You look closer. The paper is torn—not just in half anymore. The middle piece, the part with all the kids' last names, is missing.
The elves gasp. Santa scratches his beard.
"We can still deliver gifts," he finally says. "But some might get a little… mixed up."
And that's exactly what happens. On Christmas morning, Jack Hansen opens a play car that was meant for Jack Dias. Jack Dias gets Jack Hansen's building set. Lucy Carter unwraps Lucy Remington's doll. Lucy Remington gets Lucy Carter's art set.
Some gifts are switched and some are traded. But every child on the nice list receives a gift. It is not a perfect Christmas, but it is still a happy one.
The End.