The Year Without a Santa Claus

Santa wakes with a cold in early December. A Christmas elf doctor sarcastically says that nobody cares about Christmas like they used to. Consequently, Santa decides to forego his annual Christmas Eve journey.

Mrs. Claus enlists Jingle and Jangle, two elves, to seek evidence of Christmas spirit. She hopes their findings might rekindle Santa's resolve. Their mission marks the beginning of the search for belief in Yuletide magic.

Jingle and Jangle depart with Vixen, Santa's youngest reindeer, for a town called Southtown in the Southern United States. Their goal is to find signs of Christmas spirit there. The journey takes them away from the North Pole.

In Southtown, Vixen is detained by a dog catcher and taken to the local pound. The detention creates an obstacle to their plan. The elves scramble to recover her.

Santa travels to Southtown in disguise under the name Klaus to locate Vixen. There he meets a boy named Ignatius Iggy Thistlewhite and his family. The encounter sets the stage for a local alliance.

Ignatius Iggy Thistlewhite realizes the visitor is Santa Claus. He decides to help the elves in their quest. The boy's decision links the townspeople to the rescue effort.

Jingle, Jangle, and Iggy visit the town's mayor. The mayor agrees to release Vixen if they can make it snow in Southtown. The plan hinges on conjuring winter weather.

Mrs. Claus asks Snow Miser to dispatch snow to Southtown. Snow Miser explains he cannot oblige because Southtown lies in Heat Miser's domain. The request triggers a tangle of elemental politics.

The brothers' negotiation stalls when Heat Miser insists on a further demand: Snow Miser must surrender the North Pole. Neither brother will concede. Mrs. Claus notes they will have to look higher for a solution.

Mrs. Claus decides to go over their heads and seeks an audience with Mother Nature. She travels to Mother Nature's realm to plead the case. The quest shifts from direct negotiation to cosmic mediation.

At Mother Nature's house, Mrs. Claus discusses the crisis with the deity. Mother Nature summons Snow Miser and Heat Miser to her presence. She urges a peaceful resolution.

Mother Nature persuades the two brothers to reach a compromise: Snow Miser will allow snow in Southtown, and Heat Miser will permit one warm day at the North Pole. The arrangement balances the weather for Christmas plans. The world inches toward a solution.

As Christmas approaches, children around the world send presents that generate worldwide headlines. The outpouring of generosity touches Santa and renews his resolve. The holiday spirit seems to revive the plan for Santa's journey.

Moved by the season's goodwill, Santa decides to resume his journey. He readies his sleigh for a worldwide trip on Christmas Eve. The decision signals the return of Christmas magic.

Mrs. Claus remarks that 'yearly, newly, faithfully and truly, somehow Santa Claus always comes.' The line caps the story's message about enduring Christmas spirit. It emphasizes Santa's inevitable arrival.