by Lynn Austin
“Use a spoon, please. We don’t slurp from our cereal bowls. You both know better.” Yet she wondered if she was being too proper. Would Eve say they were just being boys? They carried their bowls and juice glasses to the sink, then raced to the coat hooks to put on their galoshes and jackets and snow pants. “Wait,” Audrey said. “Remember what we talked about last night? About being like the Wise Men and giving away gifts for Jesus’ birthday?”
“We don’t want to be Wise Men anymore,” Harry said. Bobby nodded in agreement.
“Well, Harry’s mum and I decided that giving gifts is going to be our new Christmas tradition. You may go outside and build your snow fort in a little while,” she said, taking the coats from their hands. “But first, I want you to look through your toy box and pick out some toys to give away to children who don’t have any.” She gently directed them toward their bedroom.
“But, Mummy, I like all of my toys.”
“What if we can’t find any to give away?” Harry asked.
“Maybe Santa Claus will decide you don’t need any new toys if your shelves and toy box are already full.”
“But . . . that’s not fair!”
“Would you like me to help you pick out some?” she asked when they reached their room. “I can make a few suggestions.”
“We can do it,” Harry said with a sigh.
“Good. I’ll check back with you after I wash the breakfast dishes.” Audrey telephoned Grandma Van after tidying the kitchen and told her about their gift-giving plan. “Eve and I wondered if the family who lives down the road from your farm could use some things for Christmas? They don’t seem to have very much.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Grandma Van said. “The Robertsons have three little boys, none of them in school yet. I bring eggs and milk to them from time to time. Maybe Tom can chop down a Christmas tree for them, too. And do you think Harry and Bobby would like to come over and help me bake cookies for them?”
“I’m sure they would.”
“Come over anytime this afternoon and we’ll start baking.”
Audrey was discouraged to see that Bobby and Harry had chosen only six toys to give away, all in need of repair. “The Robertson boys are younger than you, so let’s find some toys that you’ve outgrown.” Audrey knelt beside the toy box and began digging through it. “What about these blocks? And this wooden boat? You don’t play with this game anymore, do you?” She pulled out several more toddler items, then stood to scan the shelves. “You don’t read these picture books anymore. And here’s a ball. You have several other balls.” She looked around the room. “What about this wooden rocking horse?”
“I like that horse, Mummy.”
“I know, but you’re getting too big for it. You seldom play with it. Why not let someone else enjoy it?” She helped them choose a few more toys that were better suited to younger children, then combed through their drawers and closet for clothes and shoes and boots that they had outgrown.
With their pile of toys complete, Audrey set the boys free to build their snow fort until lunchtime.
Later that afternoon, they drove out to the farm together to bake cookies. Audrey slowed the car as they passed the run-down house where the Robertson family lived. “Do you see those little boys playing in the snow?” she asked. “They’re the ones you’re giving your toys to, for your first Wise Man gift. It looks like they don’t have very many toys, doesn’t it?”
“The house looks like it’s falling over,” Harry said.
“Do they have food?” Bobby asked.
“Not as much as we have, I’m sure. That’s why Grandma Van is going to help you bake cookies for them. And I brought along the toys you picked out so you can ask Grandpa Van and Uncle Tom to help you repair them.”
Tom and his father were happy to help when they saw the toys. “These shouldn’t be too hard to fix,” Grandpa said after looking them over.
“I have some extra paint we can use to spruce them up a bit, too,” Tom said.
“If it isn’t too much trouble,” Audrey said, “I would be grateful if you helped the boys do some of the work themselves so they’ll learn how. Eve and I are trying to teach them that it’s fun to give away gifts. It’s a surprise they haven’t discovered yet, and they could use a good lesson in giving.”
“Sure thing. I’ll gather the tools we’ll need and we can get to work on these toys once the cookies are in the oven.”
Audrey felt happy and content for the first time in a long time as she sat in the cheerful, farmhouse kitchen helping the boys and Grandma Van mix flour and butter and sugar to make Christmas cookies. Grandma showed them how to roll out the dough, and she let the boys cut them into Christmas shapes with cookie cutters. Flour dusted their faces and the fronts of their sweater vests. Audrey couldn’t recall ever experiencing an afternoon like this one, certainly not during her own childhood, but she was grateful that her son had the chance to be here. There was so much love in this home, and it baffled Audrey that Eve would turn away from becoming part of it. Tom loved Eve, and she loved him. Audrey didn’t understand it, and Eve refused to explain it.
“We’ll put icing and sprinkles on the cookies after they’ve cooled,” Grandma said. “Let’s wash your hands and you can head downstairs to the toy workshop in the basement.”
Audrey helped Tom’s mother mix up a few more batches of different kinds of cookies to go into the freezer until later, while the boys worked with Grandpa and Tom in the basement. She could hear their voices and giggles coming up the stairwell and knew they were probably peppering Tom with their endless questions. She heard his deep voice as he patiently replied. They came upstairs an hour later, their hands and faces speckled with paint. “A little turpentine will clean them right up,” Grandpa said with a wink. The odor filled the kitchen as he dabbed at the paint spots with a dampened cloth. “There. Wash up with soap and water and you’ll be good as new.”
“The children are going to like their toys now,” Bobby announced.
“Yeah! They’re all fixed up again.”
The boys spent another hour smearing colored icing on the cookies and slathering them with sprinkles until it was time to go home.
“We’ll come back with Harry’s mum on Saturday,” Audrey promised, “so we can cut down a Christmas tree for them and deliver our gifts.”
“The paint will be all dry by then,” Tom said.
The boys pressed their noses to the car window as they drove past the Robertsons’ house again on the way home. “Do they have decorations for their tree, Mummy?” Bobby asked.
“I’m not really sure.”
“We could make some,” Harry said.
“But they’ll need lights. We can’t make lights.” Bobby was quiet for a moment, then said, “Could we stop at the store and buy lights, Mummy?”
“We could . . .”
“But stop at home first,” Harry said, “so we can get money from our piggy banks.”
Audrey blinked back tears as she watched Bobby and Harry pry open the bottoms of their piggy banks and shake out the coins. She wished Eve were here to witness their eager generosity.
They drove into town to the Woolworth store, and Audrey helped the boys pick out a package of plastic ornaments, a string of colored lights, and a box of tinsel. She also added a tree stand and two rolls of Christmas wrapping paper to their order. The boys stood on tiptoes to empty the contents of their pockets onto the counter by the cash register.
“Mummy?” Bobby asked. “Is there enough to buy them a new toy, too?”
“What did you have in mind?” They hurried back to the toy section and searched through the items on display, deciding on three mesh Christmas stockings for seventy-nine cents apiece that contained an assortment of plastic toys for little boys. Audrey was surprised and pleased that the boys didn’t ask for any new toys for themselves.
The afternoon light was fading when they stepped outside with their purchases, and it was starting to snow again.
Audrey looked at her watch. “You know, Harry, if we wait a few more minutes, your mum’s bus should be arriving. We can give her a ride home.”
Eve’s weary expression changed to delight when she stepped off the bus and saw them waiting for her.
Harry hurled himself into her arms. “You know what, Mommy? We baked cookies with Grandma Van and fixed up our old toys and bought decorations and Christmas stockings for the poor children.”
“They spent their own money, too,” Audrey added.
“It sounds like you’ve had a fun day.”
“We like being smart kings and bringing presents.”
They started walking back to where Audrey had parked her car and were almost to the bank when Alan Hamilton came out of the door. Harry ran up to him and grabbed one of his hands. “Mr. Hamilton! Guess what?” He began a long-winded explanation about the Wise Men and the three gifts and the cookies and the toys and the Christmas tree and the stockings from Woolworth’s. He paused only long enough to take a breath and for Bobby, who had grabbed his other hand to add, “Me, too! Me, too!”
“We’re going to take everything to their house on Saturday,” Harry finally finished, “and give them all their presents.”
“You’re welcome to join us, Alan—” Eve began.
But Audrey was quick to interrupt. “I’m sure Mr. Hamilton is a very busy man.” Why was Eve being so pushy with him?
“You know,” Alan said, “the bank gives out food baskets to needy families every Christmas. I would be happy to make sure this family gets one of them. When are you doing this?”
“On Saturday, so Eve can come with us,” Audrey said.
“Please come, Mr. Hamilton,” Bobby said. “You can help us carry the tree inside like you did before.”
“If you come to our house first,” Eve said, “we could drive out there together. But make sure to wear boots. We’ll be tramping through the snow out at Tom’s farm to cut down the Christmas tree.”
“Please don’t feel obligated—” Audrey began.
But Alan flashed his dimpled smile. “Actually, I think I am free on Saturday afternoon. I would love to join you.”
Chapter 8
11 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Eve hadn’t seen Mrs. Herder and her dog for the past few mornings or evenings as she’d walked to and from work, and it worried her. Her concern deepened as she passed the older woman’s house on Friday afternoon and saw two inches of fresh snow on her sidewalk that hadn’t been shoveled. Had she gone away for the holiday? Eve paused in front and heard the faint sound of barking coming from inside. The dog stood at the front window. Eve turned up the walkway and onto the porch and rang the doorbell. The barking grew louder and more frantic. At last, the curtain parted on one of the sidelights beside the front door and Mrs. Herder peered out, frowning. The carved oak door opened a crack.
“Yes?”
“Hello, Mrs. Herder? I’m your neighbor, Eve Dawson. I live in one of the new bungalows down the street.”
“Yes, I recognize you. Come in, it’s too cold to stand here with the door open.” The dog circled and pranced around Eve, its toenails clacking on the hardwood floor like typewriter keys.
Eve reached to pet him. “Hey, doggy. How are you?”
“Cooper! Go lie down!” Mrs. Herder said. The Labrador looked up at his owner, tail wagging, but made no attempt to obey.
“I don’t mind,” Eve said, scratching behind his ears. “I like dogs. Listen, I came because I haven’t seen you walking with him for the past couple of days, and when I saw that your sidewalk hadn’t been cleared, I was concerned.”
“You don’t even know me.”
Eve turned her attention away from the dog and looked at her neighbor. “Oh! You’ve injured your ankle!”
Mrs. Herder held a cane in her hand, and her ankle was wrapped in a thick bandage. So was her wrist. “I slipped on the ice. Twisted my ankle and then hurt my wrist when I tried to catch myself.”
“Do you need to see a doctor? I can drive you there. I drove an ambulance during the war—”
“The doctor has already come. He told me to stay off my feet—which I’m obviously not doing at the moment.”
“Can I get you anything? Do you need groceries?”
“The store makes deliveries, Mrs. . . . Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Eve Dawson. I live on the next block with my son, Harry, my friend Audrey, and her son, Bobby.”
“Is yours the redhead or the dark-haired one? I’ve seen them playing outside.”
“Mine is the redhead.”
“You’re British?”
“Yes. Audrey and I met the boys’ fathers during the war when they were stationed in England before D-Day, and—”
Mrs. Herder looked away. “I shouldn’t be standing on this ankle. It was kind of you to stop by, seeing as we’re strangers.” She reached down to grip the dog’s collar and hold him back, making it clear to Eve that she was dismissed.
Eve felt like kicking herself all the way home for mentioning the war. Why hadn’t she remembered the gold star in Mrs. Herder’s window? And yet the visit had given her a great idea for the boys’ second Wise Man gift.
“You know the little gray-haired woman who goes by here all the time with her big Labrador?” she asked Audrey the moment she stepped into the kitchen. “She lives in that nice old house on the corner?”
“The one with the gold star in the window?”
“Yes. Well, she fell and twisted her ankle and hurt her wrist. What if the boys helped her by shoveling her sidewalk tomorrow morning for their second gift? And maybe we can offer to walk her dog for her.”
“A dog, Mommy?” Harry asked, running into the kitchen. “Are we getting a dog?”
“No, I was talking about Mrs. Herder’s dog. You’ve seen that big yellow dog that goes by here every day with his owner.”
“Is it a nice dog?” Bobby asked. He looked a little frightened.
“He’s very friendly. You’ll have fun with him. His name is Cooper.”
“We can bring her some of the cookies we baked with Grandma Van,” Bobby said.
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
They rang Mrs. Herder’s doorbell the next morning after breakfast. “Hi, I’m back,” Eve said after Mrs. Herder had hobbled to the door. Eve bent to pet Cooper so he would stop barking. “My friend Audrey and I and our two boys have come to clear your sidewalk for you, if that’s okay.”
“That’s very kind, but—”
“We’re like the three smart kings,” Harry said, pushing up beside her. “I mean, the wise kings . . . no, the Wise Men. We’re giving presents to people.”
“We brought cookies for you, too,” Bobby said. He handed her the wrapped plate.
“The chocolate ones are the best,” Harry added.
“So if it’s okay with you, Mrs. Herder, we’ll get busy out here,” Eve said. “And when we’re done, we would love it if you would let us walk Cooper for you. I’m sure he’s tired of being stuck inside.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Mrs. Herder smiled faintly. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Well, we’ll get busy now. Don’t stand on that ankle too long.”
“Cooper will be a very grateful dog.”
The snow was only a few inches deep, so Eve and Audrey stood back and let the boys do as much of the shoveling as they could manage by themselves, using the snow shovel they’d brought from home and the one propped on Mrs. Herder’s porch.
“This is fun!” Bobby announced as they scraped their shovels on the cement and flung snow in every direction.
“We’re big and strong, aren’t we, Mommy?” Harry held up his arm to show his muscles, invisible beneath his winter coat. Clumps of snow stuck to the boys’ mittens and fell inside their galoshes as they worked. Their socks were going to be soaked.
When they were done, Eve and Audrey tidied up their work a bit, making sure the public sidewalk and the walkway to Mrs. Her
der’s house were thoroughly cleared, while the boys made snow angels on the front lawn. Eve saw Mrs. Herder sitting on a chair by the front window with Cooper beside her, watching them.
“Shall we take Mrs. Herder’s dog out now?” Eve asked when they finished. Bobby seemed a little afraid at first but quickly made friends with Cooper once Harry did. They took turns holding his leash as they walked around the block with him.
“Make sure you hold on tightly,” Audrey said. “Cooper seems to have a lot of energy.”
“Why does he keep stopping and smelling everything?” Harry asked.
“That’s what dogs do,” Eve replied with a shrug. “It’s their way of exploring.” The boys played fetch with Cooper in Mrs. Herder’s backyard afterwards, tossing the ball to him again and again. Mrs. Herder had made coffee, and Eve and Audrey sat at the kitchen table with her, watching the boys play with their new friend. Cooper was a tease, pretending to offer them the slimy ball, then refusing to relinquish it, playing tug-of-war whenever Harry or Bobby tried to grab it. The sound of their giggles as they rolled in the snow with the dog made even Mrs. Herder smile. When the boys and the dog were tired out, Mrs. Herder insisted they come inside and warm up before walking home.
“Let me pay you for shoveling the sidewalk—” she began.
“No, please, this is our gift to you. The boys were Wise Men in their school play, you see, and like the first Wise Men, we’ve decided to give gifts to people this Christmas.”
“And we want to come every day and walk Cooper for you until your ankle is better,” Audrey added.
“At least let me pay you for that.”
“Not a chance. The boys enjoyed themselves.”
“How come you don’t have a Christmas tree?” Harry asked when they went into Mrs. Herder’s living room.
“It’s too much bother to put one up this year, especially with my lame ankle and wrist.”
Eve wondered if they should offer to help her, then decided not to overwhelm her all at once. The furnishings in Mrs. Herder’s elegant, old house reminded Eve of Audrey’s family’s London town house, with Victorian bric-a-brac and a horsehair sofa and Turkish carpets on the polished oak floors.