No one tends the stock that late at night so not buying that from mama. That had me thinking maybe the parents killed the kids and started the fire to cover it but dismissed that theory since none of the other kids let the cat out of the bag.
Why did they open presents before Santa arrived?
It’s a tradition with lots of families to open a few presents on Christmas Eve.
I’m not sure about the livestock - maybe they stayed in a barn with access to a pen, and were not locked in until the family went to bed.