Christmas gold

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: Christmas gold
Year: 1940
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Fulltext: Decemhe1·, 1940 THE YOUNG CITIZEN 453 READING TIME FOR YOUNG FOLKS CHRISTMAS GOLD A Story of Cliristmas Magic Tlie CJi,.istmrts Fairr /inti t11r11et! the we!J i11to sparkli119 gold. ONCE upon a time it was the night before Christmas, and the woman of the house had cleaned everything from top to bot- · tom, making ready for that fair day. There was not a fleck of dust in crack or cranny. There was no smudge of ashes on pot or pan. There was neither bat in the attic nor beetle in the storehouse nor mouse in the pantry. At midnight the Christmas Fairy was coming to bless the house, and there was not a thing anywhere that the good woman could scrub or mop or chase away. Except one! In the farthest corner of the big room where stood the Christmas. tree was a little spider, who had somehow escaped the good woman's broom and brush. "How clean and fine the room is tonight!" said the little spider to himself. "I don't believe I have ever seen it quite so fine before." Little did he know that he himself was the only thing amiss in all the house! "How glad I am to be here tonight!" continued the little spider. For a long time he hid in his corner without moving. Deeper and deeper grew the stillness of the house. "I must run about arid .see what I can see!" he exclaimed at last, and in a second he was stepping quickly over the floor · bn his long legs. The first thing he saw was the Christmas tree, standing beautiful and green and fragrant in the center of the room. "How lovely!" said the little spider, and in an instant he was halfway up the tree. · "How big it is!" he exclaimed, as he circled the great tree. "How wide its spreading branches! And how sweet its strange perfume! Its top points high toward heaven! And how beautiful is that great star!" Over the tree the Ii ttle spider ran, over every branch of it, missing ·not the tiniest tip of the tiniest twig on the tree. Then back to his corner he scurried, and was fast asleep in a minute. Alas and alack! When he had gone the big tree was covered from top to bottom with an ugly web of gray-a spider web. It was midnight, and into the house came the Christmas Fairy ·on her rosy feet. Her hands were like white lilies and her hair was yellow as honey. (Please turn to page 474.) 474 THE YOUNG CITIZEN December, 1940 CHRISTMAS GOLD PUPPET THEATER BOYHOOD CHRISTMAS (Continued from page 453) . (Continued froin page 471) (Continued from page 455) Into every room she In some scenes the entire 5. Why was the nar.rator went, blessing the house depth of the .stage is used; of this story lonely? with the Christmas blessing in others only half, or even 6. What was his "preas she went on her way. one-fourth. A forest scene. cious Christmas gift"·? At last she came to the consists, for example, of six 7. Did yo.:. like this great room where the little pieces of scenery: a back- story? Why? spider slept in the corner ground,· four wing pieces 8. Could the events of and where the big Christ- (two for each side); and this story occur in ·many mas tree stood covered with an open foreground. (Fig- different parts of the Philcommon cobwebs, a sorry ure 2) Two extra wings ippines? (The author states sight to see. add to the possibilities. that this is a true story.) She bfes.sed the picture. For the Christmas story 9. Does this story have of Jesus and His mother the background may show "human interest"? Mary, and the little shrine the_ interior of the s~able, 10 .. What. have you where prayers were said, while a manger and animals learned from this story? may be among the figures. and all the spotless room. The outdoor sGene may rep- place, we use wooden slats Last of all she blessed the resent a starry night with in which there are round Christmas tree, standing as shepherds and their sheep pegs at one end. These pegs a disgrace to all the house- in the background. The are set in holes bored in the hold in its gray cobwebs. scene of the wise men may wooden floor of the sr~ge. In the morning it was represent a starry back- The advantag~ of this arChristmas. The sunbeams ground with one large guid- rangement is that wings can sparkled and the Christmas ing star. The. ·wise men be turned diagonally, giving bells rang out clear and mounted on camels are better perspective, preventsweet. among the puppet figures. ing the audience from_peekIn the great room in the On the back upright ing in behind the scenes, good woman's house stood frame, on each side, a piece and also making it possible the Christmas tree, covered of zinc near the top is fast- to open stage doors and the from top to bottom in shin- ened and bent downward to like. ing gold. you s~e, the little hold the scene in place. At the bottom and top of spider had spun a web all (Figure I) Most of our each slat are pieces of zinc, over the Christmas tree, and backgrounds are on stiff similar to those on the back the Christmas fairy had cardboard, but some are of upright frame, one bent uppaper, with only strips of ward, the other downward. turned the web into spark- cardboard pasted back of These serve as clamps to ling gold. . . the two ends. By setting a hold the wings in place. It wa~ Christmas ~ag1c, lamp directly behind it, we (Figure3) The wings make the ~ag1c o~ the Christmas can create moonlight or sun- many things possible, like blessing which turns every- sets or early dawn. setting a house in the midthing into shining gold.- The wings of the puppet die of the woods, or creat.ddapted from "The In- theater are extremely im- ing optical illusions. structor." portant. To hold them in (Please turn to page 477.)