Christmas tale in English for schoolchildren. Christmas play in English. Kyle Keaton reads "How Little Bear Spent Christmas With Santa"
English teacher,
MBOU "Gymnasium No. 1", Gangarsk
"Christmas tale"
The script of the theatrical school line dedicated to Christmas in England
Participants: students in grades 2-4
Goal: Acquaintance with the traditions and customs of Great Britain, fostering respect for the culture of the country, increasing motivation to learn English
Annotation: "A Christmas Tale" is a script for one of the traditional extra-curricular activities dedicated to the culture of Great Britain and the United States. The script includes authentic Christmas poems and songs for children. The date of the event is December 24-25. Duration 7-10 minutes.
Characters: 6 gnomes, boy and girl (brother and sister), Santa, host (maybe a teacher)
Decorations: decorated Christmas tree, fireplace
Spectators enter the music hall, stand in a semicircle.
The lights go out, gnomes with flashlights in their hands appear to the music (caps, mittens, scarves)
In Canada, America, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Denmark (1 word each)
There is only one thing on everyone's mind - people are waiting for Christmas! (together).
The gnomes say two lines at a time:
It's Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Yes, it's merry, merry Christmas!
It's time for hanging stockings
It's time for riding sleights
It's time for Jolly greating
Snow and holly overeating.
Oh, I love you, Merry Christmas
You are the best of holidays.
Host: The trees are covered with sparkling snow. Deep snowdrifts covered the ground. Christmas night is coming. Everything around froze in anticipation of a miracle ...
The trees are heavy
With gleaming snow.
The drifts are deep.
And the world is white.
no breath of wind
is there below,
Hushed beauty reigns…
It's Christmas night.
Host: Quiet winter evening. In the dark sky, the stars and the moon are lit, in the houses and on the streets there are Christmas trees and Christmas candles are lit.
Brother and sister decorate the Christmas tree near the fireplace and say:
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
They are green when summer days are bright.
They are green when winter days are white.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree
Your branches green delight us.
(At this time, candles are lit on the fireplace)
(Children hang stockings on the fireplace)
The stockings are hung,
The carols are being sung.
My heart is field with joy
Along with every boy and girl.
It's really hard to go to sleep
you want to go and take a peep.
And when you are finally in bed
Visions of Santa dance in your head.
(children hang stockings, blow out candles, yawn, leave)
Host: They won’t sleep for a long time today, how to look at this guest, Santa will enter the house slowly and hide the gifts under the tree.
Gnomes say:
- Who very soon will come our way?
Santa very soon will come our way.
Eight little reindeer pull his sleigh.
Santa's little reindeer pull his sleigh.
- Reindeer sleigh, come our way
Ho, Ho, Ho cherry nose,
Cap on head, suit that's red,
Special night, beard that's white
Must be Santa, must be Santa
Must be Santa, Santa Claus.
Santa comes in
When the clock is striking 12,
When you are fast asleep
Down the chimney broad and black
With my bag I'll creep.
Jonny wants a pair of skates.
Susy wants a Dolly;
Nelly wants a story book;
She thinks dolls are folly.
A little sleepy boy comes out with a pillow:
As for me, my little brain
Isn't very bright:
Choose for me, old Santa Claus
What do you think is right.
(Santa takes the baby by the hand and leads him away.)
Leading: Children get up before everyone else, they run for gifts
Opens, freezes from the delight of the children,
Merry Christmas to everyone and shouts: “Hurrah! Hooray!"
Everyone sings the song “We wish you a Merry Christmas!”
The book that created the holiday: Charles Dickens
The image of English Christmas is textbook: a blizzard is outside the window, a table is set in a heated room, dozens of candles are burning, beautifully dressed children sing Christmas carols and receive gifts ... This image has little to do with reality - if only because in December it is easier on the streets of modern London see flower beds than snowdrifts. The creator of the "English Christmas" was Charles Dickens, or rather, his first and most famous holiday story "A Christmas Carol in Prose". The unusual Russian name has taken root in our culture thanks to the translation of Tatiana Ozerskaya, made in the twentieth century. And in the 19th century, Dickens's story, translated almost immediately after the original was released in 1843 and which became incredibly popular in Russia, was called "Christmas Song". And this title more accurately reflected the essence of the book, because in the original it is called "A Christmas carol". Carol is an analogue of Russian carols, folk spiritual verses that both adults and children sing at Christmas.
Although most modern Russian children are unfamiliar with Dickens' story, they know the name of its main character very well. This is the banker Scrooge, whose image Disney borrowed from Dickens for their animated series. The name Scrooge comes from the English verb screw (oppress, hoard, stingy) and has long been a common noun for a miser-rude. Dickens' story is dedicated to the miraculous transformation of Scrooge from an evil monster into a generous benefactor, which takes place on Christmas Eve. Three Christmas spirits help Scrooge, who show him the true essence of his past, present and future life.
Dickens in "A Christmas Carol" creates a vivid and memorable portrait of "good old England", which consists of a roast goose ("the size of a child"), pudding, fire in the hearth, games of forfeits, strong ale, dancing. It is exclusively a family holiday; "the trinity of prayer, food and drink," as the famous writer Gilbert Key Chesterton put it. Inspired by the beauty of the image of a kind, calm, family holiday, the British in the middle of the 19th century began to actively implement it and continue to do so to this day. Almost every modern English family has Dickens' A Christmas Carol, often in combination with his other Christmas texts (he later wrote The Cricket Behind the Fireplace, The Bells, The Battle of Life, The Possessed). During Advent, Dickens is read to little Britons in kindergartens and schools, and there is no lower age limit for such reading.
Christmas Memories: Dylan Thomas
The Russian New Year is hard to imagine without the film "Irony of Fate". And English Christmas is marked by the obligatory December radio broadcast of Dylan Thomas's story "A child's Christmas in Wales", the Russian translation of which was published under the title "Childhood. Christmas. Wales." The name of Dylan Thomas is well known to all connoisseurs of poetry, because he is one of the best English poets of the twentieth century, besides, he was very fond of speaking on the radio.
If Dickens created the perfect picture of the English Christmas, then Thomas autobiographically recreated the reality of this holiday. "Childhood. Christmas. Wales" is a small prose text, a kind of "stream of consciousness" that instantly transports the author and the reader to the snowy Wales of the beginning of the century. “Our snow was not simply poured from the sky from buckets of whitewash, it crawled like a shawl from under the ground, it floated out, it flowed from tree trunks, and shoots, and branches; and all the roofs grew over night with tender and snowy moss, white ivy instantly ran around all the walls, and the mute, stormy, white crumble of Christmas cards fell on the postman entering the yard ... "Gifts, guests, pudding, fire from the hearth, wind over the icy sea, snowballs and snowdrifts, freezing birds - all these pictures float one on top of the other, creating an amazing illusion of authenticity. And although, at first glance, Dylan Thomas writes in a difficult and opaque way, many adult English people admit that it was “A child's Christmas in Wales” that was their favorite Christmas reading as a child.
Father's Christmas Letters: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
English Christmas, like many of our national holidays, arose at the junction of Christian and pagan-folk traditions. The date of December 25 coincided with the ancient German Yule, the pagan holiday of the winter solstice, the “return of the sun”, the main character of which was Great-grandfather Yule. Well, who could best build a connection between Yule, Santa Claus and Christ? Of course, Sir Tolkien is an Oxford professor, an expert on Anglo-Saxon antiquities ...
Tolkien had four children: John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla. In the book Family Album, John and Priscilla reminisce about their childhood: “On Christmas morning, like thousands of other children, we were allowed to look into our stockings and unwrap the presents carefully chosen for us. However, in addition to gifts, every year we received a letter from Santa Claus himself, stamped “North Pole” and the most real “North Pole” stamp!”
The author of these picture letters was the father, the head of the family. Tolkien wrote the first letter on behalf of Father Christmas to the three-year-old John in 1920. The last received 14-year-old Priscilla in 1943. These were not banal congratulatory lines, but a lively and very personal dialogue: Grandfather rejoiced at the success of the children, complained about delays with deer, was interested in family news, talked about life at the North Pole. Tolkien's children carefully preserved these letters and published them after his death. Today, there are several editions of Letters from Father Christmas in English, both in the form of books and in the form of a box with envelopes from which the letters themselves are pulled out. Only the text has been translated into Russian; Russian-speaking children cannot yet see the amazing pictures of Tolkien.
"Letters from the Christmas Grandfather" is interesting not only as a story about the English Christmas. First of all, it is the most interesting monument of family culture. Try to write and draw letters to each of your children every year, watching their life as if from the outside! This is an invaluable psychological experience, and its importance is great for both children and parents. After all, this is how a person is brought up the ability to give, and not “give away for a reason”, the ability to receive unexpected, unsolicited gifts, the ability to rejoice and be surprised together.
Christmas Gifts and Gifts: Beatrix Potter and O. Henry
Throughout the Christian world, Christmas is the only one of all religious holidays that is considered a holiday for children. And all over the world on this day, children are given gifts. The meaning of these traditions is obvious: on this day the Divine baby was born, and the whole earth bowed before him with their gifts. The Star of Bethlehem shone in the sky, the Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the cave, the shepherds brought their flocks. For many centuries, children of different nations received gifts twice a year: on their own birthday and on the day of the Nativity of Jesus. Therefore, a rare Christmas book does without the theme of gifts. But gifts are different. Russian readers are well aware of O. Henry's Christmas story "Gifts of the Magi". True, in our country this immortal story about selfless giving is considered teenage reading, but in England it is read to five- and eight-year-old children.
Another very popular children's "gift" story was told and drawn by Beatrix Potter. Although several books by this writer have already been published in Russia, the story of the tailor from Gloucester (“The Taylor of Gloucester”) with illustrations by the author can only be read on the Internet. This simple story tells how, on Christmas Day, mice helped a poor tailor finish an important job on time in gratitude for saving them from a cat. And since then he became rich and famous.
Why is it important to read these stories to children? Because they are talking about the same thing: about a gift-action, a gift-act. Books by O. Henry and Beatrix Potter show the child the true essence of a gift and take him a little away from the consumer-commercial attitude towards the holiday.
The Miracle of Christmas: Oscar Wilde
In England, unlike in Russia, there has never been a persecution of Christianity, and the religious "core" of Christmas and New Year celebrations is completely natural for modern Britons. The essence of Christmas is a miracle: every year the Christian world celebrates the miraculous coming of Jesus into the earthly world. Therefore, the appearance of religious themes and characters in children's Christmas books is quite natural. One example is Oscar Wilde's fairy tale "The selfish giant", which in Russian translations is called differently: "The Selfish Giant", "The Evil Giant"; "Giant-selfish", "Giant who thought only of himself." This unusually beautiful text tells about a garden that belonged to a giant. Winter always reigned in the garden, because the giant surrounded the garden with a high wall and did not let children into it. But then one day ... “He saw an amazing sight. Through a small hole in the wall, the children made their way into the garden and sat on the branches of the trees. Each tree had a small child. And the trees rejoiced so much at the return of the children that they were immediately covered with flowers, and their branches gently swayed over the heads of the little ones. Everywhere birds fluttered and chirped enthusiastically, and flowers looked out from the green grass and laughed. It was a lovely picture; only in one corner was winter still reigning. It was in the farthest corner of the garden, and there stood a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach the branches and only walked around the tree, weeping bitterly. The poor tree was still covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind raged and roared over it. The giant helped the baby to climb a tree, and it was immediately covered with flowers of extraordinary beauty. For many years, the aging Giant has been waiting for the return of the baby. It happened just before his death; the child appeared before the Giant with two wounds from nails on his hands and feet, calling them "wounds of love" ...
Christian ethics enters the consciousness of the British from early childhood, not hiding or hiding under the guise of secular morality. Fabulous parables about mercy, kindness, inner beauty were written by Oscar Wilde, Clive Lewis, John Tolkien. Reading these fairy tales on Christmas days is completely natural for the British and causes mixed feelings among emigrants from Russia. Here is how Natalya describes them, having moved from St. Petersburg to Manchester ten years ago and raising three children: “We read Wilde's tales, at best, at school. Here in Britain, it is given to two or three year old children. In the early years, I couldn't read "The selfish giant" to my little daughters. After all, no one here ever talks to children about religion easily and calmly. Either the brutal seriousness of textbooks, temples, museums, or the indifference and atheism of the family. And just like that, take it and just read to a three-year-old child about the Garden of Eden and the wounds of love ... I could not, in horror I thought how to explain this to my daughter, I began to babble something about Christ, the Crucifixion. And my husband suddenly stopped me: “There is no need to explain anything. Wilde has already said everything.” And so it is. That's how the British know how - not to read morality, but to tell a fairy tale. And everything is clear, right? Probably, these are the very Christian values that Europeans absorb from childhood ... "
Anna Rapoport
SCENE 1.
(The NEW YEAR and the SNOW MAIDEN are knocking at the door. They have presents and a bell in their hands)
New Year:
I am the little New Year, ho, ho!
Here I come jumping over the snow,
Shaking my bell with a merry din
Snow Maiden:
Presents we bring for each and all
Big folks, little folks, short and tall.
Each one from us a treasure may win,
So open your doors and let me in!
New Year:
Some shall have silver and some shall have gold
Some shall have new clothes and some shall have old.
Snow Maiden:
Some shall have water and some shall have milk
Some shall have satin and some shall have silk!
New Year: But each of you a present may win
Snow Maiden: So open your doors and let us in!
SCENE 2.
(Enter Mrs. CLAUS)
Mrs Claus: Oh, hello dear New Year! Have you got any present for Santa Claus?
New Year: What? A present for our old Santa? No, here are some presents which he must take to children. And he must hurry! He hasn "t got much time to finish his work!
Mrs. Claus: Poor old Santa... Good-bye, New Year. Merry Christmas!
(Exit New Year. Enter ELF 1 and ELF 2)
Mrs Claus: Good day, my little elves. Come here! Have you, Elves, ever thought what it is like for our Santa on Christmas morning? He works all Christmas night putting presents in children "s stockings, and when he comes back to a quiet North Pole he is so tired! All people are opening presents and having a wonderful time and poor old Santa is so tired that he can" t celebrate!
1st Elf:
Think about it. It's almost shocking!
He won't even have a Christmas stocking.
Is it too late for us to plan
To celebrate with this kind old man?
Mrs Claus: What a good idea! No, it isn't to late! Let's quickly think of the presents we can make!
2nd Elf:
Let's give him new gloves and a hat right away
So the cold won't get him when he is out in his sleigh.
Mrs. Claus: What about some nice tasty things for the holiday lunch?
2nd Elf: We'll make up a tasty brew! Can you cook his favorite stew?
Mrs Claus: Of course! So, I "m going to the kitchen and you hurry for a surprise for Santa!
SCENE 3.
(Enter TOM SAWYER, DOROTHY and ALICE)
Tom: Where are my Christmas presents? There is nothing in my stocking! How awful! Oh, my dear friends, I "m so angry that I forgot to tell you who I am. I am famous Tom Sawyer!
Dorothy: I am Dorothy. Do you know me? You have read about my adventures in the book "The Wizard of Oz". I flew to a magic country in my house with my dog Toto.
Alice: And my name is Alice. Do you know what tale I come from? "Alice in Wonderland", of course!
Tom: Imagine how unhappy I am with these two silly girls following me here and there and everywhere! Wow!
Dorothy: Tom, stop being naughty, please! It's Christmas Eve!
Alice: It's Christmas Eve and where are our presents? There is nothing in my stocking!
Dorothy: And my stocking is empty, too!
Tom: What happened to Santa Claus?
(Enter MRS.CLAUS and the ELVES)
Mrs.Claus: My dear friends, you know how busy Santa is. No wonder he has forgotten!
Dorothy, Alice: Merry Christmas, Mrs. Claus!
1st Elf: Merry Christmas, everybody! Do you know that we decided to give Santa Claus some presents. He never gets anything on Christmas, you know.
Tom: I "ve got an idea. Old Santa has so much work to do today. What if we help him to take the presents to those children who live not very far away?
2nd Elf: That will be nice! Here is a bag with presents, the New Year has left it hear. Oh how heavy it is!
Mrs. Claus: Now everybody has something to do and I am going to make a stew.
Dorothy: Can we help you. Mrs Claus?
Alice: We would like to do it!
1 st Elf: And I think we must invite children to our party. They will dress up in pretty clothes and we'll have fun!
Mrs. Claus: But we must hurry - Christmas is coming.
SCENE 4.
(Enter BLACK FAIRY)
Black Fairy: Oh, I knew it! Santa Claus hasn "t even put a stocking for me. He" s forgotten about me! And they are all talking about him - helping Santa, presents for Santa, a party for Santa... And I "m always alone! O.K. I"ll show them what happens if they forget about Black Fairy! I don't want them to help that old fat Santa Claus. Oh, what's that? Christmas gifts!? Presents for these naughty, noisy, lazy children? I"ll take them and hide in a good secret place. (to the audience) And if you tell them anything you will never get any presents on Christmas! Do you understand? Never again!
SCENE 5.
(Enter Tom, Dorothy and Alice)
Tom: It's time to go. The children are waiting for their presents. (looking around) But where are the presents? Where is the bag?
Dorothy: Where are the presents?
Alice (crying): Somebody has taken the bag! Now the children won't get the presents!
Dorothy (crying): Poor Santa Claus. Everybody will be angry with him. We wanted to help and now...
Tom: Never again shall I ask any girls to help me! The only thing they can do is cry and weep! It "s cold today and if you don"t stop you will have icicles on your eyes! Stop crying and let me think. There must be a way out. Yes! A Christmas Fairy - Saula is the only one who can help us! She always comes on Christmas Eve to those who need help.
SCENE 6.
(Distant music and bells are heard, enter SAULA)
Saula: Merry Christmas!
Tom: Saula! I "ve been thinking about you! How do you know that we need your help?
Saula: I heard someone crying. I thought I could help, and here I am!
Alice: Saula, dear, do you know what has happened?
Saula: I don't, sweetheart.
Dorothy: We decided to help Santa Claus with the presents, you know he is so busy on Christmas Eve...
Saula: How lovely! How kind of you to do it!
Alice: But somebody has taken the bag with all the presents!
Tom: Even I have no idea - who could do such a bad thing!
Saula: Let me think... I guess I know who it is.
All: Do you!?
Saula: Have you ever heard about the Black Fairy of the Christmas Eve?
Tom: Never.
Alice: Yes, I "ve once read about her. People say she is very wicked, nobody loves her and she loves nobody.
Saula: You are right. She always tries to do something bad on Christmas Eve.
Tom: Let me catch her and she will never do anything bad again!
Saula: Don "t be so angry, Tom. Christmas is the time for love and forgiving. Think of how unhappy she is. She" s got no friends, no family. Nobody gives her presents or says Merry Christmas.
Dorothy: Poor thing.
Alice: I'm so sorry.
Dorothy: And what if we give her a present?
Tom: A present for this ...
Alice: Oh, Tom, we must give her a present and say we are sorry nobody wants to be her friend. May be she isn't as bad as she looks.
Dorothy: We can be her friends.
Saula: You are good girls! That "s just what we must do. Elves! Elves! Have you got one more stocking?
SCENE 7.
(Enter Elves)
1st Elf: Merry Christmas Saula!
2nd Elf: Who do you need a stocking for?
Saula: For Black Fairy.
Elves: Black Fairy?
Tom: These kind women feel sorry for her! And she has stolen the bag with Christmas presents! Have you ever heard anything like that!?
Saula: Tom, be a good boy today. Don't forget it's Christmas time.
Tom: O.K. I "ll show you that I can be good. I can even give Black Fairy my tooth as a present. And it" s the best thing I have got!
Dorothy: We've got some candies.
2nd Elf: And I have a nice Christmas bell!
Saula: Here is an apple and a beautiful Christmas card from me. Let us put everything into the stocking and call Black fairy all together.
All: Black Fairy! Black Fairy!
SCENE 8.
(Enter Black Fairy)
Black Fairy: I haven't seen your bag with presents! I've never touched it.
Saula: Dear, no one thinks you have!
Alice: We just wanted to say to you
All: Merry Christmas!
Dorothy: Christmas is the time for love, friendship and forgiving.
Tom: Here is a present for you, Black Fairy!
Black Fairy: A Christmas stocking? For me? Isn't it a joke?
1 st Elf: No, Black Fairy, it isn't a joke. We want to be your friends.
Black Fairy: Oh, thank you so much! And I am sorry. It was me. I took the presents. I didn't want you to help Santa Claus because he never, never brings me presents. I am so sorry. Here is the bag. Forgive me, please!
Saula: We will forgive you if you help us to take the presents to the children. We must hurry or we'll be late!
Black Fairy: Certainly, with great pleasure!
Saula: I "m leaving you now. You can do everything yourselves and I must help those who are unhappy today. Good-bye and merry Christmas! (exit Saula)
SCENE 9.
(Mrs Claus and the Elves)
Mrs Claus: Everything is ready. We helped Santa with the presents and his stocking is full of presents, too. And the tasty lunch is on the table. But there are no lights on the Christmas tree!
1st Elf:
We'll have to hurry to get things done
The computer shows he's on his last run!
2nd Elf: Yes, he is coming!
Mrs.Claus: Tom, Alice, Dorothy, come here! (Enter Tom, Alice, Dorothy). I can hear him. He's going into his bedroom. Let's turn off the lights and hide. (the stage remains dark and quiet) I "d better go and see what has happened to him. I don" t hear anything! (the lights go up, Mrs. Claus exits and immediately comes back)
Well, little friends, you needn't hide
Santa's too tired after his ride
The party food we'll have to keep
Dear old Santa is fast asleep!
tom: What if we wake him up?
Alice: Won "t he be angry? He is so tired.
Dorothy: I know a lovely Christmas song about Santa Claus. If we sing it he "ll wake up and won" t be angry.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
When the tree tops glisten and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write.
May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be white.
Today on English 4 kids premiere. Kyle Keaton reads his new Christmas story for kids in English: “How Little Bear Spent Christmas With Santa”.
The story is suitable for children who already know some English and is published by us without translation. Below will be given a link to download and print this story without illustrations.
If you and your children like this story, we will be glad if you send us your drawings and we will publish them here with pleasure.
Kyle Keaton reads "How Little Bear Spent Christmas With Santa"
1. Once upon a time there was a little Bear and Little Bear was trying to write a letter to Santa Clause. For it was after Thanksgiving and Christmas was right around the corner. Little Bear had always been told to write a letter to Santa and make sure that Santa knew what Little Bear needed for Christmas. This year though, Little Bear was just too busy to write a letter, as he had so much to do.
Little Bear was more worried about getting gifts for his mom, dad and all his grandparents that he never had time to stop and think about what he needed. So that letter to Santa was never written.
Little Bear was a kind and thoughtful little bear and he always put others before himself. So he went about making gifts for his parents and grandparents. For his mom he dried hundreds of flowers that he had collected all summer. These he made into a wonderful smelling potpourri, He even found a wonderful, only slightly cracked bowl to put the dried flower pedals in, that his mom would just love to see all winter long. For his dad, he made a fishing lure out of an old wine cork and he painted it like a shark from the ocean. For his grandparents he painted a picture of each of them. He hid the paintings in the woods and covered the paintings with leaves and branches, so that no one would see them and spoil the gift. 
2. Now all this was good and most proper for a little bear to be doing, but Santa Clause got worried, for he kept track of all the kids in the world and here it was a week before Christmas and no letter from Little Bear. Why there was a letter from Little Calf, Little Squirrel, Little Lamb, Little Blue Jay and millions of others, but no Little Bear. Santa got worried…
You see Santa knows good children and Santa knew that Little Bear was an good child. So Santa grabbed one of his Reindeer and rode to see if Little Bear was okay.
Santa peeking around a tree trunk found Little Bear painting pictures, making lures and drying flowers. Santa also found that Little Bear was so worn out at the end of the day, that he had no time to write a letter to Santa and tell Santa what he wanted. Santa went back home to the North Pole and thought about what to give a little bear that was too busy making gifts for his family to care about what he wanted for Christmas.
Santa came up with a trick to play on Little Bear. Santa would send Mister Owl to ask him what he wanted. Mister Owl went to Little Bear as he was asked by Santa and presented his question, “What would you like for Christmas, Little Bear?”
3. Little Bear looked up in surprise as he was finishing the painting of his great grandpa bear, just two days before Christmas and he paused a few seconds thinking at the last brush stroke and said, “I guess that I do not need anything! For I have all that any little bear could ever want!” Then Little Bear said, “I have hugs, kisses, lots of food and lots of love! What more do I need?” Then he finished the brush stroke and declared the last painting done. In fact he declared all the gifts done and just in time for Christmas which was just two days away…
4. Mister Owl flew back to Santa in the North Pole and reported what he was told. That left Santa in worse shape than he was. For now he had no idea what to get Little Bear. Then since Christmas was two days off and he had to hurry and get done. Santa put his thoughts on the back burner and hurried to get all the gifts together for all the kids all over the world. All the while not knowing what to get a good Little Bear.
Christmas came and Santa put off going to Little Bears home in the deep woods, until last. In fact Little Bear had just gotten up and everyone in the family was gathered around the Christmas Tree in the house and opened up their gifts. Papa Bear and all the rest noticed that Santa had not been by and they were worried. Little Bear had gifts from all the family and he had good gifts of clothes and toys, but the stocking by the fireplace was empty.
Little Bears gifts to the family were a big hit and Papa Bear was so proud of his new fishing lure that he went immediately and stuck it on his fishing hat. That way he would have it safe until spring came and the rivers and lakes thawed from the winter ice. Momma Bear could not get enough deep sweet breaths of her dried flowers and Little Bears grandparents spent all morning hanging their freshly painted portraits that Little Bear had painted. Everyone was very happy, except Santa never came to the house.
5. Little Bear told everyone why he did not get anything from Santa. As Little Bear said, “I did not ask for anything and I did not want anything, for I have all I need!” Then Little Bear said, “I never wrote a letter to Santa!”
Then as everyone thought about what Little Bear just said. There came a rattle, bang, crunch and boom in the front yard of the Bear home in the woods. They all ran to the windows and looked out to see what had happened. Then what appeared before their eyes as the snow settled from being blown around in a whirlwind. There appeared Santa and his reindeer. Then as they stared with wonder a knock came upon the door.
Little Bear ran to the door, for his family was too shocked to go themselves and politely invited Santa to come inside. Santa stepped inside and asked for pardon that he has interrupted the family day of Christmas. Everyone all stared and Santa took that as an OK that was all right. Then Santa asked to speak to Little Bear for a minute.
Papa Bear shook his head yes and his eyes were as big as tea cups. Santa said, “Little Bear, you never sent me a letter!” Little Bear gulped and thought, “Oops I am in trouble!”
Then Santa went on, “I have never had that happen and when Mister Owl came back to me and said that, “Little Bear said, “I have hugs, kisses, lots of food and lots of love! What more do I need?” I had run out of time to try to think of what to get you, Little Bear. So I decided to come by in person and give you a gift that no other kid will have. For kids love to tell me what they want for Christmas, but you did not want anything!”
6. Santa looked at Little Bear and said, “If your Papa and the rest of your family say OK! I want to take all of you to the North Pole and have you spend Christmas with Mrs. Santa Clause, the elves, the reindeer and I. For we always have a late Christmas after everyone else has theirs!”
Faster than a Little Bear can say, “Yippee!”, the whole family crowded into the sled with Santa and before they knew it they were at the North Pole having a special Christmas…
They had games to play with the elves and they even got to meet Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. He had a cold and his nose was even redder than normal. They ate so much food that they all felt like their clothes would pop the buttons and Mrs. Santa Clause had tears in her eyes as they all had to leave… 
Santa dropped them off at their Bear home in the woods and as the sleigh lifted into the sky they heard, “Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas Little Bear!”
Little Bear said later as his mom tucked him in bed, “I got the best Christmas gift in the whole world and I am glad that my whole family was able to share in it.”
Then he said as his tired eyes closed, “There really is a Santa!”
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Every day, when she went to the shops, she spent very little money. She bought the cheapest meat, the cheapest vegetables. And when she was tired, she still walked round and round the shops to find the cheapest food. She saved every cent possible.
Delia counted the money again. There was no mistake. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And the next day was Christmas.
She couldn't do anything about it. She could only sit down and cry. So she sat there, in the poor little room, and she cried.
Delia lived in this poor little room, in New York, with her husband, James Dillingham Young. They also had a bedroom, and a kitchen and a bathroom – all poor little rooms. James Dillingham Young was lucky, because he had a job, but it was not a good job. These rooms took most of his money. Delia tried to find work, but times were bad, and there was no work for her. But when Mr James Dillingham Young came home to his rooms, Mrs James Dillingham Young called him "Jim" and put her arms round him. And that was good.
Delia stopped crying and she washed her face. She stood by the window, and looked out at a gray cat on a gray wall in the gray road. Tomorrow was Christmas Day, and she had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy Jim a Christmas present. Her Jim. She wanted very much to buy him something really fine, something to show how much she loved him.
Suddenly, Delia turned round and ran over to look in the glass on the wall. Her eyes were bright.
Now, the James Dillingham Youngs had two very special things. One was Jim "s gold watch. It once belonged to his father, and, before that, to his grandfather. The other special thing was Delia" s hair.
Quickly, Delia let down her beautiful, long hair. It fell down her back, and it was almost like a coat around her. Then she put her hair up again, quickly. For a second or two she stood still, and cried a little.
Then she put on her old brown coat, and her old brown hat, turned, and left the room. She went downstairs and out into the road, and her eyes were bright.
She walked along by the shops, and stopped when she came to a door with "Madame Eloise - Hair" on it. Inside there was a fat woman. She didn't look like an "Eloise".
"Will you buy my hair?" Delia asked.
"I buy hair," Madame replied. "Take your hat off, then, and show me your hair."
The beautiful brown hair fell down.
"Twenty dollars," Madame said, and she touched the hair with her hand.
"Quick! Cut it off! Give me the money!" Delia said.
The next two hours went quickly. Delia was happy because she was looking round the shops for Jim "s present. At last she found it. It was a gold chain for The Watch. Jim loved his watch, but it had no chain. When Delia saw this gold chain, she knew immediately that it was right for Jim. She must have it. The shop took twenty-one dollars from her for it, and she hurried home with the eighty-seven cents. When she arrived there, she looked at her very short hair in the glass. "What can I do with it?" she thought. For the next half an hour she was very busy.
Then she looked again in the glass. Her hair was now in very small curls all over her head. "Oh, dear. I look like a schoolgirl!" she said to herself. "What's Jim going to say when he sees me?"
At seven o "clock the dinner was nearly ready and Delia was waiting. "Oh, I hope he thinks that I"m still beautiful!" she thought.
The door opened and Jim came in and closed it. He looked very thin and he needed a new coat. His eyes were on Delia. She could not understand the look on his face, and she was afraid. He was not angry or surprised. He just watched her, with that strange look on his face. Delia ran to him.
"Jim," she cried. Don't look at me like that. I sold my hair because I wanted to give you a present. It will soon be long again. I had to do it, Jim. Say "Happy Christmas", please. I have a wonderful present for you!"
"You"ve cut off your hair?" asked Jim.
"Yes. I cut it off and sold it," Delia said. "But don't you love me any more, Jim?" I"m still me."
Jim looked round the room.
"You say your hair has gone?" he said, almost stupidly.
"Yes. I told you. Because I love you! Shall I get the dinner now, Jim?"
Suddenly Jim put his arms round his Delia. Then he took something from his pocket and put it on the table.
"I love you, Delia," he said. "It doesn't matter if your hair is short or long. But if you open that, you"ll see why I was unhappy at first."
Excited, Delia pulled off the paper. Then she gave a little scream of happiness. But a second later there were cries of unhappiness. Because there were The Combs - the combs for her beautiful hair. When she first saw these combs in the shop window, she wanted them. They were beautiful combs, expensive combs, and now they were her combs. But she no longer had her hair!
Delia picked them up and held them. Her eyes were full of love.
"But my hair will soon be long again, Jim."
And then Delia remembered. She jumped up and cried, "Oh! Oh!" She ran to get Jim's beautiful present,
and she held it out to him.
"Isn't it lovely, Jim?" I looked everywhere for it. Now you "ll want to look at your watch a hundred times a day. Give it to me! Give me your watch, Jim! Let "s see it with its new chain."
But Jim did not do this. He sat down, put his hands behind his head, and he smiled.
"Delia," he said. Let's keep our presents for a time. They"re so nice. You see, I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now, let"s have dinner."
And this was the story of two young people who were very much in love.