A man with three kids had lost his job at Christmas. He had no money for presents for the kids and just didn't know what to do.
Then in a moment of inspiration he thought 'I know! I'll write to Father Christmas, tell him my predicament and ask him for 50 quid to buy the kids a small present each for Christmas'.
So he wrote the letter and addressed it to 'Father Christmas, Lapland', stamped it and posted it off.
When the guy in the sorting office saw it he didn't know what to do. He asked his work mates and no one knew what to do. So they opened the letter and read it. They were all so overcome with pity for the poor man that they had a whip round the sorting office and together raised £25, which they put in an envelope with a note saying it was from Father Christmas and duly posted it back to the poor man.
When the man received it he couldn't believe that his idea had worked, and thought he must reply and say thank you.
So he sat down and wrote, " Dear Father Christmas, I am so, so grateful to you for your generosity in sending me £25 for my children's presents. I know I asked for £50, but I'll bet the thieving bastards at the post office pinched the other 25".