Hopper is having such fun with his friend Scamp that he loses all track of time. He promised his mother he would be home before dark, and now he is late! "Don't worry, " says Scamp, and shows Hopper a shortcut across the river. But Hopper can't swim! Thanks to a friendly beaver, Hopper's watery adventure ends happily. He learns that shortcuts can be dangerous and that his mother does know what's best for her little arctic hare.

What a disaster! Santa Claus has overslept! He leaps out of bed and rushes around madly, but everything seems to go wrong. First he cannot find his boots, then he has to dig a path through the snow to the stable, get out the sleigh, feed and harnass the reindeer, and load the sack full of presents. But the sack won't fit through the door, and the sleigh is stuck, and Santa gets more and more behind schedule until it looks as if he won't make it in time for Christmas.