Holiday Feast
It was a snowy evening on Mount Crumpit, and the Grinch, who had been living a more sociable life since his heart grew three sizes, had an ambitious idea. For years, he had been the one stealing the Whos’ holiday feasts, but this year, he wanted to give back—by hosting a dinner for the Whos himself.
The Grinch wasn’t much of a cook. His idea of a "gourmet meal" was reheated canned Who-hash, but Cindy Lou Who promised to help.
“We’ll make it a potluck!” Cindy suggested. “You provide the space and the main course, and everyone else will bring something to share.”
The Grinch scratched his green, furry chin. “Fine, but the main course better be as good as roast beast, or they’ll all start judging me again!”
Max wagged his tail enthusiastically, and the Grinch took that as a vote of confidence. He spent the next week transforming his once gloomy cave into a festive dining hall. He hung garlands of tinsel, lit candles made from melted-down Crumpit wax, and even dragged a giant tree into the middle of the room, decorating it with ornaments crafted from random junk he had lying around.
On the day of the feast, the Grinch faced his biggest challenge: cooking. He had decided to make roast beast, just like the Whos loved. But when he got to the kitchen, chaos ensued. Flour exploded in his face as he tried to make a side of biscuits. He dropped an entire tray of Who-pudding on the floor, and the roast beast... well, let’s just say it was charred enough to resemble a piece of coal.
Max, wearing a tiny chef’s hat, barked nervously.
“Don’t look at me like that, Max!” the Grinch snapped. “It’s not like I’ve ever done this before!”
Just as the Grinch was about to give up, Cindy Lou Who arrived, carrying a tray of perfectly baked cookies.
“What happened here?” she asked, staring at the disaster.
“I was trying to make something nice,” the Grinch muttered, slumping into a chair. “But look at this mess. Who’d want to eat here?”
Cindy smiled. “The Whos don’t care if the food is perfect. They care that you tried.”
That evening, the Whos arrived, filling the cave with warmth and chatter. They brought all kinds of dishes: mashed Who-tatoes, cranberry Who-sauce, and even a backup roast beast (just in case). When they saw the Grinch’s overcooked roast and lopsided biscuits, they didn’t laugh—they cheered.
“This is the first time anyone’s seen the Grinch cook!” exclaimed the Mayor, digging into the charred roast with gusto.
The Grinch, surprised, found himself smiling. “Well, don’t get used to it,” he said, but there was no grumpiness in his voice.
As the night went on, the Grinch played host, serving food, refilling drinks, and even cracking a few jokes. The Whos sang songs, shared stories, and praised his efforts. For the first time, the Grinch felt what it was like to bring people together—not through schemes or tricks, but through kindness.
By the end of the evening, the Grinch sat back in his chair, watching as the Whos danced around the tree he had decorated. His heart, which had once been two sizes too small, felt as full as his cave.
“This isn’t so bad,” he said to Max, who was happily gnawing on a Who-bone under the table. “Maybe next year, I’ll try making dessert.”
The Whos all raised their glasses in a toast. “To the Grinch—the host with the most!” they cried.
And for the first time, the Grinch wasn’t just part of the holiday—he was the heart of it.
Some of the Grinchmas caches will have a code written on the inside of the cap. Be sure to look under the cap and record the codes you see. The codes will be needed to find the final bonus cache.
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