"Charlie, you'll wake up Cara!"

The woman scolds me for the hundredth time today. Am I barking too loud? Am I running too much? Whatever it is she keeps looking at me with a stern face. Maybe I should just lie in bed. But I can't! The tree is back! I love this tree! I want to bark and run around it! I want to play with the tiny dogs in the balls!

"Shh, Charlie!"

The baby starts crying. My tail droops and I hang my head. The woman hurries out of the room and I'm left alone. I want to follow but maybe I'll make things worse. I sniff the boxes on the floor. They're filled with the balls and lights. There are some boxes under the tree too. But they're covered in shiny paper and ribbons. Maybe there are shiny balls in the boxes too! Maybe the woman can't get to them! 

I'll get them for her! 

I grab the ribbon with my teeth and pull the box out. I tear and rip and shred through the paper and spit it out on the floor. I wonder if I can eat this stuff. This is so much fun! The woman will be so proud of me for helping! After tearing the paper off I chew on the box underneath. I must get it open! Yes! It's open! I pull out some kind of human clothing. There aren't any balls or lights at all!

Perhaps they're in the second box. 

I pull it out by the ribbon and chew and tear and rip and shred! More paper! More shiny paper everywhere! What fun! Another box! I'll rip and chew it open! There we go! Now there's sure to be something in here! I can't pull it out! I reach in with my snout and something sprays me! It burns! It stings! I can't see, I'm blind! I paw at my face and whine. It gets in my mouth and I gag. I don't want anything to do with that box. 

I blink a few times and it still hurts. I have to find the balls! I grab a third box and rip it open. I'm tempted to play in the paper but I must focus. I brace myself this time and pull out a toy. A toy!! A toy for me! I grab it between my teeth and shake it! Yes, this is now my toy! I'll rip it apart! It's my destiny! 

I almost forget about the fourth box. I don't want to leave my toy but I'm on a mission. I grab the last box under the tree and rip it to shreds. The carpet looks fantastic with all the shiny paper and ribbons. Inside is another toy!!! Two whole toys for me!!! This is the best day ever!! 

I forget all about my mission and play with my new things! I jump and run and throw the paper around! One toy is soft in my mouth and the other feels like rope. And they're mine! They're all mine! 

"CHARLIE!!"

I stop playing and turn around. The woman stands there staring at me. She looks horrified. The baby is still crying in her arms. I stand there and my tail is frozen. I don't wag it. The woman walks over all the papers and ribbons and picks up the clothing from the floor. 

"Charlie, what have you done?"

I let the toys drop out of my mouth. The baby is very loud. I limp away as the woman starts picking things up. The toys are wet with my drool. She does her best to carry everything, leaving the paper for later. She picks up the wretched box with the fancy spray that hurt my eyes and sets everything on the couch and sits down. The baby is all red and wet. 

The front door opens and the man walks in. He's home!! I run to greet him!

"Jesus, I hear ya' Cara!"

"Malcolm, can you come here a minute?"

I follow the man to the room with the paper and ribbons. "What the hell happened in here?"

"Charlie found the Christmas presents." She's holding the chewed up and slobbery toys. I hang my head and avoid the man's eyes. I should probably be going now. 

"He did all this?"

"First he woke up Cara and when my back was turned he went and did this." I hide under the table. I know I'm in big trouble. I've done something wrong. I'm a bad dog. 

"Are the presents okay?"

"The toys are chewed on but our stuff is fine."

"Hope Cara doesn't mind a bit of dog slobber."

I don't want to come out from under the table. The baby is way too loud and my owners are way too upset. The man starts cleaning up the paper while the woman talks to the baby. This is what happens when I try to help. I only make things worse.

**********

The baby coos while she holds her new toy. The man and woman are sitting on the couch drinking something with bubbles in it. I lie on the floor out of their way. They don't want anything to do with me anymore. I've been banished from the pack. They'll give me away in a second. I sigh and glance at my untouched food. I don't deserve to eat. 

"Doesn't Charlie want his toy?"

"He did until I caught him."

I hear my name. I hear the man whistle. I don't want to get up. 

"Charlie, come here!"

I keep hiding. The man comes and finds me. He picks me up off the floor and suddenly I'm on the couch with them. They give me pets and scratches. I don't understand. I ruined their day! How can they pet me? The man holds out the piece of rope.

"Ya' want this?" I sniff it. I don't take it. He sets it on the couch and I jump down. I'm not in the mood to play. "Poor guy feels bad."

"We'll give him a minute. Maybe he'll cheer up tomorrow."

"Cara likes her present. Ya' taste any dog spit, little love?" I hear the baby squealing. She can keep my owners entertained. I just want to be by myself. They'll be happier that way. "Merry Christmas, Linda."

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Charlie!"

I wag my tail just a little bit when the man says my name.