Too Much Christmas - Author Proof Nov20A

Too Much Christmas

Written by Sara McDaris Illustrated by Paul Rufe

Intentionally Blank Page The notation is removed when printed

Too Much Christmas

Written by Sara McDaris Illustrated by Paul Rufe

Too Much Christmas. Copyright 2023 by Sara W. McDaris.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.

Illustrations by Paul Rufe Book Design by Scott Seeley First Edition, 2023 ISBN 000-0-00-000000-0 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

[1. Juvenile fiction 2. Christmas 3. Saint Francis of Assisi 4. Crèches 5.

Nativity 6. Mother and son 7.Bird feeding] Cover credit: Tamara B. Stuart Music score credits: Mouse Rounds Lyrics: Sara McDaris Music Composition: Holland Hopson The Friendly Beasts Lyrics: Robert Davis Music Composition: Pierre De Corbeil (D. 1222) The Friendly Beasts Combined with the Friendly Mouse Lyrics: Robert Davis, Sara McDaris Music Composition: Pierre De Corbeil (D. 1222) Arranged by Holland Hopson and Sara McDaris

In loving memory of my parents Gertrude Kile Wattenbarger and Ernest Cady Wattenbargar

“I don’t want to wait anymore, Mama. I don’t want to sing tonight. And that old Christmas tree is sticky.

We’re never going to open those presents.”

Joey and his mother were rounding the house, going to the bird feeders to fill them.

“Oh Joey,” said his mother. “it does seem like Christmas has been here a long time.

But you’ll sing with the children tonight and we will open the presents in four more days. That’s when we will celebrate the Baby. And Santa will come.”

‘I don’t want to go,” declared Joseph.

“I thought you liked those songs.” Mother reached for the ladder so Joey could climb up.

“I know you like Jingle Bells and Deck the Hall. Your favorite is ‘Jesus our brother, kind and good, was humbly born in a stable rude. And the friendly beasts around him stood Jesus our brother, kind and good.’”

As she sang, Joey pulled off the lid of the garbage can where they kept the sunflower seed. Mother picked up the quart jar inside and filled it while Joey climbed the ladder. He lifted the lid of the feeder and she began pouring in the sunflower seed.

“I like them, Mama.” He thought a moment. “But I have sung them enough. I want to sing something else.”

“Will you please open the other can?” Joe came down and pulled off the lid.

“Look Mama, there’s something in the jar!”

“Oh, it’s a little mouse,” she cried.

“How did it get in, Mama?”

“I’m not sure, Joseph. But little mice can wriggle through tiny holes. Look here at the top of the can. The mouse gnawed off just enough to squeeze in.”

They stood silently looking at the little creature in the glass jar.

“Mama, you set a trap for that mouse in the kitchen. Are you going to kill it?”

Mother thought a minute.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Why?” “Well Joseph,” she finally said, “it’s Christmas.

We can give the mouse a gift. We can give him his life.” She waited a minute. “And because of Saint Francis.”

“Who?” “Hey, I’ll tell you about him when we go inside.”

She picked up the jar and tilted it sideways.

The mouse sprang out and disappeared in the shrubbery.

As they went toward the back door, Joseph started singing, ‘I, said the dove from the rafters high, ‘I sang him to sleep, my mate and I....’

Back in the house, they sat down on the couch in front of the fire. Mother was holding a big picture book.

“Do you see these words, Joseph?”

He nodded. “They say Saint Francis and his Brothers.

“But Mama, I don’t see any more people. I see just animals.”

“Yes, Joseph. You see, Saint Francis, who lived a long time ago, thought all creatures were his brothers and sisters. He fed them and talked to them, and loved them like his family.”

They turned the pages, looking at the pictures.

“Look, Mama,” shouted Joseph, “here’s the Baby with the animals. It looks like our Baby and the animals over there.”

Joseph pointed to the shelf where some wooden figures sat. He said, “There’s the Baby and Mary and Joseph – like my name – and wise men and angels.”

“Yes,” agreed his mother, “and it was Saint Francis who first put those figures together. Some people call it a manger scene; some call it a crèche; some call it the nativity.”

Just then the doorbell rang.

Joseph ran to the door and saw a big truck in the street. The man at the door was holding a package.

Joseph opened the door.

“I have a package for Joseph Cady. Does he live here?”

“I am Joseph Cady,” Joseph answered.

He took the package to the couch.

“Who is it from, Mama?”

“It is from Gran. It says ‘OPEN TODAY’.”

Joey tore into the box, with a little help from his mother. He found a crèche, with almost as many animals as Noah had on his ark.

All morning Joseph played with his present, arranging the figures one way and then arranging them another way.

Mother noticed that sometimes he was singing, ‘LA, la, la, la, la,’ as he played.

Other times he was singing, ‘I’ said the donkey all shaggy and brown, ‘I carried his mother to Bethlehem town.’

Suddenly he said, “Mama, I’m hungry.”

She sang to the tune of Jingle Bells, ‘Lunchtime Joseph, lunchtime Joseph, Time to eat your lunch.’

Joseph laughed – a merry, merry sound.

He finished his peanut butter and crackers, then an apple. He picked up the glass of milk and drank it all down.

“Mama, I think I want to sing tonight. Let’s go see if the mouse is eating the bird seed.”

Joey is tired of Christmas — too many gifts to wrap, too many songs to learn, too many Santas, and TOO MANY DAYS TO WAIT. He is ready to move on, but Christmas is still here. Joey’s mother and he find a mouse in the bird feeder. She uses this discovery to introduce Joey to Saint Francis and the Nativity, set helping Joey find a new spirit.

A Christmas book for young children.