When Santa told Binky the Elf to make a wonderful new toy this winter, Binky didn’t know what to do.
“All the best toys have already been invented!” cried Binky. “It’s impossible!”
“Surely not!” said Santa. “What about a Bumfuzzled Bee?”
“Invented!” frowned Binky.
“Wobbly Wombat?”
“It has been done!” wailed Binky.
“Ah-ha! You can make a Canoodling Cat!”
“Jingles the Jolly Elf invented that last Christmas!” sobbed Binky. “There’s not a single original idea left!”
“Well,” said Santa, tugging thoughtfully on his beard. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
*
Binky worked very hard over the following weeks, but he could not come up with a new toy. He drew dozens of blueprints, printed 3D models, and even tried to program a video game. All of them were rejected by Poodles the Product Quality Manager Elf. “You need to be more creative!” he scolded. Binky bit his lips and went back to work.
Before long, it was Christmas Eve. Time was running out! Binky sat at his table, surrounded by mountains of rejected toy prototypes, and he began to cry. “I knew it was impossible!” he thought.
“I think you might want to look at this,” a voice said behind him. Binky squeaked and turned around. It was Santa!
“I got this in the mail this morning,” Santa said, handing Binky a letter. Binky read it out loud:
“Deer Santa,
For XMAS this yeer I want to make my OWN TOY.
Sinseerly
AleX.”
“That’s it!” Binky shouted. “There’s nobody more creative in the world than children! What if I gave them my tools so they can make their own toys this Christmas?”
“That sounds like a grand idea,” smiled Santa, with a twinkle in his eye.
*
Alex woke up on Christmas morning and, with a yelp, rushed downstairs to open her presents. Her brother was already there, ripping apart a present to reveal a huge teddy bear. Alex’s present, though, was much smaller.
“What did you get?” asked her brother.
Alex opened her present and found a collection of strange gizmos that she has never seen before. There were flashing lights, and magnetic blocks, and computer chips. There was also a note. It read:
“Dear Alex,
These tools are my most prized possessions. With them, you can make any toy in the world—even the ones that have not been invented!
Yours truly,
Binky the Elf”
“Wow!” said Alex’s brother as Alex read the note out loud. “What are you going to make?”
“I’m going to make a Slizzery Snout Monster!” shouted Alex. “No—a Perambulating Palm Tree! A Jubilant Jellyfish that plays Jazz! You know—there are so many possibilities!”
The end.
Eduporium is holding our Gift for the Young Inventor holiday sale right now. Have fun, and happy tinkering!