How Many Reindeer Are There?

 

I asked my class how many reindeer Santa has and in what order pulling the sleigh.  Then it occurred to me that the generation of children in my class probably aren't familiar with the poem, "The Night Before Christmas."  In that piece Santa has eight tiny reindeer.  It was written before Rudolf was sanctioned as a puller and beacon for sleighs.  

Rudolf the Red Nose, is a name that can only be an import from a obscure Viking Village close to the arctic circle.  The color red may indicate which side of the circle Rudolf hails from.  After all these stories are pre-soviet in nature at a time when being a Russian reindeer might mean something special.  

The story claims that Rudolf's nose shined so bright that Santa asked him to guide his sleigh that night.  I'm not convinced.  I think that Rudolf was a lone occupant in a northern observation post keeping the red beacon light on for any air traffic that would fly over the North Pole to keep them from getting lost in the northern weather.  It is my contention that Santa saved Rudolf from near starvation and possibility of loosing his mind from solitude that far north where the sun never rises in the winter. 

Rudolf brought his red beacon light with him and became the flight engineer for North Pole operations.  He is the reindeer responsible for keeping Santa flying straight and true.  The reason Rudolf didn't play in any Reindeer Games is that his existence is kept in  the myth of a story for security purposes, that Rudolf is Santa's number one reindeer secret tech. scientist.  Rudolf the Red Nose, is just a cover name.  His real name is classified.

The operations at the North Pole have been growing exponentially as the population of the Earth grows.  The more children the more work that elves are required to pore into the operations of delivering toys to the children of the world.  They needed a top rate accountant.  From a minor college in Sri Lanka was found possibly the most talented accountant in history, Olive The Other Reindeer.   Olive is the secret weapon to the keeping records over all Santa's North Pole Operations.  Olive is the mathematical wizard that keeps Ole Santa away from the IRS.  

So the answer of my question is:  Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dondar, and Blixtum, and Rudolf the Red, with Olive the Other reindeer.  Any other's are beyond my scope of recollection.  

Peace and Balance,

John