Outside of Santa's Workshop, Mr. Nanotuk sat proudly on his large and powerful snowmobile. He would be taking Santa and Smith, Santa's senior elf, to the airport for Santa's promotional tour. The snowmobile had an extra trailer hitched to the back for luggage - and Smith.

"Goodbye, take care, have fun," Mrs. Claus cried as she waved her bright white and red polka-dotted handkerchief at Santa from the doorway of their home.

Santa, who was back in his traditional red suit trimmed out in white, looked quite like his usual jolly old self. He smiled broadly and threw Mrs. Claus a kiss before settling himself in behind Mr. Nanotuk on the snowmobile. "Let's get this sled rolling," he called. Smith hopped on the trailer and squeezed in between the suitcases.

"Oh, my! I almost forgot!" Mrs. Claus cried. She ran back into the house, returning with two t-shirts, one for Smith and one for Santa. "Don't forget these, I had them made special!" she unfurled a large red T-shirt with "Santa - World Tour 2000" printed in white snowflakes.

"Thanks, Mrs. Claus," said Smith. He had just enough time to grab for the t-shirts as he and the luggage roared off into the horizon and the airport beyond.

As the snowmobile disappeared into the distance, the elves trooped back into the workshop. "Hey, everybody. I have a great idea," called Amber. "We've got most of the toys ready for the big day, so I think we deserve a day off - an Olympic day!" she cried.

"Yeah! Yeah!" the elves all cried in unison.

"That's a great idea," Percy added. "We could have a mini Olympics here at the North Pole for all the elves," Percy crowed.

"Yeah, Santa himself mentioned how he admires the best and the fastest," Amber said. "We'll show him that we are," she said confidently.

"You mean, that some of us are," Percy said proudly.

"Oh yeah? Like me," Amber said.

"Hey, I've got a few athletic skills, too," said Roly.

"And me," cried another elf and then another.

"Okay, everyone," said Erno. "I'm sure we've all got our strengths. . ."

Just then Rudolph poked his head into the Workshop. "Did somebody say 'Olympics?' I just happen to be one of the most successful athletes north of the 49^th."

"Don't be ridiculous," Percy said. "We're not competing against reindeer! What would we do: have a hay eating contest?"

"That is just the sort of elfin attitude that I really don't appreciate," Rudolph sniffed and put his very red nose in the air. "We reindeer will hold our own contests," he snorted and stomped out the door on all his delicate feet.