On a sunny afternoon, a police officer patrolling on horseback spotted a young girl riding her bicycle down the street. He called out to her with a friendly smile, “Did Santa Claus bring you that bike?” The girl, beaming with pride, nodded and answered, “Yes!” The officer chuckled and teased, “Well, next year, tell him to add a reflector light!” Then he pretended to write her a $5 ticket for the missing safety gear.

The little girl didn’t flinch. She studied the officer and his tall horse, then flashed a mischievous grin. “That’s a nice horse,” she remarked. “Did Santa bring you that one too?” The officer laughed and admitted, “He sure did!” The girl paused dramatically before delivering her punchline: “Then next year, tell him to put the ‘D’ under the horse, not on top!”

The officer furrowed his brow, then glanced down at his badge – the letter “D” for “Police Department” sat directly beneath him on the saddle. The joke hit him, and he burst out laughing. “You’re too quick for me, kid!” he exclaimed, tearing up the pretend ticket with a grin.

As the girl pedaled away, the officer shook his head and patted his horse. “That one’s going to run circles around people when she grows up,” he muttered admiringly. Meanwhile, the little girl raced home, eager to share how she’d talked her way out of a ticket with nothing but quick wit and perfect timing.

Word of their clever exchange soon spread through the neighborhood, delighting everyone who heard it. Some even claim that next Christmas, the officer actually did ask Santa to rearrange his badge – just in case he encountered that sharp-tongued girl again. After all, you never know when you’ll need to stay one step ahead of the next generation of comedians.