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Wih hearts full of wonder at the eternal beauties of Nature, we-
savour the magic of Christmas and its eternal meaning. In the

holiday spirit of love and understanding, we wish all our friends

joy and peace.

- By SHANNON McINDOE
Grade7 -
Kinnaird Junior Secondary

HOLLY AND MISTLETOE
Early morning sunlight
shining through the window
woke Holly. She -sat up,
rubbed her eyes and yawned,
Then.she pushed the
covers aside, swung ‘out of
bed and tiptoed over to the
window. As she gazed out of
the frosty panes, she saw a
new world dawning outside.
‘The dappled sunlight on the
sparkling snow showed her
that it was still early morning
and that no one would be up
yet. Shivering, Holly scam-
pered back to
She lay there "gazing at
the maze of posters on her
wall; all were of dogs. The
one nearest her head was her
“dream dog", the dog she
hoped to get for Christmas.
She was rudely awak-
ened from her day-dream by

the faint but insistent sound .

of the telephone ringing.
Creaks on the stairs told her
that someone else had heard
it too, About 15 minutes
later, the stairs creaked
again as someone started up
them. The footsteps stopped
hesitantly outside her door,
The door opened a crack and
her mother peeked in.
“Good morning dear,”

she said’as she walked over

Santa's
tide is
assured}

The energy crisis will
have no effect on Santa
Claus's reindeer.

Scientists studying rein-
deer at the University of Al-
aska say this is because the
animal recycles its own food.

The metabolism of do-
mestic reindeer is similar to
that of sheep and cattle, says
visiting. Australian scientist
Dr. Robert White, but the
animal has found a way to

recycle its energy-producing:

blood sugars.
He said the animals need
twice as much sugar (glu-

cose) as their’ livers can PEO.)

duce in winter. *

“They recycle the glu:
cose within their own bodies,
They use the same sugar
over and over, something
farm animals do not do.”

The winter fare of rein-
deer is lichens. In summer
they eat the leaves of scrub
birch and willow. |

And the scientists have
discovered the reindeer re-
cycle water in the winter,
also as a conservation mea~

sure, because of the large |

amount of, animal energy
needed to warm food and

water before it can be taken:

from the frozen tundra and
ice and snow,

Dr. Jack .Luick, a nu-
trition professor at the
school’s Institute of Arctic
Biology, said the turnover of
water in a reindeer’s body
takes three weeks in the
winter compared with three
days in the summer.

to Holly’ ‘a bed and sat’ down,
“Did you havea good sleep? I
guess you don't remember
my father, your grandfa-
ther?" she asked wistfully,
There was atone of excite-
ment in her voice, so Holly
waited expectantly. _

“Well, youn Grandpa
just phoned. He wants to
come and live with us.” Holly
stifled a gasp. “That

alright with your. father.” At

that moment Holly heard a-

rustle in the hall and her
father stumbled in. The
mother and daughter looked
at each other and giggled.
Holly's father had a tendency
to trip over tables. (There

ll.)

; was a small table-in the

“Okay,” Holly's father
teased, “What have you

mischief-makers been up to?" *

“Well .°. .” Holly's
mother ‘began. “Grandpa
wants to come and live with
us,” Holly broke in.

A funny look came over
her father's face. He had

never gat on too well with his'

father-in-law.

“That's up to your
mother,” he said gruffly as he.
turned and walked out of the
room.

Days ran by'as swiftly as
clouds on a windy day. Fj-
nally it was the day Holly's
grandfather was supposed to
arrive on the plane. Holly felt
that she “should have been
glad that her grandfather
was coming, but she wasn’

She félt too broken hearted 5

for that yet.

Her mom and dad had
told her only yesterday that
she wouldn't be able to get a

Holly's grandfather ar-
rived without mishap. He
was a small man with white
hair and wise blue eyes that
could twinkle in fun of
with anger, for he had a quick
temper. Holly began.to love
dearly the man she had been
prepared to hate.

Christmas was only two
weeks away. When Holly saw
Grandpa in an old thread-
bare dressing gown; and
worn out slippers, she knew
what to get him. Mornings
were at their coldest now, so
he would need something to
keep himself warm.

Without a second’s: hes-
itation, Holly ran to her

dog. What with grandpa’s -

plane fare, the cost, of re-

decorating: the spare room.

and the burden of feeding an
extra person.on her dad's
salary...
f course, ‘eventually’
..." they said, But this word
seemed to spell “hopeless-

ness” with a capital “H” to’

REET \es

Honing your
holidays will be
bright with the

Hub of Christmas
Sincere
appreciation

EREMENKO’S
 FIT-RITE SHOES

Toom, pulled out the bottom
drawer in her dresser, and
took out a.worn but lumpy
sock, She shuffled around in
it a minute before taking out
a handful of bills. This was
the money she had been
saving for her puppy. _

Later that day, as Holly
gazed at the plush bathrobe
and fuzzy slippers, a smile of
satisfaction spread over her
face. She had shopped’ for

hours looking for just the -

right ones.

The days that followed
were busy and full of wonder-
ful secrets. Finally, Christ-
mas day arrived. Holly

From the

CASTLEGAR NEWS CHRISTMAS EDITION

A special Christmas with ‘Holly’

awoke with a happy feeling of
expectation. It surprised her
to know that she was more
excited about her gift for

Grandpa than what she’

might be getting herself, al-
though she still felt sad when
she thought about her puppy
she might have had..

: She went to her closet
and took Grandpa's present
down from the top shelf. She
ran-down the stairs calling,
“Merry Christmas, Merry

Christmas!" Holly ran into”

the living room where the
Christmas tree was. At least
she started to run into the
living room but stopped half-
way.

Management and Statt

Dube Chevrolet
D.Dr

Coy, M. Lock, M. Dube,

B. Hulber

Under.-the tree sat a
little dog, the cutest little dog
she had ever seen, and there
beside him sat Grandpa in his
big chair ‘trying not to look
too smug. Around the small
pup’s neck hung a tag which
read: To Holly, With Love,
Grandpa.

She gazed in amazement
at the puppy before running
over to hug her Grandfather.
Then she went back to hug
her puppy. She held him
close and decided to name
him — Mistletoe,

A crash in the hall
signalled the arrival of father
and the beginning of her
merriest Christmas ever!

May Your Days

2 Be Merry and Bright!

in our book, you're the nicest
“clients any business ever had.
Our heartfelt thanks for your
confidence in us ond: for your
continuing loyalty.

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OLDSMOBILE

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