Jingle Jangle: The Invention of Jeronicus Jangle
Page 10
His eyes bugged. “Is such a thing possible?” he asked Jeronicus.
“Something sensational!” Buddy said from the air. “Something spectacular! Something revolutionary!”
“It talks?” inquired an astounded Mr. Delacroix.
Jeronicus gave a self-assured nod. “It talks.”
The banker turned to Journey and Jessica. “It talks,” he said, to which they nodded smugly. He faced the robot. “You talk!” Mr. Delacroix’s eyes sparkled. “By Jove, Jeronicus, you’ve done it! You are a genius, my old friend.”
Jeronicus meant to state that it had been a team effort, but Mr. Delacroix cut him off with a finger wag. “No, no, no, no, no! If I know anything, there’s more where that came from.”
“I have thirty years’ worth of notes,” Jeronicus replied. And now that he believed in the impossible again, thereby reviving his magic, the possibilities of bringing all of those divine designs to life were limitless.
“I have no doubt! Oh, look at you! I could kiss you!” He smooched Jeronicus on the cheek then firmly shook his hand. “From now on, whatever you need, the bank will give you for the rest of your life!” It was all Jeronicus could have dreamed of.
Buddy landed softly on the countertop.
Mr. Delacroix rushed out the door, shouting, “He’s a genius! It’s spectacular!” He waved his hat back at them. “It’s a merry, merry Christmas indeed!”
And so it was—even for Gustafson, who, despite being carted off in the police carriage as it jostled off down Chancer Street, had learned the error of his ways—and discovered his heart.
As for Jeronicus, even when life had knocked him down, he’d figured out how to get back up.
With a little help.
With a lot of help.
The Jangles may have been lost,
but they finally found their way.
All their lives they’d waited for this day.
Chapter Twenty-Five
With a buzzing chime and a cheerful whoosh, Buddy took to the air again.
Slowly, Jeronicus began to rise off the ground, too. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! What’s going on? Buddy? Put me down. Put me down.” He floated up higher and higher.
“Grandpa J, just let go!” Journey encouraged him.
He was high above them now, with Buddy circling him. He let out a nervous little laugh. “Whoa! I’m actually flying!” He got the hang of it, swimming through the air.
“Wow, Grandpa J!” Journey hooted.
“You’re doing great, Daddy,” Jessica praised.
From outside, townspeople celebrating Christmas pressed their happy faces to the frosted windowpanes, gasping as they took in the marvelous feat taking place inside. Chuckling children raced in from the square. Other people stepped foot into the shop, enchanted. What was this? Jaws dropped. Eyes shone wide. People oohed and aahed, watching the robot and old man dancing in the air.
“Hey, everyone!” Jeronicus called down to the crowd gathering in the doorway. He held his arms out wide. “Jangles and Things is open for business!” he announced. His pawnshop had served to give life to an object that had lost it, a cherished possession restored to its former glory. Who knew that the object he’d end up resurrecting and reviving would be his own ticking heart?
All had been restored.
“A World of Wishes and Wonder!” he added happily.
Everyone cheered and applauded. It was a merry, merry Christmas indeed!
Ms. Johnston squeezed through the throng in a red-and-green-striped dress and hat. “Jerry! You get down from there this instant!” No matter how much she longed to become a Mrs. again, she’d be there for Jeronicus no matter what he chose to pursue deep down in his heart.
Everyone laughed and whooped.
Just then, Edison fearlessly ran into the shop with a huge grin, and rose up in the air to meet Jeronicus and Buddy, elated. Journey and Jessica levitated up after him, laughing joyfully.
And so, Gustafson’s Factory was taken over by Jeronicus, its garish G replaced with a jazzy J. And everything that was stolen from Jeronicus was returned to him. New inventions joined the ranks of old ones, like Journey’s cuckoo clock, whose wooden songbird could also fly!
Journey also wrote a book about her eccentric, wonderful family, one that was not for sale—and one that was truly one of a kind. A tale for the Jangles to pass on for generations to come, to be told during story time, during just the right moment when one needed it most . . .
THE INVENTION OF JERONICUS JANGLE.
And they laughed and sang and danced,
just like flames in a crackling hearth.
If you look close enough,
you can see the magic, too.
So long as you believe.
NESBITT COTTAGE
53 Lenox Road, Summit
December 18th, 1890
Dear Father,
I’ve decided to let Journey stay with you until Christmas. She’s an inquisitive girl, but well mannered. Like you said, it’s time you both got to know each other. I’ll be there to pick her up on Christmas morning. I hope you are well.
Love,
Jessicaç
Acknowledgments
Heartfelt thanks to Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt, and the entire Netflix team for your belief in this project. To our Jingle Jangle family, thank you for the love and passion you shared in bringing this story to life. We did it!! See ya in the sequel!
To Albert Lee, thank you for making this experience fun and for introducing us to our new publishing family. To Casey McIntyre, Jess Harriton, and all of Razorbill and Penguin Random House, thank you for helping to put the magic on the page. You made it possible to make this journey a wonderfully magical ride in another form.
A special thank you to Eric Geron for your phenomenal vision, wonder, and excitement. We couldn’t have done it without you.
About the Authors
David E. Talbert is a world building storyteller whose character-driven projects have entertained global audiences for nearly three decades on stage, screen, and the written page. Talbert most recently wrote, directed, and produced Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Netflix's first original live-action musical. Additional film credits include: First Sunday, Baggage Claim, Almost Christmas and El Camino Christmas. You can follow David on Instagram @DavidEtalbert.
Lyn Sisson-Talbert stands tall as one of the most accomplished female producers in Hollywood and the guiding force behind top grossing original projects for film, stage, and books. Sisson-Talbert is producing Netflix's first original live-action musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a 20-year passion project she has been developing alongside her husband David E. Talbert. Sisson-Talbert's other film producing credits include Fox Searchlight's Baggage Claim, Universal's Almost Christmas, both of which opened as the #1 Comedy in America, & Netflix's El Camino Christmas. You can follow Lyn on Instagram @LynSissonTalbert.
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