Karen's Christmas Tree Page 4

  I was thinking it would be fun to hide. Then, when the Druckers arrived, we could all pop out and yell Surprise! But I decided that might be too scary. I was thinking of another plan when Seth called, “Here they come!”

  I was so happy and excited, I could not stop jumping up and down. I was happy Mrs. Drucker was coming home. I was excited because I could not wait for them to see their new blue-spruce tree.

  The sky was almost dark when the car drove into the driveway. Seth pulled a switch and lit the tree. By the glowing lights we could see the smiles on Mr. and Mrs. Drucker’s faces. They looked as happy as I had ever seen them.

  “Welcome home!” we all cried.

  Mr. Drucker stepped out of the car. “Thank you, everyone,” he said. “This is the best surprise we have ever had. Now if you wait just a moment, my wife would like to thank you, too.”

  Mr. Drucker went around to the back of the car. Everyone waited quietly — even me — as Mr. Drucker took a walker out of the trunk. He carried it to Mrs. Drucker’s side of the car, opened the door, and helped her out.

  Mrs. Drucker looked tired, but very happy. I ran to her and threw my arms around her. (I was careful not to hurt her.)

  “Welcome home!” I said.

  “Thank you, Karen. Thank you, everyone,” said Mrs. Drucker. “This is the most beautiful tree. In fact, it reminds me of our old tree that we loved so much.”

  “Karen and Nancy picked it out all by themselves,” said Mommy.

  I looked at Nancy and smiled. I felt gigundoly proud.

  “We would like to visit with you all, but I’m afraid it’s been a long and tiring day,” said Mr. Drucker.

  “We are very lucky tonight,” added Mrs. Drucker. “We get to sit inside our house together and look at the beautiful tree our good neighbors gave us.”

  Mrs. Drucker started up her walk one small step at a time. Mr. Drucker was on one side. I was on the other. Slowly, step by step, she reached her door.

  Someone in the crowd started to clap very quietly. Another person joined in. Soon everyone was clapping for Mr. and Mrs. Drucker and their brand-new tree.

  Then it was time for us to go. Mommy left the chicken soup she had made. Many of the neighbors had brought food and holiday baskets for the Druckers. We said our good nights and went back to our houses. It was a happy night for us all.

  Trimming the Tree

  The happy night was not over yet. After dinner Mommy said, “Who is ready to trim the tree?”

  “Me!” Andrew and I shouted.

  Seth had surprised us by bringing home our own tree on Wednesday. It was not as big as the Druckers’ tree. But it was friendly with branches that spread out like open arms.

  “I will be right back!” I called. “I am going to get my ornament.”

  “Me too,” said Andrew.

  I had worked hard on my ornament this year, and I had finished it on Tuesday.

  I found the ornament, and Goosie, too.

  “Come on, Goosie, let’s go!” I said.

  I carried Goosie downstairs and set him on the couch with the ornament on his lap. I had hidden the ornament in a paper bag.

  Andrew came downstairs hiding his ornament behind him.

  “You can go first,” I said. “I will go last.”

  Sometimes it is fun to be last.

  Andrew held out his ornament. It was some kind of paper animal. At first I thought it was a dog. Then I saw red scribbling on its nose.

  “It is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” I said.

  “That’s it!” said Andrew proudly.

  “It is a wonderful ornament,” said Mommy.

  “It sure is,” said Seth. “Come hang it on the tree.”

  Andrew hung his reindeer on a branch near the bottom.

  “Karen, would you like your turn now?” asked Seth.

  “I would like you and Mommy to go next,” I replied.

  Mommy showed us her ornament next. She had made a Santa out of pipe cleaners and colored foil.

  “Ho, ho, ho!” said Mommy, laughing.

  “Put him next to Rudolph,” said Andrew.

  Mommy hung her Santa Claus next to Andrew’s reindeer.

  “Now it is my turn,” said Seth.

  He held up a handsome toy soldier made out of wood. The soldier was holding a drum.

  “Rum-pum-pum, rum-pum-pum,” sang Seth.

  “He is beautiful,” said Mommy.

  Andrew and I thought so too. Seth hung his soldier on the other side of the tree. Finally it was my turn. I took my package from Goosie’s lap.

  “Ta-daa!” I said. I held up a star made of clay. I had sprayed it with gold paint and put sparkles on it. It was very spangly.

  “I love it,” said Mommy.

  “It is a wish star. I wrote a message on the back,” I said. I turned it over for my family to see.

  “I think your wish star would be the perfect ornament for the top of the tree,” said Seth. “Does everyone agree?”

  Everyone answered yes. Hooray! Seth got a ladder and held me as I set my star in the place of honor at the top of the tree. It looked right at home there.

  We hung the rest of our ornaments, then added lights and tinsel. The happy night was almost over. But I had more happy things to look forward to. I had not had my holiday party with my friends yet. And Ms. Colman had promised we would have a holiday party at school, too. After that would come Christmas Day.

  I looked out the window at the Druckers’ glowing tree. Then I looked up at my wish star. I knew my wish would come true. It was going to be a very merry Christmas for all.

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1996 by Ann M. Martin

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1996

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-05953-3