{"id":35385,"date":"2020-12-22T00:22:50","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T05:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=35385"},"modified":"2026-07-29T12:35:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:35:56","slug":"the-paper-toy-theater-by-sibylle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=35385","title":{"rendered":"The Paper Toy-Theater (by Sibylle)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bonanza
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
\n* Day 22 *<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Summary:\u00a0 Adam wishes to share a Christmas memory with Hoss, a memory begun by Inger.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 \u00a01175 words\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Paper Toy-Theater<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben continued to add up the meagre profit he had made in his second year\u00a0living in the wilderness. Hoss\u00a0was already sleeping in the bed the boys shared in the far end of the one room cabin.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, do you remember the paper toy-theatre Mama gave me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ten-year-old Adam glanced at him and then stared at the floor, a\u00a0blush coloring\u00a0his cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure, I do, Adam. And yes also\u2026..\u201d Ben had to harrumph.<\/span><\/p>\n

The memory\u00a0ambushed\u00a0him:\u00a0A crying boy and Inger, who had insisted Ben stop the wagon train. She had picked up the remains of a small box made from plywood and cardboard, and a small piece of red velvety fabric, all of which lay on the path, smashed from the back wheels of their heavy wagon. When the train had started again, she sat with Adam next to him on the driver\u2019s seat and told the boy, \u201cWe will repair it, Adam. Look, the prince and the wizard are all right, and the best part also, the velvet. We only need a box like for shoes, and then we can build it again. Don\u2019t worry!\u201d Adam\u00a0still seemed uncertain\u00a0but Inger smiled all his doubts away with her confidence and optimism. She cuddled him, and a few minutes later they sang together and the world was beautiful again.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

But three days later the world perished\u2014Armageddon. Ash Hollow. And nobody had talked again about a lost toy. Until today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought maybe\u2026Look, Hoss is now only a little younger than I was when Mama gave it to me.\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was a whisper.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot really\u2014he\u2019s much younger.\u201d\u00a0 The lump in his throat made his voice harsher than he had intended.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I could play for him in the first time\u2026like Mama did for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben didn\u2019t dare to speak, so he ruffled the boy`s hair and then mumbled, \u201cMaybe we can build something next year, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam only nodded, then crawled wordlessly over Hoss<\/span>\u00a0into his space of the bed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben had not intended to disappoint him, but he couldn\u2019t think about the smashed theatre without\u2026He shook his head. But he couldn\u2019t chase away the memory, the image he feared: Inger lying on the floor with an arrow in her breast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Inger,\u201d he sighed, and the numbers before his eyes blurred. Like the view in a kaleidoscope, the images and voices swirled together and muddled:\u00a0Inger on the street: \u201cAsk me, Ben, ask me!\u201d Inger in her shop offering medicine for Adam; Inger sitting at the lake, telling from her childhood. \u201cYou have a head full of happy memories, haven\u2019t you?\u201d \u201cOh yes, and you?\u201d Inger in the boardinghouse room, \u201cWhat becomes of Adam?\u201d Adam sitting on the floor with baby Hoss on his lap, wrapped in a wool blanket. The voice in his head grew louder, angry, \u201cWhat becomes of Hoss? What becomes of our children, Ben Cartwright? How much longer can you go on running away from your memories?\u201d<\/i>\u00a0Ben\u2019s ears began to heat, as if someone had boxed them.<\/span><\/p>\n

He sat\u00a0still in surprise for a moment\u00a0but then rose determined, his eyes now clear. He went to a trunk in the corner. Opened the lid\u2026rummaged. Eventually he found the faded bag nearly at the bottom. He emptied it out on the table: a few broken sticks, the prince, the wizard, a damaged dragon all wrapped in a piece of red velvet.<\/span><\/p>\n

A new memory flashed through his mind:\u00a0Inger carrying a bowl with cookies; Ben and Adam trying to pronounce their name: \u201cLussekatter.\u201d It was Christmas Eve and they had eaten together as a family\u2014Inger, Ben, Adam, and Gunnar.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

There was the toy theater. Inger had insisted on giving it to Adam on Christmas Eve because the children in Sweden were\u00a0given their presents\u00a0then. Adam craned his neck curiously, but he needed encouragement to have a closer look.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIs it a stable, Mama? I saw one once by a boy. He had small wooden animals.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Adam, it\u2019s far better\u2026It\u2019s a house called a \u2018theatre\u2019 where you can watch or even show stories. Look!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Inger opened the red curtain and took a small stick that protruded out of the first of three vertical slits in the sidewall of the small box. Another stick looked out of the opposite wall. And in front of a nicely painted back wall that showed an old castle, a young girl with a crown on her hair moved from the left to the right side. Suddenly a green and purple dragon came in scene from behind a paper bush on the right side and threatened to eat the princess. Inger moved the little paper figures back and forth and gave them voices. When in the end, the young prince killed the dragon and freed the girl, Adam cheered and clapped his hands.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Then he was allowed to investigate how to play. Ben remembered that his little explorer found quickly how everything worked, and a few days later he presented his first own play.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

But Adam\u2019s reaction when Inger played for him, his laugh and happiness, had always held something special for Ben. Maybe because of the smile and the kiss Inger gave him that day whispering, \u201cHe\u2019s happy! Not on his guard, only a happy child.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben smiled at the memory, and it felt like some of Inger\u2019s cheerfulness and confidence flew into the cabin.<\/span><\/p>\n

—————-<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben had given the boys a small pot with porridge to put out for the barn elf, the way Inger had taught them, and told them to also give the animals the special treats they had saved up for them for Christmas. Little Hoss had carried the bowl, eager to make all the creatures happy, and Adam watched over his little brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the boys were outside, Ben lit the candles on the tree and stood the little box underneath it. The nights before, Ben had not only made a new box but also three different back walls and six new paper figures. He even repaired the dragon.\u00a0Am I a little bit nervous now?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

When the boys went back, as they unbuttoned their jackets, he watched over the milk on the oven. The rustling behind his back ended abruptly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that? Santa is coming soon?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s \u2026 all right, it\u2019s Swedish,\u201d Adam answered hesitantly incredulous himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then Adam came to him, embraced him and kissed him like when he was a small boy. \u201cThank you, Pa!\u201d They stood for a while embracing each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then a voice came from behind, \u201cAdam, what is it? It looks like a fancy stable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Hoss, it\u2019s far better\u2026 It\u2019s a house called \u2018theatre\u2019 where you can watch or even show stories. Look!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Ben watched the boys, he thought,\u00a0Can you see him now? He\u2019s happy\u2014both your boys are happy. Did I do all right?\u00a0<\/i><\/span>Or will you blister my ears again?\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Thanks for all the good memories, Inger, my love, and the lesson in how to use them.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Character:\u00a0 <\/span>Inger
\nGift: paper toy-theater<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you Southplains and Sklamb!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Link to the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar – Day 23 – A Book:\u00a0 A Gift of Reading by fanofoldTVshows<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 Adam wishes to share a Christmas memory with Hoss, a memory begun by Inger.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 \u00a01175 words\u00a0<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 This story was written for the Bonanza Brand 2020 Advent Calendar, originated in the Forums.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":5835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1090,23,30,13,40],"tags":[1062],"class_list":["post-35385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-hoss","category-drama","category-prequels","category-whn","category-challenges","tag-advent-calendar","wpcat-1090-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-13-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Christmas-Traditions.jpg?fit=639%2C480&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}