The celebratory atmosphere of the season persisted despite the brisk winter afternoon, when the chill in the air penetrated even the thickest of garments. Children played outside, relishing in the last few days of their winter break, as last-minute holiday shoppers hustled through the little town’s streets. One of the younger ones, Emily, couldn’t have been older than eight, and she was riding her brand-new bicycle—her favorite Christmas present—among them. As she pedaled down the sidewalk, the fresh snow crunching beneath her tires, her bright cheeks gleamed with joy.
Emily’s bicycle was a vibrant, glossy pink color, and it had a charming little basket on the front and streamers on the handlebars. She flew around in a zoom, seeing herself going on fantastic journeys and transforming the peaceful streets into an exciting new universe. She was not really observing her surroundings when she abruptly heard a deep voice call out, which made her stop and look up.
The voice roared gleefully, “Well, well, what do we have here?”
Emily looked up, her eyes going wide, and saw a policeman riding a horse, towering over her like a gigantic. In the community, the officer—Officer Jenkins—was well-known. His wide smile often alarmed people’s fears, and everyone knew the magnificent brown horse he rode. Together, the horse and rider, dubbed Thunder, became a familiar sight on the town’s streets.
“Did Santa get you that bike?” With a tinge of authority mixed with kindness, Officer Jenkins posed the question.
Emily nodded excitedly, still a little shocked but also a little proud of her Christmas present. She beamingly said, “Yes, Santa brought it for me!”
The officer stroked his chin thoughtfully as he took a moment to study the bike. His smile faded a little bit and he remarked, “Well, you’d better tell Santa to put a reflector light on it next year.” “That’s the law, you understand.”
Officer Jenkins took his notepad out of his coat pocket and jotted down a note before Emily could reply. Tearing off the paper, he gave it to her with a practised earnestness. “I fear you won’t have that reflector, so I’m going to have to fine you $5.”
Emily cast a bewildered glance at the piece of paper. A penalty? for utilizing her Christmas bicycle? She grabbed the slip from him with a small tremor on her bottom lip. She glanced at the ticket in her tiny hands, her once-bright smile disappearing.
However, Emily was a perceptive and witty young child. Not even a police officer astride a massive horse could scare her. With a narrowed expression, her blue eyes, innocent, stared up at Officer Jenkins. She questioned, her face lit up with a cheeky smile, “Nice horse you got there, Officer. Did Santa bring you that item?
Clearly charmed by the small girl’s spiritedness, the policeman laughed. He responded, giving Thunder a gentle pat on the neck, “He sure did!” With a snort, the horse let out cloudy breath in the chilly air.
Emily pretended to consider the problem carefully as she tipped her head slightly. “Well, next year, tell Santa that the d*ck goes under the horse, not on top of it!” she added, flashing him a cunning smile that only a cunning child could pull off.
The world appeared to stop for a brief moment. As the officer realized what she had said, the amused look on his face gave way to one of disbelief and authority. There was a moment of astonished quiet as his jaw fell a little. After hearing the conversation, the surrounding shoppers started to giggle, and soon the whole street was filled with laughing.
Emily grinned from ear to ear, delighted with her swift recovery. Her five-dollar fine didn’t seem like such a big deal at this point.
Recovering from shock, Officer Jenkins couldn’t help but laugh too—albeit awkwardly. Tipping his cap to Emily, he shook his head. “You have a lot of mouth on you, young man,” he continued to smile. “I’ll inform Santa,”
The officer continued to chuckle to himself as the horse galloped off down the street after he gave Thunder a light prod. Emily felt triumphant as she watched them go. Sensing she had outwitted the town’s toughest cop, she put the fine into her coat pocket and got back on her bike, cycling off into the cold streets with a sense of accomplishment.
And after that, Officer Jenkins would always make sure to stay on Emily’s good side by tipping his hat and grinning anytime he spotted her riding her bike.
