Local children ponder Santa’s magic

Published 12:00 am Friday, December 23, 2011

Ashlyn Kilpatrick ponders just how Santa gets down the chimney. | Stephanie Nelson/Star-News

Take the imagination of a typical elementary school child, add the question about Santa’s physically-impossible job and what do you get? Pure magical answers.The Star-News staff asked area students, “Do you ever wonder just how the Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick fits down a chimney, what if you don’t have a chimney, and the biggest dilemma of all, how does he get back up?”Alyssa Richardson had the typical girl answer – it’s all about the shoes.“He has something on his feet so he can just slide down and walk up the inside of the chimney,” she said. “Like special, super-dooper boots.”Austin Fountain thought for a full minute before explaining it with such clarity.“He’s got Christmas magic,” he said. “When he stands on top of the chimney, it gets really, really big and he just floats down it. If there’s a fire, he makes it go out. He does his thing and shoots back up. There you go.”Alana Wheeler said it was a “skill he was born with.”