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Christmas story: the reindeer who was scared to fly
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At the North Pole, behind Father Christmas's house, there is a big wooden stable. And in that stable lives a young reindeer called Willow.
Willow has soft brown fur, a white patch on her chest and little antlers that are only just starting to grow. She can run very fast. She can jump over snowdrifts. She can find the juiciest moss under the snow.
But Willow cannot fly.
Or rather: Willow does not dare to fly.
Flying lessons
Every morning, the young reindeer have flying lessons in the big snowy field. One by one, they take a run-up, jump, and float up into the air. Some wobble. Some go round in circles. But they all go up.
Willow always stands at the very back of the line.
When it is her turn, she runs. She runs as fast as she can. And just before she should jump... she stops. Her hooves dig into the snow.
"I can't," she whispers. "What if I fall?"
The other reindeer are kind. "Try again tomorrow," they say. But Willow's tummy feels heavy all day.
Father Christmas sees
One evening, Father Christmas came into the stable with his lantern. He saw Willow standing alone in the corner, looking out at the stars.
"Hello, Willow," said Father Christmas, and he sat down on a bale of straw. "You look like someone with a big thought."
Willow did not say anything for a long time. Then she said, very quietly, "Everyone can fly except me. I'm too scared."
Father Christmas nodded slowly. "Being scared is not silly," he said. "It means something feels big and new. Shall I tell you a secret?"
Willow looked up.
"The first time I drove the sleigh," said Father Christmas, "my knees were knocking so hard that the bells were jingling on their own."
Willow's eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Really," said Father Christmas. "And do you know what helped? Doing it one tiny bit at a time."
One tiny bit at a time
The next morning, when the field was empty, Father Christmas and Willow went outside together.
"Today," said Father Christmas, "you don't have to fly. You only have to jump. Just a little hop."
Willow hopped. Her hooves left the snow for one second.
"Wonderful," said Father Christmas.
The next day, Willow jumped a little higher. The day after that, she jumped and floated, just for a moment, as high as Father Christmas's knees.
Every day, she went a tiny bit further. Some days she was brave. Some days she only wanted to hop. Father Christmas never hurried her.
"There is no rush," he said. "The sky will wait for you."
Up, up, up
Then, one starry evening, Willow took a run-up. She ran across the field. She jumped. And this time, she did not come down.
She floated up. Past the stable roof. Past the tops of the fir trees. Up into the cold, clear air, where the stars twinkled all around her.
Her heart was beating fast. But it was not only scared beating. It was excited beating too.
"Look!" she called. "Father Christmas, look at me!"
Down in the snow, Father Christmas was waving his lantern. Pip the elf was jumping up and down beside him. And in the stable doorway, all the other reindeer were stamping their hooves and cheering.
Willow flew one slow circle over the North Pole. Then she floated down and landed softly in the snow, right next to Father Christmas.
"I did it," she said, out of breath.
"You did," said Father Christmas. "One tiny bit at a time."
Things to talk about
- Why was Willow scared to fly?
- What did Father Christmas tell her about his first sleigh ride?
- Is there something you were scared to try, that you can do now?
- What helps you when something feels big and new?
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