On a chilly Christmas morning, Nellie and her brothers, Gary, Peter, and Felix, woke to an unusual sight outside their window. Instead of finding gifts by the fireplace or under the tree, they saw a giant cotton-white stocking swaying gently in the crisp winter breeze, hanging from the tallest oak tree in their yard.
“What’s it doing up there?” The brothers asked, tugging at Nellie’s sleeve.
“I don’t know,” Nellie replied, her brows furrowed in curiosity. “Let’s check it out.”
Then, bundling up in their coats and scarves, they trudged through the snow toward the tree. Read more
The stocking was the largest of all the vintage handmade Santa stockings. Also, at its base was a neatly folded letter. Nellie carefully opened it, and they both leaned in to read:
Dear Nellie, Gary, Peter, and Felix
I’m so sorry I couldn’t visit your house this year. I caught a nasty cold, and my reindeer insisted I rest! But don’t worry, I made sure to deliver your gifts safely. So, you’ll find them in this stocking. It’s a bit of a climb, but I know you all are brave and clever!
Merry Christmas, Santa
The brothers’ eyes widened. “We have to climb all the way up there?”
Nellie smiled. “Of course! Santa trusts us, and we can’t let him down. So, let’s climb”
Then, together, they set off to climb the tree, grabbed the stocking rope, and climbed higher and higher toward the giant stocking.
So, the closer they got, the more magical the stocking seemed. Golden sparkles shimmered around it, and the scent of cinnamon cookies filled the air.
Nellie and her brothers stood at the base of Santa’s enormous stocking, which hung like a high tower from the fireplace mantel. The giant cotton-white stocking swayed gently in the breeze from the hearth.
“We’ve got to get the gifts out!” Nellie declared, her eyes sparkling with determination. She tugged at the rope and looked up. “There must be dozens of presents in there!”
Peter, the most agile of the four, grabbed the rope on the right first. “I’ll climb up and help you up, Nellie,’ he said, slinging his legs around the rope with practiced ease. ‘Here you are, Nellie. Now it’s time to bring Felix up. Gary, go down the other side so Nellie can pass the gifts to you.”
Gary, the oldest and strongest, nodded. “Got it. I’ll head down and start unloading.”
With that, the four boys began their synchronized climb, each moving with precision—Peter and Felix ascending with nimble leaps, Gary descending carefully, anchoring himself with firm grips. Nellie waited halfway up, holding onto a loop in the rope, her boots dangling. When Peter reached her, she whispered excitedly, “Hold the rope for me—I’m going all the way to the top!”
Peter braced himself, wrapping the rope around his arms and legs. Nellie climbed the final stretch, her mittened hands slipping slightly on the fuzzy cotton. Finally, she reached the wide opening of the stocking and peeked inside.
Her breath caught.
Inside were beautifully wrapped gifts in shiny paper with gold ribbons. Nestled among the presents was a small pouch tied with a red ribbon, its label reading “Christmas Cookies – Baked with Magic.” Nellie’s cheeks flushed with joy.
“One present coming down!” she called cheerfully.
With care, she tossed a gift toward Gary, who had stationed himself near the bottom. He caught it skillfully, placed it in a growing pile, and then started climbing up again while Peter descended on the other rope to take the next load.
The brothers swapped roles like a well-rehearsed team, Gary going down to drop off the gifts, Peter pulling Felix and Simon to get up to collect more from Nellie. The ropes creaked with the rhythm of their teamwork.
“Catch this one!” Nellie cried, throwing a medium-sized box wrapped in peppermint-striped paper. Gary caught it mid-air, grinned, and continued downward. Back and forth they moved, a flurry of movement and laughter.
As they finished picking up all the gifts in the stocking, they climbed down, and snowflakes began to fall softly, coating the world in glittering white. Back on the ground, the four siblings hugged their gifts tightly.
“Wow! That was the best adventure ever!” Gary exclaimed to his brothers, looking up at the now-empty stocking swaying gently in the breeze.
Nellie smiled, holding the letter close to her heart. “Santa might be sick, but he still made this Christmas magical.”
Hand in hand, they ran back to their cozy house, ready to share their story with their parents and pray for Santa to feel better soon.
