{"id":46771,"date":"2023-12-14T20:11:48","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T01:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46771"},"modified":"2026-07-29T12:47:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:47:55","slug":"how-adam-saved-christmas-by-patina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46771","title":{"rendered":"How Adam Saved Christmas (by Patina)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bonanza
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar ~*~*~
\n* Day 14 *<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Summary: Adam tells no ordinary bedtime story on Christmas Eve.
\nRating:\u00a0 G
\nWords:\u00a0 2,380<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

How Adam Saved Christmas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adam sat in the\u00a0faded\u00a0blue chair near the fireplace, soaking up the warmth from family and the dancing flames. \u00a0After a decade away from the Ponderosa, much of it spent on the sea, he relished the safe harbor of\u00a0his father and brother.<\/p>\n

Joe and Jamie weren\u2019t yet back from delivering presents to the orphanage in Virginia City. Hoss, recently widowed, and his\u00a0son, Franklin,\u00a0had taken up residence in the ranch house.<\/p>\n

Franklin,\u00a0at\u00a0five\u00a0years old, was up far past his bedtime. He\u00a0sat on Adam\u2019s knee with his head resting against his uncle\u2019s chest.\u00a0He\u2019d only heard stories about the uncle on whose lap he sat. \u00a0His uncle didn\u2019t smell of horses and cattle like his pa and grandpa, but of a salty tang and other smells he didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

Ben inhaled deeply as he tapped the\u00a0dottle\u00a0from his pipe. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s time a little boy got to bed if he expects Santa to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I want a story,\u201d said Franklin.<\/p>\n

Hoss stood up and stretched his arms wide. \u00a0\u201cWell come on, young\u2019un. \u00a0I\u2019ll get you tucked in . . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0want a story from\u00a0Uncle Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam had no choice but to\u00a0stand\u00a0when Franklin leapt from his lap and held tight to Adam\u2019s work-roughened hand, the boy pulling like a calf at the end of a rope.\u00a0\u00a0The man shrugged a shoulder at his brother and followed his nephew up the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell no whoppers, Adam,\u201d\u00a0said Hoss to his brother\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of story do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d said Franklin as pulled his nightshirt over his head then plopped down on the bed and scooched to rest his head on a pillow. \u201cPa and Grandpa say you gave up cattle for a different kind of stubborn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled as he tucked the quilts under Franklin\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like\u00a0your grandpa, I\u2019m\u00a0the son that went to sea but gave it up for ranching.\u00a0A ship and a herd have to be steered in the direction you want to go and the sea, like the land, tosses obstacles in the way.\u201d He tapped the quilt over his nephew\u2019s chest. \u00a0\u201cOn\u00a0land it might be a rockslide and on the sea a tidal wave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin smiled then his expression turned serious. His eyebrows drew together in puzzlement.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes Santa bring presents to ships?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow does\u00a0he\u00a0find a ship?\u00a0How does\u00a0he\u00a0deliver presents\u00a0since there\u00a0ain\u2019t\u00a0no chimney?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam chuckled\u00a0as he turned the lantern key to dim the light. \u00a0\u201cNot so many questions at once.\u201d \u00a0The bed creaked as he sat down on the mattress at the foot of the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral years back\u00a0I sailed\u00a0the trade route between Boston and the Netherlands\u00a0on the\u00a0Gliding Pelican.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat don\u2019t sound like a good ship name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you seen a pelican?\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin\u00a0shook his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cPelicans\u00a0look ungainly on land but\u00a0at sea\u00a0they\u2019re magnificent as they ride the winds and float above the waves.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, the deck is rarely empty aboard ship as men have to work the sails and scan the seas for enemy\u00a0vessels\u00a0or signs of brewing storms.\u00a0Santa\u2019s sleigh wouldn\u2019t go unnoticed by a crew scanning ocean and sky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he have to use a disguise?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would seem the logical solution, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even in the dim light, Adam could see the disappointment on his nephew\u2019s face at the boringness of his story. \u00a0Adam inhaled deeply as his\u00a0adjusted position to move a bent leg onto the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne voyage, at Christmas time,\u00a0headed for Boston, the Pelican sprinted\u00a0across the waves\u00a0under the light cast by the full moon. Men daydreamed of feasting with their families on stuffed turkeys or drinking mulled wine in a tavern with a wench upon each knee.\u00a0But a\u00a0sound carried upon the wind different than the usual creak of timbers and ropes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe jingle of sleigh bells.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Oi! \u00a0Up yonder!\u2019\u00a0yelled\u00a0Three-Fingered Bob.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u00a0turned\u00a0our\u00a0attention\u00a0skyward.\u00a0\u00a0Three-Fingered\u00a0Bob\u00a0handed me the spyglass and I made out a shadow\u00a0in the\u00a0moonlight\u00a0–\u00a0eight reindeer and a sleigh!<\/p>\n

\u201cThe crew jumped and waved, hoping to attract Santa\u2019s attention. \u00a0Every sailor is eager for a token that reminds him of dry land and home.
\n\u201cAt first\u00a0I thought\u00a0the men\u2019s exuberance caused the ship to list from side to side. \u00a0But no! \u00a0The\u00a0Pelican\u00a0rocked amid swelling and crashing waves.\u201d Adam raised his hands and wiggled his fingers.\u00a0\u201cTo our horror, a terrible beast arose from the frothing ocean. \u00a0It was a kraken! \u00a0A gigantic monster with eight tentacles and eyes larger than wagon wheels. \u00a0Tales told by sailors in pubs and saloons were often considered just that –\u00a0stories that had no basis in fact. \u00a0But here I was, confronted with\u00a0a\u00a0monster larger than a mountain! \u00a0Two of the kraken\u2019s tentacles waved about while the rest remained beneath the churning water, presumably treading water to keep the creature at the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kraken grabbed Santa\u2019s sleigh with one of its tentacles and the reindeer struggled\u00a0with all of their might\u00a0against\u00a0the beast\u2019s pull. \u00a0The jolly old man himself held tight to the reins but he was bouncing out of the sleigh.\u00a0\u00a0I had to prod men frozen at the sight into action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin clenched the edge of the quilt in his small hands.\u00a0\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Prime the starboard cannons\u00a0and aim true!\u2019\u201d I yelled, forcing the men into action. \u00a0\u201cShoes and bare feet slapped against the stairs leading down to the deck upon which the cannons were located.<\/p>\n

\u201cI drew my sword and yelled to the beast to turn its attention from Santa. I was but a puny figure waving a piece of metal\u00a0the size of a toothpick compared to the\u00a0creature\u00a0before me. Its arms were\u00a0as big around as the trunks of a full-grown pine tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin gasped and whispered,\u00a0\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy diversion worked, but not as planned. The kraken held tight to the sleigh but reached another tentacle for me. I slashed my sword as hard as I could but it\u00a0slid across the beast\u2019s\u00a0slimy arm.\u00a0The monster\u00a0pushed me into the mast and\u00a0bright lights swirled before\u00a0my eyes\u00a0as\u00a0I staggered on the deck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam leaned forward as he tapped his head. \u00a0\u201cGood thing it\u2019s made of granite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin giggled through a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite seeing double,\u00a0I raised my sword, preparing to slash again when\u00a0the deck rolled from the cannon blasts. The\u00a0Pelican heaved\u00a0as fire and smoke billowed from the ports. I feared sliding into the mast again but\u00a0fortunately\u00a0stumbled against a couple of water barrels lashed together and\u00a0I\u00a0grabbed tight to the rope. \u00a0The cannons fired again, but the balls merely bounced off the mammoth kraken, annoying it mightily.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the men reloaded and primed the cannons, a slimy arm descended on me, blocking out the moonlight. It encircled me and I found myself pulled away from my refuge at the water barrels. The rope I held to dug into my fingers and I feared it would slice through. I let go and in moments I was\u00a0lifted so high I thought I could perhaps touch the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin\u2019s mouth formed an\u00a0\u201co\u201d\u00a0as he imagined a great beast holding his uncle up in the sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cannons fired again and I felt a ball whoosh past my shoulder as it bounced off the beast. From my vantage I saw the reindeer straining to pull the sleigh from the monster\u2019s grip. If only there was a way to distract the\u00a0kraken.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u00a0hollered down to the ship.\u00a0\u2019Cease fire! You might hit Santa!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cannons went silent. \u00a0I dared a look down and saw\u00a0the men, small as ants,\u00a0swarming onto the deck.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reindeer were tiring and the battle for the sleigh would soon be over if nothing were done.\u00a0Santa bled\u00a0from a gash on his head, likely from colliding with the sleigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn a pass by the sleigh,\u00a0as I\u00a0was thrashed around, I yelled, \u2018A gift?\u00a0Do you perhaps have a gift for the kraken?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta, his blood-streaked face looking peaked, said, \u2018I plumb near forgot!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did he sound like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tilted his head to the side, as if he were a bird studying a worm. \u201cRather ordinary, really. \u00a0Not at all what I\u2019d expected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin\u00a0merely\u00a0nodded, as if that made perfect sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kraken shook the sleigh\u00a0to and fro\u00a0again, throwing Santa\u00a0into the air. \u00a0He lost his grip on the reins, which now thrashed about like snakes.\u00a0Santa\u00a0managed to grab a reindeer\u2019s harness with one hand.\u00a0Tiring\u00a0from their struggle against the kraken, I feared\u00a0the\u00a0reindeer would\u00a0fall into the sea if they broke free from the sleigh, losing all of the toys to be delivered to children around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy gasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cThough\u00a0on the verge of near exhaustion,\u00a0Santa\u00a0managed\u00a0to grab hold of a passing rein,\u00a0which he wrapped around his arm.\u00a0He leapt\u00a0in a flying arc, landing\u00a0hard on the seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI passed by the rear of the sleigh as the kraken swung me\u00a0\u2018round again. \u00a0It was then I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a doll\u2019s head,\u00a0but it was the size of a small boulder. Perhaps, I thought, I could stretch far enough to grab onto the sleigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cScreams of terror below\u00a0drew my attention. \u00a0I looked down to see the\u00a0Pelican, toy-like in the kraken\u2019s grip,\u00a0rising\u00a0into the air. Men rolled upon the deck and grabbed for anyone or anything to spare them falling into the roiling sea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin\u2019s\u00a0eyes grew wide as saucers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI managed to grab the doll\u2019s hair on a pass by the sleigh\u00a0but couldn\u2019t\u00a0keep my hold for I feared\u00a0being cleaved in two. My momentum\u00a0did manage to pull the doll\u00a0partway out of the sack before I was again over\u00a0the frothy waves.\u00a0I saw the jolly old man turn \u2018round in the sleigh and dig\u00a0the doll out of the sack of\u00a0toys as the kraken continued shaking the entire apparatus.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy squeaked in surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, the\u00a0monster\u00a0made just that sound at what unfolded next.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kraken took an interest in the doll emerging from the sack. \u00a0The\u00a0beast\u00a0momentarily stopped shaking men and\u00a0reindeer, giving us all a moment for our brains to settle within our heads. \u00a0It snaked a tentacle around the doll and pulled it forth, bringing it level with its eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u00a0doll was no ordinary toy with a porcelain or cornhusk head and a flouncy dress.\u00a0I\u2019d guess it was about seven feet tall with\u00a0arms and legs made of coral\u00a0and seaweed for hair.\u00a0A lobster, a lock of hair in its pincers,\u00a0served as a hair comb. \u00a0The doll\u2019s\u00a0dress\u00a0was\u00a0composed of shells and barnacles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing skepticism on the boy\u2019s face, Adam realized he was on the verge of losing his credibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe monster reached forth another\u00a0tentacle,\u00a0touched the doll\u00a0and\u00a0then drew back, as if it didn\u2019t believe\u00a0it\u00a0real. \u00a0I didn\u2019t think the kraken capable of emotion\u00a0but I saw a large, glistening tear form in the corner of its eye as it delicately stroked the doll\u2019s hair and made cooing-like noises. \u00a0I shielded my face as best as I could as the tear fell and I expected to plummet\u00a0into the\u00a0churning\u00a0sea\u00a0in the ensuing waterfall but I remained\u00a0firmly held\u00a0in the kraken\u2019s grip.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wiped my face with my sleeve and looked up at Santa, his face radiating a cheery glow as the kraken pulled the doll against its blobby body in a hug.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Christmas is the season of magic,\u2019\u00a0said Santa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kraken freed Santa and then\u00a0sank\u00a0into the sea\u00a0with its newfound companion.\u00a0The Pelican, back where it belonged, rocked in the gentle waves.\u00a0I feared\u00a0going under and\u00a0drowning but\u00a0the beast\u00a0set me back\u00a0upon the Pelican\u2019s deck\u00a0as gently as you please before disappearing into the murky depths.\u00a0A few bubbles remained at the surface and then the sea was smooth as glass.<\/p>\n

\u201cJingling bells caught our ears and we cleared out to the rails to make room as the reindeer landed on deck. The cook ran down to the galley and was back in a flash with bottles\u00a0of\u00a0whiskey that\u00a0I\u2019d smuggled aboard to celebrate the end of our voyage in Boston. Surviving our encounter with the kraken was more than enough reason to break out the good stuff. \u00a0Santa drank first, and deeply, then he passed the bottle to me. I raised it and said, \u201cGlad tidings and good cheer to all!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA celebration broke out with the men cheering and dancing to shanties played on the harmonica.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam saw his nephew losing interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were so preoccupied we hadn\u2019t realized the reindeer took flight until a\u00a0sack thudded against the deck. \u00a0\u2018Ho,\u00a0Ho,\u00a0Ho!\u2019 faded\u00a0in our ears as Santa and his team, silhouetted against the full moon,\u00a0continued their journey around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was in the sack?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe things\u00a0each of us had\u00a0wished and longed for\u00a0on our voyage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam dug into his pocket and drew forth a jackknife with an ivory handle. \u00a0He held it forth and Franklin took it. \u00a0The boy traced the carved pelican on the handle.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta\u00a0brung\u00a0you this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin yawned and Adam\u00a0took it as an opportunity to send the boy off to the land of dreams. He\u00a0took the knife back from his nephew then\u00a0smoothed the curls back from the boy\u2019s forehead and placed a gentle\u00a0kiss\u00a0upon it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam turned out the light and tread lightly into the hall, closing the door behind him. \u00a0He startled as\u00a0Hoss\u00a0poked his head\u00a0out of a bedroom. \u00a0At a motion from his brother, Adam\u00a0stopped at the doorway and leaned into the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll be on the naughty\u00a0list for\u00a0tellin\u2019 such tales,\u201d\u00a0Hoss whispered.<\/p>\n

Adam winked at his brother before padding downstairs for a nightcap and\u00a0the swapping of\u00a0sea tales with his father.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

My Prompt:\u00a0 “The Son that Went to Sea” from Christmas at Sea<\/a> by Robert Louis Stevenson
\nMy character: Adam<\/p>\n

Link to Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar – Day 15 – On the Way West<\/a> by wx4rmk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: Adam tells\u00a0no ordinary bedtime story on Christmas\u00a0Eve
\nRating:\u00a0 G
\nWords:\u00a0 2,380
\nWritten for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"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":[2,1005,7],"tags":[1062],"class_list":["post-46771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actionadventure","category-adam-cartwright","category-a-u","tag-advent-calendar","wpcat-2-id","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-7-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\/46771","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\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46771\/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=46771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}