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Barnstable Patriot
Barnstable, Massachusetts
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December 26, 2014     Barnstable Patriot
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December 26, 2014
 
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Another big black crow swooped down and snatched a small bell hangingfrom the Houlihans'porch and followed the first crow to a low branch of a nearby tree as all eyes stared in wonder. Suddenly someone shouted. "Get those crows.They're the ones that have been stealing our stuff!" Then everyone turned to run after the crows. Someone else yelled,"Maybe it was the crows.My father taught methat crowslike shinythings." "I heard that, too,"shouted Mr.Dippy. "Me too,"shouted someone. "And me,"shouted someone else. As the crowd chased the birds, they flew faster and faster until they got so far ahead of everyone that no one knew where they went. "Maybe they're in the Jon- eses'barn. I saw some crows there last summer,"said Billy. So the crowd all ran over to the Joneses'barn. No crows. "Let's try the Smiths'corn- field. Crows love corn,"said Mr.Rimple. So the crowd ran over to Mr. Smith's cornfield. Therewas no corn and no crows.Everyone had forgot- ten for a moment that it was winter and the corn had been harvested months ago. "How about the library?" said Mr.Dippy."Do crows like to read?" Everyonelaughed and told himthat crows can't read. "At least I don't think they can read,"said Sally Blume. Finally,the Chief said,"I bet they're in the woods. Crows live in trees and there are a lot of trees in the woods. Let's goiThey all started to run, all except Mr. Dippy who started singing"The 12 Days of Christmas." Mr. Rimple interrupted him and said,"You've got that all wrong.It's 'Tengooses laying and 16pears in a partridge tree!'" "Oh, boy; this is going to be a long night,"said the Chief. ••• Soon, everyone was in the middle of the I woods and it was very quiet, so quiet you j|j could hear a mouse sneeze. In fact, two mice did sneeze and made everyonejump. Then they heard the flapping of wings.The Chief said,"Shhhhhhh.Everyone, quiet. Shush!" And they saw some crows that were flying in circles just ahead.There" was a big round clearing where a very tall pine tree stood in the middle. It was a huge pine tree, one of the big- gest on Cape Cod. It was full of decora- tions.Gold things. Silver things. Shiny things.Glittering things.Hanging things and ring- ingthings. It was a Christmastree.A real Christmastree. It wasthe tallest Christmas tree anyone had ever seen. "My goodness "said the Chief."This is where allthe missingthingsare. I told you I would get to the bottom of it." Nellie Perkinssaid,"My goodness.Look at how pretty my clothespins look on that tree." Mr.Dippy turned to Mrs. Rimple and said,"I used to play here when I was a little boy.It wasmy secret hiding place.And thattree was really small." "Me,too,"she said. A baby crow flew down from an old oak tree and put the little bell from the Houli- hans'porch on the tree.Then another crow, an old one with some tail feathers missing and a few gray feathers on his head flew from a birch tree and went to the very tippy, tippy top of the tree and ever so gently placed the Chiefs star-shapedbadge on the top. Everyone said,"Ooooooooo, how pretty,"and then, like magic,the tree lit up with a special Barnstable Christmas glow.All the children from the town started singing "Silent night,holy night.All is calm, all is bright ..."And everyone got in a circle around the tree and started singing,too. A spirit of joy seemed to comeover everyoneassmiles broadened across everyface. Everyone turned to the Houli- hans and said,"We're really sorry.Wewere wrong.Please accept our apologies." Mr. Houlihan said,"I accept. Sometimespeople make mis- takes even at Christmas time." Mrs.Houlihan had tears in her eyes as she hugged her husband and allher children. ••• Just then Sally Blume spot- ted her gold ring.It was hang- ing on the tree. She ran up and snatched it away and as she did,the tree's glowflickered a few times and then went dark. The two mice sneezed again and everyone jumped again.A very cold north wind blew in, makingeveryone shiver. "Please,Miss Blume,please put your ring back. It's a Christmas tree. The crows have made a magic Christmas tree," said little Jimmy Houlihan."Please, please, pretty please with sugar on top." Everyonewondered whether she would put the ringback or not. "But my father had that ringmade for me, and I love it,"she said putting the ring back on her finger. "Every one of us has something that we love on the tree. Christmas is about love, isn't it? Why not put the ring back and see if the magic light comes back on,"said the Mayor. "I don't know ...,"said Sally. Mrs. Houlihan came for- ward."Please." Sally thought for a second. "Oh, all right,if it means so much." "I think it does,"said the Chief. Sally took off the ring and placed it back on the tree and as she did,the tree glowed even brighter than before. Everyonesmiled and everyone hugged whoever was standing next to them.Theyall turned toward the tree asthe stars began to shine and just about everyone thought they could hear the soft voices of the crows singing,"Christmas tree 0 Christmas tree, how bright wesee thee shining..." Sally Blume said,"I don't think crows can sing, can they?" The Chief answered,"I don't know,but I do know that Christmasis a time of miracles." That year was the best Christmas anyone in Barn- stable could remember.It was the best Christmas anyone on Cape Cod could remember. It wasthe best Christmas any- one in Massachusetts could remember.Maybe it was the best Christmas anyone could remember anywhere. THE END Heather Pastore is a massage therapist living in Marstons Mills with her husband, the writer Stephen R. Pastore, and their two sons,Julian and Spencer. Contact: hazlittus@ yahoo.com.