Santa told Basil to go and fetch Margaret so she could get her special present.
So, Basil was off in a flash to the burrow and, breathlessly, told Margaret to come right away! “Santa wants to see you! He came specially to bring something!”
“What!? Santa is here?! For Me?!” clucked Margaret. Margaret did not run, she FLEW to the Old Oak Tree! Old Agnes went running as fast as she could — she was not going to miss seeing Santa for herself. Basil stayed with Marygrey.
“Ho Ho Ho … Ho Ho Ho!” laughed Santa, as Margaret flew in and landed right in front of him. “Margaret,” said Santa, “I have heard about how your eggs did not hatch again, so I have brought you something that will cheer you up on this wonderful Christmas Eve.” With that, Santa reached way down in his bag and lifted out the most beautiful Rooster that Margaret had ever seen. His name was Reginald. Reginald was very glad to get out of the bag, even if it was Santa’s bag, and he was even more glad when he saw Margaret. He cock-a-doodle-do-ed his most polite “good evening” to Margaret and she Clucked her best “how-do-you-do” to Reginald. It was love at first sight!
Santa called Wooffer to come to him and patted him on the head and said, “Wooffer, you are such a good dog, one of a kind. Would you like to come to the North Pole with me and be one of my elves?”
Wooffer did not have to think about it. He wanted to stay right where he was with his friends and his mom, so he said, “No, thank you, Santa.”
Santa understood. It was the best place in the world for a dog to be. So, Santa leaped back into his sleigh and was off in a twinkle. “Ho Ho Ho!” they all heard him laugh as he disappeared among the stars. This would be a night all of them would remember for a lot of Christmas Eves to come.
Marygrey did not get to see Santa herself, but she got the best present of all that night. When Old Agnes and Margaret had gone to see Santa, the babies started to arrive. There were six baby rabbits in all, three boys and three girls. Now, every Christmas Eve, the six little rabbits and Marygrey beg Basil to tell them the story of, “A Christmas Eve under the Old Oak Tree.”
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Discover other Tales Of Wooffer’s Woods stories by Betty Fasig at Smashwords.com:
Old Agnes
The Old Oak Tree
An Armadillo Party
Larry, Curly & Moe
Camille
Kung Fu Rabbit
the Deer Hunter
Pogo Gets a Move On
Ho Chi Takes a Walk on the Wild Side
Cho Lee Yen
Old Laddie
The Hiding Place
Mr. A. A. Corn
Where is Margaret
Reba the Tree Frog
A Birthday Surprise
Moe’s Hallowed Eve
A Castle Of A Mouse House
Christmas Under the Old Oak Tree
Sandy and Sandra Crane
Lost in the Woods
The Indigo 500
The End of Winter
Who Is Poor Will?
The Music of the Night
How High Is The Water Momma!
Love Enough To Spread Around