The Night I met a Reindeer.
Under the glowing twilight of a snowy Christmas Eve, a young boy named Judah wandered through the frost-covered woods near his home in the Scandinavian woodland of Halrland.
His breath puffed like little clouds in the crisp winter air, and his boots crunched through the thick blanket of snow beneth his feet. He loved this time of year, with the shimmering lights around the old wooden town, and the scent of pine filling the area as people brought home the best fern to decorate their cabins for Christmas Day, but this Christmas felt different—quieter, almost magical.
As Judah approached a small clearing, his eyes widened with amazement. Shocked, a little nervous but filled with excited he couldn’t believe what his eyes saw. Standing there, among the snow-dusted fir trees, was a reindeer. Not just any reindeer, but one with glistening antlers lightly coated in snow, and deep, gentle eyes that seemed to reflect the twinkling stars above. The reindeer looked at him as if it had been waiting for him. Judah was not afraid.
Slowly, he walked forward until his nose nearly touched the reindeer’s soft, furry muzzle. The reindeer didn’t flinch; it simply lowered its head, pressing gently against Judah’s forehead and sighed, the breath of reindeer floating away in the cold nightime air. Snowflakes swirled around them, dancing in the golden light that filtered through the trees. For a moment, everything else disappeared—no sound but the gentle whisper of the wind and the soft crunch of snow beneath their feet.
“Are you lost?” Judah whispered, his voice soft, it felt like magic was in the air as the reindeer’s head rose slightly to look him directly in the eye.
The reindeer blinked slowly. Judah knew, somehow, that this reindeer was no ordinary animal. Maybe it was one of Old Saint Nic’s reindeer, perhaps a stray who had wandered too far from the others. Or maybe—just maybe—it was meant to find him.
Without thinking, Judah pulled off his red woollen hat and placed it on the reindeer’s head. “Now you’re ready for Christmas,” he giggled.
And as if on cue, a soft jingling sound echoed through the woods. Judah looked up to see tiny lights flickering in the sky, moving closer, growing brighter. Sleigh bells, faint at first, grew louder, and the boy’s eyes lit up with wonder. He looked again into the reindeers eyes with hope, with love, so much joy and excitement. He knew it! In the distance, he could just make out a sleigh, pulled by other reindeer, gliding across the starry night sky, sleigh bells catching the light of the nearby village fiery glows, it was magical and breathtaking.
The reindeer beside him nudged Judah gently, as if to say goodbye. Judah knew it was time. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered, stepping back, and he watched as the reindeer set off toward the opening in the woods. With a final glance, it bounded into the air, joining the others, the reindeer’s antlers gleaming in the night.
Judah stood there for a long moment, watching until the sleigh and the reindeer were mere dots in the sky. His heart swelled with the joy of Christmas, knowing that he had just been part of something extraordinary.
As he turned to walk home, the snow falling softly around him, flakes danced and kissed his now rosey cheeks, he knew this Christmas would be one he’d never forget—the Christmas he met a reindeer in the woods.
A poem from a boy who met a Reindeer at Christmas
On Christmas Eve, with snow aglow,
I met a reindeer in the snow.
His antlers shimmered, full of light,
Like stars that twinkled through the night.
His eyes were soft, like winter’s cheer,
A magic only I could hear.
Nose to nose, we stood so still,
I felt the air around us fill—
With sleigh bells ringing through the sky,
As Santa’s sleigh went racing by!
He turned to join the shining sleigh,
And with a leap, he flew away.
But in my heart, I know he’ll stay,
That Christmas night he came my way.
A reindeer friend with wings of snow,
In dreams, I see him as I go.
