Santa's Workshop at the North Pole was a very busy place. Everywhere busy humming elves quickly produced toys as their hammers, saws, sewing machines and staple guns clicked, banged and whirred.

Above the din of the working elves, Amber elf yelled, "Hey, what the . .? Someone filled this glue gun with whipped cream!" The other elves gathered around the whipped cream covered assembly table.

Smith, the elder elf looked stern as he walked up to the group, "All right, all right, let me through, what's going on here?" He raised his safety glasses to get a better look and all the elves looked in shock at the black circles around his eyes. Someone had put shoe polish on the safety glasses he had been wearing so that they left big black rings around his eyes.

"What? What?" Smith asked looking much like a barn owl.

"You mean "who, who," Roly, a round and jolly elf, laughed.

"Someone has played a prank on you too, Smith," Percy said, pointing at the elder elf's eyes.

"Ho, ho, ho," Santa called as he entered the Workshop with Mrs. Claus. Amber and Erno rushed to meet them, with the other elves fast behind them.

"Santa, Santa, it's happened again!" Amber cried, "And the prankster left another riddle: If you had only one match and entered a room in which there was a kerosene lamp, an oil stove and a wood-burning heater, which would you light first?" Amber asked, reading aloud from a small scrap of paper written in crayon.

The Workshop was suddenly silent as all the elves pondered the riddle.

Then, Santa yawned loudly and shook his head, "Hmmph," he said. "Just for a moment I felt I was asleep on my feet," Santa said looking bewildered. "The answer to the riddle is: the match," Santa said firmly, then he walked unsteadily toward the computers installed at the side of the Workshop and sat down in front of the screen. Mrs. Claus and the elves looked at Santa and then at each other and Mrs. Claus put her index finger to her lips thoughtfully.

"Alright, alright, let's get back to work here," Smith called to the elves. "Pranks or no pranks, we've got Christmas gifts to make ready!"

Mrs. Claus joined Santa at the computers and they sat side-by-side checking their email on BMI Internet. Each year, bags and bags of letters were sent to Santa Claus at the North Pole, Canada HOH OHO. And, many more letters, to Santa, Mrs. Claus, the elves, and the reindeer were sent via email to Santa who loved to read them all - and he answered each of them too.

"Ho, ho, ho. Listen to this one from Allan in Markdale: 'Dear Santa, how are you and the elves? Do you like cookies and carrots on Christmas Eve? We will have some of each at my house on Christmas Eve.' Ho, ho, ho, I know I like cookies and the reindeer will love a crunchy snack. Allan says he would like a snowboard for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho," Santa said.

Just then, Roly fell into the room, huffing and puffing, and dragging two more huge bags of letters to Santa.

"Oh, my goodness! More mail," Mrs. Claus said, reaching into one of the bags. "This one is from Amanda in Barrie," she said, "Amanda says she would like Cheetah High Speed access from BMI Internet, and Ello Fairyland!" Mrs Claus said. "Oh, all the children are getting so excited about Christmas aren't they Santa.... Santa?" Mrs. Claus looked over at her husband, his head on his chest, sound asleep. She looked closer and it seemed to her that there was a little smile on his face.