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Question Game: Steam Santa

Every year the children of New Babbage look forward to the annual visit from Steam Santa and his sooty sidekick Boiler Elf. But seriously folks, what is the full story here?

What are the origins of these characters, where do they come from, and what else do you know about them?

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7 Comments

  1. Avariel Falcon Avariel Falcon November 18, 2012

    In the power station archives there is this old poem, but I think some artistic license was in play with the description:

     

    ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

    Not a creature was stirring, not even a clank;

    The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

    In hopes that Steam Santa soon would be there;

    The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

    While visions of steam-engines danced in their heads;

    And mamma in her goggles, and I in my cap,

    Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,

    When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

    I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

    Away to the window I flew like a flash,

    Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

    The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

    Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

    But a gigantic sleigh, and eight clockwork reindeer,

    With a jolly old driver, all covered in soot

    I knew in that moment who it must be.

    More rapid than airships his engines they came,

    And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

    “Now, Sooty! now, Smoky! now, Steamy and Sparky!

    On, Piston! on Sprocket! on, Clanker and Klaxon!

    To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

    Now full steam away! Away! Away all!”

    As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

    When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

    So up to the house-top the engines they flew,

    With the sleigh full of toys, and Steam Santa too.

    And then, in a whoosh, I heard on the roof

    The clanking and clanging of each iron hoof.

    As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

    Down the chimney Steam Santa came in with a bound.

    He was dressed all in leather, from his head to his foot,

    And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

    A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

    And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

    His eyes — how they twinkled! his goggles so shiny!

    His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

    His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

    And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

    The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

    And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

    He had a broad face and a little round belly,

    That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

    He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

    A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

    Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

    And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

    And pulling a leaver; then twisting a valve,

    And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

    He flew to his sleigh, and stoked up the boiler,

    And away they all flew with a great rush of steam.

    But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

     

    “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.” 

     

  2. Loki Eliot Loki Eliot November 18, 2012

    i think i rememebr a story told …. went something like this…

     

    Before New Babbage was built a Man named Mr Nickle ran a mining operation either somewhere under the current city, or possibly in the hills of Bump. It was during a particulary hard year when a mysterious illness swept through Mr Nickles miners just before christmas who became to weak to go down the mines, so Mr Nickle demanded their children be sent down the mines to do extra hours and keep progress on track.

    But allas a tradegy struck when the mine collapsed trapping those children underground. All thought them surely dead, all accept Mr Nickle who with a tramendous feeling of guilt worked hard to send food and gifts down into the mine through a small hole for the children while men dug down to rescue them.

    When they finally reached the trapped children it was too late and they had all died. Mr Nickle overcome with guilt ran into the hills.

    Now there are varying ideas of what happend next. Some say Mr Nickle fell into a lake and sank tot he bottom where he found an passaage to an underground cave housing an entire city of industrial Elves.

    Another tale is that ran to the highest peak to have an argument with god but instead found a entire town of industrial Elves.

    And there is also the one where Mr Nickle was caught in a tornado and ended up in a magical land where he found an entire village of indutrial Elves.

    What ever the tale, it all ended the same, Mr Nickle struck up a contract to use the Elves technological marvels to give joy to all children of New Babbage every christmas for ever more. Im sure there is something about coal meaning something related to mining and warmth and repaying debts and such.

    • Bookworm Hienrichs Bookworm Hienrichs November 19, 2012

      Oh, I love this, Loki! *grin*

  3. Mr Tenk Mr Tenk November 19, 2012

    One must never lie to Steam Santa when one goes to visit him upon his throne, for Boiler Elf is always present at his left hand, sometimes visible, sometimes not. Boiler Elf wears magical goggles that not only hide his large scary yellow eyes, but allow him to tell if you are telling the truth or not (although others will say the lenses are not magical at all, but so cunningly ground that they allow him to see a person’s bioelectromagnetic field, which flares when someone tells a lie). Boiler Elf will always appear (if he is not there already) to report that Steam Santa is dealing with a liar.

    • Loki Eliot Loki Eliot November 19, 2012

      This is exciting news, becasue it means that it might be possible to block the boiler elves ability to detect my lies using some kind of blinding ray!

  4. Tepic Harlequin Tepic Harlequin November 19, 2012

    Sometime in the far distant past Steam Santa must have been an urchin, as the street urchins know that he can tell the difference between being naughty and sometimes doing what one has to do to survive in this sooty City…..

  5. Breezy Carver Breezy Carver November 23, 2012

    hey did anyone catch Elf on a shelf?
    There is a cute game flight training
    Go elfonashelf.com
    Scroll down to the right
    See elf flight training :)

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