Christmas In February FREE
A belated Christmas gift from M. C Arvanitis. Please print it out and read it to your child -- Or let your older child read it.
The Red Bird's Christmas Gift
By
M. C. Arvanitis
Reggie
Cardinal watched the old man walk up the forest path from his house. The man
had decorated his house with a green wreath on the door and lighted candles on
his windowsills. A little fir tree with red ribbons and glittering pinecones
stood by the man's door. He carried a bag in one hand and his cane in the other. He
stopped at the mailbox. With a joyful smile, the man pulled a letter from the
mailbox. He lived alone and had waited all year for this letter that told him
when his family would arrive for their Christmas visit.
Reggie
knew that even on the coldest days of winter the old man brought food to the birds
of the forest. When the redbird heard the old man whistle for the birds to come
for their treat, he joined the other birds on the ground.
Blue
jays grabbed the larger seeds and flew to the near by branches to enjoy their
tidbit. Tiny brown juncos and yellow finches bravely flew among the bigger
birds to get their share.
After the old man fed the birds, he sat on the rock and read his letter. This time, however,
instead of smiling at the news, tears came to his eyes. He folded it and placed
it in his pocket. He spoke to the birds as he often did. “My family cannot come
to spend Christmas with me this year,” he said sadly. “They have made other plans.”
Reggie watched him walk
back toward the cabin, leaning heavily on his cane. The old man did not come to
the mailbox bringing food for the birds after that. He took the wreath from his
door and ornaments off the little fir tree. The candles in the windows went
out.
Reggie called the other
birds together. “The old man is sad,” he told them. “His family is not going to
visit him for Christmas. We should try to cheer him.”
“We cannot. We must be
on our way before it gets to cold for us here,” said the yellow finches. They
flew away.
“We cannot,” said the
juncos. We are too small to help a human person.” They flew away.
“We cannot,” said the
jays. “If he is not gong to feed us we must find food somewhere else.” They
flew away.
“We cannot,” said the
woodpeckers. “We must spend our time looking for insects under the bark of the
evergreen trees.” They also flew away.
Only the cardinals
stayed. “How can we help?” they asked.
We can not bring the old
man’s family to him.” answered Reggie, “But maybe we can cheer him up with our
songs.”
The redbirds perched
themselves upon the little fir tree by the cabin door. More cardinals appeared.
Soon red birds covered the tree from top to bottom singing their sweet song.
When the old man heard
them he came out of his house. He smiled for the first time since he had received
the letter. “Well now, I have been feeling so sorry for myself that I neglected
my forest friends. But even when I don’t feed you, you cheer me up with your
songs. We’ll have Christmas after all. I see you have decorated my little tree
nicely.”
He rehung the wreath on
his door and placed the candles in the windows. Next he brought out his fiddle
and played all the Christmas songs he knew.
A loud horn blast
sounded above the music. The station wagon drove down the lane with waving
children hanging out the window. When the car stopped his grandchildren tumbled
out with all the fixings for the Christmas feast.
“The oldest child
shouted as she rushed to hug him. “We could not spend our Christmas without our
Gramps.”
His daughter, helping the other children from
the car, called to him. “We changed our plans, Dad,” We decided that it is not
Christmas unless we can be together with you.”
Tears of joy came to the old man’s eyes.
Reggie watched as the man led his family into the cabin. He knew there would be
no feast at the mailbox until they left but he didn’t care. He was glad to see
the old man happy again.
~~~~~
Get more free stories at: http://mcarvanitiswriter.blogspot.com/
Ms Arvanitis is happy to announce she has finished her mid grade - to adult historical series, 'Hank of Twin Rivers', a saga of a motherless boy braving the dangers and trials of living on the merging Platte River. A coming of age story, Hank' grows from a 12 yr old shy boy dominated by his stern father to age 18 when he learns to choose his own way of life.
