Pip, The Christmas Eve Elf

What is a Christmas Eve Elf? Every Christmas Eve, after Santa finishes bringing the gifts to a house, Santa greets the elf that has been there watching the children and reporting on their actions. He then dismisses the watcher elf and assigns an elf to guard the gifts until morning. This elf is the Christmas Eve Elf. 

They travel across the world and hide near each Christmas tree, very still, very quiet, listening very carefully. There is one important rule: children are not allowed to come downstairs before their parents. If they do, the Christmas Eve Elf uses Christmas magic and hides the presents so well that the children would think that Santa has not come to their house yet. Even Santa's cookies look untouched. The elf would then whisper very softly, 'You are tired, go back to bed.' The children would yawn, and stretch, and feel very sleepy all of a sudden, and head back to their beds.

This is the story of Pip the Christmas Eve Elf. From the time that Pip was a very young elf, long before he guarded a single gift, he knew being a Christmas Eve Elf is what he wanted to do most of all. He wanted to guard the gifts. Many of Pip's friends dreamed of designing toys, driving the reindeer sleigh test flights and even wanted to be what Pip called Santa's eyes and ears (the elves that reported to Santa if children have been good or bad). Pip would lay down in his bed at night imagining what it would be like to stay behind in a warm house, listening to the quiet hush of the night, protecting the Christmas magic until morning.

A young Pip would practice on his own. He would hide wooden blocks behind toy shelves and pretend they were Christmas gifts he was protecting. He whispered spells that he made up. Now none of the blocks would vanish because Pip was too young to have real Christmas magic yet but he practiced and practiced. All Pip wanted was to guard Christmas gifts for Santa.