Stories from Heaven's Library - Vol. 19
For Young and Old
Featuring:
Lost & Found
Billy's Candy Cane
The Golden Puppy
The House With No Windows
Farmer Jeans' Barn
Lost and found
-- A Christmas Story About Girls and Boys and Talking Toys
"Yes, yes! It's Christmas time once again, that happy time of year! Step right up! Step right up! Come on, children, get in line and tell me what you want for Christmas!" shouted a jolly-looking Santa Claus from his large sleigh in the central plaza of the lavishly-decorated mall. "Who's going to be first?"
A little girl climbed up on the seat beside him. "Tell me, tell me! What is it that you want for Christmas, sweet child?" In the din of busy Christmas shoppers, the child's excited answer was lost to all but Santa's ears. The mall was awhirl with excitement. Christmas music resounded through the stores, as thousands of Christmas shoppers scurried about, searching for the perfect gift. Grownups loaded down with shopping bags were followed by children clutching candy canes and other treats. Christmas lights and decorations scintillated and sparkled to announce the beginning of another shopping day. Christmas was only seven days away, and the city of Boston was getting ready.
* * *
Off in a corner of the mall
"How are you holding up, Fir?" one heavily-decorated Christmas tree asked another.
"To tell you the truth, Fuzz, I'm getting rather hot under all these Christmas lights. I don't mind the little children tugging at my baubles and ribbons, but my lower branches are beginning to sag a little. Oh well, only seven days left. Then back to storage--or worse."
"Christmas is rather intense, isn't it? I've often wished that folks would celebrate Christmas a little bit throughout the entire year, rather than cramming it all into one month. That way we wouldn't spend 11 months of the year in those musty cardboard boxes. I'm not looking forward to that again."
"Well, that's true! Neither am I. I suppose we should make the best of this last week, and give all the cheer possible. The problem is, folks aren't looking for cheer. They're too busy--mostly looking out for themselves. They're just hurrying and rushing around, trying to get all their shopping and preparations done. Not many folks stop to give or to receive the real spirit of Christmas. What a shame! Do you think there's anything we can do about it?"
"Not a lot, I'm afraid," said Fuzz.
"Oh, here comes a cute little munchkin!" said Fir. "I have a feeling I'm going to lose a few baubles to him. Come on over here, little fellow!"
* * *
Not far away at a customer service counter
Toy World's owner, Roger Cummings, was clearly annoyed, "No, I'm sorry, Ma'am! I am unable to do that. All the toys in this section of the store have already been discounted for the Christmas season. I'm sorry you don't have enough money. There are some similar toys that are a bit cheaper over there. If you don't find what you're looking for there, I would suggest that you buy something else for your son. I just cannot let this item go for any less than the price that's marked."
"But you don't understand, sir. This is the exact toy my son wants, and I haven't been able to find it anywhere else. He is going to be so disappointed if he doesn't get it for Christmas. I I would be so grateful if you could just make an exception this once " The shabbily-clothed woman was clearly not making any progress with the very businesslike man at the desk.
"Ma'am, didn't I make myself clear? If you'll please excuse me, I have other customers to attend to."
Roger was not having an unusually bad day. He rarely had a smile on his face, and had no qualms at all about turning away teary-eyed children or those in need of help. Business came first, and Christmas was the best time of the year for business. Nothing or nobody was going to get in his way and cut into his profits this year.
* * *
In one of the many toy aisles, a young girl pleads with her mother
"Mom, I want the new Barbie for Christmas! Look, here she is! Please, can I have her, Mom? Please?!"
"Lisa, come over here. We've already talked about this. You can't have everything for Christmas. We'll see."
* * *
High above on an upper shelf, two toys are having a discussion
"Hey! Can you see that little girl down there? What did her mom call her?--Lisa?"
"Yes, I think so."
"She's pretty, isn't she? She looks like she'd be a good 'mommy' to us, doesn't she?"
"Yes, she does."
"I wish she'd want me for Christmas," sighed the miniature Raggedy Ann doll slumped over on the top shelf. "But none of the kids are ever going to want me for Christmas, because none of them can see me up here. Roger puts us up here because he doesn't like us, I think."
"You're probably right. But don't feel too bad. None of the kids want me for Christmas either. I'm an outdated toy. Now that there are so many new fancy Lego sets, what kid would want an old set of building blocks, anyway?"
"Hey, I like you! I think you're still lots of fun to play with, and I think the right kid could make some really good things out of you."
"Well, that's nice. But what do you think is going to happen to us after Christmas? If we don't get sold, what is Roger going to do with us? I've seen him looking over his inventory a couple of times recently. I've heard him muttering about how he wants to get stocked up with the latest toys. That means that we will have to go--but where?"
"Oh, I don't even want to think about it."
* * *
In a nearby part of town
"Hey, wake up! We've slept too late!" Annie said, as she shook Allen.
He rolled over sleepily and opened one eye. "Oh, I'm so tired!"
"I know, but it's nearly Christmas. We mustn't lose a day! There are only six days left, and there's so much more we need to see!"
"What are we going to see today, Annie?" Allen asked, glancing up at his twin sister.
"Well, I'm not sure, Allen, but we've got to make the best of it. Uncle Jack was out drinking again last night, so he won't be up for a few more hours. Besides, there's not much food in the house. First, let's find somewhere to eat breakfast."
The two children traipsed over to the nearby bakery, and popped in the back door just in time to see their friend, Rick, putting out a fresh tray of donuts.
"What's up, Rick? How are things going over here?"
"Shhh, both of you! Things are going just great, but be careful. My boss is here this morning, and he wouldn't take too kindly to discovering you two back here. Look, here are some donuts and pastries, but you're going to have to find somewhere else to eat them. It's just not a good time to be here. Christmas is our busiest time. Come back and see me later in the afternoon," Rick whispered.
"Hey, that's okay, Rick. Thanks a million! We'll be off then," the twins called back as they headed out the door and bounded off towards the nearby Laundromat. There they sat quietly eating their breakfast, the big washers and dryers sloshing and rumbling all around them, keeping the room nice and toasty.
"We sure are lucky to have Rick as our friend, aren't we?" said Allen.
"We sure are, Bro!" answered Annie.
"What do you think we would be doing today if we had a regular family?--If Mom was still alive, or if Dad came back?" Allen asked.
"Oh, this isn't a good time to think about all that. Let's talk about something else," Annie said quickly. "Let's go over to the mall today and look at the new toys ."
"That we can never buy!" Allen finished her thought.
"Well, at least it doesn't cost anything just to look."
* * *
In a rich part of town
"Earl, I am going out for the day. I just need to get out of the house," said Mrs. Marlin to her butler, as she finished sipping her morning tea.
"Shall I have the car brought around for you, and get your hat and coat for you now, Ma'am?" asked the butler.
"Yes, would you, Earl? I think I am nearly ready."
"And will you be taking the dog?"
"Earl, I Frankly, I have a hard time being with Brando right now. Especially on this day. No, I won't be taking him with me. It's just that Well, ever since "
"I understand, Ma'am. He'll be fine here. Perhaps I should move his kennel to the back of the garden."
"That would be nice. Thank you, Earl. Expect me home in the early afternoon."
"Yes, ma'am."
* * *
Back up on the toy shelf
"Hey, Blocky! Look to your left! See that man coming in our store with a little girl on his shoulders? Do you think do you think she'll see us up here?"
"Oh, I see her! I sure hope so, Raggedy Ann."
"Shhh! They're coming this way! Quiet, or they might hear us!"
"Daddy, Daddy! I want to see that toy over there! What's behind that box?"
"They're coming closer! They're coming closer!" Blocky whispered excitedly.
"Is that the toy you want, sweetheart?--That little Raggedy Ann over there?" the girl's father asked.
"No, no. I have a Raggedy Ann at home already."
"Do you want the set of blocks next to it?"
"No, I don't like those. Hold me higher, daddy. I want to see what's behind them." The girl's hand brushed by Raggedy Ann and Blocky, and before they knew it, they were both tumbling towards the floor.
"Ooops, Daddy! I knocked down some toys!" said the little girl.
"That's okay, honey. I'll just take you down off of my shoulders, and you can pick them up and put them back on the shelf, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
The girl picked up Raggedy Ann, looked at her for a minute with a smile, and then set her on the bottom shelf. She grabbed Blocky off the floor, shook him around for a second, and then placed him on the bottom shelf also, a couple toys away from Raggedy Ann, and then bounded off to look at some other toys.
"Ouch!!" said Raggedy Ann, "And my hair is all messy now from that fall."
"Well, I'm a bit shaken up myself, but at least we're not on the top shelf anymore. Maybe now some kids will see us and want to take us home with them."
"Let's hope so."
"Okay, Raggedy Ann, nobody's looking. Come on over here and sit next to me."
* * *
Outside the mall
Annie and Allen were making their way across the parking lot when Allen spotted something on the ground. "What's that over there, Annie?"
"I don't know. It looks like a wallet!"
"Yeah, I'll check it out," said Allen, as he raced over and picked up the object.
"You'd better believe it's a wallet!" he said, as Annie caught up to him. "And look, there's lots of money, credit cards and all! Maybe we can buy something after all. What a great Christmas this is going to be for us, huh, Annie?"
Annie crinkled her little nose and looked at Allen. "Allen, come on! We can't keep the wallet. It's not ours."
"We need the money more than this person does," Allen sighed, "Oh, look, there's a picture in here "
Annie crowded over for a look, "Yes, and there's a name and address too. So that means it's going right back to its owner. Just think how happy we'll make them by returning what they thought they lost forever!"
"Okay, Annie, okay. You're right. So how are we going to return it?"
"Well, I guess we'll just have to find their house and give it back to them, but first let's walk around in the mall."
* * *
Back in the toy store
Taking a break from the flood of questions and complaints he faced at the customer service area, Roger strolled through the aisles of his toy store--the largest in the mall--stooping occasionally to pick up fallen toys and put them back on the shelf. Suddenly he felt a little tug on his pants.
"Excuse me, Mister," said a trembling voice. He whirled around to see a three-year-old boy standing behind him, holding a toy in his hand. "My new toy just broke. Can you fix it for me?"
"Do what?! Son, can't you see that I'm very busy? I'm not a toy repairman. Where are your parents? No, I can't fix your toy. Off with you, now! Off! Run along and find your parents. You should have been more careful when you were playing with your toy. Then it wouldn't have gotten broken."
Roger turned and continued straightening the shelves loaded with brand new toys of every description. He glanced over his shoulder a second later, to see a tear roll down the little boy's cheek. Then he heard the patter of little footsteps running away. "Mommy, Mommy! The store man was angry at me, and said he wouldn't fix my toy!"
Roger paused for a moment. The little boy's broken toy flashed in his mind. It would have been simple enough to fix, and he had the right glue in one of his drawers. Why had he sent the boy away so harshly? Why had he made that little child cry just before Christmas?
"Ah, never mind!" he said to himself as he brushed aside the thought. "What's done is done. After all, I have a business to run. I'm not a toy repairman."
* * *
Elsewhere in the mall
Annie and Allen were scurrying past the cafeteria tables in the mall's food court, when Annie spotted a woman sitting alone and looking sad at a table in a little restaurant area at the edge of the food court.
A look of great surprise came onto Annie's face as they passed by the woman. "You look a lot like my mother!" Annie blurted out before she had time to think about what she was saying.
"Are you meeting your mother here, dear?" the lady replied kindly.
"Oh, no"Annie replied. "Our mother died. Now Uncle Jack takes care of us "
"Well, actually, we pretty much take care of ourselves now " Allen added proudly.
The children's clothes were dirty and tattered, Annie's curls weren't brushed out, and they both still had traces of donuts on their faces--evidence enough that they were lacking a mother's care. Seeing their need took the woman's mind off her own problems for a moment.
"Come over here, dear, and let me tie up your sash for you," she said to Annie.
Allen and Annie were usually very cautious about talking to strangers--even kind ladies like this one seemed to be--but here in the food court it seemed safe enough. Annie went over and turned around so the woman could tie her sash in a bow.
"How old are you?" the woman asked.
"Eight," Annie replied.
"Are you brother and sister?"
"Yes. Actually we are twins."
"Did your uncle bring you Christmas shopping today?"
"No, he's still asleep," Allen replied in a downcast tone.
"So, you are all on your own today? Well then, why don't you let me buy you something to eat, and you can tell me all about yourselves?"
Allen and Annie looked at each other for nods of approval.
"I guess so. That would be nice. Thanks," said Annie, who usually took the lead in "social" matters such as this.
Annie and Allen sat down and tried to look as proper as they could. The woman signaled for a waiter, and helped the children order a nice hot lunch.
"Tell me more about yourselves," said the woman, who introduced herself as Sandra. "What happened to your father? Where do you stay now?"
"Well," Annie began, "We hardly knew our father. He never came around much. We saw him less and less as time went by, and then we stopped seeing him altogether."
"I guess he just didn't like us anymore, so he stopped coming to see us," Allen added.
"Oh, I'm sure that's not the case," Sandra said reassuringly.
"Anyway," Annie continued, "about a year ago, Mom got very sick and died. It was some kind of tumor, and she just couldn't get better. Now we live with our Uncle Jack, but he drinks a lot and gets really upset with us sometimes, so we stay away when he is like that. That's all there is to tell, really."
"I'm so sorry for both of you. But where do you go when you 'stay away' from home?" Sandra asked in a more concerned tone of voice.
"Oh, we've got this great friend who has a one-room apartment. He lets us stay there. It's not much more than four walls and a roof, but we're glad he takes us in when we have no other place to go"
"Plus he gives us donuts each morning at Danny's Donut House, the bakery where he works. Rick's a great guy, really," Allen added enthusiastically.
Sandra shook her head, and looked away for a moment.
"Oops! Maybe we told her too much, huh?" Allen whispered to Annie.
"Ma'am, we're really okay." Annie tried to sound as confident and grown-up as she could. "Sorry if we said the wrong thing or something. It's been really nice talking to you. You're a very nice lady, but we probably shouldn't take up any more of your time. We're just going to go walk around the mall, to look at some of the things "
" and to check out all the new toys in the windows!" Allen added.
"We'd better be going now. Thank you for the food, and for being so nice. Goodbye then!" Annie said, as she began to get up out of her seat.
"Just wait one minute, children. Would you please?" Sandra asked. The lady signaled and the waiter came over with the bill. Sandra thanked him, and began rummaging through her purse for her wallet. "Of all the strange things! My wallet seems to be missing. I couldn't have left it at home, could I have?" she muttered aloud. "No, I remember dropping it into my purse before I got in the car. Oh, I hope it didn't fall out when I had to dig into my purse for my extra set of car keys. I locked my keys in the car Today just isn't a very good day for me "
Allen and Annie looked at each other, while the lady continued to search through her purse.
"Oh well, I'll just write a check. No problem."
"This is very strange," said Annie. "We found a wallet today in the parking lot as we were on our way to the mall. We were going to try and find the owner's house after looking around the mall a bit first. Wouldn't that be something if it were yours?" Annie said, wide-eyed.
"It would be wonderful if it were mine," the lady replied. "May I see it?"
"Of course you can. Here it is. If I remember correctly, I think it belongs to a Mrs. Marlin."
"Can you believe it?!" exclaimed Sandra. "That's me! It is my wallet! See, there's even a picture of me in here somewhere."
"Oh, yeah, I saw a picture." Allen joined in. "I guess we didn't look at it too closely, 'cause I didn't recognize you when we met you."
"Well, the picture was taken about a year ago, just around Christmas time." As her eyes fell on the picture, Mrs. Marlin fell silent.
"Who's the little boy in the picture with you?" Allen asked.
"That that is my son, Kevin."
Annie noticed that Sandra was struggling to hold back her tears, so quickly added, "Well, isn't that great that we happened to find your wallet. Now we don't have to make a big trip to find your house. Isn't that amazing?"
"Yes it is. Thank you so much. It's refreshing to find children as honest and kind as the two of you. I want to give you both a nice reward. Let me buy each of you a Christmas present. Would that be okay with you?"
"That's very kind of you. Thanks!" said Allen, and Annie nodded her head.
So off they went.
* * *
Back in Roger's toy store
Afternoon sales picked up in Roger's store. Toy World had more customers than he or his staff could even manage. Yet as busy as he was, he hadn't been able to shake the awful feeling of guilt at how badly he had treated the small boy who had asked him for help earlier. He started to feel like a terrible old Scrooge. He knew each toy he sold that afternoon would make some child happy, but he began to think of all the children who weren't going to get any toys this Christmas--and that thought made him very sad.
He had grown up quite poor himself and wondered how he would have felt if he was turned away from a big toy store like his. He also remembered all the times he had hoped for a certain toy for Christmas, but didn't get it because his parents couldn't afford it. Perhaps they had also asked some store owner to come down a few dollars in price to help out, but he or she had refused.
Roger at last decided he needed to do something to make up for his lack of sympathy and consideration that day. As soon as closing time came, Roger went through his store, selected various toys from the shelves, and put them all into the large bag that a store Santa Claus had been using. As he passed by their shelf, Raggedy and Blocky found themselves thrown into the big red sack also. Soon the sack was very full. Roger pulled the drawstrings tight and set the bag in the back of his shop, locked up and headed home.
I wish I could go back in time, Roger thought. I wouldn't have been so cross with that little boy. I should have just fixed his toy, or better yet, I should have given him a new one. From the way he was dressed, it didn't look like his parents could afford to buy him another new toy for Christmas.
* * *
Meanwhile, inside Roger's big red Santa bag
"What is going on now?" Blocky called out. "Hey, Raggedy Ann, are you in here, too?"
"I sure am. Well, at least there are lots of us! We can all keep each other company."
"Will you two quit chattering?" Barbie piped up, "I'm tired! I've been played with all day long, and I need my beauty sleep."
"That's right," added a high-tech spaceship. "And I need to build up my power supply. I'm nearly drained from being zoomed around the store all day. You two wouldn't understand."
Hmmm, thought Raggedy Ann. I guess we don't understand. We have the opposite problem. We really want to be played with and to be special to some child this Christmas. That would be wonderful!
Blocky thought the same. Soon they both drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Outside the mall
"Thank you for the wonderful day, Mrs. Marlin. It was so nice to meet you," said Annie.
"We really had a good time. It was kind of like--well, like being with our own mother again," Allen said softly.
"Allen, we've gotta go now," Annie said as she gave him a nudge. "Bye, Mrs. Marlin. Thank you so much for the presents."
"Wait. I'd like to see you two again. Here's my phone number. Maybe we can meet again sometime during the next few days?"
"Sure. That would be nice. We'll call you!" Annie said, as they waved goodbye.
* * *
At Roger's home
Roger searched the phone book and then the newspaper, looking for a place to donate his sack full of toys. Finally his eyes fell on an advertisement. The newspaper was sponsoring a Christmas party for the local orphanage. They needed decorations, toys, a Christmas dinner, desserts and Christmas trees.
Roger knew immediately what he would do with the toys. "Those toys will help those children have a much happier Christmas. By giving away so many brand new toys I might not make as much money as usual, but I sure will feel a lot better inside." Then an unusual thought came to mind (at least it was unusual for Roger). Maybe there is something more I can do to help these children than just give them a few toys
* * *
At Mrs. Marlin's mansion
Over the next few days, Sandra Marlin couldn't keep her mind off Annie and Allen, the two poor children she had just met. She hoped and prayed that they were safe and happy, and anxiously awaited their call.
Two days before Christmas, they finally called.
"Oh, I'm so glad to hear from you two. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Do you have plans?" Sandra asked Annie, who was making the call from the phone in the back of the bakery.
"No, not really. We wanted to go by the orphanage, 'cause we know some of the kids there. Maybe they'll have a Christmas party or something. That's all we had planned."
"Good then. Do you think your Uncle Jack would let you spend the afternoon with me?" she asked.
"Could you hold on for just one second?" asked Annie. "I've got to talk with Allen about it."
"Sure. You do that."
A moment later Annie returned to the phone. "It sounds great, Mrs. Marlin. Uncle Jack hasn't been around for us to ask, but I'm sure it would be okay. We'll tell our friend Rick where we'll be and we'll leave a note with your phone number, in case he comes home and wants to find us. It sounds like fun. Thank you!"
"Good then, shall we meet at noon tomorrow, outside the mall?"
"We'll be there!" Annie said happily.
* * *
Outside the mall on the day before Christmas
At noon, the three met outside the mall.
"Okay, first off why don't you both come over to my house. You can clean up and eat and have a nice meal. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great," said Allen.
The iron gate to the large estate rolled aside automatically to let them in. The driveway to Mrs. Marlin's mansion was as long as some city blocks. "Is this where you live?" Allen asked, in amazement. Mrs. Marlin nodded her head as they pulled up and stopped in front of the palatial home.
"My, my! What do we have here?" exclaimed the butler as the two children followed Mrs. Marlin into her home.
"Annie, Allen, this is my butler, Earl."
"Nice to meet you," the two of them said in unison.
"I know, I know ," said Mrs. Marlin in response to the butler's look of surprise, "this is a bit of a surprise. But they are wonderful children. You'll just love them."
"I am certain I will, Ma'am." said Earl.
"I've got it! Why don't you take Allen out to the back to meet Brando, while I take Annie upstairs?"
"A splendid idea, Ma'am."
Not too long after, Annie and Allen were cleaned up and outfitted in new clothes. Then they all sat down for a delicious lunch.
"What time is your Uncle Jack expecting you to be home?"
"I don't think he much cares right now!" Allen blurted out. "He got a check a couple of days ago and he likes to drink, so "
"Oh dear!" Mrs. Marlin's faced looked concerned. "I have an idea! Why don't you both stay the night here with me? As you see, I have extra bedrooms, and that way we can spend Christmas Day together."
"Are you sure that's wise?" the butler whispered to Mrs. Marlin.
"I am not sure if it is wise or not," she whispered back, "but I am sure it is the right and only thing to do. I will make some inquiries about the situation. We can't just send them home to an empty house on Christmas Eve, or make them spend Christmas Day alone. That would be unthinkable!"
Annie and Allen smiled at each other. They couldn't believe their ears! "We'd love to stay here, wouldn't we?" said Annie.
"We sure would! Can I play some more with Brando?" Allen asked.
"As much as you like, dear. He's been a very lonely dog and will enjoy some company--as will we all. Get out some of those special treats for this evening, would you, Earl? It looks like we are going to be celebrating Christmas this year after all!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" the man replied, clearly pleased to see his employer happier than he had seen her in a long time.
* * *
Christmas day
The sun was shining, the roads and trees were covered with a fine blanket of snow.--It was Christmas morning.
"What a perfect Christmas!" Annie exclaimed, as she shook Allen. "Come on, get up! It's Christmas!"
Downstairs they went for a Christmas brunch.
"This food is so yummy," said Allen. "I want to save some of these rolls for our friends at the orphanage. I know they've never tasted rolls this good."
Sandra smiled, looking over at Earl. "Earl, would you put all the leftover rolls in a bag for us. We're going to take some food over to the orphanage later on today."
"The orphanage, Ma'am? Yes, of course! I'll pack them up right away." Earl headed towards the kitchen, clearly amazed by Mrs. Marlin's dramatic change. He hadn't seen her so enthusiastic and happy in a long time. "Most unusual, most unusual!" he muttered to himself.
* * *
Christmas morning at Toy World
The jingle jangle of keys in the lock alerted the toys of Roger's arrival. "Looks like it's time to wake up, everyone! Did you get enough beauty sleep, Barbie? Is your power supply replenished now, Spaceship? Up and at 'em, everybody!" Blocky called out to the other toys.
"We're being moved!" exclaimed Raggedy Ann. Roger swung the sack of toys over his shoulder and off he went.
"Brrrr! We must be outside now. It's so c-c-c-cold!" said Barbie, wishing she was dressed in her fur coat.
"Hey, can anyone see through the bag? Where are we?" asked Raggedy Ann. "Wait a second. I can see something. It looks like we're about to be dropped into the trunk of Roger's car! Hang on, everybody!"
"Oomph!"
"Roger sure isn't very gentle, is he!?"
"Listen! He's starting the motor!"
"I wonder where he's taking us?" the dart board asked with a note of concern in his voice.
Wherever it is, he's taking us there in a hurry! thought Blocky.
* * *
Back at Mrs. Marlin's
"All right. I think we're all ready to go. Earl, is the car ready?"
"It most certainly is, Ma'am. We can all load up!"
Into the car went Annie and Allen, with Mrs. Marlin between them. Earl took the chauffeur's place and drove.
"Is this the place you mean?" asked Earl.
"Yes, that's the orphanage!" exclaimed Allen. "I wonder how our friends are doing? Can I go in and see, Mrs. Marlin?"
"Of course, Allen. Go on, Annie, you too. I'll be inside in a minute."
Annie and Allen held hands as they walked up the stairs towards the doors of the orphanage, and stood outside quietly for a moment. They could hear music--happy music, Christmas music--and it almost sounded like laughter inside. They both smiled at each other.
Annie whispered, "Dear God, please give all the children in the orphanage a special Christmas. Give them all the things they've wanted--good food, fun presents and nice people to take care of them. Amen."
Just then the door opened, and a smiling face greeted them. "Why, come on in! You're just in time to join the party!"
Annie and Allen had been over to visit the orphanage many times, but they hardly recognized it now. The hallways were so decorated! There were streamers, Christmas trees, presents, tables of food and everything looked so beautiful! They entered the main room to see all the children seated on soft and comfortable couches.
Where are all the metal chairs? Allen thought.
All the kids have nice new clothes and shoes! thought Annie.
"This is wonderful!" Annie exclaimed. They both broke into big smiles, and she and Allen ran over to join their friends on the couches. "What happened here?"
"Well, we all prayed for a special Christmas this year, and a nice man ran an ad in the paper, asking folks to donate all the things that we needed for our Christmas party. You know, the orphanage couldn't afford any of these things, so it didn't look like we'd be able to have much of a celebration again this year." Sammy explained to them.
"But then all this nice stuff started to arrive. Not only that," Celeste added, "but so many people volunteered their time on Christmas Day to come and be with us; to play games and tell us stories and join our party. Isn't it wonderful?"
"This is just the best!" Annie and Allen both agreed.
* * *
In one corner of the main room
"Would you believe that the two of us got picked to be donated to the children's Christmas party, Fir?" said Fuzz.
"Not only that, but I overheard one of the kids saying that they were going to ask their caretakers if they could have us in their room all year, so that way they can have Christmas every day."
"That means no more musty cardboard boxes for us, Fir! What a Christmas!"
* * *
The festivities began, and Annie and Allen joined in the games with all the other children. They were having so much fun! Annie glanced over to see Mrs. Marlin talking with another older man who it seemed had just joined the party.
"What a nice lady Mrs. Marlin is," Annie thought to herself, "And she looks so much like Mommy."
Once the games were over, someone sat down at the piano and began to play Christmas carols. In no time, everyone was singing along and having a great time.
Annie and Allen felt a tap on their shoulder, and turned to see Mrs. Marlin, who motioned for them to come over into the hallway. They got up and went over to where Mrs. Marlin had been standing. "I'd like you two to meet someone. This is Roger Cummings, the owner of 'Toy World' in the mall where we met. Have you been to his store before?"
"Why, yes, we have," replied Annie.
"Well, Mr. Cummings has brought a whole sack full of brand new toys that he would like to give to the children here. While we were talking, we thought you two might want to give them out. What do you think?"
"Oh, I'd love to do that," Annie said. "Allen, do you want to help me?"
"Of course I would!"
"Wonderful, then," said Mrs. Marlin. "After the next carol, you and Allen can go ahead and carry the bag around. Each child can reach their hand in and take one toy. Does that sound good?"
"Terrific!" responded Allen.
* * *
Inside the toy sack
"Did you hear that? We're going to be given away to the children!" exclaimed Blocky.
"I am finally going to be someone's Christmas present! Oh, I just can't wait to see my new mommy! This is going to be so much fun!" Raggedy Ann said with glee.
* * *
"Okay, everybody!" said Annie. "Now we have something special for each of you! That nice man standing over there, Mr. Roger Cummings, has brought a special gift for each of you in this bag. So we're going to go around and everybody can reach into the bag without looking, and take out one present! If you don't get what you like, you can trade it with someone else who wants to trade."
Around the circle they went, and each child took out a different treasure. Each of the children closed their eyes as they put their hand in the big sack, wondering what they would get. Each time a little hand pulled out a toy, a little face would light up with a beautiful smile.
Annie and Allen finally reached the end of the circle, and each child had a toy. Allen looked back at Roger. Was that a tear rolling down his cheek? Roger hadn't been this happy in years, and it felt so good!
* * *
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the sack
"I can't believe it! We didn't get picked!" Blocky said to Raggedy Ann as they both slid around in the bottom of the sack.
"We came so close to being someone's Christmas present!" Raggedy Ann said dejectedly.
Annie peeked in the sack to see two more toys. "Well, Allen, it looks like one is for you and one is for me. Happy Christmas!"
Allen began to say, "Thanks, Annie!" but his sentence was broken by the opening of the orphanage door. In walked a poor mother with her two young children.
"Oh well," said Annie. "We'd better give these two last toys to these little children. They'll be so happy to get them."
"Okay," said Allen, slightly disappointed. "We did already get presents from Mrs. Marlin."
The two young children came running over to Annie and Allen, excitedly awaiting their Christmas presents.
"Okay, little girl, close your eyes and stick your hand in the bag. Let's see what you get for Christmas!" Annie said with a smile.
In went the chubby little hand, and out came Raggedy Ann! "Mommy, Mommy! I got just what I wanted! I got a beautiful doll!" squealed the little girl.
And again, in reached a small hand and out came--Blocky! The little boy jumped up and down, and rushed to show his mother his new toy.
"Now I can build my castle!" he exclaimed, as he opened Blocky's box to get a better look.
"Did you hear that? She called me beautiful!" Raggedy Ann whispered to Blocky. She put on her extra big smile. "I just know I'm going to like my new little mommy!" Then she winked at the little girl who was holding her so tenderly.
"And this little boy is going to build castles with me every day! We are going to have so much fun!" said Blocky. "We are Christmas presents at last!--And we still get to play together 'cause we just got 'adopted' by a brother and sister!"
Something drew Roger's attention to the little boy now sitting contentedly on the floor, playing with his new set of blocks.
No! It can't be! Or can it? Roger thought. He moved towards the boy to get a closer look. Yes, it is. This is unbelievable! A feeling of warmth and happiness surged through Roger, and a smile came over his face.
"Thank You, God, for giving me another chance! You let me give that little boy a new present for Christmas after all," Roger said under his breath. He was a changed person from that day on.
He walked over to Mrs. Marlin. "Isn't there something special about this Christmas, Mrs. Marlin?" he asked with a smile. "Something very, very special?"
"There most certainly is, Mr. Cummings," she replied. "There most certainly is!"
With all the presents now given out, one of the directors announced that Christmas dinner was about to be served. During dinner, each child would get a chance to go over and sit on Santa's lap and have their picture taken. In walked Santa, jolly and happy. He was so funny that he made all the children laugh as he sat and played with them and told them stories.
After some time, everyone had finished the delicious Christmas dinner, and it was nearly time for dessert. Annie and Allen were the only ones who hadn't yet gotten to sit with Santa and have their pictures taken.
Santa called out, "Okay, there are two children who haven't come to see me yet! Come on up! Come on up!" Annie and Allen raced over to Santa's big decorated chair. He looked every inch like the real Santa. "Ho, ho, ho! So children, I've got something special for you this Christmas!" Santa said.
Annie looked at him closer. Santa's voice sounds very familiar, but I guess it would be rude to say that, she thought to herself. Then she noticed a bewildered look on Allen's face. It seemed he was thinking the same thing.
Then came the second clue: A volunteer walked past them carrying a large tray of freshly baked donuts. I've seen donuts like those before, Allen thought.
Allen saw Annie's eyes light up at the same time, and they gave each other a knowing smile. This was no ordinary Santa Claus!
"How would you two like to have a new family and a new home this Christmas?" Santa asked.
"What? What do you mean?" questioned Annie.
"Well, there's a nice lady standing over there, who after much difficulty and a little help from me managed to find your Uncle Jack. He agreed to let you go and live with her.--That is, if you both want to!"
Both their heads spun around. "Do--do you mean Mrs. Marlin?" Annie asked.
"She wants us to come and live with her, and be part of her family?" Allen asked, stunned.
"Yes, that's just what I mean!"
Annie could hold back no longer, "Rick?! It's you, isn't it?"
Santa pulled his beard down to reveal his true identity. It was their dear friend Rick from the donut bakery. "Yep! You guessed it! I'm not really Santa Claus, but what I told you about Mrs. Marlin wanting you both to come and live with her is true!"
"Oh, Rick!" Annie exclaimed, as she gave him a big hug, "That's wonderful!"
"I can't believe this is happening to us!" said Allen.
"It sure is, my little friends. It sure is!" Rick said with a smile. "Okay, off you go! Go give her a big hug and kiss!"
Annie and Allen walked slowly across the orphanage floor towards Mrs. Marlin, who was waiting with a smile.
"Are we really going to be family now?" Allen asked.
"You can be if you want to. I sure want you to!" Sandra Marlin exclaimed, with tears running down her cheeks.
"Oh yes, more than anything we would like that too!" the twins said. Then they both threw their arms around her and gave her a hug she would never forget!
* * *
Home, at last
That evening, in the warmth of their new home, Annie and Allen sat on either side of Sandra as she read the story of Jesus' birth on that first Christmas Eve. Earl stoked the fire and listened in. When the story had ended, Allen piped up, "Jesus coming to earth was the first Christmas miracle, but I can think of another Christmas miracle that happened for Annie and me: This Christmas we got a new mother and a new home!"
Sandra responded, "And I can think of another Christmas miracle for me: Jesus answered my prayer from last Christmas."
"What was that?" Annie asked.
"Well, last Christmas my son Kevin died."
"I'm so sorry!" Annie said. "How did it happen?"
"We were out walking, going Christmas shopping, when apparently a woman behind us was robbed. The thief jumped in a nearby car to flee the scene. Kevin and I were crossing the street. Kevin ran ahead of me, and the man drove right through the red light and hit Kevin."
Sandra Marlin tried to wipe away the tears, but they were coming too quickly. Then she continued. "I couldn't understand why Kevin had died. I got very angry at God for taking my only child away from me. I lost my husband to cancer a few years ago, and Kevin was the only one I had left in this world. I was devastated, and spent a very sad and lonely Christmas at home last year.
"I knew that it was wrong to be angry at God, but it was such a difficult time for me. At my son's funeral I prayed that God would help me understand, and somehow give me back the happiness that I had lost when Kevin died.--And this Christmas He answered that prayer. Exactly one year after Kevin died I met you two at the mall."
Sandra Marlin put her arms around Annie and Allen, "God is giving me back the joy and happiness that I lost when I lost Kevin. He sent me both of you!"
The three of them hugged for the longest time. Then Annie broke the silence.
"Mommy Sandra, I love you," she said.
"Sweetheart, I love you too," the woman replied.
"I'm so glad that we get to come and live with you now," Allen added.
"And I'm so thankful for you both. You are the answer to my Christmas prayer!"
"And you are the answer to ours," said Annie and Allen in unison.
BILLY'S CANDY CANE
Wow! I can hardly believe it's almost Christmas! The thought brightened Billy's face for a moment, but soon his happy look began to fade. He could hear the sound of his little sister Jenny's deep cough coming from upstairs. She used to be so healthy and fun to be around, but now she was sick and didn't seem to be getting any better. Christmas would certainly not be very much fun for her this year.
The gloomy cloud of sadness that Billy had been struggling with all day began to settle back down around him. It seemed like just one thing after another was going wrong this year. The crops hadn't done well because there had been so little rain during the summer; then there was the early freeze that had destroyed some of the harvest. And then there was that big snowstorm which had lasted for over ten days, putting several feet of snow on the ground. Everyone knew they were in for a long, hard winter. It was just one hardship after another.
This all meant that money was scarce. Billy's dad was a good farmer, but they had depended on the income from the autumn harvest to carry them through the next year. When the harvest was bad, like it had been this year, the family would face hard times.
Billy's mom and dad were cheerful enough about it and didn't show their concern too much, but Billy could tell by the meals they were eating--a lot more beans and hardly any meat--that they were going to be living more frugally* during the coming months. Dad was going without some of the little things that he used to buy. There were no more daily newspaper deliveries and few trips into town. And now the car had broken down, and Dad couldn't buy the parts to fix it.
"Okay, Billy! Here is your shirt, all washed and ironed for the party at town hall tonight!"
"Thanks, Mom," Billy replied, as he gave his mother a hug around her big tummy. His mother was expecting a new baby in less than a month. Billy was hoping it would be a boy.
"You'd better leave soon. It'll take you a while to get there, walking through all this snow. Hopefully we'll get the car working soon, but money is a little tight right now. With Jenny so sick, your dad and I feel we'd best stay home, but we want you to go and have fun."
"But Mom," Billy began to protest, "I don't want to go if you and Dad and Jenny are staying home. It just wouldn't be the same."
"Billy," Mother explained gently, "we may not have much of a Christmas at home this year, so I want you to go and have fun. Then you can bring a little bit of that fun home with you. It'll be fun for us just to hear about it. All your friends will be expecting you to be there, and besides, Jenny wants you to go and pick up her present."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Billy gave in. "Okay, okay! I'll go!" He gave his mother a big smile and looked in her eyes, almost teasingly. Mom could be so persuasive when she wanted to. She made it sound like the whole world was counting on him to go to that party. Well, actually he did want to go, but he just wished they all could go.
"Dress really warm," she called to him as he hurriedly dressed and bounded out the door. "When your father went outside to do the chores, he said it was going to be a very cold night."
Billy trudged into the party a bit late, but he was glad Mom had insisted he come. Jack, Raymond, Sally, and many of his other classmates and friends were there.
"Come on, Billy! You're just in time to get in this game! You're on that team!" called one of his friends. Billy soon forgot his troubles and really enjoyed himself. It seemed all of the families in the village were there--except for his. Everyone was busy decorating the Christmas tree, singing Christmas carols, playing games, drinking Christmas punch and enjoying one another's company. It was nice and warm in the town hall, thanks to the big fire that roared in the fireplace. There were people everywhere standing around laughing and enjoying themselves. It gave Billy a warm feeling--a real Christmas feeling.
I wish Mom and Dad and Jenny could have come, thought Billy. I know they would have so much fun. I hope I can take a little bit of this year's party home to them, 'cause they sure need it.
"Hey, Billy, what are you hoping for this Christmas?" Jack called out.
"I'm hoping my sister gets better," Billy answered. "That's what I want for Christmas!"
"Well, I don't have a sister," Jack replied, "so I'm hoping for a train set."
Just then, the long-awaited moment came. They could hear the bells outside the door and then a loud knock: BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! The door suddenly swung open, and there he was--a tall figure, dressed in red, with a long white beard and a big bag thrown over his shoulder. Of course, everyone knew that this Santa Claus was really Mr. McPherson, but that didn't matter. Tonight he was Santa Claus, and he had come bearing gifts for all the kids!
He came in the door with a big "Ho, ho, ho," and then lumbered over to the big chair in the corner of the hall. All the kids scurried up and sat around his feet, waiting in eager anticipation for whatever he had for them. He set his bag down on the floor in front of all the kids and slowly opened it, as every little eye was focused on him. Then he reached in and pulled out little wrapped gifts, which he began to pass out to each of the children.
The village was small and no one could afford big presents, but everybody had donated some money so that each of the children could receive at least a small gift from Santa Claus at the yearly Christmas party. Billy watched, eager-eyed, as Santa passed out the gifts to each of the children. Then it was Billy's turn, as Santa handed him his gift as well. And, then with a twinkle in his eye, he reached into his bag again. "Oh, let's not forget the special present I have for Jennifer. Will you see that she gets this, Billy?"
"Yes, sir!" Billy exclaimed, as he happily tucked the precious package into his pocket.
Once all the gifts had been given out, the children eagerly started to open them, but Santa called out, "Wait, wait! I have one more thing for each of you!" And he reached into his bag and pulled out some very large candy canes for each of the children.
"Look at the size of those candy canes!" said Billy. He had never eaten one before, or ever seen any quite so big. Candy wasn't something that his parents could often afford, even at Christmas. What little money they could set aside went to buy Billy and Jenny a Christmas gift.
Oh, thought Billy, this is just wonderful! Then he asked Santa, "Could I have an extra candy cane for Jenny?"
"Of course," said Santa, as he handed Billy another of the large candy canes.
After the gift-giving and Santa's departure, all the villagers gathered around the Christmas tree to sing a few more Christmas carols. As they sang "Silent Night," Billy thought about his mom, who was soon to give birth to a new family member. He thought of Jenny, too, at home and sick in bed. As they sang "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," he thought of Jenny and how, as the song said, Jesus would come with "healing in His wings." How she needed that healing this Christmas!
Once the singing was over, it was time for everyone to start back home. It was cold and getting late, but Billy knew the way, and the bright, full moon was reflecting off the snow, lighting up the whole countryside. His parents' farm was about two miles away from the village, and there was no hope of catching a ride home. No one but the Johnsons lived out that way, and they had gone away for Christmas this year. Billy didn't mind, though. He would just walk fast, and be home in no time.
He wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck, pulled his hat down over his ears, and started home, a candy cane in each hand. Why does Santa give candy canes at Christmas time? he wondered as he walked through the snow-covered streets.
He often pondered such things on his walk home. Somehow it seemed to make the long walk seem shorter. Maybe the candy canes represent the canes used by people who can't walk on their own. Or maybe they're like the canes some people use in the wintertime, to help them walk through the snow. Then he turned one of the candy canes sideways, thinking out loud, "Oh, look! They look like skis. Maybe that's what the candy cane is all about: to represent the skis that people use in wintertime."
As he walked home, Billy made a game of thinking of all the different things that candy canes looked like. Billy's home was located one mile north and then one mile east from the village, along a road that bordered the Johnson farm on two sides. Just ahead on the right was the path that cut across their neighbors' field. It was a path he often used during the summer, but it was hard to follow in winter because of the snow. It also crossed over Willow Creek, which in winter was covered with ice. It was dangerous to cross, because in parts, the snow-covered ice was thin, and large rocks were hidden beneath the surface. But it was late and Billy was getting cold. He wanted to hurry up and get home, so he could give Jenny her candy cane and present.
Billy turned off the main road, stepped through the fence and followed the pathway across the farm. At a second fence that divided the property, the path turned left and followed the fence a ways, and then led down towards Willow Creek. Billy knew he was getting close to home now. Between the fence and the creek, the path got narrow and steep. The snow and ice had made it quite slippery, and Billy held on to the fence as he slowly made his way down. He sure didn't want to slide down and break his precious candy canes! He put one in each pocket of his big coat, but they still stuck out. Suddenly he lost his footing, and could feel his feet slipping from under him. Grabbing on to a tree, Billy managed to keep from sliding down into the icy creek. He regained his balance, and carefully inched his way along, holding on to tree limbs and shrubs until he got down to the creek.
In the summer this was the easiest place to cross the creek--just a few steps from rock to rock, and he would be across. But now, in the winter, it was a different story. Snow covered the rocks, and there was ice all around, which made it nearly impossible for him to tell exactly where his next step should be. He could hear the icy water as it gurgled past beneath the ice.
Slowly he began to cross over the creek. Step by step, Billy placed each foot down gently and carefully. If he were to slip or step down too hard in the wrong place, he'd go through the ice for sure! From the way his breath had frozen and formed a thick layer of frost on his scarf, Billy knew the air temperature was now well below freezing.
Then suddenly it happened! Billy began to slip! He had taken a long, hard step toward what looked like a rock just beneath the snow. His foot reached the spot, but there was no rock! His right leg went crashing through the ice, and into the cold water. Billy fell forward, and let out a gasp as the icy water bit through his pants and into his leg. His other foot gave way and twisted under him. As he fell forward, his head crashed into one of the snow-covered rocks that lined the edge of the creek.
* * *
When he came to his senses, Billy didn't know how long he had lain there unconscious. All he knew was, he was cold--really cold. He tried to move his right foot, but he couldn't. In fact, he couldn't even feel it! His arms were so cold that, as he tried to pull himself up, he found that he could barely move them either!
Finally, by grasping onto a large rock that he was lying next to, he managed to drag himself out of the water. He was too cold to be able to tell if he had broken his ankle or just sprained it. It was so cold that he couldn't even feel it. But either way, he couldn't stand on it. Holding on to the rocks, he slowly pulled himself to the other side of the frozen creek, and up the embankment.
He was so cold, and shivering uncontrollably! How am I ever going to make it home? Billy wondered. I can't walk, and I still have quite a ways to go. My foot seems to be frozen. Even if I call for help, no one would hear me. What am I going to do?
There was only one thing he could do, he decided, and that was to try to drag himself the rest of the way up the embankment and to crawl through the deep snow until he got home. He didn't know if he'd be able to make it, but he had no other choice than to try. Just as he was about to start dragging himself up the embankment, he looked back and saw his precious candy canes, lying in the snow. Jenny's face flashed in Billy's mind. He couldn't go home without at least one for her! Painfully, he inched his way back across the snow until he reached the closest one, and picked it up.
As his numb fingers closed around the precious object, a frightening thought occurred to Billy. What if I don't make it home at all? What if I freeze out here? Tears began to fill his eyes and blur his vision as he looked at the candy cane in his hand, its curved end facing downwards.
Suddenly, something else dawned on him. Look! It's a "J"--that must stand for "Jesus," because Christmas is His birthday.
Billy remembered what Pastor Dickson had said in one of his Sunday sermons: "Whenever you're in trouble, pray to Jesus with your whole heart, and He will answer you."
Billy held the upturned candy cane in his hand, looking at the initial "J," and through his chattering teeth, he began to pray. "Oh Jesus, I am in a desperate situation and I need Your help. I don't think there's any way that I can crawl all the way home, and things have already been going bad this year--me freezing to death would be more than my mom and dad could take. Please do something, somehow, to help me get home."
With that, he pushed the candy cane back into his pocket and started pulling himself back up the embankment and over the top. Slowly he began the long, grueling, crawl home. His foot was still numb, and his hands were burning with pain from the cold snow.
Oh Jesus, help me! Billy prayed. He was so cold that it was getting hard to think clearly. He moved more and more slowly. I just can't go on any further! Jesus, my poor mommy and daddy will be so sad if I freeze to death here! It'll take them a long time to even find me. They won't think to look on this path crossing the Johnson farm. Please help me to make it home somehow! He lay his head down in the snow, too cold and exhausted to go any further, and that was the last thing that Billy remembered.
Suddenly Billy felt a tug. Then he was being shaken, tossed and tumbled about. He was so cold he didn't quite know what was happening, but he soon realized that he was wrapped in his father's coat and being carried up towards the farm. Billy could see the lights of the farmhouse! Soon his mother threw open the door and Billy's father came bursting into the house, still carrying the boy.
"Oh, dear! What's happened? He's all wet and freezing! Quick! Bring him by the fire! Get his shoes off! Get him out of his wet clothes!" his mother cried frantically. By the time they had dried Billy, wrapped him in some warm blankets, set him beside the fire, and given him some hot milk, he began to revive.
"How did you find me?" Billy asked his father.
"I finished the last of the evening chores and I thought I should make my way down to the village so that I could walk back with you. But by the time I got there, the hall was closed and everyone had already gone home. I hadn't passed you on the road, so I knew you must have taken the only other way home, across the Johnson farm."
"When I came to the shortcut, where the path joins the road, I saw your footprints in the snow, going off across the farm. When I got to the creek, I saw the hole in the ice and a place in the snow where it looked like you'd fallen. As I started up the other side, I noticed a candy cane lying upside-down in the snow. It looked like a 'J.' I reached down to pick it up, and as soon as my hand touched it I heard a voice saying, 'Run! Run, your son is lying in the snow!' I ran as fast as I could towards the house, and there I found you lying motionless in the snow. I picked you up, wrapped you in my coat and carried you the rest of the way home--praying all the way that I hadn't found you too late!"
A short while later, Billy's foot began to feel better. It wasn't broken, but had been badly sprained. Before going to bed he hobbled into Jenny's room, holding her present in one hand, and hiding a big candy cane behind his back in the other. "Santa is here," he said weakly, "and he has something special for you!" Jenny smiled sleepily as he handed her the present, then pulled out the candy cane and gave it to her.
"You know, Jenny, " Billy continued. "I thought of all the different kinds of things that a candy cane might represent, but after what happened tonight I know for sure why it is shaped the way it is, and why people give them to each other at Christmas. It's not a cane at all! It's a 'J,' and it stands for Jesus, the One Whose birthday it is, and the One Who answered my prayer when I was in real trouble."
"And He was the same One Who told me to run because Billy had fallen in the snow," added Billy's father, who was standing at the door, "and the One Who answered my prayer that he would be okay."
Mother added, "Although we may not have much this Christmas, there are two things that we do have: One, we have each other; we're all together as a family. And two, we have Jesus, Who is taking care of us through the good times and through the hard times."
Billy's mom and dad then put their arms around Billy and Jenny. As they all held each other warmly, each thought how wonderful it was that Jesus had kept them together this Christmas!
THE GOLDEN PUPPY
It was the day before Christmas, and that meant that tomorrow, Holly would be seven years old. "My, what a big girl you are now!" her mother had told her that morning.
Yes, Holly's birthday was on Christmas day, and that made it even more special for her! She loved all the excitement and the decorations. Just think! All this happens on my birthday! I'm glad that I was born on Jesus' birthday! Holly thought.
Another reason why Holly was so excited was because she wanted a dog--not just any dog, but the one like her favorite dog in her favorite book. The book was about all kinds of pets, but from the very first time that Holly saw the picture of a little Golden Retriever with a knitted stocking cap in its mouth, she knew that that puppy was what she wanted!
Holly would often dream that she and the puppy were running and playing together. She even had a name for him: Charlie. Sometimes Holly would be calling out in her sleep, "Charlie! Come here, boy! Come, Charlie!"
Before, Holly's mother had said that she was too young for a dog, and that she would have to wait until she was bigger, but now she was bigger--at least, that was what her mother had just said!
That night, as Holly lay in bed, she could hardly sleep. She was much too excited. Soon I'm going to have my Charlie!
* * *
The light of the rising sun had barely poked its way through Holly's curtains when she jumped out of bed and ran to her parents' room. "It's my birthday! It's Christmas! Can I go see my presents?"
"Yes! Yes!" her father said groggily, turning over to where Holly was standing, excitedly bouncing up and down on her feet. "But don't open any until we get there. We'll be down in a minute."
Holly flew down the stairs, laughing and giggling, and calling out, "Charlie! Come here, Charlie!" When she came to the tree, she wondered which of the boxes he could be in, but being the good little detective that all seven-year-olds are, she quickly concluded that Mommy and Daddy had probably hid him in the basement or out in the garage. So she waited patiently until her parents would come downstairs.
It wasn't long before they were all in front of the tree together. Holly's parents watched as she excitedly opened each present. Then she bounced over to her mom and dad and said, "I'm a big girl now, aren't I?"
"You sure are!" her mother answered with a smile.
"So where's Charlie? Can I see my little puppy?"
"Well, Honey, I'm so sorry, but we " her mother began.
Holly broke into tears. "But you said I could have him when I'm bigger!"
"I know, that's true, and you are bigger. It's just that we looked all around, Honey, but we couldn't find any Golden Retriever puppies like Charlie. We asked all the breeders we could contact, but nobody seemed to have one. We'll just have to wait and see, Honey. I'm so sorry."
Holly was heartbroken. She had already made a bed for Charlie in her room, and had poured some milk in a bowl for him that morning. Sad and discouraged, she excused herself, went to her room, and closed the door.
A little later, Mom came into Holly's room. Holly was sitting on her bed, holding her soft, cuddly teddy, and staring sadly out of the window.
"I'm sorry that we weren't able to get you a dog. I know how much you wanted little Charlie this year," Holly's mother said as she hugged her. "But try to forget about that for now. Why don't we go make some hot chocolate, put it in a thermos, and then go ice skating on the lake!"
Holly enjoyed ice skating, and it had been her favorite winter pastime ever since she had gotten her first pair of skates when she was four years old. Going skating sounded better than pouting in her room, so Holly agreed.
It was an excellent day for skating. The sun was shining, and it wasn't too cold. The lake was near their house, so Holly and her mother walked there. A lot of other people were already skating. Some were really good skaters, and others were just learning, but everyone seemed to be happy, and having a good time.
As Holly and her mom sat on the sidelines putting on their skates, Holly heard a dog bark and turned around to see it. "Oh, it's only the Smith's dog," she mumbled.
As soon as Mrs. Smith saw them, she came over. Soon she and Holly's mom were involved in what Holly could see was going to be a long conversation, so she started to hum loudly to get Mom's attention.
"Go ahead and skate," her mother said. "I'm going to talk with Mrs. Smith for awhile, but I'll come out and join you afterwards. Just remember to stay away from those flags over there." Holly nodded. She knew what the flags meant. They were to warn skaters of thin ice.
As she skated gracefully along on the ice, Holly couldn't help but daydream about little Charlie, imagining how fun it would be to be playing with her own little puppy.
"Oops! Ouch! That hurt!" Holly exclaimed as she took a nasty fall. She had skated into a bump in the ice. I should have been paying more attention, she thought to herself as she inspected her knee. Suddenly, whoosh!-- the wind came rushing up behind her and blew her hat off. Holly scrambled up to skate after it, but stopped with a look of hopelessness. Her hat had blown into the area that was flagged off.
How am I going to get it back? Holly wondered. It was a new hat, one of her Christmas presents from that morning. She looked back at her mother. She was still talking to Mrs. Smith. Well, it's not that far over the line. Maybe I could just slowly crawl across and get it, Holly thought. Her hat was only a few feet beyond the safe area, so Holly began crawling towards it.
Then, as if the wind was playing a game with her, it blew her hat a few feet further away. But Holly wasn't about to give up. She was already past the line, so she went a little further, a little further Suddenly Holly thought she heard a cracking sound. But I'm almost there! she thought.
While talking with Mrs. Smith, Holly's mom glanced over the bustle of all the skaters, trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of Holly. Then Holly's mother spotted her. Oh, she must have slipped on the ice! she thought, seeing her crawling on her hands and legs. Then she realized where she was!
"Holly, stop! Don't go out there!" she shouted out.
A small gust of wind suddenly stirred up the loose snow that had gathered atop the thin, untouched ice, into a swirling cloud. Now Holly couldn't even see where her hat was. "Holly!" shouted her mom frantically, "Come away from there at once. Don't you realize where you are?"
Holly's head spun around to see her mother standing next to one of the warning flags. She suddenly realized just how far she had crawled, and she turned around and slowly scooted back to where her mom was standing.
"What did I tell you about going over there?" her mother asked sternly.
"I'm sorry, Mother," Holly replied with a sorry look on her face, "but I lost my new hat, the one I got this morning. It blew off, and I thought you would be angry!"
"Honey, don't worry about that hat. I'd much rather have you safe and dry than see you risking your life for a hat."
Holly cast a wishful look back to where her hat had flown. As she gazed into the swirling cloud of snow, she suddenly heard a dog bark--or at least, that was what it had sounded like. She strained her eyes, and looked once more into the swirling cloud of glittering snow. And then she saw him--a cute little puppy scampering towards her, holding her hat in its mouth!
Holly blinked, then blinked again! "Is this real, or am I dreaming?" she asked herself in amazement. She instantly broke out into a beaming smile as she exclaimed, "Mommy, Mommy! Look! Do you see the puppy? It's Charlie, Mommy! Just like the one in the book! It's Charlie! It's Charlie!"
And it was. There, in front of her, now stood a little golden colored puppy! Its tail wagged wildly--and was still holding Holly's knitted hat in its mouth.
"I'm sure he must belong to someone," her mother said. "Poor thing, let's see if we can find its owner."
But Holly knew this puppy belonged to her. "Come, Charlie!" she called, skating a short distance away. The puppy scampered over to her, wagging its tail even more excitedly.
Holly and her mother asked the other skaters if they knew who the puppy might belong to, but no one had a clue.
"We can't leave him out here!" Holly's mother finally said. "We'll have to bring him home until we can find its master."
Holly was overjoyed. That was just what she had been waiting to hear! "Come on, Charlie! I've got your bed all fixed up!"
The puppy gladly and excitedly followed her off the ice, and all the way home.
That evening as Holly and Charlie snuggled together in front of the fireplace, she said a little prayer, thanking God for sending her Charlie. Holly's dad and mom inquired all around town, trying to find out who the owners of this cute puppy might have been, but no one knew anything about little Charlie. God, in His Own way, had given Holly the desire of her heart. She had found Charlie at last, and he was her very own!
THE HOUSE WITH NO WINDOWS
It was a tall house, gloomy and foreboding*. We kids would always shiver when necessity led us past it. We would make a game out of cupping our hands over our ears and running along the sidewalk as fast as we could until we were past it. Nobody lived there, of course. At least, that was what we thought; until one day something happened
It was a mild autumn afternoon. Sally, Jane and I were playing hopscotch on the sidewalk. The two Miller boys from across the street came running up breathlessly, and, coming close to us, proclaimed in a dramatic whisper, "We saw something move in the house! We're going over to investigate. Do you want to come?" The other girls squealed in horror, but having a penchant* for the mysterious, and being the tomboy that I was, I shivered with delight. "I'm not afraid! Let's go!" I said eagerly.
"Oh, Sarah, don't!" Jane wrinkled up her nose. "You never know what might be in there." But curiosity had already taken deep root in me, and I had to know.
The two boys, Tommy and Pete, filled me in on what I had missed, as we scurried down the street in the direction of the gloomy mansion. They had been driving back from Sunday morning church service with their mom, and, as usual, ogled* the house as they drove past. It was Tommy who had first noticed something unusual, and he gave his brother a hefty nudge. "Did you see the window?" Pete looked at the window just before the car went around the corner, and then the house was left far behind.
"What was it?" I asked eagerly.
"It was a hand," Pete said dramatically.
"That's all you saw?" I shivered in horror. "Did it have a body, too?"
"Of course it did!" Tommy said. "Well, I guess so. We didn't see it, but it's not like it was just floating there, you know. It was sort of pulling the curtain aside."
"So what are we going to do?"
Pete suddenly yanked the back of my shirt. "Stop here!" he said. "We're getting too close. We've got to make our plan before we get there."
"I'll go first," I bravely volunteered. "I'm smaller than you both, so I can sneak around the back and crawl through that hole in the fence. I'll run up to the window and find out if I can see anything."
"No way!" Tommy burst out. "I'm coming, too!"
"Me too!" said Pete.
"Okay, well, let's all go, then."
Having made our plans, we cautiously traveled the rest of the way to the house. As we approached, I looked up nervously. The creaky-looking structure towered high above the other houses on the block. It was old and dilapidated, and badly in need of a fresh coat of paint.
"It must be a hundred years old!" I whispered to Pete, although we were still a ways away and there was no reason to whisper yet.
A curious feature of the house was that it seemed to have no windows.--That is, except for one small one on the ground floor, which was presumably* where Pete and Tommy had seen the hand. The lack of windows only seemed to add to its spookiness, as did the old-fashioned iron gate, and the thickly overgrown garden that stretched around the entire old building.
Now we were there. After looking both ways to make sure no cars were coming, we cautiously inched our way along the side of the fence until we reached a part where it was broken down, and had been patched up by a wire mesh. There was a sizable hole in the mesh, and we squeezed through, one by one.
"What exactly are we going to do?" I asked.
The boys shrugged. Obviously, long-term planning was not our forte*. The highlight of this adventure was just the excitement of going, and the thrill of being able to say we'd done it.
We scoured* our way through the underbrush* until we were close enough to the lone window that we could see it well. It was musty, with mold growing around the corners. There was nothing to be seen through it other than a thick curtain.
"But look!" Pete whispered excitedly. "There's a little crack in the curtain. I'll go up and see if I can see anything!"
Tommy and I did not envy Pete in this last thrill, and we were content to watch from our makeshift hideout. Ever so slowly he moved along the ground below the window until he reached the house. He then cautiously drew his head up, and ever so gingerly* placed his eye to the gap in the curtain. He couldn't have been there more than fifteen seconds before our blood froze within our bodies, as Pete let out a bloodcurdling* yell and went flying through the underbrush. He tripped on a root and lost his shoe, but leaped up in a flash, and was out through the hole in the fence before we had pulled our hearts out of our throats. We clutched each other, wondering what had happened and whether it was safer to stay where we were or follow Pete's lusty* example and get as far away as we could.
I looked over at the window, and decided the latter course was better. Grabbing Tommy by the arm, I yanked him out of the brush and went tearing across the path that Pete had blazed for us.
Back in the lonely window, peering through the curtains, the eye followed our hasty retreat.
It was a rather dismal ending to our brave adventure. We weren't sure exactly why we had been so spooked out. "I mean," I speculated to Jane and Sally, "if whatever lives there has a hand, I suppose it has an eye, too. It was just the excitement of the moment, I guess."
"I don't believe you saw anything," Jane stated. "I bet it was just nerves. That's what my Papa says when my Mama gets all worked up about something."
"Oh, there was something there all right." I kicked the curb thoughtfully. "I just wonder who would want to live in a house with no windows?"
* * *
As the months slipped by, the mystery of the house down the street was somewhat dwarfed by the excitement of the upcoming Christmas season. Thus far, none of us had ever brought up the subject of returning for a closer look. Somehow, it just seemed that it wasn't an option.
But the house was soon to return to the forefront of our thoughts in a very dramatic way.
It was Christmas Eve when it started. The whole city was covered in a blanket of snow, and the temperature had now dropped well below freezing. As we were getting ready to turn in for the night, Mother commented to Father about what would happen if our water pipes were to freeze and then burst.
"Hmm, that would be a big mess," Father was saying. "Maybe I should turn off the main water line till tomorrow morning. It looks like it's going to be a nasty night."
Father put on his overcoat, his warm hat and earmuffs, his big thick boots, and his fur-lined gloves, and stepped outside into the howling wind. He was gone for about twenty minutes when I asked Mother if I could go and take him two hot potatoes to put inside his pockets, to keep his hands warm. Mother agreed, and I threw on my coat and ran outside. Having delivered my packages, I thankfully returned to the warmth of the house.
After another fifteen minutes or so, Father came back in, sighing thankfully. "It took a while to get to it with all that snow, but now we should be just fine, no matter how low the temperature goes. Okay, Sarah, can you call the others? Let's all sit by the fire and I'll tell you a special Christmas Eve story."
That was when the nightmare started. My two younger sisters were easy enough to find, playing on the floor of their room. But where was little Martin? The four-year-old was nowhere to be found, and as the search into each room proved fruitless, my despair and horror mounted. Then it hit me.
"Oh, oh!" I gasped, and turned pale. "He was right behind me when I went out to take Father the potatoes. He must have slipped outside to go after me!"
Without another word, Father went for his warm things. Mother tried to go for hers, too, but Father instructed her to stay back with the children.
"Please, may I come?" I was desperate to do anything I could to help.
Father knew how much it meant to me to be able to put my anguish* to good use, so he agreed, and we stepped out into the whirling snow.
"You go up the street and I'll go down," he shouted above the noise of the storm. "We'll meet back here in exactly ten minutes."
I nodded, and went off. I shouted as loud as I could above the storm, but only heard the sound of my own voice thrown back at me. I tried to look for footprints, but it was impossible to see anything through the wind and falling snow. At the agreed-upon time, I returned empty-handed. With a sinking heart I saw Father standing there, his head bowed, looking ten years older than he had just a half-hour earlier. As I drew near him, he put his arm around my shoulders and put his mouth close to my ear so that I could hear him above the din*.
"Let's pray for Marty," he whispered hoarsely.
My eyes blurred so that even if the snow wasn't pouring down I still couldn't have seen more than a foot in front of me. I hardly heard the words that Father spoke, but my own heart carried my tears and silent prayers before the One Who we knew loved and cared for our little lost boy even more than we did.
And then, miraculously, something started to change. Father noticed it first. "Sarah, did you notice? The wind has stopped!"
It had. And it wasn't another full minute before the snow stopped, too. No more than two minutes after our prayer, it was a calm and peaceful winter's night. We looked at each other in amazement, and our hearts leaped for joy. With grateful tears streaming down our faces, we split up again and retraced our steps up and down the snow-covered street. We dragged our hands through every snowdrift we could, shouting Martin's name till we were hoarse.
But when we met again in front of our gate, we were as empty-handed as we had been in the midst of the howling blizzard. There was nothing else that could be done. We had looked everywhere there was to look. It was with an aching heart that I obeyed my father's instruction to go back inside, while he went to find some neighbors to help him continue the search.
* * *
The next morning dawned bright and sunny and dazzlingly white, but the Christmas spirit was gone from our hearts. The search had continued on through the night, but as yet, not a trace of Martin had been found. For all of us, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without our little ray of sunshine. I blamed myself for not having been more attentive to him, and not having noticed that he had followed me out into the storm.
Climbing out of bed, I went straight for my warm clothes. I couldn't just lie in bed doing nothing! I tiptoed down the stairs, not wanting to wake up Father, who had only just come in to try and catch a few moments of sleep. I carefully unlatched the front door. But no sooner had I swung it open than a startled yelp* burst from my lips. There, standing poised* with his chubby hand ready to knock on the door, was Martin!
Hearing my shriek had brought the rest of the household tumbling down the stairs, where they all stood, frozen to the spot as I was. Martin was as chubby as ever, with a huge brown fur coat draped over his miniature body.
"Merry Christmas, everyone!" he proclaimed, smiling.
We all fell upon him in joy, passing him from one to the other, smothering him in kisses, and finally carrying him indoors on our shoulders like the king of the universe. What a happy Christmas this was going to be after all!
But the real excitement was yet to come.
"You must be starving, Marty!" Mother exclaimed. "Let me make you something to eat, and then you can tell us what happened to you!"
"I'm not hungry, Mother," Martin said cheerfully. "The kind lady already fed me."
"The lady? Which lady was that?"
"I went outside last night to help Sarah bring the potatoes to Father, but then I couldn't find my way. I tried to come back to the house, and I walked and walked, but I never found the house. I started to cry, because I was so cold, and I didn't think I could walk very much farther. All I could see was snow and snow and more snow. I sat down next to a fence because I was too cold to go on any more. But then I heard someone calling me.
"It was a lady, and she said, 'My gate is open, come on in!' I looked around. I didn't see anyone, but sure enough, the gate was open. So I walked in, through all the snow and bushes, and I came to the porch. I knocked and knocked but nothing happened."
"Where was the lady who had called you?"
"I don't know. But then, all of a sudden, the storm stopped. Everything was quiet. I was so tired and afraid, so I started crying and hitting the door. And then it opened, and the kindest lady was standing there. She took me inside and dried me off by a fire, and gave me food. She said I could stay there for the night, and return home in the morning. So I did."
"Amazing!" Father exclaimed. "Do you realize, Sarah, that it was the Lord who stopped the storm, just in time?"
"Yes," my eyes were shining with tears of thankfulness. "Oh, Father, I'm so glad that we prayed right when we did!"
"But if the lady was inside the house, how could she have told you about the gate?" Mother mused. "I wonder if it was an angel!"
"It was the same voice," Martin said firmly.
"Mother," I said. "I would like to go and thank the lady who helped Martin."
"Why don't we all go and pay her a visit after lunch?" Mother suggested.
"Yes, but I would really like to go now. May I?" I couldn't explain why I felt the urgent need to go right away.
Mother looked at Father, who nodded his agreement, and soon Martin and I were off down the snowy path once again, while Father called all the neighbors to tell them the good news. It was such a joy to hold his plump hand in mine and know that he was safe and sound!
"Is it much farther?" I asked after several minutes' walk.
"Right up here!" he proclaimed.
I looked at the yellow house in front of me and prepared to go up the drive, but Martin tugged on my sleeve. "No, Sarah! The other side of the street."
My heart suddenly stopped. Martin was eagerly pointing to the house. "Oh, Marty," I laughed nervously, "you must be mistaken. It was dark and snowy last night, I don't think this could be the place."
But Martin had already crossed the street and gone through the gate. The whole place looked different under its blanket of snow, but I still felt a bit uneasy going through that gate. If I hadn't had my little partner with me, I would have returned home then and there, but he was already knocking eagerly at the door.
Time stood still for me as the great weather-beaten door slowly creaked open. There, in the flickering light, stood a woman. Her hair was disheveled* and her clothes were untidy, and there were deep lines on her face. But at the sight of Martin on her doorstep, her face lit up like the huge star on the top of our Christmas tree. Martin grabbed her with both his arms and hugged her tightly.
"My sister wanted to come and thank you for rescuing me," he said cheerfully. "Her name is Sarah."
"How do you do?" I smiled shyly, holding out my hand.
The woman took my hand awkwardly, and then said, "Would you come in?"
I shook my head hesitantly and began mumbling something about needing to get home, but then I saw that Martin had already taken her hand and was on his way inside. I grinned. Boy, was I going to have something to tell the Miller boys!--I was going inside the house!
The door closed behind us, and I turned up my nose. The house was musty and smelled like it badly needed some sunlight.
Martin seemed to be thinking the same thing. "It's very dark in here," he commented matter-of-factly, "but it's so nice and sunny outside. Could I open the shutters to get some light? I'm sure it'd make this house look really nice!"
"Oh no," the lady burst out. "I haven't opened the shutters in years."
"But why?" Martin asked.
The lady sighed wearily. "Many years ago, I used to have a little ... a little boy, just like you." She ran her hands absently through Martin's curly hair. "He passed away on Christmas Eve, eight years ago. After he died I closed up the house, and I have never set foot outside since."
I drew my breath in. The poor woman! It seemed like there was a great power at work in the whole Christmas Eve miracle, more than we had even been aware of!
"Still," Martin was saying, "it seems like it would be nice to have some light. Besides," he ran over and jumped on her lap, flinging his chubby arms around her neck and placing a kiss on her bony cheek, "you have me now! I'm your special Christmas present, and you don't ever have to be sad or lonely again!"
Tears were streaming down the woman's face. She motioned that I could go ahead and open the shutters. "It's the handle over there," she sobbed.
I pulled the handle, and before my eyes, an amazing transformation took place. That was why we couldn't see any windows on the house: the whole front side of the house was one gigantic window, but it had been boarded up for so long that no one had ever seen it. The shutters rolled up with a clatter, and light flooded into the house.
The woman shielded her eyes at first, but then she dropped her hands down by her side, and, placing Martin gently back on the ground, she walked uncertainly towards the window. Almost as if in a trance, she opened it wide. I could almost see the light washing all the darkness from her soul. She stood at the window for a full five minutes, and when she turned back towards us, she was radiant. Her wrinkles were hardly noticeable, and the morning breeze had swept her tired hair into a wild frenzy. She knelt down on the floor and spread out her arms to Martin, who leaped upon her with all his might. They both fell over, laughing heartily. I could tell by the raspy sound that came from her throat that she had not laughed in a very, very long time.
"Ma'am," I said timidly, "won't you come over to our house for Christmas dinner? I'm sure our parents would love to have you!"
"Oh," the woman made a small attempt to refuse, but I could tell that every pore in her body was bursting with joy at the possibility.
"Oh yes, yes, yes!" Martin was jumping up and down so hard on her lap that I was afraid he might break her. I knew I had to rescue her soon, and give her a little time to become adjusted to his childish ways.
"Come, Martin," I said, grabbing him by the hand. I turned again to the woman: "We live six houses down; it's the one with the bright blue mailbox in front. Will you come by at five? We'll be waiting for you!"
She nodded, her eyes red from all the tears she had shed over the past half-hour. "I will be there," she said hoarsely. "And," she paused, "thank you! I can never thank you enough!"
Propelled by an impulse of my own, I reached out and gave her a warm hug. "Thank you!" I said.
* * *
As Martin and I trudged back through the shimmering snow towards home, I turned to look at the house. How different it now looked! The peeling walls and lack of paint was now almost unnoticeable compared to those huge, glorious windows. "I bet we could give her a hand at painting, washing and gardening," I said to Martin, as we walked. He nodded blissfully, with his mind now on the soon-to-come turkey dinner.
I turned back to the road. What a Christmas! And what a lot there would be to talk about now with all my friends. I shook my head in amazement at the intricacy with which God performs His amazing Christmas miracles, and how richly He spreads them around so that all can share in their glory.
FARMER JEANS' BARN
"It's Christmas time again!" lamented the goose. "Oh, I really don't like Christmas! It's the worst time of the year!"
"Well," the turkey grumped, "you sure don't have that much to worry about! The odds are against me because I'm more 'traditional.' If anybody should be worried, it's me! I don't want to end up being somebody's Christmas dinner."
"Oh hush! I think if anybody has a right to be nervous, it's me," said the piglet. "Everybody looks forward to an especially juicy, fat and tender little fella like me!"
"Yes, that's right!" oinked Mama Pig. "They're always picking on my little piglets!"
"As if we didn't have anything to worry about either. You're just thinking of yourself! It takes three of us chickens to equal one of you, Mr. Turkey. We're three times as likely to be picked as you are, and Farmer Jeans has been feeding us so well that I'm sure it's going to be us this year! Oh, Christmas is the most dreaded occasion of the year!"
"And what about me?" whimpered the little calf. "Why couldn't I have been born after Christmas? I don't want to die yet! I've hardly had a chance to frolic and play in the pasture and eat the nice tender green grass. Moo hoo hoo!"
Oh, the barnyard was a dismal and dreary place at Christmas. The only happy ones, it seemed, were the dog and the cat! Christmas was a special season for them, as they would get extra helpings of delicious morsels from their master's table. Because of this, there was a smoldering resentment and division in the barnyard between the other animals and the cat and the dog.
Sally the cow bellowed their sentiments to the dog and cat. "Well, you don't have to act so happy about it, drooling at the mouth! After all, you could've been born a turkey. I'm expected to give of my own flesh and blood, and what are you expected to give? Nothing! You just eat high off the hog!"
"Yeah!" sighed the piglet! "I have to give my life for the likes of you! At least you could show some gratitude rather than acting like, 'Oh thank God, I'm not like you!--A piglet!'" And so the farm animals bickered back and forth.
All the animals knew of the sacrifices that were expected of them at Christmas time, and as it hovered in the air, they knew that one of them--or maybe more, depending on the festivities--would be giving their lives. So every year at Christmas time the barnyard was full of murmurings and grumblings and groanings between the animals.
At that moment the animals heard the door of the big house open and close, and then footsteps crunching along.
"Shhhhst. Everybody! Quiet! Here comes Farmer Jeans!" one of the animals proclaimed.
As he opened the barn door the morning sunlight poured in. It was a gorgeous day, and Farmer Jeans was whistling and singing away, "It's a beautiful day on the farm!"
Sally stomped her hoof, "Hmmph! Beautiful day--sure, for him!"
Farmer Jeans paused. Hmm, it sure seems awfully quiet in here today. I wonder if there's anything wrong. It's unusually still. Let me check the stalls.
He walked over to where Sally stood. "You seem awfully sullen* today, Sally. You've hardly touched your hay." He looked over towards the chickens, who were huddled together in a corner. I wonder what's with these animals? Why would the chickens be huddled up in their chicken coops on a bright and sunny day like this? The only one who seems to be eating is Molly, my sheep--she even looks a little chubbier than usual. Maybe I should give Sally some extra grain to cheer her up!
"I knew it!" Sally snorted. "Farmer Jeans is just trying to be good to me because he's going to take my calf!"
Farmer Jeans looked in on the pig stall. "And how are my Mama Pig and her piglets doing this morning? I have a little extra slop for you today!" he said cheerily, as he poured a bucket of slop into their feeding trough.
"I could have guessed! He's just trying to fatten up my piglets!" Mama Pig grunted.
Then the farmer stopped to look at the turkey.
"Oh no!" Mr. Turkey shuddered, trying to make himself look skinny. "He's probably checking to see how big I am. I just know that I'm the one he's going to butcher this Christmas! No doubt about it!"
Soon the farmer left the barn, and went about his chores in the field. No sooner had he left than a commotion of arguments arose in the barn.
"With the way all of you are complaining about your lot, I'm sure glad I don't have anything to worry about!" the dog chortled.
"Oh, hush up! You're just enjoying every minute of it, aren't you?" gobbled Turkey. "You have nothing to worry about. Did you see the way he was sizing me up? I'm sure I'm the one that's going to be picked for supper this Christmas. My days are numbered! My head's on the chopping block!"
"No, I'm certain it's going to be us," clucked one of the hens. "Have you seen how he's been feeding us extra grain and fattening us up for the slaughter?"
"Oh no, you're mistaken! Why do you think he's feeding us this extra slop if he wasn't trying to make us put on a couple more juicy pounds? It's for no other reason than to make us fat for the dining room table."
"No, no, no, I'm sure he's going to take my young one. Moo hoo hoo! He's given me grain now, besides the hay! My little calf will never grow up to be a strong bull."
And so the squabbling went on, as the animals made each other more miserable with their tales of woe and their murmurs about always having to give of themselves at Christmas time..
* * *
Finally, the dreaded day came: Christmas Eve, when all the animals knew that Farmer Jeans would choose the animal for Christmas dinner the next day. Each one waited for the dreaded sound of his footsteps approaching the barn, to take them to their fate.
"I don't see why folks think Christmas is such a happy time of year. I for one surely don't think it's much fun. I don't think there's any joy in giving like this!" squawked the goose.
"Yeah, giving is nothing but sacrifice and loss," muttered one of the chickens, "There's certainly no happiness in that!"
* * *
So the time came when the farmer entered the barn. The animals watched with bated breath as he walked over to one of the stalls. "Hello, Molly! How are you? I hope you've had a good year, and that you've been happy and well-fed, and that you have enjoyed your time out in the pasture, and here on the farm. Now Christmas has come again, and since it is meant to be a time of giving, I am going to be inviting some poor children, orphans from the city, over for dinner. These children have no family, no home, and no loved ones, so I want to do what I can to make their Christmas a happy one. But this means that you will have to give, too, because I am going to be needing you for our Christmas dinner."
All the animals silently watched, waiting to see what Molly would do. She slowly lifted her drooping head, and looked around at all the other animals in the barn, and then back up at Farmer Jeans, without so much as a bleat. And so dear Molly, willing to give her life in loving service to the farmer and to help the poor children, said her parting good-byes to her friends and off she went, following Farmer Jeans out of the barn. She was a little sad, but did not protest; she did not open her mouth, but yielded to her loving master's wish. The heart of the farmer was heavy as well, as he loved and tenderly cared for each of his animals, but he knew that in giving, he would make others happy. So into the slaughter house they went, and the door slowly closed after them.--And there was silence that night in all the barnyard.
* * *
By noon the next day, the orphans had all arrived at the farm. This was a very exciting and special event for these children, as they had never been to a farm before--in fact, most of them had never seen any other house besides the orphanage they lived in. They ran and played and looked at the many interesting sights. There was the mill where the farmer ground the grain. There was the well where they had fun dropping and pulling up the bucket time and time again. There was the fresh air, the fields in the distance, the apple trees, and oh, the barnyard, what a treat! The children rushed to the chicken coop which stood at the entrance of the barn, and saw the nests where the hens laid their eggs. They were so thrilled, it was such a joy!
Next the children ran into the barn, where the stalls were. There they saw Mama Pig with her little piglets, so cute and pink, with their little wiggly tails! And then they followed the turkey, who despite his odd appearance, proudly gobbled and strutted about! They went to see Sally the cow with her little calf, and they all stopped to pet her. And they saw the white goose, so soft!
Then they came to a stall that was empty. A little sign hung over the stall door that said, "Molly the sheep." One child said, "There's no sheep here! Don'tcha have a sheep, Mister?" A hush came over the animals as their thoughts turned again to Molly, who had always been friendly and polite, caring and concerned for others.
Suddenly they were startled by a small bark. A little dog that belonged to one of the orphans had wandered into the barnyard.
"Hello, who are you?" he asked Sally the cow, as he curiously cocked his head to look up at this big creature that stood above him.
"I'm Sally. And what are you doing here?"
"I came over with my master, a young boy at the orphanage. I've never been on a farm before. Wow, you sure have a lot of company here. Where I come from, there aren't many other animals. It must be so much fun to live on a farm."
"What makes you think that?" the turkey gobbled, ever so curious as to what fun this little puppy could be talking about.
"Well, I've never seen my master this happy before. You know, I'm one of the only friends he has at the orphanage, and most of the time he's very sad. But then when they told him that he was invited to come to a farm for Christmas, and to have a special Christmas dinner, you should have seen the light in his eyes. He was so happy that somebody cared enough about him to give him Christmas dinner. Oops, there he goes! I'd better go with him!"
The dinner bell rang, and all the children ran inside. This was the first time they'd ever had a Christmas dinner, because the orphanage was very poor and they couldn't afford such a nice dinner for so many children. Not many people thought about orphans, especially when most people were going through hard times themselves.
Mr. Farmer had done his very best to make this Christmas dinner special. He had made mashed potatoes, prepared salads with all the trimmings, and of course, the delicious mutton stew. The children's eyes grew big with appetite; they were so happy. They felt as if they were dreaming! A special hot meal on Christmas day--it was almost too good to be true! This would certainly be a Christmas they would never forget, and would always cherish in their hearts as one of the happiest days of their lives!
The farmer couldn't hold back his tears as he saw the children's joy. These children were so happy and so grateful and thankful, that it made his little sacrifice worth it all! Their squeals of delight would ring in his ears for years to come. Their big eyes would be a sight he would never forget. He would never see Molly again, but the joy that her giving had brought to both him and the children would last forever.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in the barn, Sally was the first to break the solemn silence that followed after the children had left. "Oh dear! I think we've all been a little too concerned about ourselves. Just think, those little children hardly ever have a nice, hot meal. And after all, what are we here for but to live and give our lives for others?"
"I never thought about that before," Mama Pig oinked, "but that's true. We should be happy to give of ourselves, especially at Christmas. Isn't that what Farmer Jeans told Molly too--that Christmas was supposed to be a time of giving?"
"That's right," Sally the cow agreed. "And Molly never complained about it. She never partook of our arguments or gripings."
Molly's stall seemed so forlorn now, so empty. Suddenly they all realized how much they missed her. They began to think back on how kind and thoughtful she had always been to them.
The goose hung her head as she remembered some stinging comments she had made to Mr. Turkey. "Molly never had a bad word to say, even about Mr. Turkey, when I thought he was so ugly. And she even appreciated his gobble."
The cat spoke up, "When we complained about how much Sally ate, Molly was always one to remind us that we wouldn't have that nice milk if she didn't eat so much hay."
One of the chickens lamented, "I never told her how much I appreciated her, and now it's too late."
* * *
Farmer Jeans sat down at the head of the table. A hush fell on the room as the children noticed the tears running down the farmer's cheeks. They began to wonder if they'd done something wrong. Why was the farmer crying? Was he sad? Finally one of the little children sitting next to him touched Farmer Jeans' arm. "Is there something wrong, Mister?"
"No, son," the farmer spoke, managing a smile through his tears. "I'm just very, very happy that I can share this Christmas with you. Shall we hold hands and thank Jesus for providing this Christmas dinner?" So all the children bowed their heads as Farmer Jeans prayed a thanksgiving prayer. "Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us, for coming to teach us about love and giving. Thank You for all Your blessings, and thank You for each one of these dear children. We have so much to be thankful for. We have Your love, we have our lives to live, we can be kind to each other. We can give our smiles, we can say a cheerful word and we can encourage others. We have so many wonderful things that we can give to each other, so many gifts and so many presents; deeds of kindness that we can give--not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.
"And thank You Jesus for this meal, for this sheep who gave her life like You did, that others may live and have happiness forever. Thank You that we can enjoy this meal together. Thank You for providing it, in Jesus' Name. Amen."
A warm feeling of joy filled the farmer as he thought of the delight his giving was bringing to each of the children. This would be one of his happiest Christmases as well. One of the children handed the farmer a napkin, and Farmer Jeans wiped a tear from his face. Then, with a big hug around the farmer's neck, the child said, "Thank you, Mister Farmer. This is the happiest Christmas I've ever had. Now I know somebody loves me."
"Yes, son. I love you and Jesus loves you--and He always will."
* * *
Meanwhile, all the animals in the barn had again grown silent. They stood still, ashamed at their selfish behavior. Sally the cow again expressed the thoughts that were on all the animals' minds at that moment. With a drooping head, she lowed, "I haven't really sacrificed very much at all, have I?"
All the animals in the barn felt ashamed of themselves for having argued and squabbled so much. They thought about sweet Molly who had given so willingly and cheerfully, out of love, and for the happiness of others, on Christmas day. There each one determined that they would never again murmur about having to sacrifice and give of themselves for the joy and benefit of others.
Definitions included throughout booklet:
*frugally: saving, trying not to spend money unnecessarily
*foreboding: threatening; ominous
penchant: a definite liking
*ogle: to stare at
*dilapidated: broken down, shabby
*presumably: from what one can tell
*forte: pronounced "fortay"--strong point
*scoured: to move swiftly
*underbrush: small trees, shrubs
*gingerly: with great carefulness
*bloodcurdling: terrifying
*lusty: lively, powerful
*anguish: great distress or pain
*din: noise
*yelp: a short, sudden cry
*poised: ready
*disheveled: loose, messy
*sullen: gloomy, in a bad mood
(End of file.)
Copyright (c) 1998 by Aurora Productions