Chani's Christmas Wish (standard:fairy tales, 2509 words)
Author: J.A. Aarntzen	Added: Oct 18 2005	Views/Reads: 4366/2676	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Four elves visit a sick young girl on Christmas Day.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

“It's because I care for Nicholas that I shan't be going to the Black
Forest,” Hum declared. 

“But he wants to see you!”  Diddo and Kiddo blared together. 

“But if I'm to give him measles then I say that he doesn't!” Hum said
flatly. 

“Huh?” Ho, Diddo, Kiddo, Toenail Clippings and even Chani grunted
together.  For a moment the igloo seemed like a pigsty. 

Hum looked only at Ho as he said, “Measles are funny, aren't they Ho? 
They want to meet everybody but once they meet you, they never want 
anything to do with you again.  I have never met the measles before.”   
Hum pulled back the sleeve of his sweater to reveal to the others 
dozens of red spots along his arm. 

The others gasped and started checking their own skins for signs of the
spots.  Nobody, save Chani, had them.  They had all met the measles 
before. 

That night, Ho, Kiddo and Diddo all volunteered to stay back and nurse
Hum back to health.  But the little elf would have nothing to do with 
it.  It was more important for them to visit with little Nicholas than 
to attend to him.  He told them that they even said that it made no 
difference what you did; the measles would only go away when they were 
ready to go. 

Reluctantly, on the next day, Ho, Diddo and Kiddo set off by dogsled to
visit with the little boy that they had first met as an abandoned baby 
in the Black Forest five years ago.  The three elves would not come 
back to the North Pole until after the New Year. 

That had been three weeks ago.  It had been a rough three weeks for Hum
because of his illness.  His temperature was high most of the time.  
His skin was beet red. 

Everyday, Toenail Clippings and his wife, Juniper Junie, came to the
elves' cottage to look after Hum.  They always made him whale tooth 
soup and forced him to eat two bowls of it.  Hum hated the goop but 
what could he say to niceness. 

“Thank you.” 

It was only four days ago that the measles decided that they had enough
of Hum and left him without so much as saying good-bye.  Ill-mannered 
things diseases are, Hum thought.  No wonder nobody likes them. 

He thought about joining the others in Bavaria but it was too far of a
distance for a little elf to travel by him, especially for one that was 
so recently restored to health. 

And besides, it was December now.  If he were to leave now, he would
only get to Bavaria in time to come back home with the others.  No, he 
would have to spend the Christmas holidays here at the North Pole and 
alone. 

Toenail Clippings and all the people from the Inuit village had all left
just yesterday.  They were off to the East where they could hunt 
caribou for the rest of the winter.  They would not come back to their 
summer settlement at the North Pole until well into the month of April. 


Before they left, Toenail Clippings, Juniper Junie and Chani had stopped
by to wish Hum a Happy Christmas and all the best over the winter 
season.  They gave him a sandstone carving of a pouting elf sitting at 
a table with a bowl of soup. 

“You didn't fool us, not even for a second!”  Juniper Junie laughed. 
“Nobody likes the taste of whale tooth soup but it makes you strong!  
Don't you feel strong now?” 

Hum had to admit that he did and then he left the three Inuit
momentarily.  He went rummaging in his room.  He came out a minute 
later carrying a big box.  This he presented to Chani.  “This is for 
all of you,” he said. 

The little girl opened the box and pulled out three articles, a necktie,
perfume and a doll. 

Hum said, “You decide amongst yourself which present is for which
person.  I couldn't make up my mind what to give to who!” 

Chani put on the tie while Juniper Junie played with the doll and
Toenail Clippings put some of the perfume behind his ears.  Something 
did not seem quite right about the scene but somehow that did not 
matter. 

“You know, Hum, this is not a bad idea!”  Toenail Clippings chimed while
dabbing the perfume onto his neck. 

“What's not a bad idea?” 

“Giving fits to each other during the Christmas season.  It is a way of
expressing your love to your family and friends.  Perhaps the exchange 
of gifts should become part of the tradition of the Yule season!” 

Hum agreed with Toenail Clippings.  “But many people are too poor to
afford to give gifts.  What about them?  Maybe some day there will be 
no more poor and hungry people.  When that time comes then the exchange 
of gifts will be truly in the spirit of Christmas!” 

Chani looked handsome in her necktie even though she did not know how to
make a proper knot.  “Until that day when everybody in the world does 
not have to worry about their next meal, wouldn't it be nice if there 
was somebody who had a lot to give that would give of himself to all 
those who do not have a lot?  I wish that there was somebody like 
that.” 

Hum lifted his eyebrows. 

Toenail Clippings, who had taken a seat and was applying just a touch of
perfume behind his knees, commented, “That is a wonderful idea Chani!  
However I'm afraid that it would never work.  Nobody in the world is 
rich enough to do that.  Not to mention that somebody could visit every 
single household in every country in the world on a single night! That 
would be impossible to do!” 

“It might not be impossible if you had magical powers,” Chani suggested
while her fingers finally straightened out the knot in her tie.  She 
now looked like the perfect little businesswoman. 

Hum lifted his eyebrows. 

“We must be going now.  The caribou cannot wait forever!”  Juniper Junie
said as she put her doll away in her tote bag.  “Have a Happy Christmas 
Hum!” 

“Happy Christmas Juniper Junie!” 

“Happy Christmas Hum!” 

“Happy Christmas Toenail Clippings!” 

“Happy Christmas Hum!” 

“Happy Christmas Chani!” 

Then after the hugging and kissing, the Inuit left.  Hum knew that now
he was all alone.  Nobody stuck around the North Pole in the month of 
December.  It was just too cold up here for anybody to stay.  Even the 
polar bears preferred it a little further south. 

Hum felt a little sad for himself that he had to be alone during the
Christmas season but he was not one to wallow in self-pity.  Instead of 
resorting to that, he applied himself to the dozens of chores that 
always cropped up around the cottage even in the middle of winter. 

Once these were done, he started to fiddle about with a new hobby of his
– the making of fine quality wooden toys.  It was a craft that even Ho, 
Kiddo and Diddo seemed to have a talent for.  Maybe some day they could 
make something out of this hobby but for now it had to remain just 
that, a hobby. 

The little elf knew that there were other things that he should be doing
as well, such as learning how to read and write.  He knew that these 
were important skills, perhaps even more important than constructing 
toys.  If he could read he would be able to know what day it was today 
on his calendar.  All that he knew for certain was that they were in 
the month of December.  His illness had made him lose count of the 
days.  For all that he knew it might even be Christmas Day today or 
even worse Christmas may have passed already. 

He heard that sound behind him again.  He turned around and looked about
the room.  He saw the table with its pots and dishes.   He saw the 
chairs with their sweaters and scarves and he saw the Old King in the 
corner with its big warm belly.  Maybe the wood in His Majesty's 
stomach was crackling again because Hum could not see anything else 
could make the noise. 

He turned back and looked at the red numbers on his calendar.  Red meant
Christmas.  Oh, how he loved Christmas! 

“I love Christmas too!” a little voice said behind him. 

Hearing the voice made Hum jump and scream. 

Once he felt settled, he turned around and saw a wavering figure like
the flame upon a candle.  Even though it flickered and did not seem to 
be really there, Hum recognized the figure that he saw. 

It was a Sending.  It was the way the spirit of a person could visit
another while leaving the body where it normally resides.  It was 
something like a ghost except the spirit in the Sending is not dead 
while it is such in a ghost. 

It was the spirit of Little Nicholas, the chubby boy from the Black
Forest that was visiting Hum. 

“It is Christmas Day Hum!  Aren't you going to wish your little Santa
Claus a Happy Christmas?” 

Hum was astounded and it was not that Little Nicholas was visiting him
in the manner of a spirit.  No, Hum was astounded because it was 
Christmas Day! 

It was Christmas Day! 

“Happy Christmas Nicholas, Happy Christmas!” 

“Happy Christmas Hum!  I could not bear the notion of you being alone on
this, the most important day of the year.  I had to come and visit you. 
 You will have to thank Kiddo, Diddo and Ho for this visit because it 
is through their elfin magic that I am able to come to you.  But they 
are not strong Hum.  That is why my image is not steady.  I believe 
that if more elves were to use their magic together anything could be 
possible.  You elves are a marvelous people, Hum.  I thank my lucky 
stars for having elves as my closest friends!” 

At that moment Nicholas's image blinked out completely.  Hum found
himself all alone again in the quiet little cottage at the North Pole. 

Then Nicholas came back again.  His image was wispy like a thin smoke. 
“Ho, Kiddo and Diddo's strength is rapidly fading Hum so I have to be 
quick.  By next Christmas I plan to move to the North Pole.  I have 
some great ideas that I think that you will like.  I know Ho, Diddo and 
Kiddo are enthused about it.  If you like these ideas then we will work 
on them.  Believe me Hum; I think that our work will not go by 
unnoticed.  So until then take care of yourself, my good friend, and 
have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!” 

“Merry Christmas Little Santa Claus!” 

The image of the fat boy was now gone.  Hum was all alone in his little
cottage.  There were no sounds except for the sizzling in His Majesty's 
belly.  But Hum did not feel lonely any more. 

He knew that something wonderful was at hand.  He knew that Chani's
Christmas Wish just might come true. 


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