The Gingerbread Man's Night Before Christmas (To Be An Ornament)
(For Skalya , and yes you can have gingerbread men as ornaments. I know I do :3)
Long ago, on the coldest Christmas, a gingerbread man stood on the Christmas tree. He had chocolate chip buttons, frosting around his hands and legs like bracelets, a green bow tie, white eyes and a white smiling mouth, made of frosting.
Mrs. Sylvestor thought it would've been a good idea to hang the gingerbread man on the tree, since her daughter, Erica, didn't want it to be eaten. So, Mrs. Sylvestor gently poked a hole in the gingerbread's forehead with a sewing pin all the way through, thread also being pulled through the hole. She tied the thread around a loop and tightened it so it wouldn't loosen, and hung the bigger loop onto a tree branch.
"Mummy, no!" Erica gasped, snatching the cookie from the branch. "What if daddy eats him?"
"I'll tell him not to. Now hang it on the tree, and I'll tell you a story before we go to bed. How does that sound?" Mrs. Sylvestor replied firmly. Erica nodded her head happily, and rushed to the Christmas tree. Instead of hanging the gingerbread man, she let it stand on a branch. "Goodnight now. Remember to hide from Santa when he comes."
As little Erica rushed out of the room and into the hallway, the gingerbread man sighed with relief. He thought that Erica would eat him this time, but surely not. So, he waited for the candles of the chandelier above to burn out, leaving the fireplace to light up the room.
Time passed and nothing stirred but the fireplace. The gingerbread thought it would just be another Christmas with the Sylvestor family, watching Erica open her presents every year. Why can't I ever celebrate Christmas? The gingerbread man thought.
All of a sudden, the living room window creaked open, though the winter night was nearly breezeless. The coolness entered the Sylvestors' house, and a single sparkling snowflake glided with the thinnest breeze. It floated closer and closer to the gingerbread man. Finally, it gave up, landing on his forehead.
The icy speck of frost startled the gingerbread man. Ah! Brain freeze... He cooled off as the snowflake melted, and was absorbed by his gingerbread head. But suddenly, a tingly feeling ran though the gingerbread's body, and before he could get ahold of himself, he had moved his arm on his own.
My arm! Dismay clouded in the gingerbread man's eyes. He let his arm move again, and soon started moving his legs. He could move! The gingerbread Christmas ornament could move!
The gingerbread pulled himself up, balancing on the Christmas tree's branches. He jumped down from branch to branch freely, and landed on the wooden floor. He attempted to run, but fell over. Ow, he thought. I'll have to learn how to do that if I want to get around. So, he waddled towards the kitchen doorway.
As he finally reached the doorway, he nervously stepped into the kitchen. Is Mrs. Sylvestor here?
The gingerbread man stepped in, but before he had the nerve to take another, a shout from outside made him jump. It was loud enough that he could here the exact words.
"Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer, and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner, and Blitzen!" The gingerbread man heard it with a shudder. That's Mr. Claus! I need to hide before he eats me! He thought.
So, the gingerbread man waddled as fast as he could to the corner of the kitchen, where he could hide under the cupboards. As soon as he hid, the sound of hooves echoed on the roof. Footsteps trailed to the corner of the living room, where the fireplace was. It was Santa, heading for the chimney.
Santa won't be able to get down here, the fireplace is still running! The gingerbread man cheered. But not for long, because he could no longer hear the crackling fire. All he could he was Santa's sack landing on the fireplace. And soon, Santa fell too.
Santa's footsteps lead to the Christmas tree first, where he put down Erica's present. Then, he entered the kitchen where he saw the cookies. But before taking a cookie from the plate that Erica left for him, he put his hand in the sack, and took out a Christmas tree shortbread cookie. He crouched and gave it to the frightened gingerbread man below. He's going to eat me! He thought.
"Ho, no I'm not." Santa whispered. The gingerbread man was shocked that Santa could hear his thoughts. Slowly, he took the Christmas tree cookie. My own Christmas tree! Thank you, sir!
"Ho ho ho, merry Christmas!" Santa got up, and headed back up the chimney. As the gingerbread man happily danced back to the Christmas tree, he heard Santa's words before leaving the town. "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight! Ho ho ho!"
The gingerbread man held his Christmas tree cookie. Now I can have my own Christmas!
•
"And that is what happened that Christmas." Grandma told me. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out an old, gingerbread ornament. The decorations were replaced, and only glue kept it in one piece. She handed it to me with a smile on her face. "I've kept this gingerbread man for years, and I think it's time that I give it to you. Merry Christmas, Aria."
(The end.)
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