Christmas is Coming

 

"Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!" sang Midge as she entered the living room and jumped in the chair beside Snappy's tank. "Hi Snappy! Did you know that Christmas is coming?"

"Is that a good thing?" asked Snappy. "Who is Christmas?

"Christmas only comes once a year," said Midge.

"Don't he like to come visit?" asked Snappy. "Did I meet him last year?"

"No, I don't think so," said Midge. "I have never met him either."

"He comes here once a year, and you have never met him?" asked Snappy. "Is he an animal like we are or a human?"

"I think he is a human," said Midge.

"You don't know?" asked Snappy.

"No," replied Midge.

"Is he invisible?" asked Snappy. "A ghost?"

"Christmas is a day," said Midge. "But I think their is a human they call Santa Claus who comes when Christmas comes."

"That sounds confusing," smiled Snappy with a puzzled look.

"I remember our owner last year reading this story to her niece when she was here," said Midge.

"What kind of story?" asked Snappy. "I don't remember."

"I think it had something to do with the night before Christmas," said Midge.

"What was the story about?" asked Snappy.

"Well, let me see if I can remember," said Midge, rolling her eyes trying to think.

"Are you thinking?" asked Snappy. "Maybe Jake or Booker-T knows."

"Jake might know," suggested Midge. "His owner always has her relatives over to the house for a week near Christmas."

"Ask Jake," suggested Snappy.

"I can do that," said Midge nodding her head.

"Is he coming this morning?" asked Snappy.

"Is who coming?" asked Jake as he and Booker-T walked into the living room.

"I didn't hear you come in," smiled Midge. "What are you doing?"

"We are coming to see you," said Jake.

"Do you want to go see what animals are at the zoo building?" asked Booker-T.

"Who was Snappy talking about?" asked Jake.

"You," smiled Midge.

"Hi Snappy," said Jake. "Why are you looking for me?"

"Midge wants to ask you something," said Snappy. "She said your owner has family at your house for a week near Christmas. She said Christmas is coming."

"Yes," said Jake. "Christmas is coming, but it isn't a who, it's a what. It is a day."

"Do you like Christmas?" asked Snappy.

"We do," said Booker-T. "We get presents from our owners on Christmas day."

"Wow," said Snappy. "That is a good day. Why do you get presents."

"Because our owners love us," smiled Midge.

"What is Snappy talking about?" asked Jake. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Does your owner read stories to her family when they come to your house?" asked Midge.

"Her nephew and niece like the stories," said Jake.

"What is their favorite story?" asked Midge. "My owner reads a story to her niece every year and I think it has something to do with Christmas, but I don't remember the name."

"Oh, that's The Night Before Christmas story," said Booker-T. "My owner reads it every year. It is a cool story."

"What is the story about?" asked Snappy.

"Do you remember Booker-T?" asked Midge. "You remembered the name."

"It is about these humans getting ready to go to bed on what they called, Christmas eve and when they were in bed, they heard a noise outside. The father human ran to the window and was looking outside and he heard noise on his roof."

"Oh," said Midge. "Who was on the roof?"

"He went to look in the living room," said Booker-T. "He saw this fat human coming down their chimney."

"I think he was dirty," laughed Midge. "I think Chimneys are dirty inside."

"Yes," smiled Booker-T. "He had ashes all over him. He was smoking a pipe. He put presents in their stockings and some under the tree and then he went up the chimney. He got in his sleigh and he flew off the roof as he told everyone to have a Happy Christmas."

"Wow," sighed Snappy. "That is a cool story. Do you think the fat human who goes up and down chimneys is real?"

"I don't know," said Midge. "What does he do if the house has no chimney?"

"I don't know," said Jake. "Maybe he walks in the front door."

"How?" asked Booker-T. "If the doors are locked. My owner locks all the doors when she goes to bed."

"Mine does too," said Midge. "What is the little fat human's name?"

"I think my owner called him Santa Claus," said Jake. "My owner likes to play all the cartoon Christmas movies for her niece and nephew. They like them."

"Did you watch the movies with them?" asked Booker-T.

"My favorite one is about a reindeer who has a red nose," smiled Jake.

"That would be funny having a red nose," laughed Snappy.

"I like the movie about the snowman," said Booker-T. "He is a cold snowman."

"Christmas sounds like it is fun," said Snappy. "Maybe I can see Santa Claus when he comes into our house."

"Are you going to stay awake all night?" asked Midge.

"Maybe," said Snappy. "I want to see what he looks like."

"You can sleep in the chair in the living room that night," suggested Booker-T.

"I can," smiled Midge. "Maybe I will stay up with you."