Britney

=**Britney** = = =

Two hours later, the Traveling Elf arrived to Britney’s house. Exhausted from all of the traffic congestion, he asked to take a nap before dinner. Britney showed him to the guest room and helped him to bed. The bed was too high for the elf. So Britney’s father promised to get a step ladder for the elf to use during his stay with them. The Traveling Elf smiled and thanked everyone for being so pleasant to him. The elf was afraid that everyone would tease him because of his height, only two feet tall. The next morning, Britney and the elf had breakfast with the entire family. Britney’s mother prepared their favorite family breakfast meal for the Traveling Elf. She served scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages with gravy, fluffy buttermilk pancakes with strawberry syrup, orange juice and milk. The Traveling Elf’s nose began to twitch and his feet started dancing. Everyone at the table started laughing. Britney laughed so hard that she fell out of her chair. “What’s the matter?",asked Britney. The elf said whenever he feels exuberantly happy his nose twitches and his feet start dancing. Then he devoured eight pancakes, five sausages with gravy, three servings of eggs, and two quarts of orange juice. Britney just sat in astonishment!

After helping Mom clear the table, Britney and the Traveling Elf went outside to play. It had started snowing the night before and the weather forecast predicted snowfall for the next twenty-four hours. The Traveling Elf started to cry because the snow reminded him of Santa Claus and his elf family. Britney asked him to help her build a snowman. Even though,the elf was born in the North Pole, he had never built a snowman. In the North Pole, elves work around the clock making toys for all of the good little girls and boys around the world. There is never time for fun and games. After hearing this, Britney invited the elf to stay with her until the snow melted and the elf agreed. They played outside in the snow for hours! Their first snowman was dressed in a big red baseball cap and a wide checkered-board blue scarf. He had two large branches for arms, and two gigantic black buttons for eyes. Britney’s father was about to take a photo of the snowman when the elf screamed, “Something is missing.” “He needs a nose,” Britney said. The two of them dashed towards the house,and suddenly the unthinkable happened. The Traveling Elf fell into a tiny hole filled with cold water. The ice covering the hole had cracked from the weight of the snow above it. Britney tried to catch him, but she just couldn’t reach him in time. The hole wasn’t very deep, however, because of the elf’s size he was submerged in the pool of cold water. Britney pulled him out and wrapped his tiny body in her scarf. She rushed in the house, helped the elf change into night clothes, and then tucked him in bed.

For days, the Traveling Elf laid in bed sick with a bad cold. Britney’s sister Pebbles helped nurse the elf back to health. Once the elf was healthy again, Pebbles played with the elf while Britney was in school. Pebbles had a favorite toy, a pet dinosaur, which the elf admired. So she gave the pet dinosaur to her new friend, the Traveling Elf.

It was time for the elf to visit another one of Britney’s classmates. When he arrived at Kellam High School, students who participate in ePals projects agreed the elf should visit everyone before he returned home. Mom shouted to everyone that it had started snowing again, which caused the elf to be delayed for another five days. Instead of going back outside to play, they remained inside and made gingerbread houses, milk shakes, and snow cones. Dad lit the fireplace, and they roasted marshmallows while he read Dr. Seuss stories.

One of Britney's favorite Dr. Seuss books is **I Can Draw It Myself by Me, Myself,** a coloring book. In the coloring book, Dr. Seuss didn't finish a picture of Fred so Britney helped him out and she drew Fred a head. Then Britney and the Traveling Elf colored the picture of Fred together. When they had finished coloring the picture, Britney gave it to the elf as a friendship keepsake. The Traveling Elf tucked Fred in his backpack and kissed Britney good-bye. Britney had already texted Stephanie to inform her that the Traveling Elf was on his way.

