On the other side of the gate, a two-foot-tall elf stood as though waiting for him. He had green skin and pointed ears. “Greetings, traveler! Welcome to Santa’s Workshop! Is Christmas in your heart?”
“Wh-What?” Avery’s mouth was virtually frozen shut. He couldn’t think about anything but getting past that gate. The warmth emanated from it like an aura.
“Do you have the spirit of Christmas in your heart?” the elf asked.
“Uh… Yes.”
The elf nodded and opened the gate. Avery toppled into the North Pole, landing on green grass. The elf beamed. “I’m so glad you said that. People sometimes laugh or make a sarcastic quip, and that’s how I know I can’t let them in. It always breaks my heart when that happens, and I have to leave them out there in the wintry cold. So I’m glad you told the truth.”
From Santa Claus
