IT was nearing delivery time and Santa was still at his workshop receiving last minute letters asking for many different toys.

He decided to go to the stables to let the reindeers have a run around because it wasn't snowing and then he went back to his workshop to see how the helpers were getting on making the toys.

After a while he went back out to put all the reindeers away but when he got there he noticed that Rudolph had developed a limp. Santa picked up Rudolph's hoof to see if there was any sign of injury and to his dismay there was!

Santa quickly ran back to his workshop to call a vet to come and look at Rudolph. He was pretty worried because it was Christmas Eve.

After a while the vet turned up. Santa was so relieved when he found out that Rudolph would be ok to pull the sleigh with the other reindeers. It had only been a pebble stuck in his hoof.

So the elves helped Santa pack the sleight and soon they set off to deliver all the gifts.

On the way they travelled through hot and cold places, wet and damp places, windy and snowy places and eventually they had delivered all the presents and returned home.

When Santa was home with a hot cup of cocoa, he sat thinking about all the children he had given presents to and how happy they'd be in the morning.