Purrlington's unexpected gift (English)

Purrlington's unexpected gift

On a cold Christmas morning, snow fogged the windows of the Purrlington family's house and slowly piled up on the sills, covering them with a white blanket. Inside, Mama Luna, Papa Oliver, their daughter Lily, and little Max slept peacefully. Papa and Mama were snuggled up in bed, exhausted from the hustle and bustle of Christmas Eve: The feast, the gifts, the decorations, and countless preparations.

Max, the youngest, woke up early and quietly crept down the stairs, taking care not to make any noise that might wake his parents. The chill outside contrasted with the warm Christmas lights and colorful decorations, giving the living room a magical, cozy look. The silence in the house filled his heart with growing excitement.

When he reached the tree, Max gazed in wonder at the gift boxes. They were huge, wrapped in shiny paper, captivating and irresistible. He looked for one with his name on it, but none were labeled. Then, he saw his tag on the floor, detached from a box. Unable to contain his excitement, he hugged a box almost as tall as he was and, with trembling little paws, carefully unwrapped it.

A few minutes later, Max's parents woke with a start.

"Oliver!" exclaimed Luna. "We overslept!"

They both jumped out of bed, hurriedly dressing without caring if their clothes even matched. They rushed down the stairs, following the sounds of laughter and squeals of joy coming from the living room.

At the bottom step, Luna stopped Oliver, signaling him to keep quiet. Max was on the floor, with a piece of pink wrapping paper carefully folded off to the side.

In his arms, Max cradled a beautiful cat doll with plush fur in a soft creamy yellow tone. The doll's green eyes sparkled with sweetness and curiosity, reflecting Max's own admiration and wonder. She wore a pink dress with lace and little bows, and her front paws were covered by white gloves that gave her a sophisticated look. Some dresses and accessories lay on the floor, showing that Max had already spent time trying on different outfits from the package. He had never held anything so beautiful, something that captured his thoughts and imagination like this little cat.

"Do you like your dress, little Celina?" Max whispered tenderly to the doll, revealing that he'd already chosen a name for her. "If you'd like, we could try on another one—to go out and show everyone how pretty you are. You're so lovely... I think you'll be my best friend, always."

"What do we do?" whispered Oliver, the father. "Those gifts are for Lily."

"Shhh!" Luna signaled him to stay quiet. "Let's go to the landing; we need to talk."

On the landing, Oliver crossed his arms, showing his impatience.

"Those gifts are for Lily," he insisted in a low but firm voice, trying to stay calm.

Luna nodded but doubled down, replying in a hurried whisper, "Yes, Oliver, I know. But... are you just going to take it from him like that? Didn't you see how he was treating the doll?"

As if waiting for that question, Oliver turned and started down the stairs, determined—or at least he would have if Luna hadn't placed a paw on his chest, stopping him.

"Don't be so harsh," she whispered urgently. "Max is delighted, Oliver. You can't just take it away from him like that."

Oliver sighed, looking up as if searching for patience.

"We can't just let him have it. We can't give him everything he wants just because he gets excited, Luna. That's part of growing up! He must learn to face reality."

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, or you'll wake Lily," Luna continued quickly, wanting to end the conversation. "Yes, I agree, but at least tell him gently, show him his real gift, and convince him it's better than the doll."