In a town by the coast, where the silver waves crashed,
On the shingles of the bay, the motion unabashed.
Ne'er a peep was heard from the roads or the homes,
Whether chatter between friends, or whispered tones.
The frost and the ice began to set on the street,
Fireplaces glowing in homes for some heat.
All was quiet in the town, all activity stopped,
That is, except in Mr Harvey's workshop.

Though the workers were all fast asleep in the dorm,
Mr Harvey in his chamber, as was the norm.
Only one resident was awake on this night,
As shown by the two blue beacons of light.
Some steam was exhaled, and she heaved a small sigh,
As the snow began falling from the indigo sky.
She walked to the window, and looked to the clouds,
Before she heard something surprisingly loud.

A crash from up above, and hooves all a-clatter,
Shuffles that almost made the roof shingles scatter.
With that, the robot headed towards the rooftop,
Hoping that the calamity was easy to stop.
Right there, on the roof, it was a sorry sight.
Oh, a calamity! A blunder! A plight!
A broken sleigh with black smoke trailing high
And unhitched reindeer, seeming to look to the sky.
Sprocket Harvey, the inventor's mechanical daughter,
Moved closer to help; she felt that she'd oughta.

She saw something move, amidst the smoke and debris,
It was a man, dressed in furs, on his bent knee.
His eyes were like stars, though they held worry.
His beard, hair and fur-trim like the wintry flurry.
With a brow quirked, Sprocket drew near,
Drawing the attention of the startled deer.
They all looked closer at the automaton girl,
As the wind began to glow, ruffling her brown curls.

"Do you need a hand, sir?" Sprocket then spoke,
"I wouldn't wanna leave ya when your sleigh is broke."
Stunned, the driver lifted his gaze,
To see the female standing in the icy cold haze.

Her hat black as soot, her markings were gold,
Blue eyes just like lanterns, her stare warm- not cold.
Snow on her shawl, with hands made of tin,
A young-looking face of delicate porcelain.
Her black rubber lips in a gentle smile,
The driver saw she was unlike any other child.

"If you could help, young one, that would be grand"
He replied, followed by a laugh from the man.
Sprocket gave him a nod, then darted away,
Coming back with a toolbox from earlier that day.
Without hesitation, she knelt by the sleigh,
Meticulously working on it right away.
She heard the man helping, glancing up once or twice,
Both turning it upright, not slipping on the ice.

"Thank you, dear Sprocket" the driver was pleased.
Sprocket just smiled, seeming almost at ease.
As soon as she looked ,she knew in a tick,
This wasn't just a driver; this was Saint Nick!
But what had happened to cause such a mishap?
She then realised that the reigns on the reindeer had snapped.
She counted the deer, feeling something amiss,
Then sighed out some steam with a soft-sounding hiss.

"I see that you've noticed" Saint Nick then did say,
"That two of the deer have gotten away.
At the crash, they both managed to bite through the leather,
It was a struggle to keep the remainder of them together.
Without Rudolph's light, we cannot see the way.
I fear time will run out before Christmas Day."

Sprocket thought for a moment, her eyes then grew wide.
She turned to him, with an expression of pride.
"I could be your light, and help find the way!
And help with deliveries! What do ya say?"
Before Santa could protest, the robot girl did plead;
"It's the least I could do in your hour of need!"

"Well, alright, my dear" Santa said with a smile.
"It would be nice to have some company for a while."
Both hitching the deer up once again
(Keeping them together was almost a pain.)
Santa then clambered in, securing the gift sack,
Sprocket joining him when the tools were put back.

With her eyes aglow, Sprocket called the directions,
Towards the first house with upmost perfection.
They flew through the snow which was falling faster,
hoping that this wouldn't spell another disaster.
Santa vanished into the chimney in a magical mist,
Making the delivery, crossing the name of the list.
He returned to the sleigh, where all of them waited.
"Onto the next house!" Santa then stated.

The next house, Sprocket was allowed to go in,
As gifts were secured in her hands of tin.
Santa then waved his hand, Sprocket waiting with glee,
As she entered -in a cloud of steam- down the chimney.

She filled up the stockings, and knelt by the tree,
Looking over her shoulder, in case anyone would see.
Instead of Santa, a robot was there,
Seeing the residents frightened was something she couldn't bear.
Fetching the carrots, cookies and drink,
Sprocket exited the house, quick as a wink.
She pulled her gloves tighter, and adjusted her hat,
The food was eaten, drink drained in seconds flat.

All through the night, the team worked at top speed,
Delivering the gifts to those good and in need.
From Europe to Japan, America and Spain,
They worked, and searched, but it was all in vain.
Rudolph and Dancer were still not located.
Sprocket could tell Santa and the deer were agitated.

She peeked over the side of the sleigh to look around,
Seeing they were flying over grassy Scottish ground.
Her optics glowed bright as she peered through the storm,
Finding something grazing; it had an antlered form.

With a gasp of surprise, she said, "Look! Down there!"
And pointing to the thing- which looked up to stare,
At the two pilots in the cloudy sky- its red nose shining in the night,
The deer's companion backing up in fright.

The sleigh landed safely, other deer looking curious,
Out stepped the two drivers; both looked so mysterious.
Rudolph recognised Santa, though the company was new.
The help looked so scary; they weren't sure what to do.

"Rudolph! Dancer!" Santa then cried.
"Thank goodness! We looked for you far and wide!
Now come on back, it's almost Christmas morning,
and we don't want to be sighted at dawning!"
Neither of them moved, both staring at Saint Nick.
Their eyes were bright, and occasionally a flick
Came from their ears, the pair on alert,
Their hooves softly tapping and scraping the dirt.

Sprocket dimmed her optics, silent as a tomb,
Under the faded light of the moon.
When Dancer saw her step closer, the movement so slight,
The two deer backed away into the shadows of the night.
A mournful whine left Sprocket's mouth,
The guilt and fear made her ticker go down south.
With her arms 'round herself, she felt herself shiver.
She felt her eyes tear up, and her bottom lip quiver.

"Sprocket, dear child, do not be upset.
They're naturally cautious, no need to fret."
Santa's hand on her shoulder, Sprocket raised her head,
Wiping a stray tear, still feeling mild dread.
The two looked up, seeing the red light,
The deer were frozen, as if in fright.

Santa waited in the dark, Sprocket waiting by an oak.
Neither of them moved, neither even spoke.
Sprocket held in her hand a lasso made of cable,
Swinging it as much as the robot was able.

Around the antlers of one, the lasso was pulled taut,
The deer stumbled slightly; it knew it was caught.
It followed the robot back to the sleigh,
Where Santa hitched it up with its herd right away.

Now for the one with a nose of red light,
Sprocket tied the slip-knot, made sure it was just right.
She then lay in wait by the nearby brush,
Her optics were focused, her gears now hushed.

As Rudolph got closer, she swung for her prize,
With luck, it looped on, much to Rudolph's surprise.
He saw Sprocket come closer while coiling the hose,
All he did was blink, and twinkle his nose.
A hand was then placed on top of his head,
Gently petting him to ease his dread.

Walking back, Rudolph made one last protest;
He looked at the moon, and puffed up his chest.
Kicking off from the dirt, he took to the stars,
Neither him or young Sprocket were left on the grass.
Sprocket gasped, and then gave a giggle,
Holding onto her hat, and the cord when it wiggled.

She firmly but gently steered him back to Saint Nick,
Who -after they landed- took the cable's end quick.
Hitching Rudolph to the reigns, Santa then laughed,
At the reindeer's antics; so brief, yet so daft.

The team got ready and flew back to the coast,
Moving swiftly and silently, unseen just like ghosts.
Back to the shop, the night melting to dawn.
He let Sprocket exit, the girl giving a soft yawn.

"That was amazing" Sprocket quietly said.
She shook her hat free of snow, putting it back on her head.

"I'm glad you enjoyed this" Santa said in reply.
"And to thank you, take this to remember us by.
It will remind you of the kindness you showed to me,
And how you battled so fearlessly.
You helped save Christmas for children around the world.
You're an angel, Sprocket, a fantastic young girl."

He reached into his sack, and pulled out a bell.
Silver and shiny, small enough to be held.
Sprocket cupped it in her hands, thumb on the rim,
Again and again, Sprocket thanked him.
He laughed once more, with his trademark twinkle,
In his eyes, as the bell gave out a small jingle.

Sprocket shook Santa's hand, before making it back inside,
To her bedroom window, her smile happy and wide.
Waving to Santa and the reindeer, while they took to the sky,
Santa boomed "Merry Christmas!" and bid her goodbye.
The robot laid in bed, the bell beneath her pillow,
Polishing off her hot oil, as the winter wind billowed.
Laying back, she thought of the night she just had,
Soon powering off to sleep, feeling calm and glad.

Bells rang through her dreams, as did Saint Nick's laughter,
That Christmas Eve was better than any story she sought after.
No more than a few hours after, Sprocket did awake.
She puffed out some steam, gave her head a little shake.
A snowy sweater over her pyjamas, she went down the stair,
To find her creator and the workers awaiting her there.

As she knelt by the tree in the morning sun's ray,
The robot girl heard the bells, chiming out for Christmas Day

~THE END~