This year things are tight for almost everyone, even Santa.

Santa has been looking at his list and checking it twice to see who has been naughty and nice. And he has had to move some of the less naughty to the nice list because the price of fuel is so high that he just can’t leave all of that coal in all of those stockings this year.

He has asked Mrs. Clause to darn and mend his long johns to make them last a little longer. And to fix his suit so that he can get another year out of it. And Rudolph’s nose isn’t nearly so bright since he had to resort to buying cheaper feed for the reindeer. Then there was that unfortunate “incident” that one of the elves got into, and Santa had to pay all of that hush money to keep it quiet. And he is really afraid that he is going to have to lay a few elves off this year.

The children just don’t understand the shape the economy is in. Their requests for gifts haven’t been scaled back at all. If anything their requests this year are bigger and more extravagant than ever. But they really are just children after all; and Santa dearly does love the children so much and wants to see them happy.

Santa is a proud man and will not ask for help. But if congress can help all of the big corporations with all of this bail-out money, surely they can help a good hard working man like Santa who has worked tirelessly for all of the children without ever asking for anything in return.

So call all of your friends and neighbors and lets all appeal to congress on Santa’s behalf, and see if they will give Santa a good bail-out package this year!

P.S. Author’s note: This is strictly a fictional story and in no way meant to be taken literally.