A Christmas Tale

A Christmas Tale



Over the river and through the woods, while on my way to Grandma's house, I took a wrong turn. I got completely and totally lost. I never realized how humongous and dark that forest really was. I stumbled around for hours. Just as I was beginning to get really frightened at being lost and alone, I stumbled across the village of the Wimputs.
I mean I literally stumbled over this place. I nearly stepped on it. Thankfully, I looked down just as I was about to plant my size 9 foot right smack on top of the smallest group of people I had ever seen. The Wimputs were scurrying about like ants. I thought at first that they were ants. Until I got a closer look. What I discovered was a complete shock to my already overtaxed system.
“Oh my word!” I exclaimed. “You are not ants, you're people.”
“Well, of course we're people! What are you?” asked one of the tiniest miniatures of a person I had ever seen. I am serious. This little person reminded me of the little two inch people in my Grandmother's light-up Christmas village. She put it out every year
. I never tired of looking at the little people who lived in her village. There were people ice skating, decorating trees and hanging Christmas lights. Everyone in her fake village had a smile on their face. I could almost hear them greeting each other, “Merry Christmas!!!” They looked like the friendliest and happiest people alive. I always made up stories in my head of finding a real village of living people that small. Now that I had, I was somewhat thrown.
“What am I? I am a human! What else would I be?” I asked, somewhat in shock over my discovery and the villagers questions as to my origins.
“Now don't get your feathers ruffled. I mean no offense.” answered the miniature being. “We are just trying to decide whether you mean to harm us or befriend us.”
“I certainly mean you no harm whatsoever.” I huffed. “I am simply trying to get to my grandmother's house so I can help her decorate her Christmas tree.”
As I was having this disconcerting conversation with this spokesperson of the tiny world I had stumbled upon, I started watching the other villagers. They still scurried around like ants and I was curious to discover what they were doing. They were decorating the Christmas tree in the center of the village and hanging greenery on every available space. Each time one passed another, they always greeted each other with, “Merry Christmas!!” They were all smiling and happy. Not one of these tiny people seemed the least upset by the use of a phrase that had grown so controversial in my world.
“Whats your name lost giant?” The spokesperson asked.
“My name is Candace and I am not a giant.” I replied testily, a little cranky because I had always been the tallest in my class and I was sensitive about my height. “What is your name and what is the name of this place?”
“Well, I am Mayor Wimput and this is Wimputton Village, of course.” The Mayor acted as if I should have known that and wasn't I the strange one because I didn't.
“Never heard of it.” I announced. “As Mayor shouldn't you do something about everyone yelling Merry Christmas? Someone might get mad.”
“Now that is an interesting question and we used to have that problem. None of the Wimputs wanted to hear those words and would get highly agitated if someone spoke them.”

“So what made them change their minds?” I asked.
“Well, that is quite a story. Not one I care to tell standing here bending my head backwards to tell you. Why don't you sit down and I will be happy to tell you.”
I quickly sat down with my back up against a nearby tree and made myself comfortable. The Mayor climbed up my leg and made his way across my lap. Then he climbed up my arm, finally settling in on my shoulder.
“Do you see that Wimput over there handing out the decorations for the tree? Well, that is Windy Wimput. So called because she talks all the time. Even in her sleep. Not afraid to speak her mind, that one. Unusual in a Wimput. We were a very quiet folk. Didn't talk to each other very much. Not because we didn't want to, but because we were so afraid we might offend someone. That all changed during a long ago Christmas season.”
“You see, Wimputs love Christmas. We were created from the Spirit of Christmas. When the Christmas Star shone brightly in the sky on the night of the first Christmas A small piece of that star broke off and landed here. When it landed, it shattered. The Wimputs came from the shards that fell to the ground.”
“For many centuries, we Wimputs lived happily celebrating the season with a joy that knew no bounds. Then a strange thing happened. No one knows why. One by one, Wimputs started to loose the joy of Christmas from their hearts. As time went on, we eventually stopped sharing and caring with each other. Stopped speaking to each other. Never would you hear a Merry Christmas on the lips of your fellow Wimput. We became a very glum,sad people without purpose. We eventually quit talking at all.”
“Then one day, the first day of the Christmas season that year, Windy Wimput came running out of her house. Her face was glowing, I tell you, glowing. She ran up to the first Wimput she saw, threw her arms around his neck and yelled, Merry Christmas!! The shocked Wimput just happened to be none other than yours truly. I hadn't had anyone wish me a Merry Christmas in years. I can't say whether I was pleased or not. Uncomfortable situation, to be sure. I didn't know how to react. Turns out it didn't matter. Windy Wimput had already moved on to her next victim. That plucky little Wimput went around to every Wimput in the village and repeated that shocking performance.”
“Let me tell you that this was a very angry village. The people sure didn't appreciate Windy Wimput's antics. Before long there was an irate crowd gathered in the village square. I hadn't seen that many Wimputs together in years. They were all talking to each other! Granted, they were grumbling about Windy Wimput. But they were all speaking to each other without arguing.”
“I knew I had to do something before they turned into a lynch mob. I had figured out what Windy Wimput was trying to do. She was trying to wake us up from our blind existence. For when we lost our Christmas joy, we lost all joy. We were a miserable people. Constantly fighting and bickering. Never smiling or happy. Closed up in our own worries and needs. Never caring for the needs of other Wimputs.”
“So, I thought I would try to run with unexpected episode. I walked into the center of that angry crowd and climbed up on a rock. I cleared my throat and in a soft voice said,Merry Christmas. Well, no one heard me. So, I cleared my throat again and in a much louder voice yelled, Merry Christmas!”
“That got their attention and for a minute there I was afraid someone was going to knock me off my rock. Then from the back of the crowd came the voice of Windy Wimput. Merry Christmas, Mayor. What happened next was something of a Christmas miracle. One by one all the Wimputs started calling out Merry Christmas to one another. Not a few of us were crying. We spent that entire day standing in the village square talking, laughing and smiling.”
“When the sun started going down, I announced that we would begin preparations for the holiday season the next day and anyone who wanted to volunteer to help was welcome. Well, the next day there wasn't a Wimput missing. Everyone showed up and helped in hanging greenery and putting up the tree. The kitchens started pouring wonderful smells into the air. By lunchtime everything was completed and we sat down to a wonderful meal of all our favorite Christmas treats.”
“That was the first time Wimputs had accomplished anything together in a long time. I was so proud of my Wimputs. Especially Windy Wimput. She had the seat of honor and all the Wimputs thanked her. We put her in charge of Christmas every year. I was so impressed by her, that I married her. Best day of my life, next to the day she awoke the Christmas Spirit in our village.”
“So, what do you think?” the little man asked me.
“I think that was an excellent story.” I replied. “And it really happened that way?”
“Exactly as I told you.”
“Well, it sounds a little like a fairy tale to me, but I wish there was some way to share this with the people in my world. People are so busy trying to be politically correct, that they have forgotten what Christmas is really about. Some of them have even gone so far as to try to get everyone to say Happy Holidays and are trying to get Christ banned from Christmas.”
“I think that is just awful.” sighed the Mayor. “I tell you what, I will give you permission to use our story to try to help people to remember the truth.”
“Me?” I gasped. “What good could I possibly do? Who would listen to me? I am just one person, I couldn't make a difference on my own.”
Just then, a little female Wimput walked up. She was beautiful. She glowed like she had a star shining out through her lovely eyes.
“That's what I thought too.” She said. “But I knew that if I didn't say something, then no one else would either. So, I swallowed my pride and fear and just ran as fast as I could. I closed my eyes and reached out for the first Wimput I came across.” She looked lovingly at the Mayor. I realized that this must be Windy Wimput. “When I grabbed the Mayor, he was absolutely surprised and I was afraid he would push me away. But he didn't. He hugged me back. That small hug gave me the courage to take my message to the rest of the Wimputs.”
“But your world is so much smaller than mine.” I protested. “I didn't ask for this, I'm just trying to get to my Grandmother's house.”
“I didn't ask for it either and I wrestled with the thought of what was being asked of me for several days. Eventually, I had to do it. There was no way around it.” Windy Wimput smiled at me and then said to Mayor Wimput. “I think she has enough to think about for now. It is time for you to show this child how to get back on the right path. The path to her Grandmother's that is.”
“Yes dear, I believe you are right.”
“It was nice to meet you, Windy Wimput.” I said.
“And you to darling, and remember, Merry Christmas,”
That was the last I saw of the Wimputs. The next thing I knew I was standing on the path in front of my Grandmother's house. Looking inside, I saw my family. My mother was laughing at something one of my sisters was saying. My father was helping my grandfather put the lights on the tree. And then the front door opened. It was my Grandmother.
“I had just about given up on you, Darling. Come inside and get warm.”
I followed my Grandmother into the house. I looked around at this house full of people I loved. My eyes misted with tears. “Merry Christmas everyone!” I cried joyfully.