"There was no doubt the experiment was a huge success. I was so happy that Santa was thrilled about my invention that I forgot to be careful with my gum! I blew a Bubble so big and so hard, when it popped it covered my whole face. Santa thought it was hilarious and he laughed for quite a spell. After he regained his composure, he congratulated me and told me how proud I made him.
"Santa then asked me if I was certain the dome idea would really work. I said, 'Without a doubt! Yes! In fact, I shared this invention with you, Santa, only after our tests were successful. When we found out this glass was as strong as mountain ore, that's when we were convinced it would work!' Santa was elated. He said, 'First, we will finish all the windows in all the homes and then we will start on the dome. As more elves arrive here at the North Pole, and as more homes are built, we will add more windows, but we will continue working on the dome since we need to get this done.'
"The next day, we were in full production, working around the clock to move the vita ore stone. We split up into teams-some would melt the stone, some would pour the molten liquid, some would roll out the glass, and so on. We had a real production assembly line to speed up the process. Precautions were taken so that the glass pieces would not touch each other until we placed them together to form the dome.
"We built a fire in a deep pit to melt the large pots of stone, and it burned nonstop. It wasn't long before we saw the dome take shape. Later in the year, of course, we switched to making toys for the children. When the season was over, we resumed building our homes and the dome.
"We often reflect on our progress since we came here, and we marvel at all we have accomplished in such a short span of time. Although at times that year was somewhat tough and tiring, on the other hand, it was a very eventful and prosperous year. We had all just moved here, and while getting settled, we still had time to build not only the homes, but surprisingly the dome as well.
"Oh, I certainly don't want to neglect mentioning how invaluable the ladies were throughout the busy time. They helped gather stone from the mountain. They transported lumber to the carpenters. They prepared food. They worked in the garden, and they did many other things in between. They worked right by our side and were a big asset indeed.
"Those first few years, when we weren't making toys, all we did was build. It took more than three years to complete all the homes inside the dome. But it was most important that we do all this for our protection from the weather and for our survival. All this was necessary to make Santa's dream grow.
