 homes.) 4 every wee in Tir Listowel Banner, Ow w ° W i a Advance -Timis . ande Mount Forst Conf tier , by 'Wenger BOW .Lis ted. DAVID VINT: '1 don't know how old you are — yet.' Feature by Steve Yormak MICHAEL MCLENNAN 'Two seconds to come from the North Pole.' ROBERT MORLEY CHET HYMERS JEFF HIEMSTRA. 'Santa plays- for. champion,.. 'Santa's. eight .reindeer fly 'A little guitar for a little - ship hockey club.' through their feet.' sized boy.' - A kindergarten views Santa This may be the last year Santa Claus comes to town. It's possible he'll leave all this gift -giving behind and trade his familiar red cap in for a goal- keeper's mask, playing for the world champion North Pole hockey club. Of course he may have a tough time statistics -wise, what with eing in at only 60 pounds and .the ripe old age of 160. Then again, the rugged travel- ling schedule means little to Santa and his elf teammates, since everyone knows Rudolph and the otherM"reindeer fly—with wings :and feathers. After all, coming down to Listowel from the North Pole only takes two sec- onds. - If this description of Santa and his helpers doesn't ring a familiar chord, it's -probably be- cause you weren't born in the last five years. As a matter of fact, anyone who has children today would have a difficult time recog- nizing that jolly old fellow who we thought gave presents to all, the children by going up and down the chimney. No longer. It seems that Santa joined a union and through a no - cut, fringe benefit contract is no longer required to come through chimneys—back doors are now in. Kids are still leaving cookies and milk for Santa although there is the odd youngster who thinks Santa might need something a little stronger. MURRAY GILKINSON 'Santa comes here, nobody goes to the North Pole.' With the advent of ' Saturday morning' television, traditional toys like trains are a thing of the past. Today kids know exactly what they want, say, a Shaker - Maker, Smash-up Derby, or Easy -Bake Oven. Some things never change. Kids accept, as we did, that Santa knows everything—wheth- er you've . been `.`naughty or nice". They accept that r13,4 comes from the North. Pole and arrives with his reindeer, ho-ho- ho-ing through the sky. Kids are still awed by the tiuge, jolly old red figure Santa cuts as he hops from one place to an- other, pausing just long enough to ask all the children in .the world what they would like for Christ- mas. No doubbout it—at five years old, kids' ow that there is a Santa who knows them all per- sonally. Even the most precocious five-year-old displays what Santa usually refers to as "wet -knee syndrome"—otherwise known as limited bladder control while sit- ting on Santa's knee. So while the kids will push fiercely ahead to see that lovable old man, they push just as hard to make their getaway once they've told Santa what they want. SMALL TALK Santa Claus made an unan- nounced appearance last week at the Eastdale Public School kin- dergarten class in Listowel. The 23 five -year-olds became so excited at the sight of the jolly old fat man in red that they al* most couldn't speak -almost. -CHIMNEYS OUT Santa; Do you have a chimney in your house? Wayne: No. Santa: Then, how am I going.to get into your house to give you your present? Wayne: (... ith an air of c. . � fifif a11� knows that) Tl`ie oo- y p r f course. Santa: Which one, your front or your back? Wayne: My back. GUESS Santa: Did you know that only Santa's reindeer fly? Joanne: Yes. Santa: How did you know that? Joanne: I just had a guess. Santa: How much do you think Santa weighs? Joanne: Fifty. Santa: How much do you weigh? Joanne: Thr*r-four. MOST I4 GOOD Santa Have you been a good boy all year? Murray: Yes, mostly. Santa: How do you think the reindeer fly? Murray: They eat lots of food and they go in the field. Santa: How do you know so much about the reindeer? I've never seen you there at my house. Murray: I know, people don't go up there. Santa: Why's that? Murray: I don't want you to see me. You're too tricky. I don't know where you're going. in Santa: What does my house look like at the North Pole? Murray: They build it with bricks. LITTLE GIFT Santa: Do you want as big or little guitar for Christmas? Jeff: A little one for a little- hAx: FLYING FEET Santa: How do you figure the reindeer fly? Chet: Through their feet. WINGING IT Santa: How do you think my reindeer fly? Richard: Feathers. Santa: Wings like birds? Richard: Yes. Santa: How old do you think I am? Richard: Sixty -hundred. Santa: And how much do you think I weigh? Richard: Seven -hundred pounds. LIGHTNING FAST Santa: How long do you think it took me. today to get down from • the North Pole? Michael: Two seconds. SUPERMAN? Santa: How fast do' you think the reindeer fly? Kim: Faster than a car. Santa: Faster than a plane? Kim: Yes. Santa: What do you think those people on the planes think when they see me? SANTA BOUNCES THROUGH KINDERGARTEN CLASS AS 23 CHILDREN SIT WIDE-EYED AND OPEN-MOUTHED. Kim: They probably want 4 go with you. Santa: What do I say to the reindeer when -I want them to go faster? Kim: Giddy -up. IT'S A 60AL: Santa: Do you think weplay hockey in the North Pole? Robert: Yup. Santa: What position do you think Santa plays? Robert: Goal. Santa: Do you think Santa is better than Ken Dryden? Robert: I don't know about that. Santa: Do you think our North Pole team with the elves can beat the Canadian team? Robert: Yup. Santa: The Russian team? Robert: Yup. MAGIC Santa: How do you think the reindeer fly? Robert: It's magic. Santa: What does Santa say to make them fly? Robert: Hiya. NOT YET Santa: How do you think the RICHARD MALLORY: 'Santa reindeeeerr fly? , David: t don't know, Yet, , Santa: How old do you 'think; Santa is? David: About 160. Santa: And how much does Santa weigh? - David: About four. • Santa: Do' you think it took Santa all day to come from the North Pole? David: Probably. WHAT IT'S ABOUT to Listening to f ive_ year-olds;' Saute the �owad' find out .a�_..� child's pPesrtitre on Christmas. But the best way to learn is to be a Santa. This writer was Santa—at least for an afternoon. The five-year-old thinks he'll discover how the reindeer fly when he gets older: But his sixth birthday comes—maybe his seventh or eighth—and an older brother or playmate has already blurted out those hateful words, "There is no Santa Claus!" \ So the dream of the kindly old gent with the cherub cheeks and long white beard is hauled up to the attic and placed right next to the long -forgotten and weary teddy bear received on the first Christmas. 's rrein+er have ,feather.'' We tory to Put th awel Buta t'�s,;Cde coasedhristm►e aund` the ai white b ankett of snow, inti vy t world se& all its. inhabitants ;a certain settled feeling pf good dill. . to night is still ,and the skies are clear with the fr sh'smell �of an invigorating winter tt, The bed' is warm and Qir t#gao. Dmorning can't come soon. rifting 'away to ..a world of dreams ,ouhear;afamiliar �` . ms to bac ing roof. Jumping out of bed;and to the window you arrive• just in time to catch an unsure glimpse of—yes—what looks just like a sleigh and a bright flash of red over the chimney. It can't be. Back to that comfortable bed and chalk it up to a dream. But yet --it's as clear as a bell and clearly 100 bells—.jingling in the brisk night Listening carefully even through adult ears,- it's =mis— takable— MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND PEACE UN EARTH!. HO! HO! HO! KIM M E H R I NG: 'Santa and his reindeer fly faster than a car or a plane. And to make them go even faster Santa says, 'Giddy -up'.'