It was the middle of December and Santa Claus had the flu. He had been sick for a week and had become very weak since he could not eat anything. To make things worse, Santa had just received a telephone call from his bossy aunt. You guessed it, she was coming to the North Pole to be his guest until Christmas. He was so mad that he wanted to sell his cell phone. Mrs. Claus told Santa, 'I’ve made up my mind and I’m not going to be her maid while she’s here.' Santa was so depressed that he had been in mourning since his aunt called this morning.

When Santa’s aunt knocked on the door, Santa said to one of his elves, 'Just let her in to my inn. She thinks it’s a hotel anyway.' Santa was really unhappy she was there. His aunt was always demanding and never seemed satisfied. 'So, are you going to sew my new suit?' Santa asked his aunt. 'I read that Santa always wears red,' his aunt said. 'I should not be getting broken gifts from you!' After hearing that, Santa just walked outside to the reindeer barn to get away from his aunt.

Santa walked back to the house. He was a little hungry so he decided to get some cookies that Mrs. Claus had just made. Santa was so mad he ate all of the cookies. He loved the fresh smell of new cookies. He thought it just made sense to smell cookie scents this time of year. The cookies made him feel a little better. He had other things on his mind. Santa became happy again.

He went into a daze thinking of the memories of the good old days. Those were the days where everything seemed to go right. He sure missed those days with no rain, sleet or mist. At least Mrs. Claus had leased Santa a new sled. This had saved Santa a lot of time because the sled had a break on the left rear brake. Santa knew he needed to be nice, especially to the new elves. He thought about how much joy Christmas brought to children. It was his favorite time of year.

Santa decided he needed to find a way to enjoy the holiday season despite his aunt's visit. He thought about all the fun activities he could do with the elves. 'My son, soon the sun will be going down,' Santa said to the oldest elf. 'Why don’t we go to the ice cream store?' The elves cheered at the idea. There’s nothing like a hot fudge sundae on a Sunday evening. They all laughed, feeling the Christmas spirit. Santa felt a little better.

While Santa and the elves were out, his aunt decided to explore the workshop. She saw the elves working hard and realized how much effort went into making Christmas special. She felt a little guilty for being so demanding. When Santa returned, she had a surprise for him. 'I’ve decided to help the elves with their work,' she said. Santa was shocked but pleased. Maybe his aunt wasn’t so bad after all.

Santa’s aunt started helping the elves in the workshop. She was surprisingly good at wrapping presents. The elves appreciated her help and Santa was grateful. Mrs. Claus even joined in, making cookies for everyone. The workshop was filled with laughter and joy. Santa felt the Christmas spirit growing stronger. He realized that even unexpected guests could bring happiness.

As Christmas Eve approached, the North Pole was buzzing with excitement. Santa’s aunt had become a part of the team. Santa was no longer worried about the flu or his aunt’s visit. He was ready to deliver joy to children around the world. On Christmas Eve, the sleigh was packed, and the reindeer were ready. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves waved goodbye as he flew into the night. It was a merry Christmas after all.