A Christmas Tale

lillian

Reading what I have just written, I now believe . . .
A snowflake smudges the next word. Where did that come from? I’m sitting at the kitchen table!

My eyes bug out in disbelief. A reindeer spotted with snow, stands behind me! I rub my eyes because surely this isn’t real? Then he invites me to climb on his back! Knowing mama and papa are soundly asleep, I scramble up. Out the window we fly, heading due north. My cold fingers clutch his collar, copper bells cold on my palms.

We land on a peanut-brittle paved lane with tall candy cane light poles and elaborate gingerbread houses! I see gummy bears chatting, sitting on gigantic lemon drops. Absolutely agog, I follow an elf to a sugar spun door. The door flings open and I know right then. I will always believe!

I’m hosting Prosery Monday at dVerse today, the virtual pub for poets. BUT, on Prosery Monday, we don’t write poetry!

Prosery is defined as a prompter providing one line from a poem, and writers inserting that specific line into a piece of prose, for example flash fiction. The punctuation and capitalization in the line may be changed, but the words and word order must remain intact. AND the prose can be no more than 144 words in length, sans title.

As host today, I’ve chosen the line “Reading what I have just written, I now believe” from Louise Gluck’s poem Afterward. So come join us! Insert this line, using these exact words in this order, into a piece of original prose!

55 thoughts on “A Christmas Tale”

  1. Ingrid December 7, 2020 / 12:28 pm

    A delightful fairytale, sweet as Christmas gingerbread! 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 3:29 pm

      Oh yes….the magic of the season. I do believe we all need it now more than ever! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 3:30 pm

      NEVER! Witches not allowed in these gingerbread houses! The candy cane street lights shine all day and night so evil can never enter. 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  4. Francis December 7, 2020 / 3:28 pm

    Terrific seasonal tale — uplifting! And keep on believing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. calmkate December 7, 2020 / 3:36 pm

    a child’s Christmas dream Lillian, well done … the fantasy is tangible!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:28 pm

      So glad you enjoyed. Sometimes it’s fun to write from a child’s perspective – especially this time of year!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • calmkate December 7, 2020 / 5:29 pm

        so true and keeps you connected with your inner child

        Liked by 1 person

  6. merrildsmith December 7, 2020 / 3:39 pm

    What a delight, Lillian! Thank you for this piece of Christmas magic and joy!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Gillena Cox December 7, 2020 / 3:42 pm

    SO WILL I…
    Happy Monday

    Much❤love

    Like

    Reply
  8. sanaarizvi December 7, 2020 / 3:45 pm

    This is absolutely delightful! 💝💝 I love; “a peanut-brittle paved lane with tall candy cane light poles and elaborate gingerbread houses.” Your prose is a thing of awe! Thank you so much for the wonderful prompt 😀 xo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:29 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the prompt, Sanaa. Sometimes I enjoy writing from a child’s perspective.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  9. rothpoetry December 7, 2020 / 3:51 pm

    Childhood fantasies and imaginations are so much fun! So real and full of truth!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:30 pm

      Seeing this Christmas season through the eyes of a child can be magical. I just wish all children could have a merry and bright Christmas. Sadly, many do not.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:30 pm

      Thanks, Jane. I do love the Christmas season and each year, seem to look on it with childish wonder still.

      Like

      Reply
      • Jane Dougherty December 8, 2020 / 5:15 am

        Ever since I’ve been an adult I’ve dreaded it. I’d happily ignore it altogether, but we’re all different, thank goodness 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Beverly Crawford December 7, 2020 / 4:05 pm

    A delightful fantasy. A feel-good read!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:31 pm

      Always happy to help people feel good! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  12. kim881 December 7, 2020 / 4:07 pm

    You and I have gone traditional with this one. Lill, you with a fairy tale and I with a ghost story. I love the way you started with the prompt line, a great introduction to a story, and the snowflake smudging the next word, a nice entry into fantasy. I also love the fine detail in ‘My cold fingers clutch his collar, copper bells cold on my palms’.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Glenn A. Buttkus December 7, 2020 / 4:20 pm

    A sweet illustration for your prompt. This could easily be transformed into a children’s book; just find an artist, and have at it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:33 pm

      Ooooh wouldn’t that be fun! 🙂 I do love this Christmas season and all the movies that come on tv and the decorations too. I’m reminded of the movie Elf and as silly as it is, so many mundane things are seen through the eyes of a child for the first time…..I LOVE when he goes in the revolving door and just has fun going round and round. It’s a ride, right? Why does it have to be a door?

      Like

      Reply
  14. Ron. December 7, 2020 / 5:04 pm

    O delicioso! Thanks for the prompt, and your delectable response! Now I gotta go snack!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:34 pm

      Glad you enjoyed! MMMM……maybe a hot chocolate decorated with a peppermint candy cane to give it more sweetness and mint flavor? 🙂

      Like

      Reply
    • lillian December 7, 2020 / 5:34 pm

      So glad, Lucy. Sometimes I enjoy writing from the perspective of a child….they see so many things in so many fantastical ways! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  16. Nancy Jahnke December 7, 2020 / 6:03 pm

    Take me with you!

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. adda December 7, 2020 / 6:19 pm

    I love it! You drew me into the story starting at the snow flake! Kudos!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian December 9, 2020 / 8:21 am

      So glad you enjoyed, Adda. And good to see you here!

      Like

      Reply
    • lillian December 9, 2020 / 8:22 am

      Kind of fun to slip into childhood mode every once in a while! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  22. Pingback: December, We Reminisce | A Dalectable Life
    • lillian December 9, 2020 / 8:22 am

      This Christmas season seems to provide a magical air which is much needed these days! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Dale December 9, 2020 / 9:14 am

        I think so! More people have decorated way earlier than usual. Methinks cheer has been needed. 🙂

        Like

    • lillian December 9, 2020 / 8:23 am

      So glad you enjoyed. Always happy to hand out a little enchantment! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  26. equitysoftware December 12, 2020 / 6:08 am

    The book A Christmas tale is so amazing. The writing was awesome. I could relate this book to the other Geronimo Stilton series. The strength of the is which a character was helps the other people. I think there was no weakness. I would recommend that book to a classmate because they would like a Christmas telling. If there were more series about this book I would read them all.

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