If I had known better, I would never have opened the package that arrived unexpectedly that Thursday morning.
It was Christmas day, and, as usual, I was up before everyone else. I tiptoed down the winding stairs into our quiet living room. All the presents were stacked under the tree, looking as if they were all about to topple down. I hurried over to my wonderful gifts and was about to rip them open, when I heard the twins, Tim and Joe, racing down the stairs. They were both holding colorful packages in their hands.
“What are those for?” I asked.
“Duh! Presents for Mom,” Joe said.
“What did you get her?” Tim asked me.
Oh, no! I completely forgot about Mom! Oh, man, what is she going to say when Tim and Joe give her fabulous presents and I don’t have anything to give her? Bummer!
“Ummm… I… got… her…”
Just then, Mom called us in for breakfast. I hadn’t even heard her come downstairs, but I guess the twins did. They dashed into the kitchen as soon as they heard the word “breakfast.”
“What am I going to do?” I thought to myself as I slowly wandered over. “I should have thought of this a lot earlier.”
When I stepped into the kitchen, Mom was thanking the twins for her wonderful new Christmas presents. I pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
“Hi, Katie,” Mom said as she placed a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of me.
“Hi,” I replied. I tried the oatmeal but wasn’t really hungry.
“The oatmeal’s really hot,” I said. “Can I come back in a few minutes when it cools down?”
“Sure,” Mom answered. “Oh, Katie, you got a package in the mail.”
I took it and ran upstairs. I plopped down on my bed and began tearing open the small brown box, wondering what was inside. When I finally got it open, I found a little bottle with a card. The card said:
Dear Katie,
Merry Christmas! I hope you like this wonderful lotion. When you rub it on, it makes you look very mature. Try it! It really works! Have a nice day.
Sincerely,
Olga
“Olga?!” I thought. “She’s that weird girl at school. Why would she send me a gift? We’re not even friends!”
I reached into the box and pulled out the bottle. The label said:
“Age-o
You’ll look older, guaranteed,
One squeeze of this is all you’ll need.”
I was about to open the bottle and put some on, when I had a totally genius thought. “I could give this to Mom! She’ll really love it! Yes!”
I put the lotion in a nice box and ran downstairs. Mom was still in the kitchen.
“Merry Christmas!” I said as I gave her the box.
“Oh, it’s great! Thank you, Katie!” Mom said, as she started to put the lotion on.
I looked down at my oatmeal and started to eat. When I looked back up, Mom wasn’t there.
But Grandma was.
A PEEK INSIDE…
So, what exactly WAS in all those packages that arrived unexpectedly? Here are some of the fun things readers dreamed up:
— A massive computer that crashes other computers worldwide
— A memory-erasing cookbook
— A recipe for a cake that makes people pig out
— Lots of leprechauns, black holes and unicorns
— A vial containing a deadly virus
— Fairy dust
— A dead rat – or was it alive?
— Lots of letters telling kids they were adopted
— The sibling you never had A mysterious wind
— A magical kite
— Lots of animals: dogs, monkeys, bats, lizards, even a poisonous snake
— Elton John in his underwear
— Tupperware
— Another box, then another and another – you get the idea…
— Lots of weird gifts from crazy aunts and uncles
WORTH REPEATING…
Believe us, when you’re reading through nearly 3,000 story entries, you can use a few laughs. Here are some funny story lines that kept us giggling (way to go, writers!):
— “I never did see that elf again, but if you do, remember to feed him lots of grass, cheese and pickles and run!”
– Sara K., 13, Highland Park
— “That’s a very touching story, Bob. You know what? I’m feeling the love in this room. Let’s all give Bob a hug.”
– John H., 13, Glen Ellyn
— “I read the words of the letter carefully, and every one bit me viciously like a snake. It said, `You, Albert Johnson, have been made head journalist of the Chicago Tribune.’ “
-Anne S., 10, Chicago
— “I’m Captain Cow, here to save the world! I’ve got everything I need right here: I’ve got my milk gun, my utter ray, my footaphone and my supery dooper milk sprayer.”
– Ryan R., 10, and Ricky R., 9, Chicago
– “I scratched with more power than a thousand tigers as tall as the Statue of Liberty, while Warrior Granny threw knitting-needle daggers.”
– Lucy M., Winnetka
– “For the next couple of days, I partied like it was 2006. I drank, I got a haircut, and I went out with my girlfriend.”
– Sam C., 10, Oak Lawn
— “Ricky got the laser gun and beamed the Barbie who was about to knock out Jake. `Are you dumping me? Ahhh!!!’ said the Barbie doll.”
– Joseph T., 10, Des Plaines
— “The short stubby green elf tasted the gooey specimen and said, `Yum, I feel like chicken tonight. Let’s add some chicken and plant this bad boy!’ “
– Brett S., 11, Oak Park
