"Next!'' Santa shouted.

Tarribulum entered the room. Santa gestured for him to sit on the chair. He sat.

Santa began to interview him and started with "as you know, all my elves have quit the job because they say it's getting too boring and the salary was too low, so I'm going to raise the salary and make it $10,000 a year. You get all three meals but you do have to pay the rent to live in the dormitories. Now enough talk about that, let me get to your interview. What is your name?'' "Tarribulum,'' he replied.

"Age?'' "101.'' "Hmmm, young. Oh, I didn't catch your surname.'' "Harrids.'' I think I had an elf whose last name was Harrids. His first name was Gorian.

Do you have any relatives?'' "Yes, he was my uncle.'' Santa thought Tarribulum was going to be a trouble-maker. He had to fire Gorian because he was a trouble-maker too.

"Excuse me Santa, but I have to go.'' "Ummm, one more question, how long have you been in training to be an elf?'' "Twenty years.'' "Wait one minute, aren't you supposed to be in training for 25 years?'' "Yes, but I was really good so they let me go early and I graduated with a Masters.'' Wait a sec, I just want to ask you one more question and I promise that this is the last. Do you have a brother or a sister?'' "None, I'm an only child.'' "Oh well, thank you for coming and I'll post up the names of the new elves tomorrow.'' "Bye.'' "Bye.'' Tarribulum was out of Santa's office and walking down the hallway. He was thinking about how Santa actually helped him when he said he was an only child. He actually had a twin brother name Horrowitz. They are a pretty good team together. They could cause any kind of trouble they wanted but Tarribulum stopped thinking about that and was thinking which pastry he could get in the coffee shop where he was meeting his brother.

"Hey bro, it went pretty well,'' Tarribulum said. "And Santa said that he'll post up the names of the new elves tomorrow''.

Tarribulum sat down and ordered a doughnut. Horrowitz pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. On the piece of paper was a map of the world. On the world were x's in certain countries which include Bermuda, Venezuela, Belize, Zimbabwe, Poland, Thailand, New Zealand and Mongolia.

"I've marked out the countries we don't want to give presents to,'' Horrowitz pointed out.

"Wait a sec, how come you marked out Bermuda? I thought you liked Bermuda.

You said to me it was THE place to get a tan,'' Tarribulum said.

"I did, but I didn't like the children. They were too polite. They even asked me if I wanted their seat on the bus because I was standing. I felt very old because you only do that to old people and I'm only 101,'' protested Horrowitz.

"Well, we need to teach them a lesson. No one is supposed to give their seat up for anybody, especially old folks'' replied Tarribulum.

"What we need to do is... bzzzzzzz...bzzzzzzz...'' THE NEXT DAY "Well, today's the day Santa posts up the names of the new elves,'' Tarribulum said.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go and see if your name is there. I'll be waiting in the sleigh,'' Horrowitz replied.

"Okay, okay, but remember Horrowitz, stay out of sight,'' reminded Tarribulum.

So off he went to check if he was one of the new elves.

When he got there he was very surprised to see his name on the list. He thought his name wouldn't be on because of his Uncle Gorian. When he said to his brother it went pretty well, he was lying, so he went back to tell his brother the good news.

He found his brother lying on his back reading under a blanket. He thought his brother was just like himself, to be reading, not even hiding. I mean, anybody could lift up that blanket and find his twin brother reading on his back and the whole scheme would be ruined by him.

"Did you get in? Did you get in? Tell me, tell me please!'' asked Horrowitz.

"All right, if you really want to know the sad truth, I got in!'' Tarribulum answered.

"That's wonderful, now we can do all the good deeds we have been wanting to do right,'' exclaimed Horrowitz.

"Good deeds, I thought we were going to do...'' "Shhhhhhh, there are people over there listening. I know we are going to do bad deeds. I was just being sarcastic,'' Horrowitz said.

"Oh well anyway, the bulletin board said that we start work tomorrow,'' answered Tarribulum.

THE NEXT DAY "Hear ye, hear ye, come one, come all, come to the meeting hall,'' Santa shouted.

Everybody was milling around trying to find a seat.

"Please be seated,'' Santa said. "I have to tell you who will be working at what toy station. But before that, I have to tell you how the machines work and what they do.

"There are two countries to one machine so there are about 100 machines. I'm only guessing.

"This is how it works. You have to press a button called start and then you have to wait for fifteen minutes for it to warm up. Once it has warmed up you will each have a list of how many things (such as teddy bears) the country needs. There are buttons with a picture of the things needed and there is something like a calculator on it. What you do with the calculator is punch in the number of things needed for that country. So this is just a recap of everything I said: First, push start button, then push the picture button of the thing needed. Finally, push in how many things needed. I forgot to tell you something what you are there for is to check if everything is okay. Like if the machine goes bonkers then you fix it and I'm sure you know how to fix everything from your training in the school. Thank you for your attention and co-operation and now my helpers will call out the names of the toy machine you will be working at.'' "Thank you Santa, but Santa, you forgot to say something, but that's all right, I will say it for you. What Santa forgot to say was there will be three to a machine. Now I will read out the names of the elves who will be working at what machine. Tarribulum, Harriods, Neo Getto, and Pina Sharp will be working at the United States and Canada machine,''...etc. Santa's helper said.

"Rats,'' Tarribulum said to himself. "I wish I got the Bermuda machine.'' THAT NIGHT Tarribulum thought this is the night we are going to destroy the Bermuda machine. Horrowitz and I said let's forget those other countries and just concentrate on Bermuda.

He thought this is going to be one heck of a plan. I mean, what can be more better than me sleeping in my dormitory and Horrowitz doing all the dirty for me. It's to look like I'm not the one vandalising the machine. Anyway, I better get some shut-eye to look like I'm asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING Santa called everybody to the meeting hall to have a discussion about the vandalising of the Bermuda and Jamaica machine.

"As you all have probably heard, there has been an elf or elves that have been vandalising one of my machines,'' Santa said.

Tarribulum snuck out of the hall to see what his brother did and when he got there, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was torn into shreds and not only just unbolted so somebody couldn't fix it, it was cut into little tiny pieces and thrown all over the floor. Tarribulum even noticed that some expensive pieces were missing. He thought about Horrowitz had one was what he called a masterpiece but it was so beautiful that he was shaky all over. He ran back to the hall and snuck back in.

Santa's lecture was over and he finally said, "who did it?'' Tarribulum was so shook up that he said, "It was my brother, it was my brother.'' Everybody turned their eyes to him and stared at him.

Santa finally said, "I thought you said you don't have a brother or a sister.'' Tarribulum answered. "I lied. I do have a brother but I don't have a sister.

My brother's name is Horrowitz. We were planning a scheme together. We were planning not to send presents to Bermuda because we didn't like the kids. It was working, but now I opened my big mouth and it's all over. I'm very, very sorry and now I suppose we have to go to the elf jail for 100 years.'' "I'm afraid you and your brother have to go to jail double the amount you said because you stole some of our precious piece from the toy machine,'' Santa replied.

And so the Evil Elf Twins stayed at the prison for much longer than 200 years.

They stayed for the rest of their humble lives. As for Santa and his elves, there was much more trouble caused by Tarribulum and Horrowitz's cousins.

UNDER-18 RUNNER-UP -- Michelle Outerbridge.