An Adventure For Christmas Eve
A Short Story by Jeff Wright
Drawings by Ashley, Lauren, Bradley and Karli
There is a link at the end of this story to a YouTube video, giving you a chance to listen to the story, told by me, with lots more photos of our hero doggies, Gizmo and Simba, and many more drawings by the nieces, nephew and now the grand nephew.
Once-upon-a-time in a town called Eastbourne lived two dogs. One was called Gizmo and the other was Simba. Gizmo was the older of the two and Simba was quite a bit younger and a terror, who was always creating mischief.
It was Christmas eve and Simba was listening to a conversation between mum and dad. They were talking about putting up the Christmas decorations in the morning.
After mum and dad had gone to bed Simba was thinking about the conversation he heard earlier. He thought what a surprise it would be if he and Gizmo could get the decorations and put them up before the morning.
Simba ran upstairs to Gizmo, who was fast asleep upstairs on the landing. "Gizmo, Gizmo - Wake up!", shouted Simba. "I've got this great idea, we are going to put up the decorations". Now Gizmo is a very understanding dog, but Simba can sometimes try his patience and this idea was likely to do just that.
Gizmo opened one eye and looked at Simba. He was wagging his tail with all his might and looking directly at Gizmo. "And how are we supposed to do that?", Gizmo asked.
"Well", said Simba, still wagging his tail and getting more excited by the second. "We go into our master's work shop, get all the decorations that are kept in the far corner, and put them up".
"Simba, there are quite a few problems with this plan of yours", says Gizmo, as he sits up from his previously lying position. "The biggest hurdle being that we are only about a foot off the ground when most of the decorations hang from the ceiling, which is 10 feet or more above us".
"But Gizmo", says Simba not wanting to give up this golden chance of helping out in some small way the humans that feed and look after him and Gizmo. "There must be some way in which we can..."; "Simba", interrupts Gizmo. "Be quiet for a moment while I think".
About thirty seconds of silence follow. Then Gizmo says, "Simba - I've got a plan - Do exactly as I say". Gizmo continues "Jump on mum's bed and start licking her face". Simba does as he is told. mum wakes up, and as usual assumes that this action by Simba dog means that he needs to go outside, to do that which dogs normally go outside to do.
Mum lifts up the covers and slowly emerges from her slumbers. After the normal rigmarole of yawning and making various complaints about being woken at such an hour mum and her two canine friends make it to the back door. The door is opened and the dogs rush outside.
"Now Simba, this is the difficult part of the plan", Gizmo says to the Simba dog. "Wait a few seconds then you rush inside and...". While the dogs are outside their mistress stands by the opened back door shivering in the cold December air.
Suddenly Simba dog comes galloping through the entrance barking and growling, Gizmo is just a few steps behind him, but stops just before the open doorway. Simba throws himself at the workshop door still growling and making most peculiar noises. His mum decides to unlock and open the workshop door and let him investigate whatever it is that was causing him to make such a commotion.
As Simba runs into the workshop Gizmo comes running in. Simba then picks up a small brush lying on the floor. He charges at full speed outside with this newly acquired play thing and mum runs after him.
Meanwhile, outside Simba is enjoying himself doing what he does best - causing mischief. He stops his running in circles for just a moment letting mum get a little closer to him. She reaches out to take the brush from his mouth, but he darts off again running across to the other side of the garden before mum is able to grab the stolen item.
Gizmo has managed to move the sack of decorations to its temporary home in the dining room and is just about to go back to collect the Christmas tree. Simba runs in closely followed by mum, which thwarts Gizmo from completing his mission.
"You bad boy Simba", says a most annoyed mum to that wretch on four legs. "There will be no dinner for you tomorrow". This is a threat Simba has heard many times before. But he knows mum would never make him starve and give all the food to Gizmo. However, this threat normally does make him behave himself for a few hours, just in case the threat is likely to be carried out.
Once the doors have been closed and locked, the brush put back to its correct place and mum tucked-in back in her bed, Gizmo starts to give Simba a telling off. It seems that poor Simba dog can do nothing right.
"Why did you come back in so soon Simba", asks Gizmo. "I've got the decorations but due to your incompetence the tree is still under lock and key". Simba looks at Gizmo and says "Well let's see what we have got".
Both dogs walk into the dining room and poke their noses around the goodies contained in the large sack. "You are clever Gizmo, pulling this great big sack all this way", says Simba, trying to get back into Gizmo's good books, but not really succeeding. "It's no good you thinking you can get round me with that 'sorry routine' of yours Simba, it might work with our mummy but not with me!", says Gizmo getting more and more angry.
Simba starts to become annoyed with himself as he says "I wish we could be whisked away to a place where I can do nothing wrong and everyone says I am a good Simba".
It seemed like hours, but was in fact only seconds when the journey came to an end and Gizmo and Simba entered through a large window into the entrance hall of a great palace. They landed in the middle of the hallway on a large rug at the foot of a long winding staircase. The hall was rather plain with very little in the way of furniture. It was dimly lit with one candle sitting in the middle of a small table just by the side of the stairs.
The two dogs looked at each other rather puzzled as to how they could have been transported to this unfamiliar place. Simba was the first to break the silence. "Where on earth are we?", he said. "You're here to help me", came the reply from a figure that Gizmo and Simba could only just see, which was standing at the doorway of a room which the hallway led to.
"You can understand what I am saying?", questioned Simba, becoming more confused. "Yes of course", said the figure, that moved closer to the dogs to reveal a plump man, no taller than about five-foot with a long white beard and wearing a bright red jacket with matching trousers.
"Normally humans can't understand what us dogs say, you must be a very special person to translate our language", Gizmo said. Simba then closely sniffed and looked at the man and then exclaimed "You look and smell just like Father Christmas". "Thatës because I am", said the man.
Gizmo and Simba could hardly believe their ears and eyes. They had been brought before the man who brings so much enjoyment to so many children, and at this the most busiest time of his year.
"But how exactly can we help you, Father Christmas", asked Simba. "Ah, I thought you would never ask Simba", said Father Christmas with a great smile on his face. "Some of these new houses around the world are causing me problems. Fewer and fewer houses have chimneys now-a-days and I find it very time consuming to find other ways into the houses to give the presents. In some recent years I nearly haven't finished in time, and some of the children have been almost awake when I've been delivering their presents."
Father Christmas reaches under the small table by the stairs, and produces a cane basket. He then sits on the stairs and shows the dogs what is in the basket. "This is magic dust", explains Father Christmas, as he puts his hands in the basket and runs some through his fingers. The dust produces a strong light and stars flash around the room as it falls back into the basket.
"Last Christmas, when I was passing your home I sprinkled some of this dust over your house and this made it possible for the non-human occupants to be granted any number of wishes on Christmas eve", explains Father Christmas. The two canine friends look in speechless amazement at Father Christmas, as he continues.
"As I said this dust only works on Christmas eve. It only works for one Christmas eve and only on non-humans. Rudolph and all the other reindeer have helped me over the years, and this year is the first year I have had to ask for outside help", says Father Christmas.
Father Christmas now comes to the question that he has been dreading asking, "So, Gizmo and Simba, will you help me deliver the presents to all the good boys and girls who have put their stockings at the bottom of their beds?".
Gizmo and Simba looked at each other. They both thought of the children they knew and how disappointed they would be if Father Christmas was unable to deliver their presents to them.
Both dogs started barking and wagging their tails in excitement, at the adventure on which they were about to embark. "Yes", said Simba. "We will help in any way we can", said Gizmo. Father Christmas smiled, as he said, "Thank-you both".
"We must waste no more time, we have a lot of places to go in a very short space of time", Father Christmas said as he led the way to the sleigh, which was parked round the rear of the palace already loaded with the gifts and toys. Rudolph and the other reindeer were waiting for them.
Father Christmas climbed aboard and shouted out to Gizmo and Simba, "Come on, jump on, let's go". The dogs did as they were told. Father Christmas said "Hold on tight, it can take a little getting used to at first, flying on a sleigh".
Simba told Father Christmas, "You're forgetting Gizmo and I have already done some flying tonight and without the aid of a sleigh". "You're quite right, you are experts at this then", came Father Christmas's reply.
It was not long before the sleigh was above the clouds. Way down below could be seen the snow covered houses. Shortly the sleigh was descending to ground level as they reached the first house were the young boy inside was fast asleep, dreaming of the delights in the day to come.
"Right", said Father Christmas, "All I need one of you to do is say 'I wish we were inside this house' and in we magically will go". Gizmo decided to do the honours and said the magic words. There were flashes of lights of many different colours and a puff of smoke, and there they were inside the house.
Father Christmas made his way to the bedroom of the little boy called Jack, who lived at the house. Gizmo and Simba followed. Jack had left Father Christmas a plate of three mince pies and a glass of milk. Father Christmas gave the two dogs a mince pie each and ate one himself. While Father Christmas and Simba were not looking Gizmo drank the glass of milk. Gizmo likes milk but it was rather naughty of him to drink it all. This proves that Simba is not always the bad dog, Gizmo can be sometimes.
It was a very busy night, giving presents to 378,000,000 children in 91,800,000 homes. Travelling a total distance of 75,500,000 miles. One of the last houses visited was in Gizmo's and Simba's home town of Eastbourne in England. Four very special young people live there. As Gizmo, Simba and Father Christmas walked into their bedroom Simba said "Look Gizmo, it's Ashley, Lauren, Karli and Bradley!". Gizmo took a look at the four children fast asleep in their beds.
Simba was most excited at finding his young friends and said to Gizmo, "You wake Ashley and Bradley and I'll wake Karli and Lauren, so we can play". Gizmo would have liked to have done as Simba suggested but knew they must not. He said "No Simba, we don't have time just now, and we must not let them see us with Father Christmas. We will be seeing them tomorrow."
Both dogs then said together, "We wish we were back home". There was a flash of light, a puff of smoke and our two canine friends found themselves back in the front room of their home in Eastbourne.
The two dogs pondered the problem for a few moments. "What is the time Simba", asked Gizmo. "I think the clock in the kitchen says 23:59, but itës a bit difficult to see in the dark".
"Simba we have one minute left", said Gizmo. "My final wish is 'I wish all the Christmas decorations and Christmas tree were in place'". There was a puff of smoke, a flash of multi-coloured lights and as the clock chimed midnight the decorations were all in place.
What will be said in the morning when dad and mum and our young friends see the Christmas decorations all in place. They will all be thinking that one or other of them put them up. Only you, Gizmo and Simba know the truth.
I hope you have enjoyed the above story. If you would like to see a video version, complete with many more photos of the famous Gizmo and Simba, and drawings by the nieces, nephew and now the grand nephew, there is a video available on YouTube. Just Click On The Link Below:
Wishing You All A Very Happy, Peaceful Christmas and A Happy New Year.
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