Every Christmas, the Tolkien children would receive strange letter addressed to them, written in a scrawling, wobbly hand.
The letters were from Father Christmas.
Complete with colorful illustrations drawn by Tolkien himself, the letters were filled with humorous stories of the North Pole. The tales of Father Christmas never wanted for excitement. There were snow-goblins to fight, drawings from snow-caves to decipher, gifts to pack and deliver, and Polar Bear to keep in check. The letters grew thicker each year as more characters were added to the tale. Polar Bear, prone to accidents, would add scrawled notes about how he broke the moon into four pieces or fell through Father Christmas’s house trying to retrieve his cap. Father Christmas eventually got a secretary, Ilbereth the Elf, who sometimes added his comments in his flowing penmanship to the letter. Sometimes the letters were short if Father Christmas was busy, sometimes they were long if there was something particularly exciting to relate. But every year without fail, there was always a letter waiting from the North Pole.
Review by Hadley Payne (née Ayers)
Hadley Ayers was an exemplary employee at Exodus for several years. Full of life and laughter, she is an avid reader who loves both classics and popular literature. Her reviews are clear, helpful and often witty. Check more of them out
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