Christmas Confusion! (A Holiday Story)

Susanna Leonard Hill is hosting a Holiday Contest this week! 

To participate: Write a children's story about a Holiday Mishap, mix-up, miscommunication, mistake, or potential disaster, not to exceed 350 words and posted by Friday December 13th at 11:59 PM EST  Check out the full rules at her site.   Her site has the links to the 700 other entries (plus or minus a few hundred) which are full of holiday cheer and laughs!  Enjoy!
  
The idea came to me during PiBoIdMo, but the rest of the story had to noodle itself out the past few weeks while I've been shopping, wrapping, cooking and watching the Sound of Music for the 10th time. So on the last day... Here's my 349 word entry: 

Christmas Confusion
By Lauri Meyers


Cries of confusion filled St. Ive's Orphanage on Christmas morning.

"This strange sword has a hook on the end," Bobby complained.

"This nightgown is big enough for Santa," Maggie whimpered.

"Tsk, tsk," Sister Mary warned. "We are always thankful for gifts we receive."

(Image by Amy Burton via sxc.hu)
Sammy shook his present and shouted, "Sounds like a puzzle!" But when Sammy held up a tin of pistachios, even Sister Mary raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Time for our morning stroll." Sister Mary gathered hats and scarves. The children grabbed their gifts, happy to have something, no matter how unusual.  

A gray-haired man wobbled along the sidewalk with a plastic sword. 

"Are you a pirate?" Bobby called.

"Bobby! Manners, please," Sister Mary said. "This is Mr. Robert Stone from Ivy's Retirement Home across the street."

"I hoped for a cane, but Santa thought I had one more sword fight in me," Robert said.  "En garde!"
Bobby raised his hooked sword for a duel.

"What a fine cane you have there," Robert said.

"Would you like to trade?" Bobby asked.  Robert nodded and found the cane to be a perfect fit.

"Strange morning we've had," Robert said. "Santa gave Samuel here a puzzle, even though he's been near blind for 20 years."

"Only thing still working is my teeth!" Samuel laughed.

"Santa gave me nuts, and I wasn't even naughty," Sammy sighed. "I'd love a puzzle." They traded with toothy smiles.

"And Margaret has some frilly thing on her head she says is a sleeping cap,"  Bobby chuckled.

"I think your hat is lovely," Maggie said quietly, remembering her manners.

"I'm not really sure it's a sleeping cap," Margaret whispered and held up a tiny nightgown.

"Oh!" Maggie exclaimed. "I hoped for a nightgown that size, but Santa got me one for growing into."

"Perhaps this one would be useful, so you don't have to grow too fast," Margaret said and traded with Maggie. "Now, you must come over for hot chocolate!"  

"Yes, Santa must have known we'd have guests. Our stockings were full of marshmallows," Robert said. 
"What was in yours?"

"Don't ask," said Sister Mary.


Comments

  1. LOL! I can just picture Sr. Mary rolling her eyes at the end there. ;) I guess it was a good mix-up after all!

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  2. Such a cute story! Nice work. :) Love connecting the generations this way.

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    1. Christmas is always more fun when shared with friends old and new!

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  3. Love the way you've brought the generations together!

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    1. I'm just disappointed I couldn't work in Depends - but I wasn't sure kids would get the joke of adult diapers :)

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  4. Oh my, Lauri! I guess these mix-ups can happen when you've got an orphanage and a retirement home in close proximity :) I'm glad they all shared and traded and it worked out to a happy Christmas. But boy, you really have me wondering about what was in the kids' stockings! :) I'm glad you were able to noodle out a story in time to join in the fun! :)

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    1. I know, I know... What is a bunch of Fixodent tubes and denture cleanser tablets? Thick, woolen, non-skid socks? Old wooden toys? No, it was something else :)

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  5. Lauri, FANTASTIC!!! I loved reading your delightful story. Hahahahahaha. That ending is classical. What a great submission. Good luck!

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    1. Thanks Robyn! I had fun writing it and playing with the voices.

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  6. Great ending and fun intermingling of characters. Well done!

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  7. Wait a second! You wrote a story without a poop joke in it? You're really going outside of your comfort zone!

    In all seriousness, I really liked this! I'm not sure I wanna know what was in Sister Mary's stocking, however.

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    1. Maybe the poop joke is hanging in that stocking... I had to try very hard to avoid an adult underpants joke, Mike!

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  8. This is great, Lauri! I love how the mix-up led to bringing the children and older folks together. It's a nice twist. I am curious about the ending. :-) Well done!

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    1. Thank you Cheryl! Everyone needs to be with someone over the holidays - Santa is smart like that.

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  9. Cute mix-up! I think Santa may have had a little too much egg nog at the last stop!

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    1. I bet once he's shimmied down a few thousand chimneys he needs a little 'nog to take the edge off! Of course accidents must happen sometimes;)

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  10. Adorable story, Lauri! I love how everyone benefits from Santa's mix-up. Sr. Mary is a hoot!

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    1. Yes - I might to explore Sister Mary a bit further. She's a complicated character, what with her flirting with the mailman and everything. Goodness knows she hasn't been the same since the war, but I don't like to talk about that. I still haven't figured out why she is so good at Wii Dance 2014...So much to learn about her:)

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  11. oh this is a delightful mix up that has the old and the young swapping and sharing the spirit of Christmas.

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  12. Hi Laurie,
    What a great way to join two generations at this Merry Christmas time of year! :-)

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    1. It helps when the young ones seem mature for their age and the old ones seem like they know how to have a good time!

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  13. That is a lot of Christmas Confusion! Really cute story, Lauri! I love how it worked out with a spirit of giving. Merry Christmas!

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  14. Tee hee...Sister Mary will be puzzling over this holiday for a long time Lauri!

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    1. My gracious, what a strange morning indeed. Thank goodness she had the common sense to check the stockings while the kids were putting on their mittens!

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  15. Heeheehee! I think they had dentures in their stockings! ;)

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    1. That would be incredibly traumatic! Has the Easter Bunny gone crazy? Is this a Halloween prank? WHY ARE THERE TEETH IN MY STOCKING???

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