Why the Chimes Rang by Raymond Macdonald Alden

There was once, in a far-away country where few people have ever traveled, a wonderful church. It stood on a high hill in the center of a great city, and every Sunday, as well as on sacred days like Christmas, thousands of people climbed the hill to its great archways, looking like lines of ants all moving in the same direction.

The story continues that the strangest, most wonderful thing about the church was the chime of the bells. But the tower was so high that no one could see it since it rose too high in the sky. They were certain that at the top of the tower were hung Christmas bells and all that had ever heard them swore they were the sweetest ever. But no one had heard them in years. It was the custom that on Christmas Eve people from all over were to bring their offerings to the Christ child. When the greatest offering was laid upon the altar, it is said that the sound of the bells could be heard over the music of the choir.

In a small village miles from the city lived a boy named Pedro and his little brother. They knew very little about Christmas chimes but had heard of the service on Christmas Eve. They had a secret plan to go and see the beautiful celebration, hoping that if the Christ child came to bless the service that they would see him.

The day before Christmas was bitterly cold but sure enough Pedro and his little brother slipped quietly away to see the ceremony. They came upon a poor woman who had fallen in the snow and would soon freeze to death. The boys tried to rouse her to no avail. Pedro told his brother to go on to the ceremony and he would stay and help keep the woman alive and perhaps get her to eat something from his pocket.

The little brother hurried off alone to the city, with tears in his eyes for leaving his brother. The church was a wonderful sight, so bright and beautiful. At the close of the service came the procession of offerings to be laid at the altar. There were wonderful and rich gifts, even the king of the country laid down his golden crown. But no sound was heard from the bells and the people wondered if they ever really rang at all.

When the procession was over, the choir began the closing hymn when the organist stopped playing. Everyone turned to the minister who was holding up his hands for silence. As the people strained to listen the sound of the chimes from the tower came sweet and clear. All strained to look at the altar to see what marvelous gift had awakened the bells.

But all the nearest of the saw was the childish figure of little brother, who having crept softly down the aisle when no one was looking, had laid Pedro's little piece of silver on the altar.

The Lights on the Christmas Tree by Florence Page Jaques

Once the Christmas tree lights were not lights at all. They were the colors in the rainbow-- just an everyday rainbow-- the good kind you see in the sky after a rain! When Santa Claus made the very first Christmas tree, it was easy to see that he needed a rainbow for a decoration, because he had only white decorations.

He lived at the North Pole, you know, as he does now, and when he had powdered the tree with snow and hung icicles all over it and tied snowballs on the ends of the branches, he looked at it and said, "No, it's pretty, but it ought to have some color on it. It needs some red and green and blue and gold--"

"Oh Santa Claus," said the littlest White Bear, "let's put a rainbow on it!"

"That's just what it needs," Santa Claus agreed. "I'll send the Biggest White Bear to get one."

"Oh!" said the littlest White Bear. He was so disappointed that tears came to his eyes. "I was the one who thought of the rainbow. I thought you might let me find it!"

"All right then," Santa Claus said kindly. "But you must be VERY careful. Rainbows are easy to break you know, so you must take care not to drop it."

"Oh, I will be careful," promised the littlest bear, and he ran and ran on his fat little legs till he found the most beautiful rainbow. Then he picked it and hung it over his back and went home to Santa Claus, walking very carefully. He walked safely past the snowfields and safely past the icebergs and safely past the slippery slides, and at last he came to Santa Claus's steps. He saw Santa Claus in the doorway waiting.

"Hurrah!" The littlest white bear laughed, waving his little front paws in triumph. "Here it is! I found the biggest, best, most beautiful rainbow!"

And just then, both his back feet slipped and---BOOM!!! He fell on his back, and the rainbow was broken into a thousand pieces. "Don't cry, don't cry," said Santa hurrying down the steps. "You aren't hurt!"

"No, but the rainbow is," sobbed the littlest white bear, "and I tried so hard to be careful."

"Never you mind," Santa Claus patted him gently. "We'll put the pieces of the rainbow on the tree. After all, the colors are still just as pretty."

So they picked up a blue piece and put it here, and they picked up a red piece and put it there, and the Christmas tree was prettier than if the rainbow had been all together.

"Oh," said the littlest bear, "I'm glad I fell down!" And ever since than, we have had beautiful rainbow colored lights on the Christmas tree.

Snippets of stories

As I went searching through my collection of stories I realized that most of them were forever LONG - lol. I didn't want to type 20 pages of stories and knew you wouldn't want to read 20 pages. So, I am going to do "snippets" of the stories, just kind of tell you what they are about and you can than go read them if you are so inclined. =]