Cookie was a maker elf in Santa’s workshop.

Her parents were makers and her In fact, all the elves at the North Pole were given a special job that they
grandparents were makers and her great-grandparents... weren’t allowed to change.

Well, you get the picture. Making toys was a very important job but Cookie just didn’t seem to enjoy
it as much as her friends did. She didn’t want to make toys; she wanted to
invent them!
Cookie had loads of ideas involving exciting electronics, cool ...and especially the child-safe jetpack.
coding and marvellous mechanisms. She believed that children
would love her toys, like the flying race car…

But every time she showed them to the other elves, the
Chief Elf Officer (or CEO, for short) said that it wasn’t
...or the bedroom-tidying robot… Cookie’s job to invent things.
 A few days before Christmas, a commotion began in the loading
department. The Sleigh-Loading Electronic Device (or SLED,
for short) was making a very strange noise.
“The SLED is out of control!” shouted Jingle in a panic.
Toys flew all over the place as the conveyor belt got faster and
faster.
“Turn it off before it breaks!” shouted the CEO but it was too The loader elves tried to remove the blockage but
late. The chaos stopped with an almighty clunk! the jam was way too tight.

“The SLED is completely jammed,” said Popcorn. “How will

we load the presents onto the sleigh now?”
All the elves gasped.

The mechanic elves had a go at undoing the

conveyor belt but that made it worse.
 Then, the maintenance elves arrived to see if they could cool the “But Christmas is in two days!” gasped Jingle.
engine down but it was no good – the SLED was completely
Panic swept across the workshop. Without the SLED to load the sleigh,
broken.
Santa would never be ready in time for Christmas Eve.
“We’ll have to build a new one from scratch,” groaned Tinsel.
“I have an idea,” said Cookie.
“It’ll take us at least two weeks.”
Tinsel shook her head. “Not now, Cookie,” she said.
“This is a job for maintenance.”
Back in her room, Cookie worked through the night. She knew her idea The next morning, Cookie took her plan to show the CEO.
would work if she could just get the others to listen to her.
“I’m sorry, Cookie,” she said. “You’re a maker elf so your job is to
make the toys. Leave this to the maintenance team. I need to have an
emergency meeting with Santa.”
Cookie threw the plan in the bin and went back to work feeling sad. ‘Santa needs to see this plan,’ thought Pudding as he slipped the plan among
the meeting-room treats.

But someone had been watching and

knew exactly how great an inventor
Cookie was.
That afternoon, the CEO came to the workshop. “Santa thinks it’s brilliant!” said the CEO.
“We might just save Christmas yet!”
“Who made this?” she shouted, holding up Cookie’s plan.

Cookie was worried she might be in trouble but raised her hand
because elves always tell the truth.

Cookie couldn’t believe it. No one had ever said that her inventions
were good before, let alone Santa!
So, Cookie got to work on her plan. It took her When she had finished, she went to show the others.
all day but elves love a challenge.
“I present to you the Lift-a-Gift!” said Cookie, “Plus, I’ve made a few more of these robots to help us clear up the mess,”
proudly. “Instead of using the SLED, these will said Cookie with a grin.
carry the wrapped gifts to the sleigh.”
“I’m sorry, Cookie,” said the CEO. “I should have listened to you earlier.
“Wow!” said the CEO. I can see now that us elves may have lots of different skills outside of
the jobs we are given. Maybe we should encourage that more!”
The next day, the elves used the Lift-a-Gifts to work twice as fast as they “You’re going the wrong way,” said the CEO, as Cookie headed back to
had ever done before. So fast, in fact, that Santa was ready to go with a few the making department. “We have a brand new job for you!”
hours to spare!

Cookie beamed as the CEO gave her a badge

that said ‘Chief Inventor’.
And so, Cookie went to work using her skills to invent awesome From that day on, elves were no longer told what job
new toys and machines. There were no more jams or breakdowns to do. Every elf was free to choose the job that
and the CEO changed the rules. brought them the most joy.