Looking for a Santa bedtime story for Christmas Eve? Every year Mateo leaves a glass of milk and three cookies by the fireplace, but this time Mateo decides to stay awake. At midnight, Santa comes out of the chimney, eats a cookie… and discovers that someone is watching from behind the sofa.
A Tiny Mango Christmas story for children aged 4 to 8, about the presents that don’t fit in a box. It takes about 5 minutes to read.
Mateo loved Christmas. He loved the twinkling lights in the streets, the smell of freshly baked cookies and the songs his grandma sang while they decorated the tree.
But there was one thing he loved more than anything else: seeing Santa.
Every Christmas Eve, Mateo left a glass of milk and three cookies by the fireplace. Then he climbed into bed and imagined what the man who traveled the whole world in a single night might be like.
“Do you think he can really come down the chimney?” Mateo asked Mom one afternoon.
“Santa has his own secrets,” she answered with a smile. “But you don’t need to solve every mystery to enjoy Christmas.”
Mateo wasn’t convinced. That night he decided he wouldn’t fall asleep until he saw Santa.
He put on his pajamas, brushed his teeth and snuggled under the blankets. He waited, listened to the wind, counted the stars he could see from the window and waited a little longer.
Mateo loved Christmas. She loved the twinkling lights in the streets, the smell of freshly baked cookies and the songs her grandma sang while they decorated the tree.
But there was one thing she loved more than anything else: seeing Santa.
Every Christmas Eve, Mateo left a glass of milk and three cookies by the fireplace. Then she climbed into bed and imagined what the man who traveled the whole world in a single night might be like.
“Do you think he can really come down the chimney?” Mateo asked Mom one afternoon.
“Santa has his own secrets,” she answered with a smile. “But you don’t need to solve every mystery to enjoy Christmas.”
Mateo wasn’t convinced. That night she decided she wouldn’t fall asleep until she saw Santa.
She put on her pajamas, brushed her teeth and snuggled under the blankets. She waited, listened to the wind, counted the stars she could see from the window and waited a little longer.
When the living room clock struck twelve, Mateo’s eyes flew open. It was midnight! He got up slowly, tiptoed down the hall and hid behind the sofa. From there he could see the fireplace and the Christmas tree.
Everything was silent. Suddenly, there was a sound on the roof: knock, knock, knock. Then came a jingle of little bells and a soft thump on the chimney.
A small cloud of sparkling dust drifted down the chimney. First a black boot appeared, then a leg in red cloth and, finally, a man with a white beard and a red suit stepped out of the fireplace!
When the living room clock struck twelve, Mateo’s eyes flew open. It was midnight! She got up slowly, tiptoed down the hall and hid behind the sofa. From there she could see the fireplace and the Christmas tree.
Everything was silent. Suddenly, there was a sound on the roof: knock, knock, knock. Then came a jingle of little bells and a soft thump on the chimney.
A small cloud of sparkling dust drifted down the chimney. First a black boot appeared, then a leg in red cloth and, finally, a man with a white beard and a red suit stepped out of the fireplace!
Mateo opened his mouth, but no words came out. Santa brushed the soot off his shoulders and looked around.
“Phew! This chimney is a little narrower than last year’s,” he whispered.
He went over to the tree and left a package under the branches. Then he picked up one of the cookies Mateo had left out, sniffed it and took a bite.
“Delicious,” he murmured.
Mateo couldn’t hold back.
“Are you really Santa?”
The man froze and slowly turned his head. There was Mateo, hiding behind the sofa, eyes as wide as saucers. For a few seconds, neither of them said a word.
“That depends. Who do you think I am?” Santa asked with a smile.
“The real one! I knew it,” Mateo whispered.
Mateo opened her mouth, but no words came out. Santa brushed the soot off his shoulders and looked around.
“Phew! This chimney is a little narrower than last year’s,” he whispered.
He went over to the tree and left a package under the branches. Then he picked up one of the cookies Mateo had left out, sniffed it and took a bite.
“Delicious,” he murmured.
Mateo couldn’t hold back.
“Are you really Santa?”
The man froze and slowly turned his head. There was Mateo, hiding behind the sofa, eyes as wide as saucers. For a few seconds, neither of them said a word.
“That depends. Who do you think I am?” Santa asked with a smile.
“The real one! I knew it,” Mateo whispered.
Santa came over and sat on the edge of the sofa.
“And why are you still awake, little one?”
“I wanted to see you. Every year I try to imagine what you’re like, but nobody can tell me.”
Santa stroked his beard.
“And what were you expecting to find?”
“Maybe someone who could do everything. Someone who never made mistakes and knew exactly which present every child needed,” Mateo answered.
Santa let out a soft chuckle.
“If I were like that, I wouldn’t need so many elves to help me!”
Mateo laughed.
“So you make mistakes too?”
“Of course. Sometimes I land on the wrong roof, the reindeer get nervous and once a polar bear ran off with my bag of candy.”
Mateo had to cover his mouth so as not to wake Mom and Dad. Santa stood up and swung his sack over his shoulder.
“Now I must continue my journey. There are lots of children waiting.”
Santa came over and sat on the edge of the sofa.
“And why are you still awake, little one?”
“I wanted to see you. Every year I try to imagine what you’re like, but nobody can tell me.”
Santa stroked his beard.
“And what were you expecting to find?”
“Maybe someone who could do everything. Someone who never made mistakes and knew exactly which present every child needed,” Mateo answered.
Santa let out a soft chuckle.
“If I were like that, I wouldn’t need so many elves to help me!”
Mateo laughed.
“So you make mistakes too?”
“Of course. Sometimes I land on the wrong roof, the reindeer get nervous and once a polar bear ran off with my bag of candy.”
Mateo had to cover her mouth so as not to wake Mom and Dad. Santa stood up and swung his sack over his shoulder.
“Now I must continue my journey. There are lots of children waiting.”
Mateo had one last question.
“How do you know which presents each child needs?”
Santa thought for a moment.
“Presents are a lovely part of Christmas. But some things don’t fit in a box: sharing, listening, forgiving and making someone feel loved.”
Mateo thought about his little sister, who was always asking him to play, and about Grandma, who got sad when nobody listened to her stories.
“I think I understand,” said Mateo.
Santa smiled.
“Then you’ve already received a present tonight.”
Before leaving, he took a tiny silver bell out of his pocket and handed it to Mateo.
“So you’ll remember tonight.”
“Will I see you again next year?” asked Mateo.
“If you’re awake, maybe not. But that doesn’t mean I’m not close by,” Santa replied with a wink.
Mateo had one last question.
“How do you know which presents each child needs?”
Santa thought for a moment.
“Presents are a lovely part of Christmas. But some things don’t fit in a box: sharing, listening, forgiving and making someone feel loved.”
Mateo thought about her little sister, who was always asking her to play, and about Grandma, who got sad when nobody listened to her stories.
“I think I understand,” said Mateo.
Santa smiled.
“Then you’ve already received a present tonight.”
Before leaving, he took a tiny silver bell out of his pocket and handed it to Mateo.
“So you’ll remember tonight.”
“Will I see you again next year?” asked Mateo.
“If you’re awake, maybe not. But that doesn’t mean I’m not close by,” Santa replied with a wink.
Then he went back up the chimney. The jingle of the bells faded across the roof, and the house was quiet again.
Mateo went back to his room, put the little bell on the nightstand and snuggled under the blankets. That Christmas he had discovered a wonderful secret: Santa wasn’t perfect, didn’t know everything and couldn’t do it all without help. But he had an enormous heart.
The next morning, Mateo found the presents under the tree. His little sister opened the drawing Mateo had made for her and hugged him so tight it almost took his breath away.
“It’s the best present in the world!” she cried.
Mateo smiled. The magic of that night was still there, not in the sack of presents or the little bells, but in the joy of sharing something lovely with the people he loved. And from then on, every Christmas Eve, Mateo kept leaving three cookies by the fireplace, just in case.
Then he went back up the chimney. The jingle of the bells faded across the roof, and the house was quiet again.
Mateo went back to her room, put the little bell on the nightstand and snuggled under the blankets. That Christmas she had discovered a wonderful secret: Santa wasn’t perfect, didn’t know everything and couldn’t do it all without help. But he had an enormous heart.
The next morning, Mateo found the presents under the tree. Her little sister opened the drawing Mateo had made for her and hugged her so tight it almost took her breath away.
“It’s the best present in the world!” she cried.
Mateo smiled. The magic of that night was still there, not in the sack of presents or the little bells, but in the joy of sharing something lovely with the people she loved. And from then on, every Christmas Eve, Mateo kept leaving three cookies by the fireplace, just in case.
Story written by Mónica and Ricard
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