Elijah was a twelve year old elf inching towards adulthood.  He was an affectionate, sensitive elf who was always ready to help any one in need.  What was remarkable about him was his readiness to face any situation.

When Elijah was not working in Santa’s workshop, he could be seen in solitary rambles in the nearby woods.  There were no distinct paths in these wooded areas.  It is easy for one to get lost in the meandering pathways.  In these extensive areas, one could see small woodman’s huts provided for the wayward wanderer for shelter and provisions.  Often lives were saved because of these simple forethoughts.

One day, Elijah was in one of his moods of wanderlust.  There was a soft snow fall and the evergreens looked as if they were dusted with confectioner’s sugar.  Footfalls were muffled in the soft, dusty snow which lay pristine because no one trekked that way after the snow.

Elijah’s walk was peaceful and he revelled in the quiet around him.  Soon the evening approached and shadows lengthened.  The whiteness of snow kept darkness at bay.  Elijah kept going peacefully.  His eyes were resting and only when he came close to it, he saw a big cloth bundle in front of him.  Soon he realized that he could be looking at  a living being.  The face was wrapped in a green shawl and there was a dark parka under it. There was no movement.  Elijah went closer and placed his forefinger below the nose that was visible. At first, he felt nothing.  Then, he felt a gentle puff of air.  He felt relieved to feel the breath of life.  He felt the body and realized that the body warmth was discernible.  He tried to uncover the face by moving the shawl.  He saw the face and realized that he was looking at the pale face of Granny, the oldest resident in the village.

Elijah felt the urgency of the life or death situation.  Granny appeared unconscious.  He did not know what prompted her to leave the security of the village to wander into the wilderness.  She was never known for her sense of direction.  Elijah realized that for the only way to help her, he would have to move her to the village Infirmary.

Elijah faced a veritable problem.  Granny needed immediate care.  First of all, she needed shelter.  She also needed immediate medical care.  The nearest Infirmary was a mile away.  Transportation was the immediate problem.  Elijah felt handicapped.  He was only twelve years old and he was limited about what he could do.  But, he did not let it deter him.  He realized that he had to move Granny  at least a distance of a mile.  She was a small woman.  But an unconscious woman was a dead weight.  He needed some contraption to transport Granny.  As luck would have it, a peaked roof was visible through the branches and he saw one of the rudimentary shelters a some hundred yards away from the path.

Elijah hastened towards the hut.  As he expected, the hut was filled with blankets, ropes, jackets, firewood etc.  To his delight, he also found an old sled.  Now he realized what he could do.  He collected the sled, blankets and ropes and came back to Granny.  At first he had to get her on the sled.  He placed a blanket on the sled and managed to roll her on top of it.  Then, he placed more blankets on top of her to keep the warmth.  He used a rope to tie her safely.  Granny was longer than the sled and her feet dragged.  He attached two ropes to the sled for pulling.

It was an arduous task for a youngster to pull the sled with a body.  But Elijah was determined to do his best.  After forty-five minutes, he arrived at the Infirmary.  Medical personnel rushed out to relieve him of the human burden.  They took Granny to the Emergency room and started to administer immediate care. After an hour, her vital signs improved and she was brought out of danger.

Meanwhile, Elijah was checked and was given enough care to revive from exhaustion.  He rested and was given hot food and liquids.  Many people came to visit him and he was treated as a hero.

The story of Elijah’s adventure reached Santa’s ears.  The hero was still in the Infirmary when Santa visited.  Santa brought a bouquet of flowers from the greenhouse and thanked Elijah for his kindness and thoughtfulness.  He pinned the Humanitarian of the Year award on a bashful Elijah’s pajama lapel.  He took the hero to a recovered Granny. When Granny hugged him with grateful tears in her eyes, Elijah felt more honored than when he received the medal.