Mogey and Smush took their jobs as December Defenders very seriously. And that was good, because in the town of Santa Santa, Christmas was always under attack.
The dastardly Chillbo Toboggans, an ornery gravedigger who believed the winter solstice ought to be a time not of joy and wonder but of treachery and grumpiness, hatched a plan each year to - as he called it - "foil Christmas." Along with his assistants, a pair of energetic porcupine brothers named Pert and Pert Plus, he had done everything from greasing the sidewalks near Santa Santa's downtown Christmas tree to stealing every ham, goose, and plant-based goose substitute in town.
The only thing that stood between Chillbo and Christmas chaos was a citizens' paramilitary group known as the December Defenders, of which Mogey and Smush were proud members.
One night out on patrol, the pals spotted Pert and Pert Plus skulk-waddling along the trolley tracks, clearly up to some variety of mischief. Mogey motioned for Smush to follow at a distance where they'd be out of earshot (and quillshot). They trailed the porcupines into the center of town, where the hustle and bustle of Christmas revelry made it difficult to track their movements.
"Do you see them?" Mogey grunted, after several close calls.
"I think we lost the spiky miscreants," Smush acknowledged.
"Ahem," stated a voice behind the pals.
They turned to see Pert and Pert Plus awkwardly holding out a beautifully wrapped box. Each of the brothers kept poking the other with his quills, making it nearly impossible to jointly hold the gift.
"Merry--ow!" said one.
"Yowch! Christmas!" said the other.
"For us?" Smush said. "You know we're members of the December Defenders, right?" He pointed to his official D.D. sweater vest.
"We know--gah! That one hurt!" Pert grimaced.
"But we figured--WOWSERS--you're just doing your job--oof!" Pert Plus groaned.
"And so are--yow! We," Pert continued. "So why let a little friendly rivalry get in the way of--AY-YAY-YAY!--a Christmas present?"
"Gosh, thanks!" said Mogey, accepting the gift. The porcupine brothers, clearly relieved to no longer be standing so close to one another, trundled off.
"What is it? What is it?" Smush inquired, helping Mogey tear away the wrapping paper.
When the gift finally appeared, the pals stared at it in disbelief for several moments.
"NOOOOOO!" Mogey cried, holding up a heavy cuboid the color of swamp mud. "I can't believe we fell for it!"
"Fruitcake!" Smush added. "They gave us fruitcake. The ultimate double cross!"
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