We all know and love Santa. With his red and white suit, black boots, jolly belly and of course, his pipe, it is an image we have come to love. For as long as anyone can remember, Santa has always had his pipe. In the story, Santa Quits by Raenette Palmer, Santa receives his first Christmas letter of the year that turns his world upside down and because the wish is so unselfish, Santa does everything he can to give Stevie Wilson what he is wishing for.

"Dear Santa,

I am seven years old. I don't like to write my own letters, but my teacher Mrs. Kelly told me to write you because she wants me to stop worrying. Ever since we had health class and I have learned about smoking I've been scared for you. I know that if you keep smoking your pipe you will get sick. If you get sick what will happen to Christmas? So I'm writing to ask you to quit smoking. That is all I want for Christmas this year. I think that if I get my wish this Christmas, then I can make sure that everybody has a happy Christmas from now on.

Love,

Stevie Wilson"

Now Santa has tried to quit smoking his pipe before and every time he has gone right back to it. The head elf  and Mrs. Clause tells the other elves that they need to give Santa patience and encouragement to help him grant little Stevie's wish. They also tell the other elves that Santa may not be himself while trying to make this big change and not to take anything he says or does to heart. This wish is going to ne very hard for Santa to grant and wants to try his very best to succeed in giving it.

Santa works very hard to not smoke his pipe. He misses his pipe when he's working at his toy station and again at the end of the day, relaxing in his big red chair after a long day of work, but still, he refrain from lighting up. Santa is feeling good at how well he is doing so far. One night after about three days have past, Santa wakes up and is extremely hungry. He feels like he could eat the whole kitchen!

Mrs. Clause comes into the kitchen to find Santa with the munchies. He is craving anything and everything sweet. Mrs. Clause gets to baking right away to settle Santa's cravings. The more sweets he has, he funds that he thinks about his pipe less and less. So much less that he has quit carrying it around in his back pocket and leaves it on the fireplace mantle. It even sits there long enough for Mrs. Clause to have to dust it while cleaning. Santa is doing such a wonderful job working to grant Stevie's wish. But eating all the sweets that Mrs. Clause has been keeping him stocked with doesn't go without its complications too.

Will Santa ever be able to quit smoking his pipe and grant Stevie's unselfish Christmas wish? Will he be able to get the extra weight off his belly so his suit will fit again and so the reindeer can pull him? If he doesn't figure it out there may not be a Christmas this year after all. Read along and find out if Santa can do it!