may

As soon as daylight came, Alphy and Edmond were awake. They hastily made their way downstairs. Josephine heard them and followed.

The children’s eyes lit up when they reached their socks. Josephine found a porcelain doll inside hers. Alphy and Edmond each had a pair of moccasins. Alphy caressed them with his hand— they were as soft as a bunny’s ear. Then he smelled them... they smelled like leather. Alphy put the moccasins on his feet. Each of the children had also received an orange in their sock- just like the oranges they had eaten at Grandmere Doucette’s, except better. Grandmere Doucette had got her oranges in Tignish, but these came from the North Pole!

Josephine cradled her doll. She had never seen anything so beautiful. Alphy and Edmond were so delighted with their moccasins they almost forgot to check out their father’s sock. Suddenly they remembered, and dashed towards that sock at the same time. They both reached for it, tumbling into each other. There was something bulging‘out of the sock. It must be an awful big orange.

Alphy grabbed the top of the sock as Edmond pulled on the toe of it. The contents tumbled to the floor. It was only a turnip. But Santa hadn’t forgotten anyone. It was the best Christmas ever!

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