The evening had started as usual. Well, as usual as any Christmas Eve for a one-man round-the-world package delivery service. Better in fact, than the year before, probably because of the new Global Positioning System with "Naughty or Nice 5.0" software installed. Santa was all business though, stopping just long enough at each house to carefully place presents around the tree and enjoy a cookie and a glass of milk before being on his way. Of course some families were more generous than others, placing whole plates full of goodies out for the big elf. Not wanting to disappoint them, he felt obliged to leave the plates clean, even if that meant taking a few for the road. As the night progressed, however, a few here and a few there added up to quite a stash of sweet temptation. As he headed out over the Atlantic, the smell of those delightful morsels filled his nose and teased his stomach. "Just one," he thought as he placed a chocolate chip disc in his mouth. "Mmm, maybe one more…" Santa was in sight of land and could just make out the silhouette of a small New England town in the distance. "That looks like the place," he thought as he checked his instruments. He reached into his bag for one final treat, only to discover… "Crumbs!" The shock of his discovery was just wearing off as he arrived at the first house. Placing his right leg down the chimney, then his left, he lowered himself into the stone chute. But instead of the usual swift slide to the hearth below, Santa felt an unfamiliar friction around his midsection. "A little tight," he mumbled as he wiggled and pushed, trying to force his way down. His pride wouldn’t let him admit the obvious until it was too late. "I’m STUCK!" he exclaimed loudly enough to startle the resting reindeer. "But how could that be?" As if on cue, a gust of wind dislodged the empty bag from the seat of the sleigh, spilling crumbs on the rooftop. He couldn’t help laughing as Rudolph hooked the sleigh’s new winch onto his belt, "I must have eaten too many cookies!"