'Twas Two Christmases

Diana Warren

Description

Christmas: A Frazzled Tale and The Stinky Adventure is a keepsake storybook for elementary-age children and the entire family for chapter reading throughout the Christmas season. This whimsical story embraces the importance of keeping family Christmas traditions and adding new traditions for future generations.

‘Twas Two Christmases: A Frazzled Tale and The Tree Ornament’s Gift is a whimsical two-part story for families to enjoy as they gather around the Christmas tree each season. Joe, the hand-carved red fox, and his animal ornament friends, are brought to life through the bond of an honorable soldier and his grieving son's Christmas wishes. Every Christmas season, generation after generation, the family is blessed with these helpful ornaments, called the Trust League by their maker.

The Trust League's Directives:

-Encourage Christmas Season traditions for the family.


- Initiate new traditions for future generations.

The delightful animal characters' busy antics, along with their determination to continue Christmas traditions, makes ‘Twas Two Christmases: A Frazzled Tale and The Tree Ornament’s Gift a heartwarming storybook. It will likely be unpacked every year from the storage box labeled CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

Sujets

• Holidays
• Juvenilee Fiction
• Christmas Gift
• Stocking
• Military
• Advent
• Animals
• Family
• Celebrations
• Christmas

Informations

• Publié par: LifeRich Publishing
• Date de parution: 10 juillet 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781489748263
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

‘Twas Two Christm ases
 
A Frazzled Tale and The Tree Ornament’s Gift
 
 
Diana Warren
 

 
 
Copyright © 2023 Diana Warren.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
 
 
LifeRich Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.liferichpublishing.com
844-686-9607
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4825-6 (sc)
978-1-4897-4824-9 (hc)
978-1-4897-4826-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023911458
 
 
 
LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 06/28/2023
 
 
 
Dedication:
 
This storybook is dedicated to all parents and children who embrace Christmas with all its meaning, and actively celebrate each Christmas season with family traditions brought forward for future generations.
Bake, trim the tree, light the candles, and celebrate together. Our children are watching, learning, and building memories to pass on Christmas season traditions to their children. Jingle on!
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
 
I am forever grateful for the One that created all of us purposefully. And for my husband Sam, a true blessing who has always held my hand.
In appreciation to my daughters and grandchildren for your abundant imagination, and persistence in asking me to pick up my pen. Each of you provided unique inspiration and allowed me a glimpse through your adventurous eyes. Special thanks to West and Chase for the extra push of encouragement because that’s exactly what it took to finally write about Joe and Hot Chocolate Charley.
I’m grateful for my grandmother Edna, who made our childhood Christmases magical. I can imagine her hands are happily knitting jingly slippers for the angels. It’s quite an honorable and daunting task, however, one day she will say, “Done and done.”
 

 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
The Frazzled Prologue: A Father’s Gift
Chapter 1 Fire!
Chapter 2 A Frazzled Tale
Chapter 3 What Shall We Do Next?
Chapter 4 The Honorable Soldier
Chapter 5 All Your Heart
Chapter 6 The Footprints
Chapter 7 Show and Tell
Chapter 8 Needles and Pins
Chapter 9 The Best News!
Chapter 10 The Request
Chapter 11 Edna’s Thread
Chapter 12 Seen!
Chapter 13 The Special Mission
Chapter 14 Jingly Joy!
Chapter 15 Christmas Spirit
Chapter 16 The Very Fastest
Chapter 17 The Tin Box
Chapter 18 The Special Gift
Chapter 19 An Incredibly Good Day
The Tree Ornament’s Gift Prologue: A Mighty Storm
Chapter 1 Something Stinks
Chapter 2 The Discovery
Chapter 3 The News
Chapter 4 A Sad Goodbye
Chapter 5 The Mission at Home
Chapter 6 The Bits and Pieces Shop
Chapter 7 More Bits and More Pieces
Chapter 8 Home Work
Chapter 9 Hook Gets a Christmas Tree
Chapter 10 Homemade Divinity
Chapter 11 Edna Gets a Bow
Chapter 12 The Message
Chapter 13 Charley Goes Fishing
Chapter 14 Tillie Mae’s Story
Chapter 15 The Return
Chapter 16 Rescued!
Chapter 17 Memories
Chapter 18 The Christmas Tradition
Chapter 19 Christmas Day
Chapter 20 Visitors
Chapter 21 Sweet Edna
Chapter 22 The Fishy Gift
Chapter 23 The Spirit of Christmas Passed Along
 

The Frazzled Prologue:
 
A FATHER’S GIFT
The scent of freshly cut fir tree wafted into the well-worn cardboard box labeled “Christmas Decorations” and “Fragile.” Mama carefully lifted out the ornaments and unwrapped them, each in turn.
The handcrafted red fox in his smart military jacket was joined by the carved bunny with eyeglasses. She wore a sweater with buttons, knitted slippers, and carried a small set of silver knitting needles.
Next, the tissue revealed the spunky-looking round mouse ornament. He wore a brown leather satchel handsomely across his shoulder. It was a tiny twin to Papa’s satchel, which Mama had placed in the cedar chest at the foot of her bed. Then out came the last of the set, the wooden chipmunk with a warm stocking cap and pink mittens that matched her cheeks.
“Handle these with special care,” Mama whispered so close to Thomas that her breath tickled his ear. “Remember, they were a gift from your papa, and I outfitted each of them properly. Someday you will share these ornaments with your children.”
It had been a year since Papa passed away, but Thomas could still hear the jagged edges of sadness in Mama’s frail voice.
Thomas lined up the four ornaments atop the dresser, next to his most prized collections:
• Jar of pennies (secretly saved to buy Mama’s Christmas gift)
• Three colorful marbles
• Papa’s old pocket watch
• One sock ( Where is its mate? )
These carved animals were his absolute, most favorite Christmas decorations. Of course the wooden red fox was most admired because he wore a snappy military jacket like Thomas’s Papa. His eyes seemed to have such deep compassion, almost as if he was ready to defend his country and home. Words were carved on the soles of his boots—his name, “Joe,” and “Trust League.”
 
Sometimes Thomas imagined them to be real friends, standing at attention from across the bedroom. He had no brother or sister to play games with, whisper secrets to, or share life’s sorrows and joys.
Thomas grabbed the red fox, kicked off his shoes, sat across the bed, and leaned his back against the wall. With his bedroom door shut, the tears came. He spilled out everything to Joe. His hurt, grief, wishes—all mixed up with prayers. The words tumbled together in his grief.
After his secrets and whispers were spent and his eyes cleared, the red fox named Joe, along with the rest of the secret-keeping ornaments, was carried to the Christmas tree and positioned on a branch so Thomas could easily spot them from the kitchen table. He ate his breakfast toast with jam while keeping a watchful eye. The boy seemed comforted by his nearby Trust League of friends.
Chapter 1
 
FIRE!
I n his first breath of the Christmas season, the red fox, Joe, slowly recognized his surroundings. Then it all came back in a rush. Fire! The embers needed to be put out! How did it happen? Choked with smoke … What’s that loud a larm?
“Throw down the star!” he cried. “Throw the ornaments—hurry! Everybody jump!”
What else happened? The red fox didn’t know. If he could just have a moment to think. Maybe if he concentrated his very hardest, Joe could remember. The smell of smoke lingered in his nose.
Suddenly he felt ashamed. Was it all only a nightmare? Or a flashback?
Out of the corner of his eye, a black, charred, branch-like thing moved, making him start. He turned, and it moved again.
 
“My tail? Is that my tail?” It was real! He could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears. Joe was truly frightened. Where are the others? He scurried about frantically, looking for the rest of the Trust League.
Joe’s search ended deep in the branches of the new Christmas tree. “Is everyone all right?”
Edna responded, “Oh my! Yes. You? And … is that your tail ? Does it hurt so very much?”
“I’m OK. It all happened so fast! I didn’t intend … But I am so deeply sorry,” the red fox said as he grabbed the end of his charred tail and held it close. “It’s all my fault. I let everyone down.” His ears turned down in a sad fashion. “I ruined last Christmas season. I failed the mission!” Joe choked back tears, looked at his boots, and grasped his tail tighter for comfort. Then he whispered under his breath, so quietly the others could barely hear, “What would Thomas have thought?” The red fox looked away. “I just need a minute.”
He turned and began to climb up the branches, needing some alone time.
 
Chapter 2
 
A FRAZZLED TALE
A t the tippy-top of the fragrant fir, Joe reached up and, without a thought, adjusted the treetop star before sitting on the uppermost branch. He could contemplate in that spot. Just what did happen last Christmas? He sat with his elbows on his knees and his hands under his chin for a proper think.
What caused that fire?
Wait! He remembered. An ember! It fell out of the fireplace! That’s it! Joe remembered that he had to act swiftly, so he had half hopped, half tumbled down the tree and put out the ember with his tail. Right?
What then? Sweat formed on his brow. How did the fire come up the tree behind him? Oh no! It was his tail. His tail must’ve carried the spark!
Joe grabbed his tail and held it close. Now I remember . He wiped the sweat, which mixed with his tears, and sat, staring blankly.
The tree branch swayed beneath the unhappy fox. His ears alerted as Charley, the little round mou