The Christmas List by Pete Nelson

Author:Pete Nelson [Nelson, Pete]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2018-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

Ten

THE PROGRAM BEGAN, AS IT DID EVERY YEAR, with the senior member of the family reading the Christmas story from the Bible, Luke 2, verses 1–14, beginning with, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered . . .” and ending with, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” James’s father read the story in the same calm, solemn voice every year, as had his father and his father before him, because they were Lutherans, who saw no need for interpretive emphasis or overly dramatic renderings. The words should speak for themselves.

Following the reading, the family sang a few carols, with Ruth at the piano, accompanying the singing. They sang “Away in a Manger,” “O, Come, All Ye Faithful,” and “Jeg Er Så Glad Hver Julekveld,” and then it was time for the children, who announced they had a skit prepared.

The skit began with five reindeer, including Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen, Guido, and Lefty. Guido and Lefty wore black turtlenecks pulled up to their noses, signifying that they were bad guys. Rudolph wore a red stick-on foam-rubber clown’s nose—Julie had brought one for each of the kids.

In act one, Donner, Blitzen, Guido, and Lefty all made fun of Rudolph and refused to let him play in any reindeer games—in this case, hopscotch. In act two, true to the familiar song, Rudolph guided Santa’s sleigh through the fog using his shiny red nose as a beacon, redeeming himself. In act three, however, there was a twist. Donner and Blitzen accepted Rudolph and welcomed him to the team, but Guido and Lefty continued to make fun of him, calling him names like “Tomato Face” and “Pimple Snout” until he broke down in tears. That night Guido and Lefty went so far as to deface Rudolph’s house, portrayed by a large piece of construction paper, writing on it, “Rudolph Go Home” and “Red Noses Not Welcome.” The next morning Donner and Blitzen came by, saw the graffiti, and tried to console Rudolph, who was once again reduced to tears.

In the final scene, Donner and Blitzen confronted Guido and Lefty, telling them they had no right to pick on other reindeer. Then Donner and Blitzen turned their backs to the audience and then turned around again to reveal that all the reindeer on Rudolph’s team were wearing red foam-rubber noses in an act of reindeer solidarity. The skit ended with Rudolph, as played by Henry, making a brief plea for tolerance of others who might be different from everybody else, at which point Guido and Lefty donned red foam-rubber noses too. Then everybody sang “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

By James’s estimation, it was one of the best skits he’d ever seen, far better than anything he and his siblings had ever been able to cook up on such short notice. Abigail admitted the main idea had been Kirstin’s.

The program concluded, as it always did, with the singing of “Silent Night,” and then presents were distributed.

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