December 19,1985 - Squeaky's Christmas Tale, Part IIPage 18A The Suffolk Times December 19, 1985
Squeaky's Christmas Tale, Part II
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
(In Part I, Squeaky's nest in the woodshed was
destroyed when the boys gathered wood for Christmas
Day. Since it was so close to Christmas and boys
realized they had ruined Squeaky's home, they
brought him some peanut butter and put it in the
newly -cut Christmas tree that had been put in the
woodshed. Squeaky found it and was eating the
peanut butter when we left him last week.)
PART II
It was now getting to be late afternoon and soon
to be Christmas Eve, so the father went out to the
woodshed to get the tree. He didn't know Squeaky
was there enjoying the peanut butter, so he picked
up the tree, Squeaky and all. "What's happening
now ?" the mouse wondered. The tree rocked and
swayed as the father carried it into the house
through the swirling snow.
Inside it was warm, and Squeaky had never seen
anything quite like it. There were special smells in
the house and candles burning. It was like a dream
world. The tree was set down for a minute and it
was then that Squeaky thought it would be a good
time to get out and hide. He ran under the big sofa
against the side wall. He could see out, but no one
could see him. He was lucky to be able to hide before
anyone noticed him.
The tree was put up and the children decorated it
as high as they could reach. The mother and father
would have to take care of the rest. Over in the big
kitchen, the mother had been preparing all kinds of
good things to eat and drink for Christmas Eve
because lots of people would be stopping in.
All this was kind of scary to Squeaky, who had
never seen anything like it before. He was very tired
from his busy day and climbed up inside one of the
arms of the sofa and fell fast asleep.
In the big room the fire crackled in the old wood
stove. The children, excited about Christmas,
whispered and giggled. The smells -- oh, the smells:
apple cider, baked pies, fruit and nuts. Nuts -- like
Squeaky had never seen before -- were in beautiful
crystal bowls. People came in with packages, walked
around, talked, ate and drank. The kids hung their
stockings by the fireplace and went to bed, while
grownups still came in and out of the house.
Time for Church
Then, most of the folks left to go to church at
midnight. This was the first time it was quiet. Now
Squeaky could explore. It was like a fairy world. The
Christmas tree sparkled with lights all over it. Big
balls and tinsel glittered, and ai ound the tree were
packages, big and small. He ran here and there. He
jumped from box to box. He ran along the top of the
table to where there was a dish with some cookies
and a note alongside it. "Dear Santa: Hope you had
a safe trip. Thank you for whatever you leave,
especially if it is a new doll, an airplane and a
baseball, bat and mitt. Signed, Peter, Peggy and
Roker."
"Well, that was pretty nice for the kids to leave a
note for Santa," Squeaky thought, "but who is this
Santa anyway? I've never heard of Santa." He
nibbled half of one of the cookies, for he hadn't eaten
since his peanut butter snack.
About that time he heard the folks returning from
church so he scurried down the table, across the room
and under the couch., Things were quieter now with
the company gone. The mother and father brought
out extra boxes, put them around the tree and turned
out all the lights except those on one little tree on
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the side table. Then off to bed they went and it was
quiet again. Snow had been falling for a long time
now and the world outside was blanketed in white.
Everywhere the snow glistened.
Never before had Squeaky been as scared as when
his nest was destroyed and never before had he been
so happy as in this nice warm house. This had been
a big day for him, so being very tired, he went back
to his little spot under the couch where he curled up
inside the arm and fell fast asleep.
What's That?
Squeaky was awakened in the middle of the night
by some strange sounds outside. Then he could smell
something different -- someone smoking a pipe.
Someone else was in the room with him.
When he peeked out from under the couch he could
hardly believe what he saw. He just caught sight of
a boot going up the chimney. Soot fell down and there
was a lot of movement up on the roof. He heard what
he thought were tinv hooves and he was sure he
heard sleigh bells. Then down through the chimney
there cane a muffled voice calling, "Merry Christ-
mas to all and to all a good night!"
What could it mean? Things had changed a bit in
the big living room. The empty stockings were now
stuffed with goodies. A candy cane stuck out of each
one. Who could have done that? And look! a new doll
lay propped up against the Christmas tree, and there
on the floor were a ball, a bat and glove. And sure
enough, a beautiful silvery airplane! How did they
get there?
Squeaky looked around. He had to get up higher
to see what was going on so he climbed up to the
table were the cookies had been. Lo and behold, the
cookies and the milk were all gone! Squeaky couldn't
figure it out.
He climbed back down to his warm spot on the
couch, twitched his little whiskers, cleaned himself
off and settled down for a nice sleep. Just as he was
about to doze off he remembered something he had
heard the boys talking about when they loaded their
(continued on next page)
oyous
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Season
December 19, 1985
The Suffolk Times
Squeaky s Chrks mas (continued from previous page)
wagon with wood. So this is what they were talking
about! They told of food, gifts, friends, a visitor in the
night. "Now I remember," Squeaky said. "They were
talking about Christmas -- that's what it's all about."
Squeaky was so happy he could hardly contain
himself.
The old wood stove crackled away across the room
MAW
and everything seemed so nice and warm and snugly
The smell of evergreens drifted through the air from
the beautiful Christmas tree that glistened above.
He had an extra special feeling that he just couldn't
explain. As he looked out the window, he noticed the
snow had stopped and there was a special stillness
that made him think the whole world had gone fast
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RIVERHEAD -- Applications are now
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training program scheduled to begin
Tuesday, March 4, at the Seatuck Na-
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are the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithol-
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Master Birders is a program for
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time for a variety of activities including
working with 4 -H clubs, leading bird
walks, giving talks in libraries, aiding
with habitat improvement projects and
helping collect data for research pro-
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For further information contact
Robert Kent at the Cooperative Exten-
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N.Y., 11901, telephone 727 -7850.
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Page 19A
asleep. Squeaky was just about to curl up in the arm
of the sofa when he jumped up and shouted in the
loudest mouse voice he cold muster, "Merry Christ-
mas, everybody, and to all a good night!" Then he
flopped back into the soft fluffiness of the big couch
and fell fast asleep.
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