Holly and Ivy

This is my very first Christmas celebration on my blog.  Up to this point I've kinda stayed away from choosing a theme or pattern for this blog, but I think I will establish one tradition for this and future Christmases I celebrate here.  One of the most important parts of the holiday for our family are the seasonal books, for children and those for adults, that are brought out each year from their place in the attic.  These books make our holiday special in a way that cannot be easily defined.  They help frame our thoughts throughout the season and sometimes, as is the case with Dav Pilkey's Dragon's Merry Christmas, just make us laugh.  The first book I ever remember reading at Christmas is The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden.  Its my mother's favorite and always makes her cry (and me too I must admit).  [smile]  The book's now beginning to fall apart, but it remains a family favorite.  So I'd like to share with you a short excerpt from this lovely book as my gift to you on this special day.  As sort of a way of introduction, here's the quote from the back cover of the book.  "Here is a story about wishing... IVY is a little orphan who has no one to be with on Christmas Eve.  So she wishes very hard.  HOLLY is the doll left all alone in the toyshop on Christmas Eve.  So she wishes very hard too. What do they wish for? Will their wishes come true?"

  Soon the clocks strike twelve and it is Christmas.  

  Holly heard the bells and -what as this?  People were walking in the street- hurrying.  "Hsst!  T-whoo!" said Abracadabra [a toy owl also left behind on Christmas eve] at them as they passed, but they took no notice.  

  "Then... it has started,"  said Holly.  

  "What has started?" said Abracadabra.

  "It," said Holly.  She could not explain better than that for she did not know yet what "it" meant- this was, after all, her first Christmas- but the bells grew louder and more and more people passed.  Then, it may have beenthe pin of Holly's price ticket, or a spine of tinsel come loose from the shelf, but Holly felt a tiny pricking as sharpe as a prickly on a holly leaf.  "Wish," said the prickle. "Wish."

  "But- the shop is closed," said Holly.  "The children are in bed.  Abracadabra says I must go into storage"  The prickle interrupted.  "Wish!" It went on till Holly wished. 

  Ivy thought the bells woke her or perhaps the passing feet, but then why did she fell something sharp like a thistle or a hard straw in one of the sacks?  She sat up, but she was half asleep and she thought the feet were the St. Agnes's children marching down to breakfast and the bells were the breakfast bell. Then she saw she was still in the shed, though it was filled with a new light, a strange silver light. "Moonlight?" asked Ivy and rubbed her eyes.  She was warm and comfortable n the sacks under the green coat- though there were great white patches on it from the flour- too warm and comfortable to move, and she lay down, but again she felt that thistle or sharp straw.  The light seemed to be calling her, the bells, the hurrying feet; the prickle seemed to tell her to get up.  

  Ivy put on her coat and went out. 

  Outside in the passage the footsteps sounded so loud that she guessed it was the policeman.  She waited until they had passed before she dared come out.  

  In the street the moonlight was so bright that once again Ivy thought it was morning and she was in St. Agnes's and the bells were the breakfast bell.  "Only... there are so many of them," said sleepy Ivy.

  She walked a few steps to the toyshop. She did not know how it came to be there and she thought she was in here St. Agnes's bedroom and it was filled with toys.  Then:  "Not toys," said Ivy, "a toy," and she was wide awake.  She did not even see Abracadabra glaring at her with his green eyes; she looked straight at Holly.  

  She saw Holly's dress and socks and shoes.  She is red and green too, thought Ivy.  She saw Holly's hair, brown eyes, little teeth, and beautiful joints.  They were just what Ivy liked, and, "My Christmas doll!" said Ivy.  

  Holly saw Ivy's face pressed against the window as she had seen so many children's faces that day, but, "This one is different," said Holly.  

  Ivy's hands in their woolen gloves held to the ledge where it said, BLOSSOM, HIGH-CLASS TOYS AND GAMES.  Holly looked at Ivy's hands.  Soon they will be holding me, thought Holly.  Ivy's coat even in the moonlight was as beautiful a green as Holly's dress was a beautiful red, so that they seemed to match, and, "My Christmas girl!" said Holly.   

Many blessings to you and yours.  Merry Christmas!

Just, Margaret