Santa was worried about Rudolph. “He’s got a fever and no energy. I don’t see how he’ll be able to guide my sleigh tonight. And Dasher, Dancer, and Blitzen are complaining of headaches and sore throats. Where am I going to find a veterinarian at the North Pole? And even if there was a vet, I’m the only one making house calls tonight!” 

Santa felt a tug on his beard, and looked down to see an elf handing him a book. “Here’s a copy of Where There Is No Animal Doctor/ Handbook of Animal Health. It’s available in English, Spanish, French, Lao, Chinese and Burmese — but not yet in Finnish or Sami (Lapland’s indigenous language). Farmers and herders have used this book for years to keep their animals healthy and ensure their livelihoods.”

A few hours later. Santa ecstatically told his elf: “Every reindeer is beginning to feel better! That Handbook of Animal Health is a lifesaver!” 

The elf replied: “Glad it helped. But they’d all be a lot healthier if you improved their diet and made the stable a more weatherproof place to live. And stop subcontracting to Amazon — they treat their elves and reindeer really badly!”

Find lots of great gift ideas at www.hesperian.org, and get a 30% discount now through the end of January with the code Holiday 30.