A World of Disney Christmas

The Second Tale

December 16, 1977 (The Second Tale)

With Christmas only nine days away, everyone at the Muppet Theater entered the gift-wrapping stage in their preparation for the big holiday, as well as for the upcoming pageant. Diana and Kermit wrapped up gifts at Kermit's desk, which was so littered with wrappers that they wrapped wrappers by accident. Diana double-checked herself so often that she frustrated herself. Normally, Joanie would help her; unfortunately, as of late, she had been too focused on finding her missing sorcerer hat to help out with anything. For the past week, Diana saw less and less of her daughter because of her new double-life. I think I'm beginning to understand how Superman's parents feel, Diana thought in her despair.

Joanie was gone the entire day, looking for the hat all over Orlando with Robin. It was foolish of her to go out with the horrible head cold she got from her equally foolish way of decorating the theater by wearing summer clothes in freezing temperatures. By the end of the afternoon, Diana was ready to abandon her gift-wrapping and go out to search for her. However, just as she considered this, she heard the stage door fly open, letting in the chilly breeze for a short moment that blew over the wrappers on Kermit's desk, scattering them further.

"I FOUND IT!"

The nasally voice of her daughter accompanied the cold breeze, which was quickly cut off by Sweetums, who shut the door. As soon as she saw Joanie with her hat, Diana furiously approached her. "Where have you been, young lady? You've been gone for twelve hours! You were beginning to have me worried..." She was interrupted by Joanie's excessive coughing and hacking, which seemed to be timed at just the right moment as Diana finished her statement, "...sick." Diana placed a hand over her daughter's forehead; at first, it felt extremely cold, but then it was extremely hot. "Dear Lord! You're burning up!"

Joanie waved off her mother's concern. "Don't worry, Mom. It's no sweat. As soon as I put on this hat, I'll be right as rain." Her idiom didn't help her case as she let out another nasty, phlegm-filled cough in front of her mother. Hearing Joanie's disgusting cough, every Muppet standing around in the backstage area immediately cleared out, except for Sweetums, Kermit, and Robin.

Just as Joanie was about to place the sorcerer hat on her head, Diana snatched it out of her hands. "No, no! We are not going to use magic to cure your cold. We're going to do things the old fashioned way."

Diana's suggestion surprised Joanie so much that she nearly choked on another cough. "WHAT? Mom, it'll take weeks for me to fight this!"

"She'll miss the pageant!" Robin exclaimed, helping defend Joanie's case. "And she'll miss Christmas dinner and opening gifts with us on Christmas morning, because she'll be in bed all day!"

"Well, she should've thought of that before she decided to put up Christmas lights in the thirty-degree temperature, wearing close to nothing!" Diana scolded, her eyes fixed directly on her daughter.

Joanie scoffed. "I was wearing shorts and a top, Mother!"

"Yeah, because you thought your 'super powers' would keep you warm." Diana sarcastically said. "Losing this hat just proves how reckless you've become with your abilities, Joanie."

"I realize that now. And I swear that I'll be more careful. I'll prove it to you if you just give it back."

Diana shook her head. "I'm sorry, honey. But until you've gotten over your cold, you won't be getting it back. It's the only way you'll learn your lesson."