THE CHRISTMAS APPLE

By Kelsey Gross 

Deer saw a round, red thing hanging from a branch. 

“An apple! The perfect Christmas Eve treat!” she squealed. 

She stretched on tippy-hooves...but couldn’t reach it. 

Rabbit hopped by, humming carols.  

“Will you help me pick that apple?” Deer asked. “We can share it!” 

“Oh yippee-yum! Yes!” Rabbit climbed onto Deer’s back. 

Boing, boing, boing.

Rabbit groaned. “I can’t reach it.” 

Skunk slunk by. 

“Will you help us pick that apple?” Deer asked. “We can share it!” 

“Yummer! Yes!” Skunk climbed up and flicked his fluffy tail. 

Swish, swish, swish.

“Bummer,” Skunk said. “I can’t reach it!” 

Beaver waddled by, carrying a wreath. 

“Will you help us pick that apple?” Deer asked. “We can share it!” 

“Apple?” asked Beaver. “Aren’t those Christmas decorations?” 

“Please?” they begged. 

“Ok. I am hungry,” said Beaver.

He climbed up and gnawed the branch.

Chomp, chomp, chomp…

CREAK, 

SWISH, 

CRISH! 

The animals cheered as the branch and apple tumbled down. 

“Merry Christmas! Let’s eat!” whooped Deer. 

Skunk frowned. “My claws can’t slice it!” 

“Apples don’t usually sparkle,” mused Rabbit.

Beaver tugged its silver stem, and…

PLIP! The stem popped off. 

Rabbit peered inside. “It’s hollow! ...That’s no apple.” 

They slumped in the snow. 

“I KNEW it!” said Beaver. 

“We worked so hard!” whined Rabbit. 

“This Christmas stinks!” said Skunk.

“WAIT!” said Deer. “We can still share this thing!” 

She kicked it between tree trunks. 

“GOAL!” 

Rabbit, Skunk, and Beaver giggled.

They scurried to join Deer... 

...for their first ever Christmas Eve soccer match.