…Once upon a time there was a big brown truck in a little town and guy who drove that truck named Mark. Mark drove his brown truck up and down all the little country roads delivering packages to people. 

Image by Dust Storm via Flickr

When nobody was listening Mark would hum the tune to the UPS logistics song. “du du du, du du du, duuu du duu da.” He could never remember all the words, but it was something about “always in sink” and “precisely on time.” 
Mark had to keep alert and focused because there was a never ending supply of hazards out there on the road. When you spend many hours a week on the road you run into a variety of obstacles and hazards… 

…but it was a great job because mark got to know everyone. Although he was seldom at one stop for more than 30  seconds a day he visited many of his stops every single day.

Every time he stopped at a house were there were dogs he gave them treats. Almost every week Mark stopped at little Katie and Johny’s house and stepped out of his big truck, holding onto the handrail on the way down. Their dog Skippy would run out to get his treat and Katie and John would help Carry the boxes to their dad’s shop.

 One day Katie asked Mark, “Is it scary to drive around with the doors on your truck open.” Mark Said “No, because I always have my seat belt on.”

Image via Wikipedia

Mark climbed back into his truck, and just like he said, his seat belt was on before he even started moving. He also honked his horn as he pulled away. 
The next time Katie saw him she asked, “Why do you always honk your horn when you pull away?” Mark said “To make sure Skippy and his little orange friend (the cat) are not sleeping under my tires.

A few months later it started to get colder and sometimes Mark pulled up with the doors on his truck closed. Then the snow fell and Mark started coming a bit later and later till he was showing up in the dark.

 
A few days before Christmas, when it was really cold, Katie and Johny did not go out to help Carry the boxes in, but their dad did. They could see when Mark opened the truck that it was still very full of boxes. Katie’s Dad asked in a cheery voice, “are you going to get them all delivered before Christmas?” 

Mark chuckled and replied “Don’t you know? I am just Santa’s helper. I will keep on Delivering till 11PM and then we all meet up with Santa on top of Griffy hill.

He backs his sleigh up to the truck and takes all the rest of the packages and delivers them himself.”

So, the evening of Christmas Eve Katie and John and Skippy and their parents went to the town parade. They did some Christmas caroling and looked at all the lights in town.

Then John said “did you see that dark truck head up towards Griffy hill?” Katie Shrugged “Maybe it’s UPS going to meet with Santa” Their parents were busy chatting with Friends so in their snow boots and thick coats the three of them snuck up the hill. 

Sure enough, there was a bunch of brown trucks just sitting there and they waited and waited until they heard there parents calling.

Just as they turned to leave they heard that familiar “ho, ho, ho” and the jingle of bells. They watched the sleigh land in utter amazement. 

Mark really was Santa’s helper and all this time he had been bringing cookies for Skippy, Katie and Johny should have been leaving cookies for Mark…