Christmas Cards
It had been a year since the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes, and he was determined to keep spreading the Christmas spirit in his own way. While he had gotten used to the holiday festivities in Whoville—tree-lightings, carol singing, and feasting—there was one tradition he had yet to try: sending Christmas cards.
As December rolled in, Cindy Lou Who paid a visit to the Grinch’s cave, as she often did. This time, she carried a stack of brightly colored envelopes and a glittery pen.
“What are these for?” the Grinch asked, eyeing the items suspiciously.
“Christmas cards!” Cindy explained. “We send them to friends and family to wish them a Merry Christmas. You should send some too!”
The Grinch scratched his green chin. “Why would I waste my time writing cards? I’ve got Max to talk to. Who else needs to hear from me?”
But Cindy Lou wasn’t giving up that easily. “You’ll make everyone’s day if they get a card from you, Mr. Grinch. It’s a great way to show you care.”
The Grinch sighed dramatically but took the stack of cards. “Fine. But no promises about glitter.”
Back in his cave, the Grinch set up a “card-writing station,” complete with a steaming cup of Who-cocoa and Max by his side. He opened the first card, a cheerful red one with a glittery snowflake on the front, and stared at it for a long time.
“What do people even write in these things?” he asked Max, who responded with a wag of his tail.
After some thought, he wrote his first message:
“Dear Mayor Maywho, Merry Christmas. Don’t ruin it with a long speech. –The Grinch.”
Satisfied with his wit, the Grinch moved on to the next card. As the evening wore on, his messages became more creative:
“Martha May Whovier, you’ve got the best Christmas lights in town. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Cindy Lou Who, thanks for not giving up on me. You’re alright, kid.”
“To the Who who leaves cookies out: Don’t skimp on the chocolate chips next year. –Grinch.”
The Grinch chuckled to himself as he sealed each envelope, adding a sprinkle of Crumpit snow (which was really just flour) for good measure. By the time he finished, his cave was covered in glitter and scraps of paper, and Max had fallen asleep under the table.
Instead of using the Whoville mail system, the Grinch decided to deliver the cards himself. Late one snowy night, he strapped the stack of envelopes to Max’s back and trudged down to Whoville.
He crept from house to house, slipping the cards into mailboxes or under doors. For a moment, it felt almost like his old sneaky ways, but this time, he wasn’t stealing—he was giving.
By the time he returned to Mount Crumpit, he felt an unexpected warmth in his heart. “Not bad,” he muttered. “For a Who tradition.”
The next morning, Whoville buzzed with excitement. Each card brought smiles, laughter, and even a few tears of joy. The Whos couldn’t believe the Grinch had taken the time to write to each of them. Cindy Lou Who held her card close, beaming with pride.
At the town square, the Whos decided to send something in return. That evening, the Grinch heard a knock at his door. When he opened it, he found a giant stack of cards, each one filled with heartfelt messages of thanks and holiday cheer.
The Grinch sat down and began reading. As he did, Max jumped into his lap, and the two sat together in the glow of the Christmas tree.
“I guess those Whos aren’t so bad,” the Grinch admitted, his heart feeling just a little bigger. And from that year on, the Grinch never skipped the Christmas card tradition again.
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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