The Statesboro Herald asked local third and fourth grade students to put on their thinking caps and write some stories...imagine what would happen if Santa Claus forgot to set his alarm clock and slept through Christmas!

There were lots of entries and lots of theories, and here are the best of the bunch, just as they were written. There are 10 stories published here, with the first, second and third place winners leading the pack. Our first place winner won $100, with the second place winner receiving $50 and $25 going to the third place winner.

Congratulations to all who submitted stories — we enjoyed each and every one!

Will the elves wake Santa in time?

Story by AMELIA THOMPSON

It was Christmas Eve, and all the children were sleeping. Santa needed to wake up at 11 p.m. sharp, so he could deliver all the presents in time. 

Santa asked Richard the Elf to wake him up at 11 p.m. sharp. While Santa was sleeping, Richard decided that he wanted to feed the reindeer, so Richard went and asked the Reindeer Keeper (also an elf, and named Elfer), "Can we switch jobs? Mine is waking up Santa at 11 p.m. sharp."

"Sure," said Elfer, "but do not forget to feed Comet. He is in the back and his stall is kind of hidden."

"OK, I am sure I will not forget," promised Richard.

When Elfer arrived beside Santa's bed, he got bored waiting around for 11 p.m., and decided that making candy canes would be more fun. So he went to the Candy Cane Maker's shop where Judy was in charge. Elfer asked Judy the same thing Richard asked Elfer, which was, "Can we switch jobs? Mine is to wake up Santa at 11 p.m. sharp."

"Sure," agreed Judy, "but do not forget halfway through the process that you change the flavor to mint chocolate chip."

"OK, I am sure I won't forget," assured Elfer.

Judy went to Santa's bedside and noticed that his clock said that it was only 10 p.m. After 10 minutes, Judy walked outside of Santa's bedroom. Just outside the door, she met a fellow Elf who was also a Mime. Judy decided to ask the Mime for help.

"Would you wake up Santa at 11 p.m. sharp?" asked Judy. "I am feeling too tired to stay up until 11 p.m."

The Mime nodded his head in agreement, so Judy went to get some sleep. 

Before long, the Mime remembered that he was supposed to help decorate the Christmas Tree with Mrs. Claus, so he found an Elf named Bernard nearby to ask for help. The Mime used interesting moves to act out the question: Would you wake up Santa at 11 p.m. sharp?

Bernard did not understand what the Mime's movements meant. The Mime twisted and turned, jumped and squatted, and pointed to Santa's bedroom, but Bernard needed help figuring out what the Mime was trying to say.

Bernard grabbed the next Elf who passed by to help him interpret the Mime's movements. While they tried to solve the Mime's message, they were interrupted by approaching footsteps. It was Mrs. Claus!

She was waking up Santa in a very concerned voice, "Why would you do that? Children will be tearful and you will be in so much trouble!"

"I-um, I...uh, what are you mad at me about?" asked Santa.

"Look at the time! It is 1 a.m. in the morning!"

"Bu-ut, I asked Richard to wake me up at 11 p.m. sharp!"

Santa was astonished to find out he had not been woken by Richard. He said, "If I can get these presents delivered before Christmas morning, it will be a Christmas miracle!" All the Elves were hopeful and believed in Santa.

When Santa runs late...

Story by JOSHUA HOGAN

In the North Pole, even as cold and icy as it is, Santa's room was very cozy. His hat and the UNSET alarm clock lay on his dresser.

It was Christmas Eve and Santa wasn't awake yet. The elves and reindeer were worried that he might not wake up in time for Christmas! "Santa would never miss Christmas," was what they thought...but perhaps not this time!

Soon a panic started in the workshop and the elves went crazy. They went so crazy that some of them even buried themselves in stuffed animals or wrapped themselves in wrapping paper! They tried shaking him awake, yelling at him, and the strongest elf slapped his rosy red cheeks, but nothing happened. That's when they knew he wasn't going to wake up in time. Some elves even thought he died because he ate too many cookies and had a heart attack! Eventually, the reindeer started losing it and began teasing Rudolph again, as if it were his fault!

At 8 a.m. Santa finally snapped awake but it was too late. The elves were sad and disappointed, as were billions of children around the world!

It seemed, however, that not all hope was lost. In a stroke of inspiration, Santa went to Father Time and asked for help. Father Time gladly helped Santa back up time to start Christmas Eve all over again! Christmas was saved! You don't have to worry about Rudolph; it was as if the disaster never happened at all! The next year, Mrs. Claus set Santa's alarm clock just to be sure he didn't sleep through Christmas again!

Boom! Christmas is saved

Story by DEVIN JONES

On Christmas eve Santa forgot to set his alarm, so he slept all through out Christ-mas. Since this happened all kids started to disbelief but there was one kid who still believed in Santa. 

There was a big alarm going off, it alerted all the elves. The elves went to go wake Santa up, so they started hopping on Santa's belly and that made him laugh. 

Santa asked why the alarm was going off. The elves told him and then Santa whispered to himself "the children!"

Then he ran to a globe that he had and he saw all of the children who did not believe in him. Santa was sad and disapointed until he saw that there was one kid who still believed. Santa started thinking if he could get the kid and ask him to help, but Santa will have to put his parents asleep and his big brother. 

Santa trusted in himself so he got the raindeer ready and then took off. Santa arrived at the kid's house so Santa landed the raindeer on the roof and Santa went down the chimney. 

The kid heard a big boom and his parents and brother so they saw him. Santa used his sleeping spray on them. 

The kid      

said "Santa what are you doing?" Santa said come along, but the boy said "What about my parents and brother?" Santa said they'll be alright.

The boy was alright with it so the boy came along but one thing Santa didn't know the boy talked so much. He was asking questions like "Is Mrs. Claus real?" or "Are elves real?" 

So Santa said How about we play the quiet game? The boy didn't know how to play it, so Santa told him you just don't talk. The boy was alright with it so the boy didn't talk the entire trip. 

When they got back the boy was amazed. When he saw all the toys, all the candy canes, all the elves and even Mrs. Claus. The elves and Mrs. Claus greeted Santa.

Santa asked the boy what was his name. The boy said Zion. Santa checked the naughty list and Santa said no wonder why he's on the naughty list because he talks too much. 

Everyone was trying to see him because Santa was in a hurry to save Christmas. Santa and Zion started thinking. In 10 seconds Zion had a plan.

Zion said Santa I have a plan. At 12:00 we go to everyone's house and we put a note on their bed that says come down stairs and deliver all the present's to everybody. Boom — Christmas saved! 

Santa really liked that idea so their plan took action. They put a note on everyone's bed and delivered the present's. 

The last house was Zion's.

Zion said I guess this is good bye. Santa said what do you want for Christmas?

Zion said nothing. I already got what I want, to meet you and deliver presents with you. I had a blast. 

Santa said oh with tears in their eyes. Santa said good bye. 

So Zion woke up his parents and brother and they were confused. Zion said you guy's just passed out. So they went back to sleep and Zion in the morning there was a note on his bed that said your off the naughty list and come down stairs. 

When Zion came down stairs there were present's for everyone. He woke everyone up and they went down stairs and opened the gifts. And everyone believed in Santa again.

Elves lend a hand

Story by ELIZABET SANTOS

It was a very cold night. The elves finished making toys. Santa was getting ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow was Christmas.

Oh no, Santa forgot to set his alarm clock. 

It was the middle of the night and Santa was still sleeping. All the girls and boys will be sad. 

It was almost morning and Santa woke up and looked at his clock and realized it was Christmas. He was in shock. He needed someone to help. 

He realized he could ask the elves to help deliver the presents to kids around the world. 

Santa forgets to set his alarm

Story by WOOIL CHARLES NAM

Santa never forgets to set his alarm but his year he forgot to set his alarm. He had his head in his bed, snoring like this: ZZZZZZZZZ. He woke up late! And this is what happened...

He forgot to set the alarm. He is busy making presents. His beard and sleigh are missing. He doesn't know where they are, and he needs to fly to the houses! He makes a machine to deliver the gifts to kids from the workshop. He made it with pipes, tubes, and marble run. 

Gifts fly over the sky through the machine. Presents with kids' names fall down the chimney faster than Santa. 

Santa shouts "HO! HO! HO!" into the speaker and makes an echo. The noise travels over the sky and the kids think Santa is here. 

The kids get their gifts. And so, the children were happy, and Santa could deliver gifts from his workshop without leaving!

The little elf that saved Christmas

Story by WILEY R. SAMPLES

It was a cold Christmas morning, when Santa forgot to set his alarm clock. Then he herd something moving in his workshop but decided to go back to sleep.

It was the elves getting the sleigh ready. One of the elf's name was Bell, she rides with St. Nick all the time so she is driving the sleigh.

Then she puts on stilts to look as tall as Santa, then she puts on the suit. Now she is finally ready. 

She hops in the sleigh and grips the reigns tightly. She is a little nervous. The elves wish her good luck.

Then she says all the reindeer's name's. Now magically flying away. Now she's delivering the presents. She goes down each and evry chimny. 

When she was done she went back to the North Pole. Evry one cheer (horay horay). Then Bell bowed to the crowd of elves. 

Finaly Santa woke up and said did I miss any thing? Then all the elves laughed (ha ha ha). 

Dasher saves       the day

Story by THOMAS MELTON

It's Christmas Eve and Santa is asleep taking a nap because he was up the night before finishing the naughty and nice list. The elves were packing all the gifts in the sleigh. No one, not even Mrs. Claus, knew Santa was taking a nap. Everyone thought Santa was getting ready to deliver presents for Chirstmas. 

Dasher went to go look for him to tell him they were ready to leave and deliver presents. Oh no, Santa forgot to set his alarm clock when he took a nap. 

Dasher ran to get all the elves and the other reindeer to help him awake. Everyone ran to Santa's bedroom. They all went to work right way.

Some elves were sitting Santa's suit out. Other elves were helping get Santa up with the help of the reindeer. Finally the elves and the reindeer were able to wake Santa up from his nap. 

Santa immediately got out of bed and got his suit on. After that everyone ran to  the sleigh. Santa hopped on. All the reindeer got in their places. Then off delivering gifts. 

Everyone learned that day with teamwork you can do anything. Even when the alarm clock is not set. 

The day Santa forgot to set his alarm clock

Story by EVA WRIGHT

It was the day before Christmas, Santa checked on his elves to make sure all the toys were made. He finished his list for naughty and nice, and almost forgot to make sure the toys were wrapped.

After all that was done Santa could finally relax, sit down, and write. You may be wondering what Santa writes — the replies to everyone's letters of course. That's very important.

So, he went ot the kitchen and made hot chocolate and sat down on his giant red armchair in front of the chimney. Mrs. Claus had just baked muffins so she brought him one. He ate it after he finished writing replies, but when he finally finished everyone was already asleep. He ate his delicious muffin and went to bed.

Santa woke up to everyone yelling at him! Mrs. Claus was yelling about his alarm, the reindeer were yelling about standing in the cold all night, and the elves were using their free time to keep making presents. 

That's when Santa realized, "IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY!" He realized he had not set his alarm clock so he did not deliver the presents. 

All next week he went to every school that had kids that celebrated Christmas and apologized. That night he delivered presents to everyone and teachers expanded winter break. 

The Christmas  everyone will remember

Story by YASH PATEL

I woke up and I saw the date it was December 25 2021. After I ran downstairs to look at my presents from Santa. But when I went downstairs there weren't any presents. So I came back upstairs and woke my parents up by jumping on the bed like a psycho path. After they woke up I told them that there weren't any presents downstairs.

"Maybe Santa forgot," my parents said. 

I called my friends and asked them but they said they didn't get presents either. 

At the North Pole, "Santa wake up, wake up!" the elf said. 

"What's all the noise about?" Santa asked.

"Today is Christmas," the elf said. 

"Oh no I forgot to set my alarm," Santa said. 

"Let me go tell the other elves to get to work," Santa said. 

When Santa got there he saw all the elves already working. It took a week for the presents to get finished making. 

Afterwards, I was very sad that Santa didn't bring any presents. The next day I woke up and went downstairs then I saw presents and a sorry letter from Santa and I was so happy. 

What if Santa slept in on Christmas?

Story by SARA BASQUIN

The night before Christmas Santa set his alarm to make sure he could bring all the presents to the kids. His elves were making toys so it was very loud and hard for Santa to sleep. 

He knew he needed to get good sleep so he put ear plugs in and went to bed. 

The next morning his alarm went off but he did not hear it. He kept on sleeping and when he woke up he was in a rush and so he got on his sleigh and made the reindeer go extra fast. 

Soon after he was very close to the first house he needed to visit but the reindeer were tired and crashed into the snow. Santa had been preparing for this moment because he knew a reindeer crash could happen. 

He put on his best running shoes and ran super fast to every single house to deliver all the presents. He came back to the reindeer and they had enough rest to get back to the north pole. 

When they got back, Santa told the elves to not be as loud next time. Then Santa took a long nap.