Tales of Derring-do, Bad and Good Luck Tales!

The Cricket, The Human, & The Umbrella!

...

A week until Christmas and all through the manor, everyone was acting in the jolliest of manners. The children, who had cruelly decorated a tree, spoke of the promises Christmas morning would bring. Their Great Uncle, who was stern in his gaze of the room, was hiding his own excitement in a cover of gloom. My focus was on keeping the presents all nicely wrapped and the holiday mostly intact. Yet my plans may be foiled, for you see, what matters most wasn't under the tree... No that's not a line from every Christmas fable, but rather a cautionary tell to those who expect gifts without checking the label.

...

"Yow! Bah, Crass commercialism, empty sentiment and all the trappings of the holiday! And the endless monuments to that reindeer rustling, red suited rube," Scrooge was on his third rate today but paused when he saw a Santa statue. He glared at the cheerful polar bear man statue. "Who put this up?"

Huey, Dewey, Webby, and Duckworth pointed to the Green nephew. I had warned the kids that their uncle didn't take kindly to the jolly fat man but Louie didn't take heed of my warning. Donald saw himself out of the room and the kids watched in horror as Scrooge dismantled the plastic man.

"Grr. Take that, you no kind of traitor. Not so lively and quick now are you." His family gasped as he continued with the beating, much to his nephew's terror.

"Bah Humbug!" Scrooge finished his hissy fit.

"He said it!" Webby gasped. I was glad I wasn't the only one happy to hear the line. It was just fitting.

Scrooge announced he would be retiring for the night. No one seemed deterred by their Uncle's attitude. Louie continued to con his way into a present from Santa and Huey and Webby debated perfect Christmas traditions. Donald renter and started helping Ms. B decorate the mantel and piano. Dewey wasn't paying attention to the discussions and thought he could sneak by me to the gifts. There was a small lull in the conversation, and Green broke the silence.

"____ what's your favorite family Christmas tradition from your world?"

This shocked everyone in the room. Somewhat because he had been paying attention to Red and Pink's conversation, but mostly because that kind of talk was reserved for extremely awkward situations or momentary spells of laughter followed by awkward silences. I shifted and noticed everyone's eyes were on me.

"Ms. ____ doesn't have family in the other world, remember. I doubt she had any annual Christmas traditions." The ghost butler butted in, and there it was. A few people in the room sent him murderous looks, the others sent me apologetic ones. I don't think he meant to be spiteful, but it came across rude. "Ooh. I'm sorry. That seems to be a touchy subject. I was unaware. I will learn to keep my mouth shut."

"Bout time." I muttered and shifted again. Everyone's attention was back on me, like they thought I would answer it now. "I had a few, nothing worth mentioning."

They all looked sad. I felt pressured into saying even though I really didn't want to.

"There was something." They looked hopeful now. "It wasn't a tradition really. Just a story I heard offended when I was younger. The stories of Krampus."

"Oh! What's Krampus?" Webby ran over to me.

"Who," Huey corrected. "Krampus is the name of a person. Right?"