Maple & Coal

Not every story begins with “once upon a time.”

Some begin with a list, a door, and two very small elves who are about to change Christmas forever.

Welcome to Maple & Coal, a fireside story series inside Kringle Spirit.

These short weekly episodes explore the old Naughty or Nice lists, what they missed, and why no child fits neatly into one box.

New stories arrive every Wednesday.

What these stories are about

For as long as Christmas has been Christmas, everything ran on two lists:

- Naughty

- Nice

But the truth is simpler and more complicated at the same time. Kids are not binary.

Maple and Coal work in the Department of Observation and Review - D.O.O.R.

Their job is to watch, listen, and understand.

Soon they start asking better questions, and everything starts shifting.

And they discover a new way forward.

Meet the cast

Maple

Thoughtful, observant, and sharper than she lets on. She notices the things most people skip.

Coal

Impulsive and stubborn, but quick to see the story behind other kids’ mistakes.

Blizzard

The head of reports for the D.O.O.R. Organized to a fault. Still cares more than he admits.

Snowflake

A giant polar bear who tries his best and still knocks things over just by existing.

Sprig

A miniature reindeer with a proper and cheerful attitude.

Santa

The one Maple and Coal report to after each case. He listens, asks questions, and tries to keep the old system running even as signs of change start to show. He is the narrator of these stories, looking back on the season when everything began to shift.

Start the story

Book 1 — The First Glimmer - Wednesday, November 26th!

Episodes release weekly and will be added below as they go live.

Book 2 — Wednesday, December 3rd

Book 3 — Wednesday, December 10th

Book 4 — Wednesday, December 17th

Book 5 — Wednesday, December 24th

How to follow Maple & Coal

- Visit this page to see everything in order

- Or click the Maple & Coal Section in the sidebar to see the full feed