Story Hour
Glicker Meets Santa
Written by Gene B. Williams
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Before we start this story, there are two earlier Christmas issues. (You’ve missed them? You must be new!) Just click on the highlights and you can enjoy them now – or again and again. Last year we celebrated with lots of lights and plenty of Christmas songs. The year before Nicker had a very special adventure. He rescued Santa’s sleigh when it was stuck in the ice. For that he got a magic hat from Santa. (Coloring pages for all this and more are in the stories, and also on Your Page)
This time, Glicker gets to wear the magic hat – and she gets to meet Santa.
In case you have forgotten, Glicker is Nicker’s baby sister. Many things about Christmas are new to her. She will wear the magic hat from Nicker. And she will wear a Christmas star(fish) as her own decoration. Then she will climb onto Santa’s lap where he will give her something very special!
Glicker Meets Santa
Written by Gene B. Williams
“What time is it?” Glicker asked.
Nicker looked at the clock and said, “It’s 2:17.”
“No, no, NO! I mean is it Christmas time yet?”
Nicker liked to think that it was always Christmas time, even in July. To Nicker, Christmas wasn’t a time, not something on a clock or calendar. Christmas … Christmas was CHRISTMAS! It was a feeling. It was a way of … being. Of thinking.
“When is Santa coming?” Glicker wanted to know.
She had been asking this same kind of question since Halloween.
“Maybe he will come tomorrow. Do you think he will come tomorrow?”
Nicker had Danny help. They got out a clock and a calendar. “This is Monday, this is Tuesday, this is Wednesday ….” Glicker counted along.
“This is October, this is November, this is December ….” Glicker was thrilled. “Oh, yes. Santa comes in THREE DAYS! One, two, three!” she said as she flipped the calendar pages past Halloween.
Now it really was getting closer. Christmas really was coming, and Santa, too – not months away but just days. Sea dragons don’t have Christmas trees, but Danny sure did. Glicker loved it. She loved everything about it. “Oh, look!” she said with joy, “it even has a starfish on top. How wonderful to have a Christmas Starfish! Is that just for me, Danny?”
“Not really,” he answered, then quickly said, “but I’ll teach you how to make your own Christmas starfish!” And he sure did. Danny got out different kinds of paper, and different kinds of string and ribbon, different kinds of crayons and paints. Of course, Danny had to do the cutting but soon they had lots of Christmas starfish to hang on the tree. (Click on the drawing and make your own!)
Glicker was all smiles. Those got bigger when Danny showed her how popcorn and cranberries could be put on a thread. Danny had to do the “sewing” part but Glicker, like all sea dragons, could twist around that tree in ways a human boy just can’t. Danny had to remind both Nicker and Glicker that the popcorn and cranberries were for decoration, not for eating. At least not yet.
The tree was beautiful. The three were very happy. They cuddled together and sang Christmas songs – or tried to, anyway. (They didn’t get all the words right.)
Glicker asked again, “When is Santa coming?”
Nicker whispered something in her ear.
“REALLY! He’s coming? Let’s GO!”
Danny was about to ask what the big secret was when his Mom called in, “It’s about time to get ready to go visit Aunt Vicki.”
Nicker and Glicker disappeared under and into the Christmas tree – just in case. (Sea dragons are very good at hiding! And they love Christmas trees. Have you looked under your tree to see if a sea dragon is hiding there?)
Very quickly Danny got one of the Christmas star(fish) they’d made and put it on Glicker. She would have her very own decoration. A living sea dragon Christmas tree! Then he had to rush. Visiting Aunt Vicki was always special. He might even be allowed to toss some peanuts to the pet squirrels. He came back to the tree to promise Nicker that he’d bring home some peanuts (you know how Nicker loves peanuts!) but Nicker and Glicker were gone.
Danny wondered again about the secret. Who was coming?
As Danny went to visit Aunt Vicki, still wondering, Nicker and Glicker were going in another direction. Both were even more excited than Danny was. Danny was going to have a great time, and would feed the pet squirrels, and bring some peanuts for Nicker, but as wonderful as that was … well, now I can let you in on Nicker’s secret.
What he whispered in Glicker’s ear was …
“Santa is coming to visit us.”
You see, Santa knows the sea dragons. The whole family. He was friends with Simon, Nicker’s father, and with Gordie, Nicker’s grandfather, and with … well, Santa has known them a very long time.
As Danny was tossing some peanuts for the squirrels, Glicker was looking up into Santa’s bright face. He said to her, “Come on up, don’t be afraid.”
She wasn’t (maybe a little) and climbed into his lap. His big read coat was so soft – although his beard tickled (maybe a little). He admired the Christmas star Danny had given to her. (“StarFISH” she corrected, and Santa laughed long and deep.) Then he admired her hat. Yes, you guessed it. Nicker let her wear the magic hat Santa had given him when he was younger.
“I remember that hat well,” said Santa. “Did you know that your big brother pushed me out of some ice?” (Of course, you know this story, even if Glicker doesn’t.)
After they talked for a while, and shared some special cookies that Emily had made, Santa said that he had to go. (He gets very busy around Christmas time.)
“I have a candy cane for you,” he said and reached into his bag.
Glicker had heard about candy canes before from Danny. There had even been some on Danny’s Christmas tree for decoration (and eating later). Those were little. This candy cane kept coming, and coming, and coming, and coming! Glicker’s eyes grew wide. The candy cane was even bigger than she was. Oh, my, she could lick and nibble on that for months.
Just imagine a candy cane as big as yourself! BIGGER!!!
As you can guess, Glicker was more excited than ever. She could barely wait to tell Danny.
When she did … “Santa was here?” Danny asked. “Santa was here and you didn’t tell me?”
“Of course,” said Nicker. “He often comes to see us just before Christmas, and sometimes after.”
It wasn’t the first time Danny wished that HE was a sea dragon. Imagine knowing Santa! Danny didn’t have much time to think about it, though.
Glicker was very tired – and very happy. Danny set Glicker’s favorite pink blanket under the Christmas tree. Soon, she was sound asleep.
For more fun, don’t forget to read Nicker Saves Santa and celebrate Christmas with Christmas Songs.
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