Summary:\u00a0 Joe reads to his nieces and nephews on Christmas Eve.
\nWritten for day 23 of the 2021 Advent Calendar.
\nRating: G
\nWord Count: 1070<\/p>\n
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Bonanza <\/p>\n Christmas Eve and Christmas Day\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe Cartwright was sitting in the blue chair reading a book to book to his nieces and nephews Christmas Eve. The fire in the fireplace was roaring and they were drinking \u00a0got chocolate and eating chocolate chip cookies freshly baked and out of the oven. He didn’t just read the.story out loud but change his voice for each character.<\/p>\n “Uncle \u00a0Joe,Can I asked \u00a0you a question”? Sara the oldest daughter of Hoss asked as she took bite of \u00a0of her cookie.<\/p>\n “Yes,you can”<\/p>\n “What is your favorite Christmas song? ”<\/p>\n I have many favorite Christmas songs ,but if I had to choose one it would be \u00a0either Oh ,Holy Night \u00a0or Jingle Bells.<\/p>\n “Good songs,but my favorite is Santa Claus is Coming to town or Frosty The snowman”.<\/p>\n The Grandfather clock timed nine in the evening and he stopped reading.<\/p>\n “Ok you you four time for you to get to bed and go to sleep .Santa Will not come if he sees that you are still up”.Joe Said as placed \u00a0a book marker in the book he was reading.I \u00a0will \u00a0 read more in the morning after we open our gifts and have a fabulous Christmas breakfast,before you four leave \u00a0with your parents to go to your grandma and grandpa \u00a0Smith.”<\/p>\n “Uncle Joe,I am not tired”. Sara pouted.<\/p>\n “Me either” , her sister and two \u00a0brothers wined.<\/p>\n If you kids are not asleep soon \u00a0there will be no \u00a0presents under the Christmas tree and your stockings that hanging on the fireplace mantels will be empty.Your don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find no presents for you under the Christmas tree and your stockings empty right?<\/p>\n All four of them nodded.<\/p>\n “Then you best head for bed” .<\/p>\n They all agreed but \u00a0very hesitantly and started to head up the stairs \u00a0bedroom \u00a0that had been staying in the past week\u00a0Joe turned the radio on to radio station that played Christmas music and got out the hidden presents and \u00a0started to wrapped. When the front door opened and in walked Hoss Mary Hoss’s wife,Adam Ben,and Hop Sing carrying bags of groceries for Christmas dinner the following evening.<\/p>\n “How ,was my kids? I hope they weren’t too much trouble”.<\/p>\n Mary playful slapped her husband on his shoulder.” I am sure that they were \u00a0perfect angels” .<\/p>\n ” No,trouble at all.They didn’t want to go to bed.But I told them that if they don’t go a sleep Santa Claus won’t come and there will be no presents under the Christmas tree and their stockings will be empty. I read them a story from a book .which they seemed to have enjoyed”.<\/p>\n “Did you change your voice for each character” ?<\/p>\n “I sure did.”<\/p>\n Ben nodded and replied “I \u00a0remember going through the \u00a0same things with you as well as your brothers. I also would change my voice for each character character,when I would read or tell you \u00a0guys stories”.<\/p>\n Adam was helping Hop Sing putting the groceries away \u00a0in kitchen came back to the great room \u00a0carrying a bag of stocking stuffers and started to fill each one,when they heard the \u00a0bedroom door that \u00a0Hoss’s children were staying in open and they heard footsteps of someone trying to keep \u00a0sneak down the stairs without getting caught.<\/p>\n Hurry hide everything,Ben was whispered . I don’t want them to find the presents out .<\/p>\n A few moments later they had hidden everything and was hiding in Dinning room just out ,when they spotted Sara trying to sneaked \u00a0towards the coffee table that Joe placed the book he was reading to try to sneaked it.<\/p>\n Joe slowly sneaked up to Sara and tapped Sara on her shoulder. “What are you doing up”<\/p>\n Sara jumped about a mile \u00a0into the air,before turning to faced Joe. “Uncle Joe,you scared me”.<\/p>\n ” You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing up”?<\/p>\n ” I have to go to the bathroom.She lied to Joe.<\/p>\n “Why didn’t you used the upstairs bathroom that’s just across the hall of the bedroom you and your siblings are staying in? Oh better yet use the ensuite bathroom in that bedroom”?<\/p>\n ” Besides the two bathrooms down here is not \u00a0over this way a voice behind them said.<\/p>\n “Ok,I came down because I couldn’t sleep.I keep \u00a0thinking about the book that you been \u00a0to my siblings and me.I wanted to find out what happened next”.She admitted as she pointed to Joe.<\/p>\n Joe turned to faced his brother Adam \u00a0 his pa Hoss,Mary and Hop Sing who \u00a0were all standing close to the dinning room table. Before turning back to Sara.Bending down to Sara’s level .”Sara how would you feel \u00a0tomorrow morning,if you have to sit and watch your brothers and Sister \u00a0opened their presents and stockings and you have nothing”? “Exactly,so don’t you think you should head back up stairs and go to sleep”?<\/p>\n Sara nodded and hesitantly headed back upstairs,she was about half way up,before she turned and faced Joe.’Promises ,that you will read more of the book tomorrow”?<\/p>\n Joe nodded ,”I promise”.<\/p>\n Sara walked the rest of the \u00a0way up the stairs and a few moments later shut \u00a0the bedroom door.<\/p>\n “She reminds me of you Joe,when you were her age,”Ben said with a smile.<\/p>\n Adam ,Hoss,and Hop Sing nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n Joe had to smile at the memory.<\/p>\n Early the morning Sara woke up and slowly got out of bed.She slowly walked to the window and looked out the window and noticed it was snowing pretty heavily<\/p>\n A few minutes later she got dressed and headed down stairs. She could not wait until Joe read more of the book he was reading earlier the night before.<\/p>\n The dinning room table was already \u00a0set for breakfast \u00a0a short time later everyone was seated around the dinning room table.After they got done eating and opened their presents and went though their stockings Joe \u00a0picked up the book that he was reading the night before and begin where he had left off. \u00a0Everyone stopped what they were doing and listen to Joe read of loud \u00a0while they drank homemade hot chocolate \u00a0and Christmas cookies while it was snowing outside<\/p>\n “Merry Christmas and Happy New year everyone.” Ben said as he listened to Joe \u00a0read to his grandchildren.<\/p>\n “Merry Christmas and Happy New year”.Everyone replied back.<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chosen character:Joe<\/p>\n Prompt : Reading a book<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Link to Day 24 of the Bonanza Brand 2021 Advent Calendar:\u00a0 Hair of the Dog by Patina<\/a><\/p>\n
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
\n* Day 23 *<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n
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\n“I would be sad and would want to cry” .<\/p>\n