Christmas For Everyone

The frost was being creative drawing the ice flowers on the window panes. The bare branches of an old dark cherry tree hosted blue tits and shaggy sparrows so that they huddled together on it. Christmas was around the corner but there still wasn’t any trace of snow.

There were lights and Christmas balls or snowflakes cut out by children on all the windows on the street. Only Mrs Lizzie’s window was empty.

“Mom, do you think she will get any Christmas presents?” asked Carl.

Mrs Lizzie didn’t have anyone. Neither her grandchildren, nor her friends visited her. Maybe she didn’t even have a Christmas tree. And if indeed she doesn’t have one, how can she get the presents?

“Maybe you could secretly give her a present,” his mother suggested. “She definitely would be pleased.”

“Great idea!” Carl exclaimed excitedly. He wondered if he’d draw her a picture? Or perhaps cut out some snowflakes? No, Carl was a big boy already. He’d make cookies for her.

“I’ll help you,” said his mother.

“No, I’ll do it by myself. I’m a second-grader now!”

Since Carl was only a second grader and not a fourth or fifth grader, he looked in a large cookbook for a recipe for cookies that didn’t need to be baked. He prepared oatmeal, seeds, nuts and figs and made the dough. He didn’t even take a bite of it!

He carefully shaped trees, flowers, and especially hearts. The boy spent the whole evening making the goodies. And he still didn’t try them. Although the cookies were a little crooked, the boy was proud of himself.

Carl put every single cookie he'd made in a box. He did leave one for her mother though. Then he quietly opened the door and ran across the road to Mrs Lizzie’s…