Adapted from Little Gretel and the Wooden Shoe by Elizabeth Harrison
View Original Version here
Once upon a time in a far away land, lived a little boy named Wolff. The name didn’t fit the boy at all, as he was as gentle as a lamb, a good-natured lad with a caring and generous spirit about him. But, both of his parents died unexpectedly when he was a toddler, and he was forced to go live with his evil Aunt May.
Evil Aunt May hadn’t always been evil. She used to be a fun-loving generous person herself. But after her husband died, her love of life did too, and she wore her misery in a wrap of bitterness and hatred. The last thing she wanted was to take in this young boy – how would she support him? He always pestered her with questions and more than once she had to yell at him about poking his nose in where it didn’t belong. One time she caught him with a quarter in his hand. He wanted to buy a piece of candy with it. “Give that to me,” she yelled. “That’s money to go in the bank. How do you think I feed you?”
The truth was she had money. The problem was she never felt she had enough. She was quite wealthy compared to most people in that day, but she would hear none of it. She was a stingy mean old miser who wouldn’t spend a dime if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. And necessary had to fit a her definition.
The one luxury that she allowed Wolff was to go to a private school. Even that, wasn’t for his benefit or because he deserved it. She just wanted to ensure that she wouldn’t have to support him forever, so she wanted to make sure he could get a job, even better if he could get a wealthy benefactor to take notice of him and take him off her hands for good.
So, little boy Wolff, excited and terrified about starting at this new school, wondered what it would be like. Would the other kids like him? Would he make friends? He heard rumors of sports – maybe they would let him play. He had always been forbidden before, but maybe now. Maybe.
On his first day of school, his excitement turned to embarrassment as he saw all of his classmates in new clothes. He stood out something awful in his old rags. But Aunt May wouldn’t buy him any new clothes. She would hear none of it. She said she was already investing too much money in him. His classmates stared at him something odd, like he really didn’t fit in. But young Wolff smiled anyway and decided they would probably warm up to him. They never did, but young Wolff never stopped trying.
Now way back then, children didn’t hang stockings at Christmas. Instead they put out their shoes, in hopes that Santa would fill them with goodies. This year, young Wolff was hoping that Santa would give him a new scarf. His had holes in it and had unraveled. His ears froze on the walk to school and the wind sent chills down his spine. A new scarf, maybe Santa would bring him one. One particularly cold day, he was feeling brave and asked Aunt May. “A scarf? Do you know how much a scarf costs? Do you know how much money I have already spent taking care of you all these years. And how much did your parents leave for your care? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. So what do I have for you? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, you selfish child.”
Young Wolff hadn’t meant to upset her. He felt bad for the trouble he caused. But maybe Santa would bring him a scarf and his ears could be warm.
As the Christmas season approached, the schoolmeister announced a field trip. The class would walk to the nearby church for a special Christmas service. Young Wolff was so excited – he could hardly wait to hear the Christmas music and see the nativity scene. He had never been to a Christmas service before. Aunt May didn’t want anything to do with church or God or Christmas or any of it.
As the time came for the service, the boys all lined up and had on their big coats and warm scarves and gloves. They were bundled from head to toe for the walk to the church. Young Wolff had on his same clothes and the coat he outgrew two years ago, the unraveling scarf that didn’t do its job and no gloves. He knew he was going to be cold, but it’s all he had. It didn’t matter though to him. Nothing could dampen his joy at getting to go, not Aunt May, not the boys in his class, not anyone.
The music was even more beautiful than he had imagined it. And the story of Jesus’ birth, it mesmerized the young Wolff. He couldn’t stop thinking about this young baby in a manger and how cold he must have been. “Was this baby really God?” As they left the church, they stopped by the nativity. And here the story came even more to life.
His daydreams came to a quick halt when he heard his classmates laughing and turned to see what was going on. He saw them teasing a young boy, not more than 5, that was out alone in the cold. It didn’t take long to see this boy was far from home and had no food, no money, no clothes. Feeling sorry for the boy, he told his classmates to leave him alone. He smiled and the boy smiled back. A friendly face. But the boy had to be cold. Young Wolff took off his coat and gave it to the boy. He knew Aunt May would be furious, but he couldn’t leave him like that. Maybe Santa would bring him a scarf too, maybe. But wait, he doesn’t have a shoe to put out. “How can Santa give him a scarf without a shoe?” So young Wolff took off his right shoe, too. He just had to give it to the boy. That way, Santa could bring him good gifts too, and he needed it more than I did, said Wolff.
Wolff walked back home, hobbling on one foot, shivering without a good scarf and now without a coat. Aunt May saw him out the window and opened the door quick. “What have you done, stupid boy? Where is your coat and where is your shoe? Get in here by the fire before you die and I have to pay for your funeral too.” Young Wolff was so grateful to warm himself by the fire he didn’t mind the yelling. And he couldn’t lie. He told Aunt May the truth and prepared to take his beating. And it surely came. He cried himself to sleep that night with bruises on his backside and in his heart.
At least he had remembered to set out the shoe. Santa was probably mad at him too, but he had to take a chance. Surprisingly Aunt May left it out too. She had told him Santa would come and fill it with coal.
The next morning, though, the bitterness of the night dampened by a good night’s sleep, the boy got up and snuck downstairs, anxious to see if Santa had answered his request. He could hardly believe his eyes – there by the fireplace were both of his shoes, a new warm coat and a scarf and some candy too. There were gifts all around, more than he had ever seen, some gloves and some marbles and several other games.
Aunt May got up, hearing the commotion, and wondered out front. She stood there confused by the gifts galore. “What on earth? Who paid for all this?” Young Wolff exclaimed – It’s from Santa. I knew he would come through.
As they wondered to town, they heard rumors all around, of boys who had nothing in their shoes but coal or sand.
They wondered back to the church where young Wolff had been the night before. The priest was out front and asked him what he had found. “You won’t believe it, sir, Santa brought me all these gifts – a coat and a scarf and candy, going down the list.” This is the best Christmas ever.
The priest winked and said, “You know my child, I saw you last night, give all you had. I saw you reach out and love in way not many do. Your classmates only laughed but you saw and you cared. You gave a smile, a coat and much more. The gifts you found are not from Santa, dear one, they are gifts from the One you reached out and touched. They are gifts not from Santa for those who are good, they are the good gifts from the One sent to love from above.”
I first shared this version of this Christmas story at Baylor Orator Toastmasters as part of the advanced manual on storytelling. For more information on Toastmasters, visit the Baylor Orators website.
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