Tuesday, December 25, 2007

A Christmas Tale


"So", Daniel asked his grandma as they sat in front of the fireplace. "How does Santa deliver presents to children who don't have a fireplace?"

"Well," his grandma said, "Santa isn't an ordinary person you know Daniel, he is magical. When he lands on the roof of a house where there is no chimney, a fireplace and chimney appear for him to come down, deliver the presents and stays there for him to go back up the chimney to the roof where the reindeer wait patiently for him. When he is gone, the fireplace and chimney disappear just as quickly."

All that evening Daniel thought about this and wondered ... is this really how it happens.

That evening which incidentally was Christmas Eve, when his Mom and Dad tucked him and his sister April into bed with instructions to quickly get to sleep so Santa could come, he tried and tried to sleep but just couldn't. He counted sheep, he closed his eyes and tried to think about nothing, but he just couldn't get to sleep.

Daniel was worried that Santa would not be able to come because they did not have a fireplace.

At this point I must say, that all good children know that they must be asleep so Santa can deliver their gifts.

Once Daniel's mom and dad were in bed asleep, he decided that he would go downstairs and hide in the living room and wait for Santa. There just had to be some explanation for how Santa got those presents under the tree without a fireplace and he wasn't so sure that one would just magically appear .... or would it?

Once or twice as he hid behind the big chair in the corner, he fell asleep.

Suddenly he heard a bang which startled him awake .... what was that he thought to himself?

As he peeked out from behind the chair, there was a bright flash and suddenly as he sat looking at where the flash was, he saw what looked like a fireplace appear. Was it really, he rubbed his eyes. "Maybe I'm dreaming", he thought to himself. But he peeked out and looked again. Yes it was a fireplace. He could hear some rustling and scraping, and as he sat and watched he saw .... could it be .... a big black boot appear in the fireplace, then another and then a red suit. Then all of a sudden there was a puff of soot as Santa plopped down onto the floor of the fireplace followed by a very large red sack.

Daniel realized he must be very quiet, because as I said before all good children know that that they must be asleep so Santa can deliver their gifts.

What should he do ... what if Santa saw him ... he might not leave that Transformer Optimus Prime that he asked for in the letter he had written Santa.

So he sat very quietly as Santa picked himself up and started to pick through the sack, pulling out one gift after another and quietly placing them under the tree.

But then, oh no, tragedy struck, Daniel had to sneeze. He could feel it coming down his nose, first the tickle, then the pressure ... he squeezed his nose and thought really hard about pushing that sneeze all the way back, but no it would not go away. Here it came, thundering down his nose like a race car. "Aaaaachooooo!"

Santa suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked right over at the big comfy chair where Daniel was hiding and quietly said, "Daniel, I know you are hiding behind that chair, so why don't you come out here and help me."

Santa wanted Daniel to help? He wasn't going to take back the presents because Daniel was awake?

Very slowly Daniel got up and came out from behind the chair, walked up to Santa and said, "I am sorry Santa, but I just had to see for myself how you would get into my house when we didn't have a real fireplace for you to come down."

"Well Daniel as you can see you do have a fireplace and I came down it just fine. In all my years of delivering presents, I have never once had to use the front door ... I always use my standard fireplace entrance."

"But," Daniel asked him, "we don't have a fireplace, so how did it get here?"

"It was here all the time Daniel, you just can't see it, it only appears when I need it. So after I leave, it will vanish once again, but keep believing Daniel and next year when I come back on Christmas Eve, it will be there again in the very same spot for me to get in."

After Santa told Daniel that, he picked up his sack and laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

Another flash and the fireplace was gone.

In the morning when Daniel's mom, dad and sister woke up, they found Daniel fast asleep behind the big comfy chair, his hand dropped open beside him and on the floor beside his hand ... what do you suppose they saw?

A little piece of burnt firewood from a fireplace.

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

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