For the students of First University, Christmas this year was just as entertaining as in years past.
For instance, several Grand Wizards at the university who held the title of druid had animated a host of towering pines and cypresses, then hung them with colorful little gifts. The trees trudged around campus on heavy feet, kindly offering a Christmas present whenever they encountered a student who was empty-handed or alone. This was a Christmas tradition at First University, part of the "Holiday Care Campaign for Vulnerable Groups on Campus" spearheaded by the Student Union.
Then there were the puppet snowmen the School Labor Committee had made in great numbers. The small ones were only a foot or so tall, while even the large ones stood just over a meter. Since it was Christmas, campus was blanketed in thick snow as usual, and these snowmen bustling about lent the whole place a little more life.
Of course, that was not their only purpose. Their more important function lay in their fluffy, bulging bellies. Those substantial snowballs were perfect for concealing things from view.
If a male student wanted to give a Christmas gift to a witch he liked but felt too embarrassed to do it in public, he could simply stop a wandering snowman, tuck the gift into its belly, and insert a Paper Crane Talisman into its head. The snowman would then follow the talisman's guidance and deliver the gift into the witch's hands.
Since the snowmen could not speak and were utterly loyal, they were considered ideal "Santa Clauses."
By comparison, another group of mail carriers was rather noisy.
The Santa Clauses helping students deliver gifts this year were neither the traditional Talisman Paper puppets nor the rumored elk and sleighs, but rats and pumpkins.
Yes, pulling Santa's carriage