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Fantasy books.
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by Bill Holz and the Two dolls in Vegas story
By Janice March has been moved to
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from there. Click the button for the newest stories
IDEA SAMPLES
THE MAGIC ORNAMENTS .
By K.V.DAVIS
A long, long time ago there was an old Welshman named
Ilbenzar who made many wonderful things out of glass.
Everyone in the village loved the old man because he was
very kind and made them happy with the beautiful gifts he
would make for their homes. Although people loved the
exquisite figurines, Ilbenzar was sometimes sad. He wanted
very much to make something else. Something to take away
some sadness and pain in the world. He wanted to make the
most beautiful Christmas tree ornaments the world had ever
seen.
Ilbenzar loved Christmas with the sparkling, twinkling lights
and ornaments on the sweet, fresh outdoor smell of the trees.
Then, one night he had a dream of how to make the most
unusual glass ornament that had ever been made. It was a
gorgeous, clear, fragile glass globe with a bit of colored water
inside. Also inside was a second beautiful glass ornament on
a little raft that would bob up and down, back and forth. It
would catch and reflect every bit of light twinkling in many
colors around it. He thought of nothing else but the
ornaments for many weeks. Then, one day he finally began
to practice making them. It was very hard to get them just
right. So many broke trying to make them just perfect that he
almost gave up.
Late that evening a discouraged Ilbenzar sat rocking on
the porch out back. He was just rocking back and forth not
thinking of anything in particular, when he noticed in the
dreary silver sky a lone bright star that seemed to compete for
his attention from all of the other stars. All of the sudden as
he watched it, the star seemed to explode and shot off to the
north. Ilbenzar had never seen a shooting star that bright
before and was compelled to quickly make a wish for his
ornaments to be magic and help many people.
Later that night, as Ilbenzar tossed and turned before
finally drifting off to sleep, he had another most unusual
dream. Out of a beautiful brilliant circle of light appeared the
most startling creature Ilbenzar had ever looked at. She wore
a bright red gown trimmed in white fur and had long dark hair
that fell just to the top of small delicate fairy wings of silver
and blue. When she moved toward him the colors changed
and sparkled and flashed about. She spoke to him in almost
a whisper. Her soft voice began,
"I'm here to grant your wish on the star. You have always
been a good and caring person, so all of your ornaments will
help repair some of the pain and suffering in the world just as
you wished by bringing good fortune to anyone possessing
one. There is only one thing you must remember. Each
ornament must contain a few drops of melted Christmas snow
that will fall here on its way to the north pole."
The lovely vision faded and Ilbenzar was fully awake. He
quickly got dressed and went into his workshop to try again to
make his perfect ornament. He melted a bit of colored glass
and rolled it onto the small tube to blow air into it. Very slowly
and carefully he worked, turning and shaping the ornament.
As he worked, a small fairy princess took shape from the
glass. Just before the figure was finished and the glass was
still hot, Ilbenzar pressed the figure down on the table so the
glass on the bottom flattened out into a small raft to float in
the globe. Before breaking the figure off Ilbenzar put some
more melted glass on the tube around the figure and blew a
beautiful fragile globe around it to hold colored water.
Ilbenzar was thrilled and very happy with the ornament. He
then very carefully etched a pattern of tiny holly leaves and
berries around the top and bottom and stained them red and
green. All he would have to do now is put the Christmas
snow in and seal the top with a hook for hanging.
The old man just sat and stared at the fascinating
ornament he had created on the table. He could imagine the
wonderment of people seeing it and trying to guess how he
got one ornament inside another like that. He was suddenly
very tired and went outside to get some fresh air. Ilbenzar
was filled with a great feeling of accomplishment and
thoughtfully looked out into the grey clouds moving over his
small mountain home.
Then, the miracle happened. Instead of continuing to
move north, the clouds stopped. It began to snow on his
mountain and across the beautiful green valley. Ilbenzar
never saw snow like this at this time of year. It fell slowly and
only in this one place. He could see a long way from here,
but the snow was only falling around him. He very quickly
went into the house and got a pan to catch this magical snow
in and placed it in the yard behind the house. When it
stopped snowing Ilbenzar had just enough snow for six or
more dozen ornaments.
The old man suddenly wasn't tired anymore and went back
to his workshop to complete his task. He worked on through
the night and most of the next day. When he was done, he
had seven ornaments. He put the miracle water from the
snow in a large jar for future ornaments and took the six large
completed ones along with the one small very beautiful
special one into the house and went to bed. Ilbenzar was
exhausted and slept for a long time. When he finally woke
up, he looked at the ornaments for a long while, noting each
and every detail, remembering the long careful creation of
each one. The first one contained the fairy princess floating
on a candy-apple red ocean of magic water. The second one
had a very delicate little reindeer in it on a sea of green, the
color of spring grass on his mountain. The third was a perfect
Christmas tree with bits of colored glass he had put on with
tweezers before it was sealed up. It had white water to look
like snow. The 4th, was a teddy bear wearing a Santa suit. It
had brown liquid in the bottom. Number five was a toy soldier
at attention on blue water. Six was a miniature Santa sleigh
piled high with presents on a black night sky ocean.
The last ornament was different somehow. It was a blue
candle in a golden candlestick surrounded by pink water.
Ilbenzar looked at each one for a long time and very carefully
packaged the six large ones in a box to send to his sister in
America. She had a small glass and crystal store in the older
part of the city next to an old book store. The smaller
ornament with the candle in it, he would give to his friend at
the candle shop in the village.
Early the very next morning Ilbenzar walked down from his
mountain in the crisp cold to deliver the magic ornament to his
friend, Gretta, at the candle shop. It was only one week
before Christmas and the people of the town were very busy
shopping. They would scurry from shop to shop and only
pause for a moment to greet the old man, calling out 'Merry
Christmas' while clutching the precious bundles as they went
about their business.
The candle shop was almost empty of customers this time
of year because everyone stocked up on these things ahead
so they'd have more money to spend on presents. Inside the
shop Ilbenzar greeted the little boy buying a candle and
waited while he got his change and left. Gretta smiled her
warm smile and hugged the old man when he gave her the
wonderful little glass ornament. Since there had not been
many customers this year, Gretta could not afford a Christmas
Tree. She placed the beautiful gift on a little stand all by itself
in the window. Ilbenzar was very proud of this thing of beauty
he had created for his poor friend. This was not a good time
for her to have anything to give her little girl for Christmas.
Although they were poor, it was hard for the little girl to
understand when everyone around her got something from
Father Christmas.
While Ilbenzar stood looking at the ornament in the
window wishing he could help, the door opened and two men
came into the shop. The first man explained he was taking
the Monsignor, who was with him to the next village, for a
candlelight service when they decided to stop for lunch and
noticed the special ornament in the window. The Priest
listened thoughtfully to the old man's story of how they were
made. He blessed the kind glass maker and told the man
with him to buy the candles for the service while they were
here. The two men left with hundreds of candles to take with
them to the next town and Ilbenzar had been asked to make a
stained glass window and a new statue for the church. He
somehow knew there would be many customers stopping in
the store, lured by the magic of the ornament. Gretta looked
at the pile of money for the candles and cried because she
knew her prayers for food and a toy for the child had been
heard.
Later that evening Ilbenzar sat gazing into the warm
dancing fire and wondered if other stories would come to him
from his sister in America about the glass decorations.
"Well." He thought, "I'll have to write her a letter and ask her
to write to me if she hears anything about the ornaments next
year." Then a very tired but happy glass maker slowly shuffled
off to bed, perhaps to dream of a special thank you statue for
the church."
THE END
>
The
Magic
Ornaments
By Vernon Davis
(The Fairy Princess)
All of the roads from were closed because of the snow storm. No one could get in or out of
the tiny new England town, but it continued to snow. It was a wet, sticky, heavy snow that didn't
get a chance to melt. It just kept piling up higher and higher. The schools had been closed all
week because it was too hard for the younger children to get around in the drifting piles of
sloppy white stuff. Out near the edge of town was the county orphanage.
The orphanage was filled with thunderous noises and turmoil as everyone began to get ready
for the auditions to the great yearly Christmas play. The children were going to put it on and
everyone was excited. It was a happy time for these unwanted children. After the pageant they
would get to visit with Santa and he would give them presents. No one here really gave much
thought to being snowed in, they were too filled with the magic of Christmas. The older
children were decorating a tremendous Christmas tree. This was the biggest Christmas tree they
had ever seen. A small girl sat quietly watching the colored lights being put on. Maryanne was
hypnotized by all this activity. Her mother never celebrated Christmas before she got hurt in a
car and went away. They brought her here when they weren't able to contact her father in
Florida. She was only nine years old and a terrible pressing sadness had taken over her very
young soul. Maryanne looked at the gumball machine she was sitting next to. She could see the
beautiful prize gumball was almost at the bottom. It was a wonderful swirl of colors and seemed
to beg her for a nickel. Maryanne felt in her pocket to make sure the three shiny nickels she had
been saving for weeks were still there. Maryanne wanted the prize that would be exchanged for
the marbled gumball. She looked long and hard at the picture of the beautiful, delicate glass
ornament. It was so pretty and colorful. It reminded her off the fragile crystal angels her mother
had on a nicknack shelf at home a long time ago. No one really told her why she had to stay
here. She felt so alone and frightened. She just had to be the one to put the right nickel in at the
right time to get it. She watched everyday as others put coins into the machine. It stood there
like a little soldier waiting for someone to get the wonderful prize it was guarding. Suddenly
Maryanne felt someone was standing beside her. It was Bubba. He had some coins in his hand
and reached out to the machine. Maryanne watched carefully as the shiny coins went in one by
one and the pretty chrome handle was turned to release each piece of gum. She watched as the
prize gumball shifted down farther and closer to the bottom of the machine. Bubba handed her a
gumball and ran off to the others decorating the tree. Maryanne sat there deep in thought
chewing the blue gumball, when one of the ladies in charge of the pageant called her over to the
group trying to get parts in the play. It was time to try out for the only part Maryanne wanted,
the fairy princess. One by one all the other girls tried out but Maryanne got to be the fairy
princess. All week long Maryanne rehearsed and practiced, until she knew the part perfectly.
Everyday she watched the prize gumball get closer to the bottom of the machine. Finally the
gumball disappeared into the very bottom, covered by only a few assorted colors of gum.
Maryanne knew it was in one of the three holes on the bottom and would come out in a few
times of turning the handle. She didn't want them to fill the machine back up before she got it.
This was it! She had to try to get it now. Just as she walked over to the machine another
little girl ran up to the machine. Maryanne held her breath. Out came a red one and the little
girl left. Very slowly she put in one of her three coins. She turned the handle carefully. When
she lifted the door there was a yellow one. She reached out with the second coin and put it in. It
was another yellow gumball. Now she hesitated. Should she wait or keep going? Finally she
put in the last coin and out came a green one.
Maryanne began to cry. She sat down on the floor. She couldn't believe it. She wanted the
prize so bad. She opened her eyes and saw something shiny under the machine. It was a nickel.
Someone had dropped it and it must have rolled away. Maryanne gratefully snatched up the free
coin and put it in the machine. She closed her eyes and turned the handle. She opened the door
without looking and closed her hand around the ball that rolled into it. Maryanne was afraid to
look. Finally she slowly opened her fingers and there it was. She had the beautiful gumball to
turn in for the wonderful ornament. She ran as fast as she could to the office to get her prize.
The lady smiled at her and gave her a pretty blue box. Maryanne opened the lid and looked at
the fragile piece of glass for a long time. The happy little girl thanked the lady and took her
fabulous treasure off to her secret hiding place behind the old church organ that was stored here
when the parish got a new one. Maryanne just stared in complete fascination at the beautiful
little glass fairy princess bobbing about inside. The little girl began to pretend she was really the
fairy princess in the glass ball and she could make wishes come true. She pretended someone
made a wish for it to stop snowing so more people could come to the Christmas play, and she
waved the magic wand and the heavy white snow stopped. Maryanne decided it was time to stop
pla{ing with the beautiful ball and go practice for the pageant. After the rehearsal one of the
ladies came in and announced it had stopped snowing. Maryanne kept on pretending to herself
that she had done it with the magic wand in the glass ball.
Time passed quickly for Maryanne now that she had the wonderful prize that meant so much
to her.
Finally it was Christmas Eve and people began to arrive for the play. The children were all
extremely excited. Tomorrow was Christmas and hardly any of them could wait. All but
Maryanne that is. She didn't want anything to do with Santa Clause. She had the magic
ornament and nothing else mattered to her anymore. Maryanne stood off to the side of the stage
and looked at every face in the large auditorium. She always looked through crowds of people
for the warm familiar face of her daddy, but it was always the same he wasn't there. Soon it was
her turn to go on stage. She put everything out of her mind and gave the performance of her very
young life. She felt inside she really was magic and waved the magic wand all around. Then it
was over. The audience applauded for a long time. Maryanne knew a lot of money was raised
because there were so many people at the play. That was good. The orphanage needed all the
money they could get. Maryanne was happy that she had a small part in helping. Everyone
gathered around the jolly old Santa for the most fun part of the evening. Now would come the
presents. Maryanne stayed in back of the curtain and took out the wonderful prize she had won
once more. It caught the small bit of light coming through the crack of the curtain. The magic
glass ball seemed to come alive in her hands as she watched the fairy princess swirl around.
After a short time Maryanne realized the noise had stopped. She looked out and everyone was
gone. She went out and sat down on the edge of the stage. Maryanne felt sad and alone now. It
was very quiet. There was not much light but reflections were caught in the fragile glass. She
began to pretend this was a crystal ball in her tiny hands. Maryanne concentrated very hard. She
was hoping the crystal ball would show her where her father was. A little bit of red and black
was being reflected in the glass. Maryanne moved the ball slightly and could make out a pair of
shiny black boots. She tilted the ball slightly and made out the red furry pants and a wide shiny
Santa belt. She moved the ball a little more up to the red furry shirt and white trim. Then a
surprise, there was no long white beard or hat. Maryanne looked closer and slowly put down the
magic ornament to turn around. She squealed and wrapped her arms around her daddy who was
in the Santa Outfit. She began to cry as hard as she could from happiness and relief. She didn't
understand what he was saying about not finding out where she was until a few days ago. He
began to cry too. Even the story of the Santa they hired not showing up didn't register with the
little girl. All she knew was her daddy had finally found her. The fairy princess had granted her
wish.
The end.
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IDEA SAMPLES
THE MAGIC ORNAMENTS .
By K.V.DAVIS
A long, long time ago there was an old Welshman named Ilbenzar who made many wonderful things out of glass. Everyone in the village loved the old man because he was very kind and made them happy with the beautiful gifts he would make for their homes. Although people loved the exquisite figurines, Ilbenzar was sometimes sad. He wanted very much to make something else. Something to take away some sadness and pain in the world. He wanted to make the most beautiful Christmas tree ornaments the world had ever seen.
Ilbenzar loved Christmas with the sparkling, twinkling lights and ornaments on the sweet, fresh outdoor smell of the trees. Then, one night he had a dream of how to make the most unusual glass ornament that had ever been made. It was a gorgeous, clear, fragile glass globe with a bit of colored water inside. Also inside was a second beautiful glass ornament on a little raft that would bob up and down, back and forth. It would catch and reflect every bit of light twinkling in many colors around it. He thought of nothing else but the ornaments for many weeks. Then, one day he finally began to practice making them. It was very hard to get them just right. So many broke trying to make them just perfect that he almost gave up.
Late that evening a discouraged Ilbenzar sat rocking on the porch out back. He was just rocking back and forth not thinking of anything in particular, when he noticed in the dreary silver sky a lone bright star that seemed to compete for his attention from all of the other stars. All of the sudden as he watched it, the star seemed to explode and shot off to the north. Ilbenzar had never seen a shooting star that bright before and was compelled to quickly make a wish for his ornaments to be magic and help many people.
Later that night, as Ilbenzar tossed and turned before finally drifting off to sleep, he had another most unusual dream. Out of a beautiful brilliant circle of light appeared the most startling creature Ilbenzar had ever looked at. She wore a bright red gown trimmed in white fur and had long dark hair that fell just to the top of small delicate fairy wings of silver and blue. When she moved toward him the colors changed and sparkled and flashed about. She spoke to him in almost a whisper. Her soft voice began,
"I'm here to grant your wish on the star. You have always been a good and caring person, so all of your ornaments will help repair some of the pain and suffering in the world just as you wished by bringing good fortune to anyone possessing one. There is only one thing you must remember. Each ornament must contain a few drops of melted Christmas snow that will fall here on its way to the north pole."
The lovely vision faded and Ilbenzar was fully awake. He quickly got dressed and went into his workshop to try again to make his perfect ornament. He melted a bit of colored glass and rolled it onto the small tube to blow air into it. Very slowly and carefully he worked, turning and shaping the ornament. As he worked, a small fairy princess took shape from the glass. Just before the figure was finished and the glass was still hot, Ilbenzar pressed the figure down on the table so the glass on the bottom flattened out into a small raft to float in the globe. Before breaking the figure off Ilbenzar put some more melted glass on the tube around the figure and blew a beautiful fragile globe around it to hold colored water. Ilbenzar was thrilled and very happy with the ornament. He then very carefully etched a pattern of tiny holly leaves and berries around the top and bottom and stained them red and green. All he would have to do now is put the Christmas snow in and seal the top with a hook for hanging.
The old man just sat and stared at the fascinating ornament he had created on the table. He could imagine the wonderment of people seeing it and trying to guess how he got one ornament inside another like that. He was suddenly very tired and went outside to get some fresh air. Ilbenzar was filled with a great feeling of accomplishment and thoughtfully looked out into the grey clouds moving over his small mountain home.
Then, the miracle happened. Instead of continuing to move north, the clouds stopped. It began to snow on his mountain and across the beautiful green valley. Ilbenzar never saw snow like this at this time of year. It fell slowly and only in this one place. He could see a long way from here, but the snow was only falling around him. He very quickly went into the house and got a pan to catch this magical snow in and placed it in the yard behind the house. When it stopped snowing Ilbenzar had just enough snow for six or more dozen ornaments. The old man suddenly wasn't tired anymore and went back to his workshop to complete his task. He worked on through the night and most of the next day. When he was done, he had seven ornaments. He put the miracle water from the snow in a large jar for future ornaments and took the six large completed ones along with the one small very beautiful special one into the house and went to bed. Ilbenzar was exhausted and slept for a long time. When he finally woke up, he looked at the ornaments for a long while, noting each and every detail, remembering the long careful creation of each one. The first one contained the fairy princess floating on a candy-apple red ocean of magic water. The second one had a very delicate little reindeer in it on a sea of green, the color of spring grass on his mountain. The third was a perfect Christmas tree with bits of colored glass he had put on with tweezers before it was sealed up. It had white water to look like snow. The 4th, was a teddy bear wearing a Santa suit. It had brown liquid in the bottom. Number five was a toy soldier at attention on blue water. Six was a miniature Santa sleigh piled high with presents on a black night sky ocean.
The last ornament was different somehow. It was a blue candle in a golden candlestick surrounded by pink water. Ilbenzar looked at each one for a long time and very carefully packaged the six large ones in a box to send to his sister in America. She had a small glass and crystal store in the older part of the city next to an old book store. The smaller ornament with the candle in it, he would give to his friend at the candle shop in the village.
Early the very next morning Ilbenzar walked down from his mountain in the crisp cold to deliver the magic ornament to his friend, Gretta, at the candle shop. It was only one week before Christmas and the people of the town were very busy shopping. They would scurry from shop to shop and only pause for a moment to greet the old man, calling out 'Merry Christmas' while clutching the precious bundles as they went about their business.
The candle shop was almost empty of customers this time of year because everyone stocked up on these things ahead so they'd have more money to spend on presents. Inside the shop Ilbenzar greeted the little boy buying a candle and waited while he got his change and left. Gretta smiled her warm smile and hugged the old man when he gave her the wonderful little glass ornament. Since there had not been many customers this year, Gretta could not afford a Christmas Tree. She placed the beautiful gift on a little stand all by itself in the window. Ilbenzar was very proud of this thing of beauty he had created for his poor friend. This was not a good time for her to have anything to give her little girl for Christmas. Although they were poor, it was hard for the little girl to understand when everyone around her got something from Father Christmas.
While Ilbenzar stood looking at the ornament in the window wishing he could help, the door opened and two men came into the shop. The first man explained he was taking the Monsignor, who was with him to the next village, for a candlelight service when they decided to stop for lunch and noticed the special ornament in the window. The Priest listened thoughtfully to the old man's story of how they were made. He blessed the kind glass maker and told the man with him to buy the candles for the service while they were here. The two men left with hundreds of candles to take with them to the next town and Ilbenzar had been asked to make a stained glass window and a new statue for the church. He somehow knew there would be many customers stopping in the store, lured by the magic of the ornament. Gretta looked at the pile of money for the candles and cried because she knew her prayers for food and a toy for the child had been heard.
Later that evening Ilbenzar sat gazing into the warm dancing fire and wondered if other stories would come to him from his sister in America about the glass decorations. "Well." He thought, "I'll have to write her a letter and ask her to write to me if she hears anything about the ornaments next year." Then a very tired but happy glass maker slowly shuffled off to bed, perhaps to dream of a special thank you statue for the church."
THE END
>
The
Magic
Ornaments
By Vernon Davis
(The Fairy Princess)
All of the roads from were closed because of the snow storm. No one could get in or out of
the tiny new England town, but it continued to snow. It was a wet, sticky, heavy snow that didn't
get a chance to melt. It just kept piling up higher and higher. The schools had been closed all
week because it was too hard for the younger children to get around in the drifting piles of
sloppy white stuff. Out near the edge of town was the county orphanage.
The orphanage was filled with thunderous noises and turmoil as everyone began to get ready
for the auditions to the great yearly Christmas play. The children were going to put it on and
everyone was excited. It was a happy time for these unwanted children. After the pageant they
would get to visit with Santa and he would give them presents. No one here really gave much
thought to being snowed in, they were too filled with the magic of Christmas. The older
children were decorating a tremendous Christmas tree. This was the biggest Christmas tree they
had ever seen. A small girl sat quietly watching the colored lights being put on. Maryanne was
hypnotized by all this activity. Her mother never celebrated Christmas before she got hurt in a
car and went away. They brought her here when they weren't able to contact her father in
Florida. She was only nine years old and a terrible pressing sadness had taken over her very
young soul. Maryanne looked at the gumball machine she was sitting next to. She could see the
beautiful prize gumball was almost at the bottom. It was a wonderful swirl of colors and seemed
to beg her for a nickel. Maryanne felt in her pocket to make sure the three shiny nickels she had
been saving for weeks were still there. Maryanne wanted the prize that would be exchanged for
the marbled gumball. She looked long and hard at the picture of the beautiful, delicate glass
ornament. It was so pretty and colorful. It reminded her off the fragile crystal angels her mother
had on a nicknack shelf at home a long time ago. No one really told her why she had to stay
here. She felt so alone and frightened. She just had to be the one to put the right nickel in at the
right time to get it. She watched everyday as others put coins into the machine. It stood there
like a little soldier waiting for someone to get the wonderful prize it was guarding. Suddenly
Maryanne felt someone was standing beside her. It was Bubba. He had some coins in his hand
and reached out to the machine. Maryanne watched carefully as the shiny coins went in one by
one and the pretty chrome handle was turned to release each piece of gum. She watched as the
prize gumball shifted down farther and closer to the bottom of the machine. Bubba handed her a
gumball and ran off to the others decorating the tree. Maryanne sat there deep in thought
chewing the blue gumball, when one of the ladies in charge of the pageant called her over to the
group trying to get parts in the play. It was time to try out for the only part Maryanne wanted,
the fairy princess. One by one all the other girls tried out but Maryanne got to be the fairy
princess. All week long Maryanne rehearsed and practiced, until she knew the part perfectly.
Everyday she watched the prize gumball get closer to the bottom of the machine. Finally the
gumball disappeared into the very bottom, covered by only a few assorted colors of gum.
Maryanne knew it was in one of the three holes on the bottom and would come out in a few
times of turning the handle. She didn't want them to fill the machine back up before she got it.
This was it! She had to try to get it now. Just as she walked over to the machine another
little girl ran up to the machine. Maryanne held her breath. Out came a red one and the little
girl left. Very slowly she put in one of her three coins. She turned the handle carefully. When
she lifted the door there was a yellow one. She reached out with the second coin and put it in. It
was another yellow gumball. Now she hesitated. Should she wait or keep going? Finally she
put in the last coin and out came a green one.
Maryanne began to cry. She sat down on the floor. She couldn't believe it. She wanted the
prize so bad. She opened her eyes and saw something shiny under the machine. It was a nickel.
Someone had dropped it and it must have rolled away. Maryanne gratefully snatched up the free
coin and put it in the machine. She closed her eyes and turned the handle. She opened the door
without looking and closed her hand around the ball that rolled into it. Maryanne was afraid to
look. Finally she slowly opened her fingers and there it was. She had the beautiful gumball to
turn in for the wonderful ornament. She ran as fast as she could to the office to get her prize.
The lady smiled at her and gave her a pretty blue box. Maryanne opened the lid and looked at
the fragile piece of glass for a long time. The happy little girl thanked the lady and took her
fabulous treasure off to her secret hiding place behind the old church organ that was stored here
when the parish got a new one. Maryanne just stared in complete fascination at the beautiful
little glass fairy princess bobbing about inside. The little girl began to pretend she was really the
fairy princess in the glass ball and she could make wishes come true. She pretended someone
made a wish for it to stop snowing so more people could come to the Christmas play, and she
waved the magic wand and the heavy white snow stopped. Maryanne decided it was time to stop
pla{ing with the beautiful ball and go practice for the pageant. After the rehearsal one of the
ladies came in and announced it had stopped snowing. Maryanne kept on pretending to herself
that she had done it with the magic wand in the glass ball.
Time passed quickly for Maryanne now that she had the wonderful prize that meant so much
to her.
Finally it was Christmas Eve and people began to arrive for the play. The children were all
extremely excited. Tomorrow was Christmas and hardly any of them could wait. All but
Maryanne that is. She didn't want anything to do with Santa Clause. She had the magic
ornament and nothing else mattered to her anymore. Maryanne stood off to the side of the stage
and looked at every face in the large auditorium. She always looked through crowds of people
for the warm familiar face of her daddy, but it was always the same he wasn't there. Soon it was
her turn to go on stage. She put everything out of her mind and gave the performance of her very
young life. She felt inside she really was magic and waved the magic wand all around. Then it
was over. The audience applauded for a long time. Maryanne knew a lot of money was raised
because there were so many people at the play. That was good. The orphanage needed all the
money they could get. Maryanne was happy that she had a small part in helping. Everyone
gathered around the jolly old Santa for the most fun part of the evening. Now would come the
presents. Maryanne stayed in back of the curtain and took out the wonderful prize she had won
once more. It caught the small bit of light coming through the crack of the curtain. The magic
glass ball seemed to come alive in her hands as she watched the fairy princess swirl around.
After a short time Maryanne realized the noise had stopped. She looked out and everyone was
gone. She went out and sat down on the edge of the stage. Maryanne felt sad and alone now. It
was very quiet. There was not much light but reflections were caught in the fragile glass. She
began to pretend this was a crystal ball in her tiny hands. Maryanne concentrated very hard. She
was hoping the crystal ball would show her where her father was. A little bit of red and black
was being reflected in the glass. Maryanne moved the ball slightly and could make out a pair of
shiny black boots. She tilted the ball slightly and made out the red furry pants and a wide shiny
Santa belt. She moved the ball a little more up to the red furry shirt and white trim. Then a
surprise, there was no long white beard or hat. Maryanne looked closer and slowly put down the
magic ornament to turn around. She squealed and wrapped her arms around her daddy who was
in the Santa Outfit. She began to cry as hard as she could from happiness and relief. She didn't
understand what he was saying about not finding out where she was until a few days ago. He
began to cry too. Even the story of the Santa they hired not showing up didn't register with the
little girl. All she knew was her daddy had finally found her. The fairy princess had granted her
wish.
The end.
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The Magic Ornaments
By Vernon Davis
(The Fairy Princess)
All of the roads from were closed because of the snow storm. No one could get in or out of the tiny new England town, but it continued to snow. It was a wet, sticky, heavy snow that didn't get a chance to melt. It just kept piling up higher and higher. The schools had been closed all week because it was too hard for the younger children to get around in the drifting piles of sloppy white stuff. Out near the edge of town was the county orphanage.
The orphanage was filled with thunderous noises and turmoil as everyone began to get ready for the auditions to the great yearly Christmas play. The children were going to put it on and everyone was excited. It was a happy time for these unwanted children. After the pageant they would get to visit with Santa and he would give them presents. No one here really gave much thought to being snowed in, they were too filled with the magic of Christmas. The older children were decorating a tremendous Christmas tree. This was the biggest Christmas tree they had ever seen. A small girl sat quietly watching the colored lights being put on. Maryanne was hypnotized by all this activity. Her mother never celebrated Christmas before she got hurt in a car and went away. They brought her here when they weren't able to contact her father in Florida. She was only nine years old and a terrible pressing sadness had taken over her very young soul. Maryanne looked at the gumball machine she was sitting next to. She could see the beautiful prize gumball was almost at the bottom. It was a wonderful swirl of colors and seemed to beg her for a nickel. Maryanne felt in her pocket to make sure the three shiny nickels she had been saving for weeks were still there. Maryanne wanted the prize that would be exchanged for the marbled gumball. She looked long and hard at the picture of the beautiful, delicate glass ornament. It was so pretty and colorful. It reminded her off the fragile crystal angels her mother had on a nicknack shelf at home a long time ago. No one really told her why she had to stay here. She felt so alone and frightened. She just had to be the one to put the right nickel in at the right time to get it. She watched everyday as others put coins into the machine. It stood there like a little soldier waiting for someone to get the wonderful prize it was guarding. Suddenly Maryanne felt someone was standing beside her. It was Bubba. He had some coins in his hand and reached out to the machine. Maryanne watched carefully as the shiny coins went in one by one and the pretty chrome handle was turned to release each piece of gum. She watched as the prize gumball shifted down farther and closer to the bottom of the machine. Bubba handed her a gumball and ran off to the others decorating the tree. Maryanne sat there deep in thought chewing the blue gumball, when one of the ladies in charge of the pageant called her over to the group trying to get parts in the play. It was time to try out for the only part Maryanne wanted, the fairy princess. One by one all the other girls tried out but Maryanne got to be the fairy princess. All week long Maryanne rehearsed and practiced, until she knew the part perfectly.
Everyday she watched the prize gumball get closer to the bottom of the machine. Finally the gumball disappeared into the very bottom, covered by only a few assorted colors of gum. Maryanne knew it was in one of the three holes on the bottom and would come out in a few times of turning the handle. She didn't want them to fill the machine back up before she got it.
This was it! She had to try to get it now. Just as she walked over to the machine another little girl ran up to the machine. Maryanne held her breath. Out came a red one and the little girl left. Very slowly she put in one of her three coins. She turned the handle carefully. When she lifted the door there was a yellow one. She reached out with the second coin and put it in. It was another yellow gumball. Now she hesitated. Should she wait or keep going? Finally she put in the last coin and out came a green one.
Maryanne began to cry. She sat down on the floor. She couldn't believe it. She wanted the prize so bad. She opened her eyes and saw something shiny under the machine. It was a nickel. Someone had dropped it and it must have rolled away. Maryanne gratefully snatched up the free coin and put it in the machine. She closed her eyes and turned the handle. She opened the door without looking and closed her hand around the ball that rolled into it. Maryanne was afraid to look. Finally she slowly opened her fingers and there it was. She had the beautiful gumball to turn in for the wonderful ornament. She ran as fast as she could to the office to get her prize. The lady smiled at her and gave her a pretty blue box. Maryanne opened the lid and looked at the fragile piece of glass for a long time. The happy little girl thanked the lady and took her fabulous treasure off to her secret hiding place behind the old church organ that was stored here when the parish got a new one. Maryanne just stared in complete fascination at the beautiful little glass fairy princess bobbing about inside. The little girl began to pretend she was really the fairy princess in the glass ball and she could make wishes come true. She pretended someone made a wish for it to stop snowing so more people could come to the Christmas play, and she waved the magic wand and the heavy white snow stopped. Maryanne decided it was time to stop pla{ing with the beautiful ball and go practice for the pageant. After the rehearsal one of the ladies came in and announced it had stopped snowing. Maryanne kept on pretending to herself that she had done it with the magic wand in the glass ball.
Time passed quickly for Maryanne now that she had the wonderful prize that meant so much to her.
Finally it was Christmas Eve and people began to arrive for the play. The children were all extremely excited. Tomorrow was Christmas and hardly any of them could wait. All but Maryanne that is. She didn't want anything to do with Santa Clause. She had the magic ornament and nothing else mattered to her anymore. Maryanne stood off to the side of the stage and looked at every face in the large auditorium. She always looked through crowds of people for the warm familiar face of her daddy, but it was always the same he wasn't there. Soon it was her turn to go on stage. She put everything out of her mind and gave the performance of her very young life. She felt inside she really was magic and waved the magic wand all around. Then it was over. The audience applauded for a long time. Maryanne knew a lot of money was raised because there were so many people at the play. That was good. The orphanage needed all the money they could get. Maryanne was happy that she had a small part in helping. Everyone gathered around the jolly old Santa for the most fun part of the evening. Now would come the presents. Maryanne stayed in back of the curtain and took out the wonderful prize she had won once more. It caught the small bit of light coming through the crack of the curtain. The magic glass ball seemed to come alive in her hands as she watched the fairy princess swirl around. After a short time Maryanne realized the noise had stopped. She looked out and everyone was gone. She went out and sat down on the edge of the stage. Maryanne felt sad and alone now. It was very quiet. There was not much light but reflections were caught in the fragile glass. She began to pretend this was a crystal ball in her tiny hands. Maryanne concentrated very hard. She was hoping the crystal ball would show her where her father was. A little bit of red and black was being reflected in the glass. Maryanne moved the ball slightly and could make out a pair of shiny black boots. She tilted the ball slightly and made out the red furry pants and a wide shiny Santa belt. She moved the ball a little more up to the red furry shirt and white trim. Then a surprise, there was no long white beard or hat. Maryanne looked closer and slowly put down the magic ornament to turn around. She squealed and wrapped her arms around her daddy who was in the Santa Outfit. She began to cry as hard as she could from happiness and relief. She didn't understand what he was saying about not finding out where she was until a few days ago. He began to cry too. Even the story of the Santa they hired not showing up didn't register with the little girl. All she knew was her daddy had finally found her. The fairy princess had granted her wish.
The end.
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