_{This puzzle is a part of the Puzzling Stack Exchange Advent Calendar 2022. The accepted reply to this query will probably be awarded a bounty value 50 status.}

< Previous Door Next Door >

It was Christmas Eve, and Alice and Bob sat of their armchairs by the hearth, decided to remain awake lengthy sufficient to see Father Christmas come down their chimney. After many hours of protecting their cautious vigil, nonetheless, their eyelids started to droop and each youngsters nodded off round midnight.

Some time later – although neither might say precisely when – each youngsters have been woken by the sound of a grown man sobbing behind the Christmas tree. Rubbing their eyes, they cautiously peered spherical it. A pink go well with… a pink hat… a white beard… a giant sack… Surely, there was just one individual it could possibly be! At noticing Alice and Bob awake and watching him, the person shortly stood up, and their younger jaws dropped as he rose to his toes.

Father Christmas – for it was undoubtedly he! – hurriedly wiped his eyes on his sleeve, however stopped upon feeling a delicate tug upon the furry hem of his coat, his rosy face breaking out right into a smile as Bob held out a tissue field to him. “Thank you,” he stated, gratefully taking a Kleenex. “I very much hope I’m not spoiling your image of me as an always-jolly fellow. It’s just that this Christmas Eve has turned into a particularly stressful one…”

“Oh no,” stated Alice. “How come?” Then she paused, afraid she might have simply been just a little impolite. “I mean, feel free to talk to us about it if you wish, Father Christmas. We don’t mean to be nosey, but our parents say it’s always better to talk about problems when we have them, and we’re both very good at listening.”

“Your parents sound very wise,” stated Father Christmas, sprucing his pince-nez ‘til Bob might see his personal face mirrored in them. “Perhaps it could be useful to comply with their recommendation and share my predicament with you…

“You see, my eight reindeer spend a lot of the 12 months doing little however feeding and sleeping, that come Christmastime they’ve power in nice abundance. Really, they must be exercised extra often to maintain them sleigh-ready, however I simply don’t have the time…

“Anyway, tonight they have been so hyped up that they’ve been pushing themselves to a truly dangerous extent. In fact, on our last take-off just now they really revved themselves up, ran certainly much faster than usual, and launched themselves into the air with such force that I fell backwards from the sleigh, plummeted down towards the ground, and landed – FLOOMF! – on my back, in the snow. Looking up at the sky, I watched them break free from their harnesses, some running this way, some that way, and scattering in all directions. I suppose when I said ‘Dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!’ they took me rather literally this time.”

At this level within the dialog, Bob briefly disappeared to the kitchen, returning shortly afterwards with a tray of tea and biscuits. “Thank you, Bob,” stated Father Christmas, accepting a steaming teacup. “I don’t have any idea where to begin searching for them…” Alice put a reassuring hand on Father Christmas’s arm. “Don’t worry,” she stated. “I think the good folks at Puzzling Stack Exchange can help you find them.”

Can you?