{"id":46127,"date":"2023-05-01T14:18:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T18:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46127"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:37:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:37:36","slug":"adam-and-the-christmas-hippopotamus-by-heather-chrysalis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46127","title":{"rendered":"Adam and the Christmas Hippopotamus (by Heather-Chrysalis)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0<\/strong> While on his journey out west with his Pa, five-year-old Adam asks Santa for a very special Christmas present.\u00a0 A\/N: Inspired by my favorite holiday song “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”.<\/p>\n

Rating: G\u00a0 \u00a0Word Count: 9,397<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

The blackberry sky was studded with stars, each one winking and twinkling like a jewel, and all the stars together glamourized the night with their ornate splendor – as well as held in their thrall the five-year-old boy who stood under the canopy tent erected just outside of his father\u2019s wagon. The stars\u2019 jeweled lights reflected in his bright hazel eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even at five, Adam knew the names of many stars and could point out most of the constellations – Cassiopeia, Andromeda, the Pleiades forever running through the heavens to escape their overly amorous suitor Orion – Adam could point them out to the amazement of his father.<\/span><\/p>\n

Five-year-old Adam had plenty of time to learn about many things as he travelled with his father in their covered wagon, their horse-drawn home as they travelled to a place that called to his father. For a while now, Ben had this dream about a land in the west where they would make their home\u2026in a land fertile with undiscovered riches and unravaged beauty. Ben knew it was on this western land that he would realize his dream and build his home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben worried about his young son\u2019s loneliness and lack of schooling, so whenever they stopped at a town for supplies he would buy little Adam books to keep him company on their travels.<\/span><\/p>\n

At present, Adam\u2019s favorite book was a book on \u201cStars, Constellations, and the stories behind them\u201d, a book on \u201cWild Animals of the Natural World\u201d, and a book of \u201cPoetry and Nursery Rhymes for Children.\u201d Adam poured over those books through the long hours he spent in the wagon, while his Pa drove their team of horses, Castor and Pollux. Adam had named them after the twins that made up the Gemini constellation. His Pa had bought the team in May and said Adam could have the honor of naming them. So, as he was on his celestial hype at that time, Adam named them after the Gemini twins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, come to supper,\u201d his Pa called to his starry-eyed son.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam didn\u2019t want to leave his celestial friends but the mouth-watering aroma of the beans and bacon made his stomach growl in protest of not having eaten anything since mid-day, so he went to the campfire and took the plate of beans and bacon and bread from his father, sitting on a cushion under the canopy as they ate together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, it\u2019s only a month before Christmas\u2026 Do you suppose Santa Claus will find us?\u201d Adam asked a little worriedly. Learning to read the stars and the constellations as he had, Adam could see the signs of the changing seasons. Not only in the colors of the landscape as Lady Autumn donned her gown and then Winter slowly undressed her with her chilly breath, but Adam could tell the rotating of the seasons by the constellations – the celestial clock hanging in the sky. And with all the travelling that he and his Pa did, he worried about Santa being able to locate them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben gave a little chuckle and replied kindly \u201cAh, don\u2019t you worry, son. Santa Claus can find us wherever we are. After all, he\u2019s magic and so are his reindeer. Have you made out your list for Santa yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s hazel eyes brightened and his little cherub face glowed with a smile as pure and sweet as only childhood\u2019s innocence could invoke – and of course Santa\u2019s upcoming arrival too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat should I ask for?\u201d Adam excitedly asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAsk for anything you wish for, son. With Santa, anything is possible,\u201d Ben replied, not realizing that telling his five-year-old son to ask Santa for anything, maybe asking for trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~2~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0A deep thinker even at the tender age of five, Adam gave a lot of serious thought to what he should ask Santa for. It was while he was engrossed in one of his other books \u201cWild Animals of the Natural World\u201d that he knew what he would ask Santa for. What little Adam set his heart on for a Christmas gift from Santa Claus \u2013 was a hippopotamus!<\/span><\/p>\n

He saw pictures of the chubby hippos bathing in the rivers in Africa and they looked so friendly, especially when their big open mouths gave a huge toothsome smile (Well, at least to Adam it looked<\/em> like the hippos were smiling!). He could just imagine what the other kids on the wagons they passed by would think when they saw Adam sitting next to his new best friend, his hippopotamus straight from Santa Claus! Surely they would be jealous, those other kids without a hippo of their own. When they saw little Adam going for walks and playing fetch and bathing in the creek with his new hippo friend, surely the other kids would be green with envy. And Pa\u2026well, Pa was always worrying about Adam spending so much time alone and not having any real friends besides his books\u2026surely Pa would be delighted to see Adam with his hippopotamus friend!<\/span><\/p>\n

His wish list to Santa now written, one night at dinner around the campfire Adam thought it was time to tell Pa.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I wrote my letter to Santa,\u201d Adam said in all seriousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you ask for, Adam?\u201d Pa asked as he looked at his son bundled up securely in fur pelts against the increasingly chilly December wind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA hippopotamus! I\u2019ve seen pictures of hippos look so friendly and in my poetry book there are pictures of hippos even dancing! I just know Santa will bring me a hippopotamus for Christmas! He will be my best friend,\u201d Adam said in all sincerity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA hippopotamus! Adam, you can\u2019t ask Santa to bring you a hippopotamus for Christmas!\u201d Ben cried, clearly shocked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut why not? You said that I could ask Santa for anything and that he would surely bring it since Santa is magic!\u201d Adam cried, indignant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know what I said, but Adam, a hippopotamus is so big\u2026I don\u2019t think Santa would be able to deliver a present that big, son,\u201d Ben said gently, trying to reason with his little man.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe can so! I just know Santa will bring me a hippopotamus for Christmas. You said nothing is impossible for Santa and Santa works by magic and by faith. And I believe in Santa\u2019s magic and I have faith in Santa. I just know that Santa will bring me a hippopotamus for Christmas. He will be my best friend,\u201d Adam said, showing his stubborn streak that would be with him all his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben looked heaven-ward, clearly at a loss for words when faced with his son\u2019s steadfast faith and the strength of his belief.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not knowing what else to say, Ben kissed his stubborn son on the forehead, lovingly smoothed down a wayward black silken lock of his hair, and bid him goodnight as he tucked him into bed in the wagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~3~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 In the days that followed, Adam never wavered in his belief that Santa Claus would bring him a hippopotamus for Christmas, and he even was able to convince his Pa to mail his letter to Santa in the next town they stopped in for supplies.<\/span><\/p>\n

The few weeks leading up to Christmas were a whirlwind of preparation for little Adam as he was getting ready for the arrival of his new best friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam had already decided that the hippopotamus would sleep in the wagon beside him and he laid out a place beside his own bedroll with furs and a wool blanket. He even had an extra tin plate and a tin drinking cup set aside for his hippo friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben just looked at this flurry of preparation in utter dismay. He felt that Adam was just setting himself up for profound disappointment if Santa didn\u2019t bring him his much-anticipated hippopotamus for Christmas\u2026 On the other hand, what if the impossible happened and Santa actually did bring Adam his friendly hippo? How would they ever fit a hippopotamus inside their covered wagon? And if they could fit him inside, would Castor and Pollux, their team of horses, be able to pull their wagon with a hippopotamus inside? Ben didn\u2019t think so, but he just didn\u2019t have the heart to squash his young son\u2019s faith in the magic of Santa Claus and his belief that the impossible could actually become reality. After all, Christmas was the season for miracles\u2026and boy, did he really need one now. Ben hoped that whatever outcome came to be, that he would be able to handle it. He just couldn\u2019t stand to see the bright light be snuffed out in Adam\u2019s sparkling hazel eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then it was Christmas Eve and all was quiet except for the gentle rustling of the tall pine trees surrounding the clearing like noble sentinels. It was here that Ben had parked their wagon and unhitched Castor and Pollux, the pair of chestnut horses now enjoying their evening meal of oats, while the chilly fingers of the wind gently ruffled through the pine\u2019s evergreen needles, fragrant with sap and wishes that are waiting to be brought into the shy dawn of reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

But right now, twilight had a firm hold on the land as she left her messy fingerprints over the sky like some child\u2019s painting\u2026her fingers streaked across the celestial expanse leaving behind streaks of amber\u2019s drunken light. Soon the amber fire was doused with the brushstrokes of blueberry speckled with crimson. Each color blending into the other, as smooth and succulent as the creaming together of apple butter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their Christmas Eve meal consisted of their usual staple fare of beans and bacon, but with the addition of a rare treat of brown sugar to sprinkle on their brown bread. Ben had managed to buy some brown sugar at the last town they had passed through and had been saving it as a special treat for after dinner on Christmas Eve. He knew how Adam loved brown sugar on brown bread.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow son, it\u2019s time for bed,\u201d Ben said as he turned to the wagon to prepare their bedrolls and blankets.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a minute, Pa,\u201d Adam said as he placed an old burgundy cloth with a golden fringe on the upside-down wooden crate that they used for a dinner table. Adam smoothed out the wrinkles from the old cloth and placed his freshly washed tin plate in the center of the small table. Then with his little hands he dug into the front pockets of his breeches and pulled out several broken pieces of what looked like sugar cookies. Adam carefully arranged the broken pieces on the plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you get those?\u201d Ben asked, surprised.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn town this morning. When you stopped in the general store for the brown sugar, Mrs. Johnson, the storekeeper\u2019s wife, gave me some sugar cookies. I\u2019ve been saving them to leave for Santa Claus tonight,\u201d Adam explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been carrying those sugar cookies around in your pocket all day?\u201d Ben asked in amazement. He couldn\u2019t help but shake his head in amused wonder at the things little boys will carry around in their pockets. Though carrying around a pocketful of broken sugar cookies was a vast improvement over some things parents discovered in their children\u2019s pockets. Ben remembered little Jimmy Whitaker and the baby corn snake that his mother had inadvertently discovered one day while she was emptying the pockets of his breeches before washing them. Ben could still hear her scream of horror echo through the pages of his memory and was relieved that Adam never carried baby snakes and toads in his pockets. Sugar cookies were much better.<\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re for Santa, to thank him for bringing my hippopotamus friend,\u201d Adam said earnestly. Then satisfied with how the simple table looked with his plate of broken sugar cookies on it, Adam went to bed in the wagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was still worried about what Christmas morning held in store for him and his impressionable young son.<\/span><\/p>\n

But little Adam was not worried. He fell to sleep without a care, secure in his faith that Santa Claus would come and in the morning he would find his friendly hippopotamus waiting for him, his living gift straight from Santa Claus and the magic of the North Pole!<\/span><\/p>\n

That night, Adam\u2019s dreams were filled with sugar cookies, the sing-along chorus of twinkling stars, and the cheerful jangle of sleigh bells.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~4~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Dawn\u2019s rosy eye peeked over the horizon, shyly at first, then bolder as her golden orb made her ascent soft and slow, her honeyed rays scattering the caramel shadows as her warmth wafted over the land. One stray beam found its way through a tiny slit in the Cartwrights\u2019 covered wagon, smiling over the small boy\u2019s slumbering repose, its light gently nudging him awake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then blinked at the light.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Christmas! Pa, it\u2019s Christmas,\u201d Adam said excitedly as he threw back the blanket and ran out of the wagon – in his long underwear, not even bothering to get dressed first, such was the abundance of his excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once outside, Adam moved with care as he took in the beauty of this very special Christmas morning\u2026the frost-embroidered grass, the warm puffs of mist that left his mouth with every excited exhale, the birds singing with dawn\u2019s gentle unfurl\u2026but behind the birdsong, Adam heard another sound, a crunching sound he wasn\u2019t sure what it could be, until he rounded the corner and came to the side of the wagon where the wooden crate that served as their table stood. The very same table that little Adam had covered with that old gold-fringed red cloth and then placed his tin plate of broken sugar cookies in the center of it. There, sitting at their makeshift table and polishing off the last of the broken sugar cookies on the plate\u2026was a hippopotamus! And not just any hippopotamus, but Adam\u2019s Christmas hippopotamus delivered to him straight from Santa Claus and the magic that fuels every child\u2019s dream!<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam gave an excited gasp as he took in the scene of the chubby hippopotamus sitting there, looking back at the small boy after he just finished eating the plateful of sugar cookies. His hairless skin was an earthy brown, with an underlayer of pale pink blushing through the brown. His giant mouth was covered in cookie crumbs, and his eyes – Adam wasn\u2019t sure what color they were. They looked brown but if the light struck them in a certain way they looked blue\u2026or green\u2026so much like Adam\u2019s own mercurial hazel eyes. But whichever the true color of the hippo\u2019s eyes were, there was no mistaking the gentle friendliness in them.<\/span><\/p>\n

A sudden cascade of lonely emotion built up in Adam and choked the breath from his throat. Tears shone bright in his eyes as Adam ran over and threw his arms around the hippo\u2019s neck.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally stirred awake by the sounds of this very special Christmas morning, it was at this moment that Ben stepped from the wagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on out here\u2026?\u201d Ben started to say, but stopped as he saw Adam hugging a giant hippopotamus. A hippopotamus!? What is a hippopotamus doing in front of our wagon and why is Adam hugging him like he\u2019s his long-lost friend\u2026oh no! Santa really did bring my son a hippopotamus for Christmas! Thanks a lot Santa\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook Pa, Santa brought me a hippopotamus. Now I have a friend who will never leave me,\u201d Adam cried. The tears that were once just sparkling in his eyes were now spilling freely down the five-year-old boy\u2019s flushed cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was also moved by the emotion behind his son\u2019s outcry. He knew that constantly moving from town to town as they made their way out West was not easy on Adam. No sooner would he make a friend, then they would have to leave and continue on their western journey on their wagon. Ben knew that being constantly on the move was no life for a child – no chance to have friends – no friends but the books Ben bought for Adam in the towns they passed through, but for now this is how it had to be. Ben knew that his destiny awaited him on a land out west and it would be there he could put down roots and give Adam a proper home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben was certain that Santa knew all this too, and so he brought Adam a friend that he wouldn\u2019t have to leave behind. But a hippopotamus? Ben wasn\u2019t sure how this would work out\u2026he would just have to trust Santa\u2019s judgement.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~5~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 In the weeks that followed, Adam and the hippo were inseparable. They did everything together – starting with sharing their meals where Adam always gave his best friend a portion of beans and bacon and brown bread\u2026and of course sugar cookies! Whatever town they stopped in for supplies, Adam always asked his Pa to buy his hippopotamus some sugar cookies. How he loved them so – the hippo that is. Adam always insisted the sugar cookies were for his hippo friend, but more than once Ben caught Adam with a sugar cookie in his own mouth. Ben would just laugh to himself and indulge his son and his hippopotamus best friend by buying them the requested sugar cookies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know son, it\u2019s been several weeks and you still haven\u2019t named your hippo friend. Isn\u2019t it about time you gave him a name\u2026something that\u2019s easier to say than hippopotamus?\u201d Ben asked kindly one night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know Pa. I\u2019ve just been searching for the right name – and I think I found it! In the last book you bought me, this book on Swedish Myths – there is a story about a friendly giant and his name was Hoss. The story says that the name Hoss means \u201ca good man with friendly ways.\u201d Now doesn\u2019t that describe my hippopotamus perfectly?\u201d Adam said in all earnestness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it does, son! So Hoss the hippo it is then,\u201d replied Ben.<\/span><\/p>\n

And so, life on the wagon continued as usual, but with one noted exception. Adam was no longer alone. He had his best friend Hoss the hippo always with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam spent the long days in the wagon reading poetry and other story books to Hoss. He was convinced the friendly hippo could understand everything he was reading to him – Hoss the hippo listened to Adam so attentively. Hoss also liked to sit at the back of the wagon with his huge head hanging out, looking at the scenery they passed by. Adam would sit right next to him with his arms around his best friend\u2019s thick neck, and together they would look out, whispering secrets to the other and imbibing the nectar of a pure friendship. Neither of them was bothered at all by the astounded stares and speechless pointing of the people on the many wagons they passed by.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s fear that the tremendous weight of the hippopotamus inside would break the wagon or the horses\u2019 backs – or both – proved to be unfounded. Santa must\u2019ve somehow recalibrated the hippo\u2019s weight at the North Pole so he didn\u2019t weigh as much as he looked like he would, because Castor and Pollux had no trouble pulling the wagon with Hoss the hippo inside. Leave it to Santa Claus to take into account the smallest \u2013 or not so small – details.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~6~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Soon they were passing through Illinois and during a stop-over, Ben had the good fortune of becoming acquainted with Inger, a lovely Swedish lady with long wavy hair the color of golden corn silk and sparkling eyes as blue as cornflowers. Her voice was pure music. Ben and Inger had a whirlwind romance and were married on Valentine\u2019s Day. Adam – and of course Hoss the hippo – were in attendance at the wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n

After spending over five years of his young life motherless, Adam finally had a stepmother. Inger adored little Adam and Adam came to love Inger like the mother he never knew – especially after Inger nursed Adam through an illness accompanied by a fever.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the chilly breath of Winter gave way to Spring\u2019s maidenly footsteps tiptoeing over the landscape, causing green to sprout fragrant and fresh over the earth\u2019s bodice, the Cartwright wagon was passing through Missouri when Ben stopped to rest the horses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little Adam climbed out of the back of the wagon, accompanied by Hoss the hippo, his constant companion and faithful friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Adam, don\u2019t go far,\u201d Ben called as he saw his young son start to wander.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes Adam, don\u2019t go far. Lunch will be ready soon,\u201d Inger also called as she helped Ben to set up the cooking utensils around the campfire.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cerulean blue nearness of the river beckoned to Adam as he walked over to her grassy bank, golden reeds gently swaying under the wind\u2019s caressing fingers that played them like a flute, their hushed notes filled the air with a melody only heard by those who knew how to listen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually, Adam knew how to listen, but this time he didn\u2019t listen well to his father and his stepmother warning him not to go far. The water was just too blue a temptation to resist, her depths too mysterious to the curious boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pebbles shone in the dappled sunlight, their edges softened by the river\u2019s watery kisses before they washed upon the bank, a treasure waiting to be discovered. It was a treasure that Adam couldn\u2019t resist. Silently, he walked along the riverbank, picking up the shining pebbles and putting his newfound treasures in his pockets. Hoss slowly walked beside Adam, gently nuzzling against his leg.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey are all so pretty Hoss, like jewels for a royal crown,\u201d Adam said to the hippo, as he saw a particularly big pebble shining like a lustrous diamond before him. It was a little harder for him to reach as it was closer to the water\u2019s edge down the bank, but Adam \u2013 the stalwart boy that he was \u2013 was not going to give up on trying to reach that sparkling pebble, so climbing over some rocks he laid on his belly and reached toward the stone that had him so mesmerized, but the rocks tumbled from under him and with a startled cry, Adam fell in the water!<\/span><\/p>\n

At only five and a half years old, little Adam had spent most of his tender life on land – on his Pa\u2019s wagon – and had never learned how to swim yet. Adam cried and splashed about, but his frantic flailing only caused the water to pull him down, holding him firmly in her embrace like a mermaid not willing to let go of a fisherman once he fell to her charms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s strength started to weaken as blue waves convulsed around him. He couldn\u2019t fight much longer against the river that held him an unwilling thrall in her submersive cocoon\u2026but suddenly he felt a tugging on his shirt. Something had him by his shirt and was fiercely pulling him upward!<\/span><\/p>\n

It was Hoss the hippo! Adam\u2019s best friend had seen his young master tumble into the water and jumped in at once! Since hippopotamuses are as at home in the water as they are on land, it was not difficult at all for Adam\u2019s ever loving and faithful best friend to maneuver his bulky body in the river. Hoss the hippo dived down, grabbed the struggling boy by his shirt and swam to shore with him. Adam laid panting on the grassy riverbank with Hoss beside him, when his father and Inger ran over. They had heard the commotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam! Oh dear lord, Adam,\u201d Inger cried as she scooped up the drenched boy in her warm embrace.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m alright, Ma,\u201d Adam said as Inger rained kisses on his flushed face.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, son, I told you to be careful near the water,\u201d his Pa said as he reached his side, relief washed over him as surely as the river had washed over Adam taking him away \u2013 forever, if it wasn\u2019t for Hoss the hippo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss saved me Pa,\u201d Adam replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, son. We saw Hoss jump in the river. That\u2019s when we knew something had happened and rushed over,\u201d Ben said, his voice catching a little at the thought of how close he came to losing his son if it were not for Hoss the hippo.<\/span><\/p>\n

That evening the Cartwright family had dinner in a small restaurant in town, to celebrate Adam\u2019s good fortune and Hoss\u2019 heroism too. But unfortunately, the restaurant didn\u2019t allow hippopotamuses, so Hoss had to wait in the wagon. But Adam brought Hoss the hero a generous portion of his ham dinner and apple pie.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as he had set out those broken sugar cookies on Christmas Eve to thank Santa for the hippopotamus that Adam was so sure he would bring him, so now Adam did the same thing with the ham dinner and apple pie. He set up the upside-down wooden crate and put the same gold-fringed red cloth over it, then placed his dinner plate of ham, fried potatoes, green beans, bread\u2026and of course the apple pie in the center of the table.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then as Hoss the hero hippo started to eat the dinner, Adam wrapped his little arms around his best friend\u2019s thick neck and hugged him, saying \u201cI love you Hoss. Thank-you for saving me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss stopped eating for a moment as he turned to look at his young friend. Then giving Adam a quick kiss on the cheek, he turned his attention back to his dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~7~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Soon April bloomed her way into May and May blossomed with all viridian smiles and cherry blossoms in her cheeks. Her warm breath sang, soft and low, over the tall prairie grass, laughing through the lush greenery of the trees they passed by on their wagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of May\u2019s annual delights that the Cartwrights were to celebrate was a birthday\u2026little Adam was turning six years old!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would you like for your birthday, Adam?\u201d Inger asked one night as she tucked in her stepson, one mild night when the sky was smitten with stars and the stars shone down their affection on the little family below them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh I don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam replied, thinking. \u201cI have Hoss, my hippopotamus. He\u2019s my best friend\u2026and now I have a mother too. I have everything I need.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Inger smiled as she caressed Adam\u2019s soft boyish cheek, then bending down she gently kissed his forehead and was about to exit the wagon when\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget Hoss,\u201d Adam piped up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow how could I ever forget about Hoss sleeping right next to you?\u201d Inger laughingly said and Adam laughed too as she tucked in the hippo and even gave him a kiss on the nose. \u201cSuch a friendly and gentle beastie he is. Santa truly blessed us last Christmas with giving us the gift of Hoss.\u201d Tears misted Inger\u2019s blue eyes when she thought of how close she and Ben came to losing Adam if it hadn\u2019t been for his hippo Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inger joined her husband outside where he was enjoying his pipe in the campsite. \u201cBen, I want to do something really special for Adam on his birthday. This will be his first birthday since I joined the family and became his mother\u2026he is such a dear sweet child\u2026I shudder to think how close we came to losing Adam to the river a few weeks ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know, Inger, so do I,\u201d Ben sighed, in a contemplative mood. \u201cI don\u2019t have much money. I don\u2019t know what we can get for Adam\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Inger thought for a moment, then said \u201cI know\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

~~8~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Inger\u2019s birthday plan went into effect at the next town where they stopped for supplies. While there, she discovered a small restaurant and after some discussion, the cook agreed to let Inger have the use of her kitchen so she could bake a birthday cake for Adam. She even knew what kind of cake too \u2013 a chocolate carrot cake! Her mother had always made Inger a chocolate carrot cake with mocha frosting on her birthday and now Inger would carry on the family tradition for her stepson\u2019s birthday!<\/span><\/p>\n

On the morning of Adam\u2019s birthday, Ben dropped Inger off at the restaurant while he took Adam and Hoss fishing. The cook opened the door of the closed restaurant when she heard Inger\u2019s knock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, thank-you so much for the use of your kitchen, Rosa,\u201d Inger expressed her gratitude again to the cook as she set down her bags of ingredients on the counter. She had everything she needed: flour, carrots, nuts, sugar, spices, coconut, chocolate, coffee\u2026now Inger began her baking fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile at the fishing hole, Ben had only caught one trout and Adam two. They would\u2019ve caught more if it were not for the fact that Hoss the hippo was in the water, partially submerged, and blowing bubbles under the water and scaring the fish away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss, stop scaring the fish away,\u201d Adam reprimanded his friend. Hoss\u2019 response was just to blow more bubbles accompanied by loud underwater gurgling sounds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben just laughed as did Adam…in fact, Hoss sounded like he was laughing too as the volume of his submersive gurgling rose and fell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam did manage to catch two more trout and Ben one more. Altogether they had six fish \u2013 that would make a nice birthday dinner for Adam,<\/em> Ben thought to himself as he and Adam headed back to town by late afternoon. Hoss was reluctant to leave the water, but did so when he saw Adam walk away with his Pa. Hoss eagerly trotted after them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben dropped the fish off at the restaurant with Inger. \u201cCome back in about an hour,\u201d Inger said to Ben, smiling as she took the fish from him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow onto the second part of our plan,\u201d Ben said with a wink at his wife. Even covered in flour and cocoa she was a most beautiful vision. Her smile was brighter than the sun, more pure than a field of smiling daisies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam just looked back and forth between the two. Clever boy that he was, he knew they were up to something but he didn\u2019t know what. Adam just walked away with his Pa, bewildered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben took Adam to a house a few blocks away and knocked on the door. Old red paint that was already peeling away – now fell off under the vibration of Ben\u2019s knocking.<\/span><\/p>\n

A middle-aged man answered the door. He had brown hair that was turning silver at the temples. He smiled slightly, allowing Adam to see the crinkles around his grey eyes that bespoke of a man with good humor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello Chris Mason,\u201d Ben said as he reached out to grasp the man\u2019s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello. So this is the young man\u2026and his hippo friend,\u201d Mr. Mason said as he took Ben\u2019s hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome in,\u201d he said as he led Ben, Adam, and Hoss to a room at the back of the house. Sunlight streamed through the giant window in the far wall, making the room bright and Adam could easily see paintings sitting on easels throughout the room and several stacks of what Adam assumed were more paintings, covered by white sheets, leaning against the walls. The only furniture in the room besides the easels were a set of wingback chairs – one blue velvet and the other burgundy – by the window.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdam, Mr. Mason is a painter. I met him yesterday at the general store. While I was buying feed for Castor and Pollux and your mother was buying her spices and other ingredients, Mr. Mason here was buying painting supplies. We got to talking\u2026and well, once I heard Mr. Mason say he painted portraits, I asked him if he would paint your portrait for your birthday.\u201d Ben explained. \u201cWith Hoss of course.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Pa! A portrait! I\u2019ve never posed for a portrait before!\u201d Adam said excitedly. \u201cAnd with Hoss too. A painting of me and my hippo hero is the best present I could ever want for my birthday.\u201d With his right arm around his Pa\u2019s waist, he reached out with his left to include Hoss in the embrace too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the way that Hoss saved you in the river, he deserves to be in the portrait too. He\u2019s a member of our family after all,\u201d Ben said, smiling at his son\u2019s excitement and happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Mason positioned Adam in the blue velvet wingback chair with Hoss beside him and over the next hour he painted a portrait of the two best friends. For his young age, Adam did pretty good not squirming around too much. He really wanted this portrait of him and his hippopotamus to be good and not marred by any juvenile wiggling about \u2013 so he stayed in the position that Mr. Mason put him in, as did Hoss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Mason, that is exemplary,\u201d Ben said as he saw the finished portrait.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank-you, Mr. Cartwright. It\u2019s best to let the paint dry a bit more before taking it. You can pick it up after your special dinner,\u201d Mr. Mason said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanking him again, Ben left with Adam and Hoss and headed back to the restaurant. Once they entered, they were greeted by the most delicious aromas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, hello again! How did it go?\u201d Inger asked, wiping her hands on her apron.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe portrait is all done. We will pick it up later,\u201d Ben said as he greeted his wife with a kiss. \u201cThank-you for your wonderful idea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Ma, it\u2019s so beautiful! A painting of Hoss and me together! I will hang it up in the wagon right over our bed,\u201d Adam said excitedly as he hugged Inger around the waist. Inger bent down to his eye level and took the excited boy in her arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so happy for you, my darling. Now come sit down, the both of you. I\u2019ve made a special dinner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben and Adam \u2013 and Hoss the hippo too \u2013 sat at the table while Inger brought out the fried trout accompanied by thin potato slices that she fried with the fish. They had tall glasses of fresh milk with their delicious dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then – it was time for the cake. Inger carried out her special birthday chocolate carrot cake with six candles already lit and placed it in front of Adam. After singing the Happy Birthday song, and after Adam successfully blew out the six candles, Inger cut the cake. Both Ben and Adam said it was the best cake they\u2019d ever had! And the mocha frosting\u2026they\u2019d never tasted anything like it before. They loved it!<\/span><\/p>\n

As promised, the Cartwright family picked up the portrait of Adam and Hoss on their way back to their wagon. Mr. Mason wouldn\u2019t accept any payment for the portrait\u2026he said it was his birthday gift to little Adam who reminded him so much of his own dear son. Mr. Mason\u2019s son had tragically died in a fire when he was six years old. Adam\u2019s age. Ben shook his hand; Inger kissed the kind man\u2019s cheek and gave him a box of leftover cake. They said they would always remember his kindness. And they did.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back at the wagon, Adam showed his Pa the spot on the wall where he wanted his painting and Ben hung it up for him: right above his son\u2019s sleeping area. That night, Adam and Hoss curled up together as Inger read them a bedtime story, then in each other\u2019s embrace they fell asleep, right beneath the portrait of the two best friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~9~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 In no time, Spring somersaulted into Summer and Summer left behind her a memoir of happiness and love. Each day was a precious pearl that Adam and Hoss the hippo discovered together and together did they cherish her immeasurable wealth even as they sought to quench their thirst with the ambrosia of one of the most pure friendships that ever lived under the earth\u2019s bold blazing sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Ben would stop the wagon to rest the horses, Adam and Hoss took the opportunity to indulge in some play. One of their favorite games was \u201cHide-and-Seek\u201d. For hours, they played among the tall prairie grasses or among a scattering of young trees nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss would hide, crouching down low among the tall swaying grass and Adam would pretend he didn\u2019t know where he was as he crept forward\u2026but of course he always did. No matter how tall the grass was it was never tall enough to hide a giant hippopotamus crouching down amidst it. Then as Adam got closer, Hoss would excitedly bound out of the grass and rush toward Adam, taking care not to knock the young boy down, and Adam would laugh and giggle at his hippo\u2019s excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes Hoss would even choose a young sapling tree to hide his bulk behind. He was always so mystified too, how Adam always knew where Hoss was hiding. He couldn\u2019t figure it out. He didn\u2019t realize that a hippopotamus trying to hide behind a tree \u2013 not much thicker than one of Adam\u2019s shoes \u2013 was even more obvious. Adam would play the game though, pretending he didn\u2019t know where Hoss was hiding, then he would suddenly \u201cdiscover\u201d him and Hoss would leap out and together Adam and Hoss would laugh\u2026Such was the innocence of their play.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there was swimming\u2026Hoss, being a hippopotamus, loved the water and took every opportunity he could to indulge in a good long soak\u2026but Adam, since his near drowning in the Spring, was afraid of the water. But how he wished to join Hoss in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss would frolic in the water, then, half submerging himself, he would gurgle and blow bubbles underwater, trying to coax Adam to join him by showing him how much fun it was.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go in the water Adam? Hoss wants you to join him,\u201d Ben said to his young son as they stood on the bank, watching the giant hippo\u2019s antics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026\u201d Adam replied, unsure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing will happen to you. Not with Hoss here to watch over you. You do trust Hoss don\u2019t you,\u201d Ben reasoned and tried to reassure his son.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh yes, I trust Hoss!\u201d Adam said. \u201cHe\u2019s my best friend. We\u2019re like brothers, Hoss and I.\u201d Then after a few moments of thought, Adam started to remove his clothes to join Hoss in the water. He didn\u2019t want to show fear in front of his Pa, but even more importantly was that he didn\u2019t want Pa and Inger to doubt the love and trust that he shared with Hoss. So, Adam went in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

The friendly hippo approached Adam slowly and gently \u2013 he could sense his young friend\u2019s trepidation \u2013 then with his hand resting securely on Hoss\u2019 head, Adam followed him out into deeper water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inger had left the campsite and joined Ben on the riverbank as together they watched Adam\u2019s fear dissolve away as over the rest of the afternoon Hoss taught Adam how to swim.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so glad Adam has Hoss, not only as a playmate but to help him overcome his fear and teach him to swim,\u201d Inger said softly to Ben.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes\u2026now Adam can swim and he won\u2019t be in such danger of drowning,\u201d Ben replied, as the two continued to watch Adam and Hoss frolic in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n

~~10~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Soon, Summer\u2019s kaleidoscope of pleasures gave way under the soft-soled tread of approaching Autumn. The leaves fell in a disarray of burgundy and orange, antique gold and copper coins, they cushioned the ground as Autumn\u2019s gentle decay added her familiar spice and friendly bite to the air.<\/span><\/p>\n

The world was slowing down in preparation for Winter\u2019s repose\u2026while November undressed her charms even more it was at this time that Adam noticed a difference in Hoss, his hero hippo.<\/span><\/p>\n

He seemed to be slowing down too. Gone was the healthy glow of his earthy brown skin, the pink undertones failed to blush through like they used to, and his eyes didn\u2019t sparkle like the stars in the night sky anymore. Most disturbing was that Hoss didn\u2019t have that playful exuberance and curious vibrancy that was his signature trait – he would just lay around the wagon – or if Ben forced him outside, Hoss would just lie on the ground. He was no longer as interested playing with Adam in the falling leaves nor even splashing about in the river and make those delightful gurgling sounds as he blew bubbles under the water\u2019s surface.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh he still loved Adam as much as ever, none of the Cartwrights had any doubt about that. Whenever Adam tried to coax Hoss to get up, pleading with him to eat his sugar cookies or Inger\u2019s famous apple pie, Hoss gave Adam an affectionate lick on the cheek and then lay back down, looking up at Adam with sad eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with Hoss, Ma?\u201d Adam tearfully asked one night as another attempt to<\/span><\/p>\n

interest Hoss in a game of Hide-and-Seek failed. Adam was deeply concerned about his best friend hippo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you help him get better like you did with me when I was sick with that fever?\u201d Adam tearfully asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll try, Adam,\u201d Inger said with tears of her own pricking her eyes. Hoss had become such a part of the family and she hated to see the look of devastated heartbreak in Adam\u2019s soulful hazel eyes. She knew how close they had become and how it would just tear apart dear Adam\u2019s sensitive heart to lose Hoss. They had become inseparable this past year. They were more than best friends\u2026they were soulmates, like kismet brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n

While reading one of Adam\u2019s many books she had come across the word \u201ckismet\u201d and learned that it meant \u201cone\u2019s destiny.\u201d She thought it certainly applied to Adam and Hoss\u2026as if they were fated to be together.<\/span><\/p>\n

As promised, Inger did try to make Hoss well again. She made a broth with the same special herbs that she\u2019d used to treat Adam when he was sick with the fever last Winter. It took a lot of coaxing and cajoling to get Hoss to drink Inger\u2019s broth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Hoss\u2026try to drink the broth. Do it for me\u2026I love you so,\u201d Adam tearfully pleaded with his sick hippopotamus. \u201cI don\u2019t want to lose you,\u201d and with this heartrending plea, the six-year-old boy tearfully threw his little arms around his big friend, his tears dampening Hoss\u2019 skin. With a groan, Hoss forced his head up and licked Adam\u2019s flushed cheek, kissing away his tears. Then Hoss drank the broth. As soon as he was done, he laid his head back down, panting hard. The effort seemed to take a lot out of him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with him, Pa?\u201d Adam turned his tear-streaked face to his Pa standing beside him, concern deeply etched in his face. Ben remembered how concerned he was when Santa Claus had actually brought Adam his requested hippopotamus. Ben had watched the relationship between Hoss the hippo and his young son blossom like a beauteous flower this past year. Now it looked like that rare flower was withering away\u2026and Ben was still concerned. Though this time Ben was concerned about what it would do to Adam if Hoss should die.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, son\u2026Hoss was brought to you by Santa Claus and the power of faith\u2026and by Christmas magic. Maybe that magic has run its course,\u201d Ben said gently to his six-year-old boy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo! It can\u2019t be\u2026I won\u2019t let it,\u201d Adam said stubbornly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything has to die sometime, Adam. You have to accept it,\u201d Ben said, tears in his own eyes at his son\u2019s pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou said everything is possible with love. I won\u2019t let this be the end of Hoss!\u201d Adam ran outside of the wagon to find solace among the stars. Their celestial shine and sparkling immortality had always been a balm to young Adam\u2019s pain in the past. Even now their silent ministry didn\u2019t fail him in his time of needing comfort.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam looked up at the stars, a prayer on his trembling lips. He just realized that tonight was Thanksgiving. So consumed had he been with worry over Hoss that Thanksgiving could\u2019ve passed him by and he wouldn\u2019t even have noticed. In the past, his Pa would take him outside to look at the stars and Adam would make a Thanksgiving wish on a falling star. If none were visible, then on the brightest star seen. This year there was only one wish Adam wanted to make. He dug into the front pocket of his breeches and pulled out a star-shaped sugar cookie. He still carried sugar cookies in his pockets to feed to Hoss. But this one was whole, not yet broken like all the other sugar cookies he carried around in his pockets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam looked at the star-shaped sugar cookie in the palm of his hand. His vision was blurred with tears, then he blinked and his vision momentarily cleared\u2026except for one lonely heartbroken tear that had escaped the over-brimming shoreline of his eyes. It trickled down his cheek and splashed on the face of the sugar cookie.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, that little splash caused the sugar cookie to come to life. Adam\u2019s vision sparkled and blurred as if caught in a whirlwind of color. Adam blinked again to try to clear his vision, but what was happening was too real to be ignored. And it could not be dismissed with simple blinking.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sugar cookie really was a whirlwind of color, as it twirled and spiraled in the palm of his open hand. Its speed increased until it pulsated like a party of drunken fireflies, slowly rising, rising into the air faster and faster. It hung in the air, a breath of color and magic, while it stayed momentarily suspended above Adam\u2019s outstretched hand for a heartbeat\u2019s second. Then it shot upward into the night sky and gave off a final brilliant blinding flash of color and dancing light as it anchored itself in the heavens among the vast population of stars. Adam\u2019s last star-shaped sugar cookie had become a real star in the night, brought to life by the magic and love that was shed in that one single teardrop\u2026it was transformed with a simple splash\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

~~11~~<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 In the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve very little had changed, except for the ground now wearing a dusting of bridal white and frost laced intricate floral patterns over the tree limbs, changing the few leaves that still clung to their memory of life on the tree. Now the frost knitted over them a new beauty of rebirth as they became a part of Winter\u2019s bouquet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss the hippo still lingered on, not at all well but far from death too. He still looked up at Adam with sad eyes and would even rouse himself to nuzzle against Adam when he started to cry and lick away the six-year-old\u2019s tears. Through this, Adam persevered in his faith that somehow Hoss would make it through and be well again. Every night when Pa and Inger were asleep \u2013 and Hoss\u2019 slumbers were not as restless as they usually were now \u2013 little Adam would go outside and look up at the stars studding the night and think about that Thanksgiving night when the sugar cookie had come alive in his hand. When with a frenzy of color and light, it flew up into the night sky and became a star. Adam looked up at that sugar cookie star now, sparkling so brightly from its home in the heavens and wondered what it all meant.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the sun made his decline on Christmas Eve, dousing his fire with an iridescent splash in the approaching tides of night, Adam was outside, his eyes searching the canopy of stars, for what he wasn\u2019t sure. Oh, he could easily find his living sugar cookie star – it was the brightest star in the night sky, its radiance eclipsing all the others for miles around. Adam felt there must be something else for him to see, some tiny sparkle of magic that he could draw down and use to heal Hoss. After all, Christmas Eve was the night for miracles to happen. It was the night that Santa Claus had brought Adam his hippopotamus\u2026Hoss, his best friend, his brother\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam turned around at the sound of heavy footsteps coming up behind him. It was Hoss. He had roused himself from his place by the wagon with great difficulty, but Hoss knew he had to be with Adam this night. He knew nothing would be the same after this Christmas Eve. So, with lumbering unsteady steps \u2013 each one seemed to be heavier and more difficult than the last \u2013 Hoss made it to Adam\u2019s side, then collapsed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam cried as he bent down and threw his arms around his best friend. Then Adam pulled back and looked in the fathomless depths of Hoss\u2019 eyes. He looked deep and saw more than just his hippopotamus friend\u2026looking back at him Adam saw the grace of God, the face of love, he saw the other half of his soul. In that moment Adam knew that he and Hoss would be together forever\u2026somehow.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love you,\u201d Adam said as he kissed Hoss on the nose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then the silvery silence of this most magical of nights was interrupted by the sound of bells. The sound was some distance away, but they steadily grew louder and they definitely were the jingle of bells. Sleigh bells to be exact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam \u2013 and Hoss too \u2013 looked up. Adam\u2019s eyes grew wide at the sight of Santa\u2019s sleigh being pulled by eight prancing reindeer through the starry night\u2026but Hoss didn\u2019t look surprised. In fact, he looked like he had been expecting Santa to appear all along.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon the glistening virgin snow Santa landed his sleigh. The reindeer, full of spirit, threw back their heads as their hooves pawed at the ground as in a dance step.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHo ho ho! Hello, Adam,\u201d Santa said cheerfully as he jumped down from his sleigh. \u201cHello Ben. Inger.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam turned around to see that his Pa and Inger had come out of the wagon once they heard the sound of sleigh bells.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben rested his hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cSanta,\u201d Ben said, nodding in greeting. Inger just beamed her brightest smile. She was glowing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Santa! Thank-you so much for bringing Hoss, my hippopotamus, to me last Christmas. I love him so much,\u201d Adam cried. \u201cBut Hoss is sick. Can you help him get better? Please, Santa?\u201d Adam\u2019s voice quivered with emotion as he felt the tears burning to flow free again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this? Hoss is not well?\u201d Santa asked in his concerned and compassionate way as he went over to Hoss and laid his hand on the hippo\u2019s head. Hoss just gave a low groan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh Hoss, you poor dear,\u201d Santa said kindly to the sick hippo. \u201cHoss is not meant for this type of climate, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean? Then why did you bring him\u2026?\u201d Adam cried, confused.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss is no ordinary hippopotamus. He was created from the stardust of Christmas magic for a lonely little boy who needed a friend he wouldn\u2019t have to leave behind,\u201d Santa said kindly as he looked into Adam\u2019s eyes, glistening with unshed tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Adam said softly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Santa nodded and continued. \u201cHoss knew how much you needed a friend, how much you needed him. Hoss wanted to be that friend for you \u2013 for as long as he could. So you wouldn\u2019t be alone anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCan you make Hoss better again?\u201d Adam asked in a small voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss needs to go back to the North Pole with me so he can get better. He will be as good as new once Mrs. Claus gives him a mug of her magical peppermint cocoa.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Adam was glad that Hoss would be alright once he was at the North Pole again, he was still heartbroken to lose his friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Adam,\u201d Santa said as he put one finger under Adam\u2019s lowered chin, lifting up his face so the little boy was looking at him. \u201cYou won\u2019t be alone.\u201d Santa looked meaningfully at Inger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSanta is right, Adam,\u201d Inger said as she stepped forward, kneeled down to take her stepson in her arms. \u201cYour Pa and I were waiting for the right time to tell you\u2026I am with child, Adam. Next year you\u2019re going to have a brother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA brother?\u201d Adam said with a small smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I just know this baby I\u2019m carrying will be a boy, as strong and healthy as any boy who has ever lived. You will have a brother to add to our small family,\u201d Inger assured Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy to have a brother\u2026but I still love Hoss\u2026I still want to be with him,\u201d Adam said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy of course you do. And Adam, having a brother won\u2019t change the love you share with Hoss,\u201d Ben said as he kneeled down beside Inger. \u201cJust because a friend goes away doesn\u2019t mean that the friendship ends. The love you share with Hoss will go on forever. As long as you remember to look inside to that warm spot in your heart you and Hoss created together – Hoss will always be with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Adam,\u201d Santa said. \u201cRemember your sugar cookie star\u2026the stars are just portals from where our loved ones who are temporarily apart from us \u2013 either kept apart by death or in Hoss\u2019 case, by magic \u2013 can look down on their loved ones left behind on earth and through their starry portal they can always watch over them\u2026shining down their love on them. Your own sugar cookie star is the portal between you and Hoss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss the hippo nuzzled his head against Adam\u2019s for a few moments\u2026their souls seemed to touch in their intimate contact\u2026then with another affectionate kiss to Adam\u2019s cheek, Hoss climbed into the back of Santa\u2019s sleigh. Adam felt like he was watching half of his heart fly away\u2026but he knew that he had experienced something very rare and precious that very few people of any age are ever privileged to experience. Adam knew he would see his hippopotamus again\u2026meanwhile Hoss would be looking down on Adam through their sugar cookie star \u2013 their celestial portal of love and eternity.<\/span><\/p>\n

That night as Adam laid on his bedroll beneath the painted portrait of himself and Hoss the hippo, he allowed himself to be gently lulled to sleep by the kindling warmth of the love they shared and will always share.<\/span><\/p>\n

That Christmas Eve as he slept, Adam\u2019s dreams were filled with sugar cookie stars, a friendly hippopotamus with soulful eyes\u2026and the promise of a baby brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

~THE END~<\/span><\/p>\n

End Note: Recipe<\/p>\n

Inger\u2019s Birthday Cake for Adam<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chocolate Carrot Cake<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/u><\/p>\n

1 \u00bd cups all-purpose flour<\/p>\n

1\/3 cup cocoa powder<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon baking soda<\/p>\n

1 \u00bd teaspoons baking powder<\/p>\n

1 \u00bd teaspoons cinnamon<\/p>\n

\u00bc teaspoon nutmeg<\/p>\n

1\/8 teaspoon allspice<\/p>\n

\u00be cup walnuts, chopped<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<\/p>\n

1\/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut<\/p>\n

3 eggs<\/p>\n

\u00be cup packed brown sugar<\/p>\n

\u00be cup white sugar<\/p>\n

\u00be cup vegetable oil<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted<\/p>\n

3 cups grated carrots<\/p>\n

Mocha Icing:<\/u><\/p>\n

1 pkg. (250 g) cream cheese<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water<\/p>\n

2 cups icing sugar<\/p>\n

Directions:<\/u><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. In bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir in walnuts, coconut, and chocolate chips.<\/li>\n
  2. In large bowl, beat eggs; gradually blend in brown and white sugars. Add oil and melted chocolate. Stir in carrots.<\/li>\n
  3. Add flour mixture all at once. Mixing until evenly combined.<\/li>\n
  4. Grease 9×13 inch cake pan. Pour batter into pan, spread evenly throughout pan.<\/li>\n
  5. In 325 F preheated oven, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Let cool.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Mocha Icing:<\/u><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. In bowl, beat cream cheese until light; add melted chocolate and dissolved coffee. Gradually beat in icing sugar.<\/li>\n
    2. Cover and chill in fridge for 30 to 60 minutes or until spreadable. Spread over cooled cake.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      Summary:\u00a0 While on his journey out west with his Pa, five-year-old Adam asks Santa for a very special Christmas present.\u00a0 A\/N: Inspired by my favorite holiday song “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”.<\/p>\n

      Rating: G\u00a0 \u00a0Word Count: 9,397<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12441,"featured_media":46123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1016,4,30],"tags":[1098],"class_list":["post-46127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-pa","category-humor","category-prequels","tag-christmas","wpcat-1016-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-30-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":628,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Adam-and-the-Christmas-Hippo.jpg?fit=350%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9917,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=9917","url_meta":{"origin":46127,"position":0},"title":"Last Christmas (by Inca \/ aka Tye)","author":"Inca \/ Tye","date":"December 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"All these years he had been listening hard for the song of the stars only to be disappointed. But now... his soul was at peace as he accepted what would be.... Rating: K (760 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/WoF-37Edengirl.jpg?fit=768%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15570,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15570","url_meta":{"origin":46127,"position":1},"title":"Night of the Star (by faust)","author":"faust","date":"December 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"ry was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar - Day 5 Summary:\u00a0 Christmas invitations extend beyond the borders of the Ponderosa. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a02,800 words","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/00001_Advent1.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1281,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1281","url_meta":{"origin":46127,"position":2},"title":"A Child’s First Christmas (by KateP)","author":"KateP","date":"December 20, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Ben Recalls each of his sons' first Christmas Rated: K (620 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/G-1-DVS.jpg?fit=574%2C690&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/G-1-DVS.jpg?fit=574%2C690&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/G-1-DVS.jpg?fit=574%2C690&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45759,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=45759","url_meta":{"origin":46127,"position":3},"title":"Ponderosa Christmas (by Judy)","author":"Judy","date":"April 17, 2000","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 An afternoon spent preparing for Christmas Rating:\u00a0 PG\u00a0 (1,085 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19211,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=19211","url_meta":{"origin":46127,"position":4},"title":"Weather Vane aka Looking to Heaven (by BettyHT)","author":"BettyHT","date":"December 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Written for the 2018 Advent Calendar, based on the quilting prompt, Weather Vane. Grief, a misunderstood statement, and a heartfelt wish collide with unexpected consequences in this prequel. 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