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Authors: Nancy Krulik

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BOOK: Holly's Jolly Christmas
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And then there was the time the magic wind switcherooed Katie into Slinky, class 4A’s pet snake. Just thinking about shedding Slinky’s skin still made her itch. Most fourth-grade girls don’t shed.
The magic wind was the reason Katie didn’t make wishes anymore. She knew what kinds of weird things could happen if they came true.
But she still really, really wanted a Christmas tree, even if she couldn’t wish for one.
Luckily, Katie didn’t
have
to wish this time. Instead, Nick said, “I think we should go to a tree farm and pick one out.”
“When?” Katie asked him.
“How about right now?” Grandma suggested. “No time like the present.”
“And no present like a Christmas present,” Katie giggled.
“Good one,” Nick complimented her.
“Won’t your mom and dad be surprised when they come home from work!” Katie’s grandmother added.
Katie was already at the front door.
“Whoa, hold it right there,” Nick said.
Katie stopped in her tracks. “What’s wrong? You said we could go now.”
“Don’t you think you ought to put your coat on first?” Nick asked. “It’s as cold as the North Pole out there.”
“The perfect weather for buying a Christmas tree,” Katie’s grandmother said.
Katie grinned. She couldn’t have agreed more!
Chapter 5
“We’re here! We’re here!” Katie shouted excitedly as Nick parked the car outside the tree farm. She was bouncing up and down in her seat like a little kid. But Katie couldn’t help it. There was just something about Christmastime that made her
feel
like a little kid again.
“Come on, hurry up,” Katie urged as she leaped out of the car and ran toward the trees. “Pllleeease.”
“I’m just locking the car,” her grandmother called. “You go on ahead. We’ll catch up with you.” Then she breathed in deeply. “Mmmm . . . smell that pine.”
Katie sniffed at the air and smiled brightly. She loved the smell of pine trees and cold air all mixed together. It was the smell of Christmas, and it was wonderful.
Other people obviously felt the same way. All around her, people were smiling, laughing, and humming Christmas carols as they examined the trees. Everyone at the tree farm seemed to have the Christmas spirit.
Well, almost everyone, anyway. Behind the cash register was a woman wearing a cheerful, red and white Santa hat, and a tree-shaped nametag that said “Holly.” Holly was a very jolly name. But this Holly didn’t look so jolly.
“Can you tell me where the medium-sized trees are?” Katie overheard one woman ask.
Holly pointed, and said, “Over there.”
“But
all
the trees are over there,” the woman said.
Holly shrugged. “Yeah, and some of them are medium sized. You’ll just have to look through them all to find what you want.”
Katie couldn’t believe it. How could someone who worked at a Christmas tree farm not have Christmas spirit? This was the most Christmas-y job there was. Except for Santa’s job, of course.
Just then, someone with
lots
of Christmas spirit snuck up behind Katie. “Guess who?” the person asked.
Katie turned around fast. “Louie!” she shouted out happily. Louie owned the pizzeria next to the bookstore in the Cherrydale Mall. Of all the people who worked at the mall, he was her favorite. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m picking out a tree,” Louie said. “What else do you do at a Christmas tree farm?”
Katie giggled. “That’s true,” she said. “But if you’re here, who’s at the pizzeria?”
“My wife’s in charge today,” he told her. “She can keep the customers happy until I get back.”
Katie didn’t know Louie’s wife, but if she was half as nice as Louie she would definitely be able to keep all the customers happy!
“I know your mom’s working today, so who are you here with? Your dad?” Louie asked Katie.
“No. My Grandma and her friend, Nick,” Katie told him. “But when you get back to the mall, don’t tell my mom you saw us. We want the tree to be a surprise.”
Louie smiled. “My lips are sealed!”
“I want to find a tree that is big, but not too big,” she told Louie. “It has to fit in my living room.” She looked around at the trees that were for sale at the farm. “Gee. Most of the trees look kind of small and scrawny.”
Suddenly, an angry voice said, “Well, what do you expect?”
Katie swerved around. It was Holly.
Holly’s hands were on her hips. “It’s a week before Christmas. Most of the really full trees are gone,” she said. “You gotta come early if that’s what you want, girlie.”
Katie turned red. She hadn’t meant for Holly to hear what she’d said about the trees. “I’m sorry,” Katie apologized.
Holly frowned. She pointed to the rows and rows of Christmas trees. “That’s what’s left. Take ’em or leave ’em.”
Louie shrugged at Katie as if to say he didn’t understand why Holly was so cranky. Then he waved good-bye to Katie.
Katie was not going to let Holly take all the fun out of buying a tree. So she gave Holly the biggest smile she could. “I’m sure I’ll find the perfect tree here.”
Holly didn’t bother to answer. She started to march away.
“Merry Christmas,” Katie said.
Holly sighed and rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she said.
Chapter 6
“Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree . . .” Katie hummed as she walked between the rows of pine trees. She could see her grandmother and Nick at the other end of the farm, examining trees. She waved. But they were too far away to see her.
There weren’t many big trees. Katie guessed Holly was right. They should have come sooner. Then she turned down another row. Yes! There were a few that were nice and round and full—even if they weren’t very tall.
She held out her hand and fingered the pine needles on a cute, little tree. Then she leaned down and took a deep sniff of the tree’s sweet piney scent.
Mmmm.
Katie let out a happy little sigh. It was sooooo nice being here, just her and the Christmas trees. It felt like she was alone in a magical Christmas forest.
“I should try and remember just how these trees look right now,” Katie said to herself. That way she could make them look real when she painted the scenery for the Community Center play.
But as Katie continued looking at the trees, she felt a cool breeze blowing on the back of her neck.
Brrrr.
She tightened her scarf, and pulled down her ski hat. But the cool breeze didn’t go away. In fact, it started to get stronger and stronger.
Katie looked around at the trees. The branches didn’t seem to be blowing at all. In fact, they were just standing there, straight and still. But the wind kept moving, blowing harder and harder . . .
and circling just around Katie
.
Katie gulped. That could only mean one thing. This might not be a magical forest, but that breeze was definitely the
magic
wind!
“Oh no!” Katie cried out. “Not now. Not while I’m shopping for my Christmas tree! Go away, magic wind.
Please!
”
But the magic wind didn’t listen to Katie. It just kept blowing harder and harder. It was freezing cold, and chilled her to the bone. Katie was afraid that this time the wind could turn her into a block of ice, right there in the middle of the Christmas tree farm.
Or worse, it could blow her far, far away. Maybe all the way to the North Pole!
Katie shut her eyes tight, and tried not to cry.
And then it stopped. Just like that.
The magic wind was gone. And so was Katie Kazoo.
One, two, switcheroo. Katie was someone new. But who?
Chapter 7
“How much is this wreath, ma’am?” Katie heard a man asking her. The voice was awfully familiar.
Katie opened her eyes slowly and came face to face with Nick. He was holding a large, green wreath in his hands.
“Nick!” Katie exclaimed happily. She was very glad to see that she was still at the tree farm, and that Nick was still there with her.
But Nick looked at her strangely. “Do I know you?” he asked her.
“Of course!” Katie exclaimed. “I’m . . .”
Katie stopped herself in midsentence. She wasn’t sure who she was anymore. The magic wind had changed all that.
“I don’t think we’ve ever met,” Nick continued. “How did you know my name?”
Katie gulped. How was she supposed to answer that? She couldn’t just tell Nick about the magic wind or anything.
“Well . . . um . . . I called you Nick, because, well . . . um . . . you look like Santa Claus,” Katie said. “You know, Jolly St. Nick.”
“Ho, ho, ho,” Nick chuckled. “It must be my white beard.”
Katie smiled. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“Well, I know your name, too,” Nick told her.
“You do?” Katie asked. “How?”
“It says it right there on your nametag,” Nick said. “It’s nice to meet you . . .
Holly
.”
BOOK: Holly's Jolly Christmas
3.77Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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