Twelve Upon a Time…

by Edward Galluzzi

  As Megan and Mallory pondered what to do, their familiar friends calmed their fears. For inside the tunnel appeared Vinnie, Minnie, Sabatah and Platingo, er, at least something that looked like a somewhat bare Platingo. The girls entered the tunnel and greeted their friends. Mallory and Megan smiled embarrassing at Platingo who covered himself with what few feathers he had left.

  The girls were assured that the paths were safe and with that promise their animal friends bid them a happy adventure. Megan and Mallory waved goodbye to their friends and followed the map as best they could see. Thousands of lightning bugs lined the pathway to provide a dim, glowing light.

  As the sisters followed the map through the connecting tunnels, they found an “X” here and there. Megan said to her sister, “Hum? ‘X’ marks the spot, don’t you think Mallory?” What Megan and Mallory soon discovered was that each “X” marked the nearby place of a surprise. Some of the surprises they dug for, some were embedded in the wall, some were hanging from the tunnel ceiling and some were in full view of all.

  At the first “X” marks the spot, Mallory and Megan dug up two ancient Indian arrowheads. At the next spot, they found cherries hanging above them. “Ah, something to snack on during our trip” said Mallory. The sisters each took a bundle of cherries as they continued down their path. The path ahead of them split into two different directions. The girls looked at their map and took the path to the right as directed. The next “X” spot was just ahead. Megan and Mallory looked and looked but found nothing. They looked some more and finally uncovered two-bone necklaces in the side of the tunnel.

  Mallory and Megan continued their exciting trip. About an hour had past as they found themselves winding around the paths. They found many “X” spots and uncovered surprise after surprise. The girls continued to follow the map as they approached the entrance of the tunnel from where their adventure began. Megan and Mallory walked outside the dimly lighted tunnel into the bright sunshine. They rubbed their eyes and gave them a few moments to adjust to the morning brightness. Then, Mallory and Megan decided to rest for a moment before they continued their journey. Although they were out of the tunnel, they had not finished following the map. The sisters rested as they sorted through the many surprises left them by their friends. They played with arrowheads, bone necklaces, pick-up sticks, wooden rings, magic wooden wands and much more.

  Megan suddenly arose and said, “Let’s go.” Mallory was use to following the eldest and took off behind her. The last “X” on the map was a familiar one because it led them back to their tree house where their adventure began. The girls ran as fast as they could until they reached the bottom of the tree house ladder.

  Megan decided not to stand on circumstance and ran up the ladder without guessing at a number. Mallory shouted a useless “Hey!” and ran up behind her sister. As the girls entered the tree house, they found Vinnie, Minnie, Sabatah and Platingo awaiting them. Their animal friends smiled approvingly toward each other as they greeted their human friends. Mallory and Megan thanked their animal friends in their usual way, giving each a hug in turn.

  The six friends had a wonderful party. Their gala was interrupted by the call of their mother. “Megan!” “Mallory!” “Come inside!” The sisters knew it was time to go shopping for school clothes and supplies. They had discussed the shopping trip with their parents the night before. Mallory and Megan said goodbye to their friends knowing that the lazy days of summer have ended.

  October: Trick or Treat with Bitty the Bat

  Diane and her younger brother, Rick, were getting ready for Halloween. They practiced their “Trick or Treat” greeting and made sure that their candy bag was extra, extra, extra large. Mr. Cavity really likes this time of year! For Halloween, Diane dressed as a nurse and Rick disguised himself as Mr. President.

  While the children were getting ready for Halloween, the animals and insects in town were also preparing for the evening. They thought humans looked strange enough every day, but on this particular night, Halloween, the animals found themselves laughing out loud!

  Bitty the bat and his friends had agreed to meet down at the old firehouse right before dusk. They were all excited: Sissy the snake; Wimmy the worm; Biffy the butterfly; Oily the owl; Diddy the dog; Kitty the cat; Mimmy the mantis; Ritty the rat; Gissy the grasshopper; Bibby the bird; Sirry the squirrel; Cippy the chipmunk; Ainty the ant; Fiffy the fly; Filly the flea; Biggy the bug; Missy the mouse; Mitty the moth; Sippy the spider; Cilly the caterpillar; Tilly the turtle; and Dirry the deer.

  Bitty

  Filly

  Diddy

  Rick and Diane left their house as dusk fell; well, it did not actually fall, it, er... never mind. They carried their Halloween bag that they hoped would soon be filled with all sorts of treats imaginable and perhaps a few unimaginable.

  Bitty the bat also neared the old firehouse to meet with his friends. Upon his arrival, everybody was there. Bitty greeted Sissy, Wimmy, Biffy, Oily, Diddy, Kitty, Mimmy, Ritty, Gissy, Bibby, Sirry, Cippy, Ainty, Fiffy, Filly, Biggy, Missy, Mitty, Sippy, Cilly, Tilly and Dirry. They in turn greeted Bitty.

  Missy

  Ritty

  There was quite a murmur going on as everybody was excited about what was unfolding. These creature comfort friends knew from experience over the years that the night will be filled with surprises.

  Sirry

  They learned to travel in pairs so that they could see what all there was to see and to stay in the clear so that others did not see them. Bitty called to attention his creature friends and told them it was time to pair up.

  The creatures of comfort paired up two-by-two. Filly the flea hitched a ride with Diddy the dog. Missy the mouse stayed with its kin Ritty the rat. Sirry the squirrel went with his nutty friend Cippy the chipmunk. Bibby the bird flew with feathered-friend Oily the owl. Cilly the caterpillar hitched a ride with its future friend Biffy the butterfly.

  Cippy

  Bibby

  The slimy kin Sissy snake and Wimmy worm slithered in pair. Gissy the grasshopper hopped on Tilly the turtle. Biggy the bug and Sippy the spider spun their webs together. Fiffy the fly flew with Mitty the moth. Ainty the ant climbed aboard Dirry the deer. Mimmy the mantis paired with Kitty the cat.

  Oily

  Cilly

  Creatures of every type in pairs of eleven all lead by Bitty the bat. Bitty, you see, did not have a red nose, but could see all there was to see under the cover of darkness where few could clearly see. See?

  Twenty-three creatures blended into the night and paired off as they drifted out of sight. Two-by-two they separated in time with Bitty the bat at the head of the line. They scattered in the pairs they made chattering with each other about plans they laid.

  Biffy

  Sissy

  So, there they went: Filly and Diddy; Missy and Ritty; Sirry and Cippy; Bibby and Oily. Cilly and Biffy; Sissy and Wimmy; Gissy and Tilly; Biggy and Sippy; Fiffy and Mitty; Ainty and Dirry; and Mimmy and Kitty. Bitty flew around to keep an eye or two out for his friends as creepy creatures more creepy than they were out tonight!

  Wimmy

  Gissy

  Little children and big children milled around the town disguised as everything imaginable and unimaginable. As Bitty flew overhead, his creature friends took in what they could take in. The sights and sounds of Halloween were exciting to them.

  Biggy and Sippy saw a prince and a princess; Mimmy and Kitty saw a girl who looked like a boy and a boy in a dress. Filly and Diddy came across Rick the President and Diane the nurse; Ainty and Dirry saw Frankenstein and a mummy with a curse.

  Tilly

  Biggy

  Cilly and Biffy laughed at a clown and a cow; Sirry and Cippy saw an actor and actress taking a bow. Sissy and Wimmy saw a human rabbit and a magician; Fiffy and Mitty came across a holy priest and nun. Missy and Ritty sniffed out a human carrot and Swiss cheese; Bibby and Oily flew over a tree with leaves.

  Sippy

  Gissy and Tilly saw two bumblebe
es.

  As the evening grew late, the children in costume grew fewer and fewer. At this time, Bitty the bat let out a high-pitched sound that could only be heard by his creature friends.

  As was his plan, Bitty’s signal meant it was time to go back to the old firehouse to share what everybody did see. Diane and her brother Rick were already heading home with a bag full of treats (minus the few that some how found their way through their teeth).

  Fitty

  Bitty the bat was the first one back for he traveled as the crow flies. He waited patiently for his friends to arrive. Bitty soon saw his friends coming two-by-two, as they had paired.

  Mitty

  Ainty

  There came Filly the flea who hitched a ride with Diddy the dog. Kin Missy the mouse and Ritty the rat then arrived. Sirry the squirrel and Cippy the chipmunk came in sharing a nut. Bibby the bird landed with Oily the owl in a tree nearby. Cilly the caterpillar apparently grew tired and was flown in by his friend Biffy the butterfly.

  Sissy the snake and Wimmy the worm slithered in slowly. Gissy the grasshopper was still riding slowly on the back of Tilly the turtle. Biggy the bug and Sippy the spider had spun big webs across each other. Fiffy the fly flew in with Mitty the moth. Dirry the deer skipped in with Ainty the ant upon him.

  Dirry

  Mimmy

  Mimmy the mantis, who was paired with Kitty the cat, was the last to arrive.

  As Rick and Diane shared their Halloween fun with their parents, al the creatures shared their excitement with their friend Bitty. Bitty just smiled as he listened to his creature comforts share their tails, er, tales.

  As the evening grew late, Bitty wished all his friends a Happy Halloween. Sissy the snake, Wimmy the worm, Biffy the butterfly, Oily the owl, Diddy the dog, Kitty the cat, Mimmy the mantis, Ritty the rat, Gissy the grasshopper, Bibby the bird, Sirry the squirrel, Cippy the chipmunk, Ainty the ant, Fiffy the fly, Filly the flea, Biggy the bug, Missy the mouse, Mitty the moth, Sippy the spider, Cilly the caterpillar, Tilly the turtle, and Dirry the deer all wished Bitty the same.

  Kitty

  November: ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving...

  Twas the night before Thanksgiving and all through the home, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse did roam.

  It was a cold and wintry night as fall days were long out of sight. Adam, Sarah, Sharon and Hannah lay huddled on the family room rug, wrapped in their blankets all cozy and snug. And even Tigger was purring beside them wondering what those turkeys were doing above him.

  Their parents, Ellen and Joe, were busy as bees, roaming ‘round the kitchen preparing stuffing and cranberries. All of the stuffing they placed by the chimney with care in hope that Ninja Turkey soon would be there!

  Sarah, Hannah, Sharon and Adam could hardly wait and it wasn’t long before they finished their supper plate. They were excited as could be awaiting a visit from that grand turkey. Nothing else filled their minds as the evening approached just in time. They headed to bed with sleepy eyes, yawning in turn unable to keep awake even if they tried.

  Soon they remembered what they forgot and ran down the stairs clippity-clop. Hannah, Adam, Sharon and Sarah ran to the kitchen to get what they knew was missin’. Joe and Ellen smiled as their children hung up stockings and left turkey seed without anybody talking.

  Now Sharon, Adam, Hannah and Sarah ran back upstairs in hopes that Ninja Turkey would soon be there. They were sleeping just fine, dreaming of sugar plum turkeys and leaving their cares behind.

  Joe and Ellen walked up the stairs to check on their charges in the cold night air. They saw their children were huddled together and twined, all comfy and looking like sleeping angels with faces divine.

  Sharon, Hannah, Adam and Sarah were sleeping just fine with nothing as usual on their minds. Sharon was laughing and dreaming of being tickled while Sarah was mumbling, as she was always fickled. And Adam was forlorn as he often was in the middle of his sisters’ scorn.

  Mom and dad left their children alone, satisfied that they were safe in their cozy home. They went to bed and quickly fell asleep for ithad been a long day of preparing Thanksgiving treats.

  The night air was cold and crisp; the evening wind was even brisk. The snowman stood guard all alone outside the family home. The children rolled it with special care as each of them gave the snowman something of theirs. Sarah gave up her stocking cap dangling a puffy ball in back. Adam borrowed his father’s pipe as the snowman’s mouth gripped it tight. Sharon at first could think of nothing, but then decided to share her shirt buttons. Hannah gave it a tie with all sorts of colors pleasing to the eye.

  Then all of a sudden, the children arose with a shudder. They heard noise downstairs and for a moment were scared. Hannah, Sarah, Adam and Sharon then rubbed their eyes in hopes of seeing a big surprise.

  They hurried up and ran downstairs all the time wondering what might be there. Then what to their eyes should appear, but a sleigh being pulled by 10 tiny turkey-deer. And driving the sleigh was a bird quick and lively, they knew in a dash it was Ninja Turkey!

  He left the sleigh with a leap and a bound, greeting the turkey-deer as he jumped to the ground. He was dressed all in feathers and made a gobbly sound that jiggled his belly that was fat and round.

  Ninja Turkey saw the seed by the fireplace and ate it quickly at a fast pace. He gobbled here and gobbled there and soon was heard gobbling everywhere.

  Ninja Turkey stopped pecking and got real busy as the kids stared with their eyes now as big as Frisbees. Hannah, Sarah, Adam and Sharon stood as quiet as could be so not to disturbed Ninja Turkey. They rubbed their eyes and gazed in wonder, expecting Ninja Turkey to fade like thunder!

  They watched and watched and watched and watched; even Tigger couldn’t help but gawk and gawk. Kids and cat and cat and kids, they all stood together as they hid. Nobody moved and nobody dared, they just stood there and stared and stared.

  Sharon, Sarah, Hannah and Adam could only guess what the grand turkey would be doing next. He stuffed a little turkey in the stockings left with care and then headed toward the family stairs.

  Adam, Hannah, Sarah and Sharon panicked real quick and even Tigger took off lickety split. They ran up the stairs and headed for their room, afraid that Ninja Turkey would see them real soon.

  Sarah, Sharon, Hannah and Adam were covered in blankets as Ninja Turkey trotted by with his giblets. They peeked from under the covers to see what they could see, but nowhere in site was that grand turkey. They wanted to move but did not dare in case that big bird might still be there.

  The children looked and stared and even Tigger peered out from nowhere. Then all of a sudden what should appear, but that Thanksgiving turkey of the year. The kids were surprised as they saw a thing; it was that turkey on their ceiling.

  He walked upside down across their room and headed toward their window with a zoom. Sharon, Hannah, Adam and Sarah said “goodbye” and “take care” as Ninja Turkey scratched his feathered hair.

  He turned with a jerk and a twinkle in his eye, then gobbled some stuffing before gobbling “goodbye.” He zoomed out of the window toward his sleigh where 10 tiny turkey-deer were at bay.

  Off Ninja Turkey went and he was on his way, as the kids’ vision of the Thanksgiving bird fade. But they heard him say with glee, “Gobble, Bobble” and “Tee-Hee-Hee!”

  As Ninja Turkey flew out of sight, Adam, Sarah, Sharon, and Hannah heard him say, “Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!”

  December: The Magical Cane to Christmas’ Journey

  Christmas was always a special time of year for Sarah, Heather and Jacob. They experienced the blessed holiday like no other children in the world. The birth of the Christ Child, visits from Santa Claus, giving to others, and exchanging and opening gifts were celebrated of course. Heather, Jacob and Sarah not only celebrated these special happenings, but they also took a magical trip much like their mother, Robin, did when she was a kid. Their mother shared those voyages with
their father, Mark.

  Given to their mom by her mother, whose grandmother had given to her, whose great grandmother had given to her and whose great, great grandmother had given to her—passed down from generation to generation—was a very, very unique candy cane.

  Uncommon in the world, it was a magical candy cane. It held special properties and unusual powers. It allowed those family members who touched it to venture back to a different time— actually to travel three times. Travel three times yes, but one trip was always the return trip home, home to the love and care of their family. To Jacob, Heather and Sarah, the experience seemed to last forever. Their parents knew that they would be gone for just a few minutes.

  Sarah and Heather, who are two years apart with Sarah being the eldest, have taken these magical journeys ever since the age of 6. For their brother, Jacob, who turned 6 this year, it would be his first voyage.

  He was very excited and looking forward to the Eve of Christmas even though he did not clearly understand what all the excitement was about; but he knew his sisters were happy and that was enough for him! As Christmas Eve approached, Sarah and Heather could do nothing other than talk and sometimes argue about their upcoming journey. Jacob often added his two cents whether it made any sense or not.