Jack's Esky for Santa

Jack lived in a little house with a big verandah, right next to a magical forest that hummed with summer sounds. Giant ferns, sparkling with morning dew, fanned the air like sleepy green giants, and the creek giggled as it tumbled over smooth, cool stones. Jack was a very thoughtful boy, and his favourite thing in the whole world was getting ready for Christmas Eve.

But this Christmas Eve was a scorcher! The sun beat down, making the air feel wobbly and warm, like a big, sleepy hug. "It's thirty-five degrees!" Mum had said. Jack carefully placed a glass of milk and his best choc-chip cookies on a plate. But then he touched the glass. It was already getting warm. "Oh no," he whispered, looking at the cookies starting to go soft in the humidity. "This is too hot, too hot! What will Santa do?"

Being a creative boy, Jack had an idea. He ran into the magical forest and found a huge, fallen palm frond. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! He waved it over the plate, trying to make his own cool breeze. But the air that moved was just as hot, and the milk looked even warmer. A little drop of sweat trickled down his nose. "It's no use," he sighed, feeling his shoulders slump. "It's still too hot, too hot! What will I do?"

Jack plopped down on the verandah steps, feeling glum. His eyes drifted to the big blue Esky his family had packed for their beach trip tomorrow. It was full of icy drinks and cold watermelon. Suddenly, his eyes lit up like Christmas lights! He jumped to his feet with a new plan. He grabbed his little lunch Esky, filled a bottle with cold mango smoothie from the fridge, and took a colourful, frozen Zooper Dooper from the freezer. He tucked them inside with a note that read: "To help you survive the Aussie heat."

Later that night, a very warm Santa Claus slid down the chimney. "Phew, it's a hot one in Queensland!" he puffed, wiping his brow. He saw the little blue Esky and smiled at the note. He sipped the icy mango smoothie and crunched on the frozen Zooper Dooper. "Ho, ho, ho! How wonderfully thoughtful!" he chuckled. The next morning, beside his presents, Jack found an empty bottle, a colourful stick, and a little note written in swirly silver writing: "Thank you for the brilliant Aussie surprise, Jack! It was the coolest treat of my night. Love, Santa." Jack beamed, knowing his clever Esky plan had saved Christmas for a very hot Santa.