The holidays can be a tough time for a lot of people, especially now that many of us are more isolated than ever. If you need someone to talk to you, I can't recommend our sponsor. Better help. Enough, better help. Is professional counseling done securely online? You can log into your account any time. Send a message to your counselor and you'll get timely and thoughtful responses. Sometimes it can be hard to get out of the house, only to sit in an uncomfortable waiting room.

And it may not even be possible in many areas. Right now, with better help, you'll be able to schedule weekly video or phone sessions from the comfort of your home. They also know that you may not click with someone right away, and that's OK. Better help makes it easy and free to change counselors if you need to. To get 10 percent off your first month visit, better help Dotcom DL NBC join the over one million people who have taken charge of their mental health with the help of an experienced professional at better help dotcom DL.

NBC Better Help Dotcom Deal.

NBC, the original Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Robert Elmaleh. Twas the day before Christmas and all through the hills the reindeer were playing. Join the spills of skating and coasting and clearing the willows and hopscotching and leapfrogging protected by pillows.

Well, every so often they stop the coal names of one little deer not allowed in their games. Ha ha. Look at Rudolph.

His nose is a sight. It's red as a beak. Twice as big, twice as bright for Rudolph. Just wet. What else could he do?

He knew that the things they were saying were true, where most reindeer noses were brownish and tiny. Poor Rudolph was red, very large and quite shiny.

In daylight it dazzled.

The picture shows that at night time it glowed like the eyes of a cat and putting dirt on it just made it look muddy. Oh boy. Was he mad when they nicknamed him Ruddy.

And though he was lonesome, he always was good. Obeying his parents as a good reindeer should. And that's why on this day, Rudolph almost felt playful.

He hoped that from Santa soon driving his sleigh full of presents and candy and dollies and toys for good little animals, good girls and boys, he'd get just as much.

And this is what pleased him as the happier, handsomer reindeer who teased him.

So was night in a fog, hid the world like a hood. He went to bed hopeful he knew he'd been good.

Well, way, way up north, on this same foggy night, old Santa was packing a sleigh for the flight. This fall, he complained, will be hard to get through.

He shook his round head and his tummy shook too.

Without any stars or a moon as our compass, this extra dark night is quite likely to swamp us to keep from collisions. We'll have to fly slow to keep our direction. We'll have to fly low. We'll steer by street lamps and houses tonight in order to finish before it gets light, just think out.

The boys and girls faith would be shaken if we didn't reach them before they awaken.

Come Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. Come Comet, come Cupid, come Donner and Blitzen.

Big quick with your suppers get hitched in a hurry.

You too will find fog to lay in a worry and said it was right.

As it usually is. The fog was as thick as a soda white fears just not getting lost in it all Santas filled with street signs and numbers more difficult.

Still, he tangled in treetops again and again and barely missed hitting a train motor plane.

He still made good speed with much twisting and turning as long as the street lights, the house lights were burning at each house first, noting the people who lived there, he'd quickly select the right presents to give there.

By midnight, however, the last light flat for even big people then gone to bed because it might waken them a match was denied. Oh my. How he wished he had just one star to guide him through dark streets and houses, old Santa fared poorly.

He now picked the presence more slowly, less surely.

He really was worried for what would he do if folks started waking before he was through, the air was still foggy the night dark and drear when Sadda or. Arrived at the home of the dear allege that he tripped on while seeking the chimney, gave Santa as Bill a painfully skinny, the room he came down in was blacker than ink.

He went for a chair and then found it to be a sink.

The first reindeer bedroom was so very black, he tripped on the rug and fell flat on his back, so dark he had to move close to the bed and squint very hard at the sleeping deer's head before you could choose the right kind of toy doll for a girl or a train for a boy.

But all this took time and filled Santa with gloom, while slowly he grope toward the next reindeer's room, the door he just opened.

But to his surprise, a dim but quite definite light. His eyes. The lamp wasn't burning.

The glow came instead from something that lay at the head of the bed and there lay.

But wait now what would you suppose the glowing you guessed it was Rudolph's red nose. So this room was easy. This one little light.

Let Santa pick quickly the gifts that were just right. How happy he was till he went out the door. The rest of the house was as black as before, so black that had made every step dark mystery.

And then came the greatest idea in all history.

He went back to Rudolph and started to shake him, of course, very gently in order to awaken.

And Rudolph could scarcely believe his own eyes. You can just imagine his joy and surprise at seeing who stood there so real and so near.

Well, telling the tale we've already told here, poor Santa tale of distress and delay, the fog and the darkness of losing his way.

The horrible fear that some children might awaken before his complete Christmas trip up and take it.

And you, he told Rudolph, may yet save the day. Your wonderful forehead may yet pave the way for a wonderful triumph.

It actually might hold Santa. You know, this was extra polite to Rudolph regarding his wonderful forehead. To call it a shiny big nose would be horrid.

I need you, said Santa, to help me tonight to lead all, my dear the rest of our flight.

And Rudolph broke out into such a big grin, it almost connected his ears and his chin and notes his folks.

He dashed off in a hurry. I've gone to help Santa, you wrote. Do not worry, said Santa.

My sleigh don't bring down to the law. You'd stick on the chimney and flash. It was gone.

The Rudolph pranced out through the door, very gay, took his place at the head of the sleigh and the rest of the night.

Well, what would you guess? Old Santa's idea was a brilliant success and brilliant. There's almost no word for the way that Rudolph directed The Deer in the sleigh.

In spite of the fog, they flew quickly and low and made such good use of the wonderful glow of Rudolph forehead at each intersection that not even once they lose their direction.

Well, as for the houses and streets with a sign on them, they merely flew close so that Rudolph could shine on them to tell who lived there and just what to give whom.

They fly by each window and peek of the room. Old Santa's always knew which children were good in mind to their parents eight as they should.

So Santa selected the gift that was right.

Well, Rudolph's forehead gave just enough light. It all went so fast that before it was day, the very last present was given away. The very last stocking was filled to the top, just as the sun was preparing to pop this sun, both the reindeer and Rudolph's hometown, he found the short message he'd written down.

Then they gathered outside to await his return.

And were they excited?

Astonished to learn that Rudolph the ugliest dear them all, Rudolph the red nosed, so bashful and small, the funny faced fellow they always called names and practically never allowed in their games, was not to be envied by all far in the air, for no greater honor can come to a dear and riding with Santa guiding us sleigh the number one job on the number one day the sleigh and his reindeer soon came into the.

And Rudolph still led them down with the flu and, oh, boy, was he proud as they came to L.A., right.

Whereas handsomer playmates were standing, these bad deer who used to do nothing but tease him, would now have done anything only to please him.

They felt even sorrier. They had been bad when Santa said Rudolph might never have had a deer. Quite so brave or brilliant as you at fighting black fog and a guiding me through by you.

Last night's journey was actually Bost.

Without you, I'm certain we'd all have been lost. I hope you'll continue to keep us from brief on future dark trips as commander in chief. But Rudolph just blushed from his head to his toes until his whole fur was as red as his.

Oh.

The crowd first applauded, then started to screech Hurray for our Rudolph.

And we want a speech. But Rudolph was bashful.

Despite being a hero and tired, his sleep on the trip totaled zero. And that's why his speech was just brief and not bright. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. And that's why whenever it's foggy and gray, it's Rudolph the Red Nose who guide Santa's sleigh. Be listening this Christmas.

Don't make a peep because that late at night children should be asleep.

The very first sound that you'll hear on the roof provided this fall will be rural, small, and soon after that, still as a mouse, you may hear a swish.

He flies around the house and gives enough light to give Santa a view of you and your room. And when they're all through, you may hear them call as they drive out of sight. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night and dance Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.