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  Franklin’s Christmas Gift

  For Hannah and Charlotte Cowan, two very special girls – P. B.

  To my parents, for the warm Christmas memories – B. C.

  Franklin’s Christmas Gift

  Written by Paulette Bourgeois

  Illustrated by Brenda Clark

  Kids Can Press

  FRANKLIN loved Christmas. He could name all of Santa’s reindeer. He could tie ribbons into bows and play “Silent Night” on his recorder.

  Franklin liked to give presents and to receive them. But this year he couldn’t decide what to give to the Christmas toy drive.

  Every December the students in Mr. Owl’s class donated toys for needy families. The toys could be new or carefully used.

  When Mr. Owl put out the collection box, everyone was excited. They had three days to choose the perfect gifts to give.

  That evening Franklin dug through his toys. He picked up a shiny red car.

  “I remember this,” he said, wheeling it around. “Vroom!”

  Next, Franklin pulled out a stuffed elephant and held her tight.

  “I wondered where you’d gone!” he cried.

  Then Franklin found his best green marble. It had been missing for weeks.

  “Fantastic!” he shouted.

  Franklin loved his marbles. He had won every marble in his collection, and each one was beautiful.

  Franklin picked through the rest of the toys. He decided to keep everything but a rusty truck with a missing wheel.

  Franklin asked his father to help him fix the truck.

  “We can try,” said his father. “But it won’t look new or even gently used.”

  “It’s all I have. Everything else is too special to give away.”

  “I’d like you to think about that,” said Franklin’s father. “Christmas is a time to be generous.”

  The next day at school, Franklin asked his friends what they were giving.

  Beaver was donating her big book of questions and answers.

  “I already know all the answers,” she boasted.

  “I’m giving a puzzle, said Bear. “I only did it once.”

  Franklin frowned. “I’m giving a truck … I think.”

  He had two days left to decide.

  But Franklin was too busy to think about the toy drive.

  He played the recorder in the school concert, made a card for Mr. Owl and wrote a holiday story.

  “I’ll pick a toy after school,” he promised himself.

  When Franklin got home, there was a gift for him under the tree. It was from Great Aunt Harriet.

  Franklin was so excited that he forgot all about choosing a gift for the toy drive.

  Franklin squeezed the present and shook it.

  “No peeking,” laughed his mother.

  “Do you know what it is?” asked Franklin eagerly.

  “It must be something special.” His mother smiled. “Great Aunt Harriet always gives presents that mean something to you and to her.”

  “Like last year,” said Franklin.

  Great Aunt Harriet knew that he loved to put on plays. And she gave him two puppets that had been hers when she was little. It was one of Franklin’s best presents ever.

  The next day at school, the collection box was brimming.

  “You’ve all been very generous,” said Mr. Owl. “Do you know that your gift might be the only one somebody receives this holiday?”

  Franklin gulped. He’d never thought of that. He had to bring a present tomorrow!

  Franklin raced home after school and looked through his toys again.

  Somebody else might love Elephant, but she was worn from so much hugging.

  And Franklin wasn’t sure that the red car went fast enough.

  Franklin was upset. At first, all of his toys had seemed too special to give away. Now, nothing seemed special enough.

  Franklin played with his puppets and thought about how Great Aunt Harriet chose her gifts.

  “The best presents are special to give and to receive,” he whispered.

  Then Franklin saw his marble collection and he knew that the marbles were special enough for the toy drive.

  Franklin polished them and put them into a soft purple bag.

  He wrapped the present and made a gift tag that read:

  These are lucky marbles.

  Merry Christmas

  The next morning, Franklin put his present on top of the collection box.

  Then Franklin and his friends hauled the box to the big tree at the Town Hall.

  They placed each present under the tree.

  Franklin knew he would miss his marble collection. Still, he didn’t feel at all sad. Instead, he felt good all over.

  On Christmas Eve, Great Aunt Harriet came to visit and Franklin was allowed to open her present.

  He ripped of the paper.

  “It’s perfect!” said Franklin. “Thank you.”

  Great Aunt Harriet beamed. She had made a stage for Franklin’s puppet shows.

  “Now open yours,” Franklin insisted.

  Great Aunt Harriet unwrapped her gift slowly and carefully.

  Inside was a play, written by Franklin and dedicated to her.

  “This is my best Christmas present ever,” said Great Aunt Harriet.

  Franklin got that good-all-over feeling one more time.

  Franklin is a trademark of Kids Can Press Ltd.

  Text © 1998 Contextx

  Illustrations © 1998 Brenda Clark Illustrator Inc.

  Interior illustrations prepared with the assistance of Shelley Southern.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without, the prior written permission of Kids Can Press Ltd. or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying or other reprographic copying, a license from CANCOPY (Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency), 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E5.

  Kids Can Press acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of Canada, through the BPIDP, for our publishing activity.

  Kids Can Press Ltd.

  29 Birch Avenue

  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

  M4V 1E2

  Printed in Hong Kong by Wing King Tong Company Limited

  CDN PA 98 0 9 8 7 6 5

  Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

  Bourgeois, Paulette

  Franklin’s Christmas Gift

  ISBN 978-1-4532-1953-9 (ePub)

  I. Clark, Brenda . II. Title

  PS8553.085477F62 1998 jC813’.54 C98-930321-7

  PZ7.B68Fr 1998

  Kids Can Press is a Nelvana company

 

 

  Paulette Bourgeois, Franklin's Christmas Gift

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