For
the sake of saying something positive about Christmas (and because
I’m lazy,) I’m letting Will Wright post his story Pickle’s
Christmas Wonder from the Bethlehem
Writers Group anthology A Christmas
Sampler. link
Part
one ended with Holly the elf telling Pickle and the rest of the toys
that it was time to get into Santa’s sack.
Pickle’s
Christmas Wonder
Part
Two
by
Will Wright
Holly,
the elf walked up with a big sack.
“It’s time to go in Santa’s sack,” said Holly
“The sack’s too small,” said Pepper. “Reginald won’t even fit in there all by himself.”
“It’s a magic sack,” said Holly, and she picked up Reginald and threw him inside. Reginald didn’t stick out at all, but Pickle could hear, “clang, clang, clang!” coming from inside.
Pickle thought that Santa’s sack would be dark and crowded, but it wasn’t like that at all. There were more toys than he could count inside and everyone was singing “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells.” Pickle found Thistle, Taffy and Bowser, and the bears sang in four-part harmony like they learned at bear school.
When they got to Willie’s house, Santa pulled Pickle, Pepper, Loopy and Reginald out of his sack. He hung Pepper on the Christmas tree. He looked very pretty with a Christmas light behind him. Then, Santa put a big bow around Reginald together with a sign that said, “To Willie from Santa,” and put him in the middle of the room. Then he put Loopy and Pickle, side-by-side, at the top of Willie’s stocking.
“It’s time to go in Santa’s sack,” said Holly
“The sack’s too small,” said Pepper. “Reginald won’t even fit in there all by himself.”
“It’s a magic sack,” said Holly, and she picked up Reginald and threw him inside. Reginald didn’t stick out at all, but Pickle could hear, “clang, clang, clang!” coming from inside.
Pickle thought that Santa’s sack would be dark and crowded, but it wasn’t like that at all. There were more toys than he could count inside and everyone was singing “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells.” Pickle found Thistle, Taffy and Bowser, and the bears sang in four-part harmony like they learned at bear school.
When they got to Willie’s house, Santa pulled Pickle, Pepper, Loopy and Reginald out of his sack. He hung Pepper on the Christmas tree. He looked very pretty with a Christmas light behind him. Then, Santa put a big bow around Reginald together with a sign that said, “To Willie from Santa,” and put him in the middle of the room. Then he put Loopy and Pickle, side-by-side, at the top of Willie’s stocking.
“That looks just about right,” said Santa.
Pickle looked at the room. Reginald was so big and shiny. Willie would never even notice Loopy and him at the top of the stocking.
Santa clucked Pickle under the chin, and it made the bear laugh.
“That’s better,” said Santa. “Now remember, Pickle, you have a job to do.”
“I’m supposed to wish for Willie to have the best Christmas Wonder possible.”
“That’s right,” said Santa.
“But Santa,” said Pickle, “Reginald will be Willie’s Christmas Wonder, and Reginald said he doesn’t even care. He just wants to have fun and go fast.”
“That’s Reginald’s job,” said Santa. “But Christmas bears have a different job, and you’re a Christmas bear. Remember what Buddy taught you, and you’ll do fine.”
So instead of feeling sorry for himself, Pickle started wishing. He didn’t worry about anything else – even if he ended up under the bed collecting dust. All that mattered was that Willie have a great Christmas Wonder. It didn’t matter if that Wonder was a funny tickle, a happy sigh, a warm feeling or something to eat. It didn’t matter if the Wonder was a big, shiny, fast fire truck that went clang, clang, clang. What mattered was that Willie’s Christmas Wonder was a wonderful Wonder.
So all night long, Pickle wished and wished and wished some more, until sunlight came through the window and he heard little feet on the stairs.
“Oh boy!” said Reginald, “we’re going to have fun!”
“Fun?” said Pepper. “Like having a Christmas tree light melt my stripes all night?”
“Oh look,” said Loopy. “He just came around the corner. He’s so cute! I’m a sucker for him already.”
Pickle looked across the room at three-year-old Willie with his bright eyes and curly hair, and something happened inside. Pickle’s little bear heart started beating and wouldn’t stop.
And each little beat said, “I love you.”
Willie ran across the room, jumped over the big new fire truck, and pulled Pickle out of the stocking.
“You smiled at me,” said Willie. “Mommy, the teddy bear smiled at me.”
“That’s because it’s Christmas,” said Willie’s mother. “Wonders happen at Christmas – especially with Christmas bears.”
That night, Willie’s mother looked in on her little boy. He was hugging Pickle the bear tight. A silly lollypop looked down at the two from the bedpost. A shiny new fire truck was resting at the foot of the bed. It needed the rest. The truck had gone fast and had fun all day long.
Willie’s mother went back down stairs, gathered up the candy canes, and put them in a candy dish – even one whose stripes looked like they were melted, and then she sat down and put her head on the chest of her oldest friend. She listened for his heart.
Each little beat said, “I love you.”
“Did you have a good time with Santa at the North Pole?” she asked.
“I did,” said Buddy, “but it’s good to be home.”
“It’s good to have you home,” said Willie’s mother whose name was Lynn. “And thank you for my little boy’s Christmas Wonder.”
Gee –
that was a little too sweet for this blog. I think I’m going to
have to post my brand of Christmas story in the next post.
And
to balance off the sweetness, here’s a video of a shopping mall
Santa with a bit too much imagination.
