The Magic of Christmas
written by: Mike Henry
Bobby Johnson was not a bad boy; however, the word ‘naughty’ had been used on more than one occasion to describe his behaviour.
With Christmas looming, Bobby was trying hard to avoid this label, for he knew what ‘naughty’ might well translate into, come the big day! Mum and Dad were, of course, using the promise of a full stocking and Christmas treats as something of a bribe to get him to toe the line.
“Finish your meal, Bobby,” his mother would say. “You know that Santa is watching to see if you’re being naughty or nice. And don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed; I shouldn’t have to keep reminding you at your age.”
“At my age?” thought Bobby. “Sheesh, I’m only seven years old, how can they expect me to remember everything!”
Finally, the big day was almost here, and Bobby had sent his letter to Santa with a list of what he wanted. “You’ll only get what you ask for if you’ve been a good boy,” said Mum as she busied herself in the kitchen preparing all the delicious food for Christmas lunch the following day.
“Mum, you know what? My biggest wish is to take a sleigh ride with Santa and the reindeer; that would be awesome,” said Bobby.
“Now, don’t go wishing for things that won’t happen,” said his mum, biting her lip. “You know how Santa must be really busy delivering toys to all the good girls and boys tonight. He won’t have time to go giving you a joyride, so you can forget about that, my boy.”
Bobby didn’t like the way she emphasised ‘good’ when she said that, but he knew he hadn’t been accused of being naughty for weeks, so he was living in hope. Then Mum looked at him with a bit of a frown and said, “Anyway, you need to know the magic words to get the reindeer to leap into the sky, so don’t think you’re going on a sleigh-ride tonight, my boy!”
Dinner was over, and Mum and Dad settled down to watch Carols by Candlelight on TV while Bobby drank a mug of warm cocoa and gazed in anticipation at the big Christmas stocking he’d hung by the hearth that day.
“Okay, my boy, time for bed,” said Dad. “That cocoa should do the trick; you’ll be asleep in no time.” The two parents shot a glance at each other and smiled.
“Okay, but I still want a sleigh-ride,” said Bobby as he hugged his parents goodnight.
“Well, Christmas is a magic time of year, so you never know what might happen,” said Mum. “Just don’t be disappointed if Santa can’t grant you that one particular wish.”
Bobby grabbed his teddy bear and headed for the stairs.
“And don’t forget to brush!” called Mum after him.
He found it hard to fall asleep thinking of his stocking and all the presents he’d asked for. Eventually, the warm cocoa did the trick and, snuggled up with Teddy, the boy drifted into a deep sleep.
***
It was pitch dark, and Bobby woke to the sound of the old clock in the lounge striking three.
“Oh, jeeze,” he thought, “I wonder if he’s been.” He propped Teddy up on a pillow and climbed out of bed. “I’ll just take a peek and then go straight back to bed,” he whispered to himself as he sneaked out of his room and down the stairs.
The lights from the Christmas tree flickered from the lounge, and he crept quietly down the hall towards the open lounge door. Peering around the doorway, he was dumbfounded to see the big figure of Santa in all his red and white finery sitting in Dad’s armchair, stuffing cookies into his mouth and swigging on a big glass of milk!
Bobby must have let out an audible gasp as Santa looked up and spotted him in the doorway. “Bobby, me boy, there you are – come and give Santa a hug,” and he held out a hand.
Strangely, Bobby was not in the least bit afraid of this imposing figure as he had seen his picture and come to know him as a bringer of joy and happiness ever since he was a baby. The boy smiled and ran to the jolly Santa.
“Have you been a good boy?” asked the tubby man in red with a chuckle.
“Oh, yes,” said Bobby as he hugged the old man. Then he looked over at the fireplace and saw his stocking was full to bursting.
“Thank you for all my presents,” said Bobby, “but I really would like to see the reindeer and take a sleigh-ride with you. Mum said you’d be too busy for that so I’ll understand if we can’t.”
The boy looked up hopefully into the twinkling eyes and ruddy face.
“Well, since you’ve been such a good boy this year, let’s see what we can do. You know how to climb a chimney?”
Bobby was shocked into the realization that he’d never even thought about negotiating a chimney, let alone how a rotund Santa would manage that feat. Santa saw the dismay in his face and said, “Not to worry. Christmas is a magic time and magic can happen.” And with that, he took the boy by the hand, and they ducked down under the mantelpiece and began to climb.
When they emerged on the roof, Bobby got another shock – there was snow everywhere!
“But this is Australia,” thought Bobby. “We don’t get snow here!”
As if reading his mind, Santa turned to him and said, “Remember what I said, my boy, at this time of year magic can happen.”
The jingle of bells made Bobby look towards the far end of the roof, and there was Santa’s sleigh with all the reindeer. They had collars of holly and hundreds of round silver bells in their harnesses and antlers, which tinkled as they moved.
“Cummon, Bobby, if you want that sleigh-ride we’d better get going. I haven’t got all night.”
They climbed aboard, and Bobby wedged himself between the huge sacks of goodies that filled the sleigh.
“Now you have to say the secret words to get us airborne,” declared Santa with a grin.
“Oh-oh, Mum warned me about this,” thought Bobby. “I’ve come this far, now I’m not gonna miss out.”
He turned to Santa and pleaded, “Let’s go!” and with that, the reindeer galloped along the rooftop and launched into the night sky.
“Good boy,” cried Santa, “You knew the secret words,” and he let out a hearty laugh.
The sleigh-ride was a thrilling adventure and the fulfillment of Bobby’s dream. He realized then that if you really want something hard enough, you can get it – nothing is impossible – you just have to believe.
Flying high over town with the velvet sky above filled with twinkling stars and looking down on sleeping households was just what he had always hoped to experience, and it was all coming true!
Bobby didn’t know or remember how they got back home, but next thing he knew, Mum was standing at his bedroom door.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” she smiled. “It’s eight o’clock, and Santa’s been. Breakfast is ready. Cummon, let’s go!”
The boy rubbed the sleep from his eyes and headed to the bathroom. He couldn’t wait to tell Mum and Dad all about his adventure with Santa during the night. But would they believe him? Maybe it would be better to keep it as his secret.
Later that day, with breakfast over and all the presents opened, Bobby’s mum retreated upstairs and decided to do a quick tidy of the bedrooms. Bobby’s room was unusually neat, so she just plumped the pillow and began to smooth down the sheets.
That was when she heard a musical tinkle from within the bedding. Intrigued, she pulled the topsheets back to discover a silver bell lying there.
“Hmmm, goodness me,” she thought. “I wonder where that came from?”
- The Magic of Christmas - December 20, 2024
- The Library - August 13, 2024
- ANZAC - April 25, 2024
