A CHRISTMAS TALE PART ONE

Only twelve days till Christmas , so the villagers are busy getting the place ready for the big day!

Ollie ,and his friend Bertie, have been given the job of clearing the last of the items on the dresser and dusting off the shelves.
"Where are we supposed to put it all? " questions Bertie
"Mmm lets just move it all onto this top and then Mum can sortout where she wants it all to go" Ollie decides.

The boys start work.

"What are all these shoes doing on the dresser? " Bertie asks showing Ollie a lovely dusky pink shoe he's found
Ollie thinks for a moment " Maybe it's where the girls get dressed? It is a dresser after all !"
Bertie's not to sure Ollie's right , after all there are no curtains and he would not fancy dressing here in front of anyone just passing on their way into the kitchen.

" I don't think I'd like to dress on this dresser " Bertie replies
" I have to agree but why else whould those shoes be sitting on the shelf? " wonders Ollie " I'll ask mum when we get her to come move everything off this top.

Soon the lower shelf is beginning to be cleared ready for cleaning.

" Goodness this is really dusty! It's just as well we are going to clean it ready for Christmas " Mutters Ollie getting the duster ready to start.

Soon dust is flying everywhere and Ollie is sneezing constantly.. with Bertie constantly saying "Bless you "

Soon the bottom shelf is cleared and dust free and the boys give their attention to the higher second shelf.
" There's a lot of china up there!" Bertie says worriedly " How are we going to get that down without dropping it!"
Ollie looks just as worried.

 

" I suppose one of us could climb up and pass the things down ? " Bertie mutters, not to sure it if would work.

 

 Bruno arrives to find Ollie and Bertie just staring up at the dresser silently ! After glancing up and not seeing anything strange , he makes his presence known " Is something wrong? "
Bertie and Ollie jump , having been so focused on the problem they'd not heard Bruno's approach.

"Hi Bruno "
"Hi Bruno " the boys say together, Bertie continues " we are trying to decide how to get those things down off the shelf above"
" Why? "
" Well we've been given the job of clearing and dusting the shelves and then Mrs Mum will give us some money towards getting some christmas presents "
" Can I help? " Bruno offers, he's always a helpful boy
" Actually you are just what we need!" says Bertie with a big smile, Bruno smiles back proudly.

"Are you sure about this? " Ollie questions
" Yes " Bertie confirms " Bruno climb up on Ollies shoulders and he'll swing round and you can climb onto the first shelf.
" Okay " Bruno says starting to grip Ollies shoulder and raise his leg to start climbing.

All goes well until Ollie needs to swing round to deposit Bruno on the shelf !
"Arghhh " "What .. " " Careful " Oh no I'm falling!" "Ouch!"
"I've got you!" "help" "OUCH!"
It's touch and go until suddenly..

Bruno is safe? on the shelf..
" That was dicy ! " says Bertie
" It was painful complains Ollie rubbing his head where Bruno had at one stage grabbed a handful and held on !
" Sorry " says Bruno
" Not your fault " says Ollie giving the worried Bruno a smile " I'd have used both hands "  the boys giggle.

Bruno rests , while the boys decided what to do next .
" I don't think you can stand on that shelf it's too small " muses Ollie
" I'm not sure I can stand up at all " Bruno confesses " my legs feel quite wobbly "

 " Maybe it's best we help you down and think of something else " says Ollie kindly.

Soon Bruno's safely standing back on the top.
" What are we going to do then? " Ollie says
Bertie stares at Ollie for a few moments " I have an idea , Bruno you'd best move over there out the way but stay near you can help with the china "

Ollie finds himself laying down, to make a step for Bertie to use to get up onto the second shelf!
" I don't think this will work !" Ollie says his voice muffled
" I'm sure it will " Bertie says with the belief of the boy whose not about to be stood on " Just push really hard and raise your back up as high as you can once I'm on you "
Bruno looks on worriedly

"Brace yourself " calls Bertie " I'm climbing on!"
 Bertie climbs on, Ollie strains to push his arms and legs so his back will go up,with the heavy Bertie standing on it , slowly he starts to move up then....

he collaspes and Bertie and Ollie land up in a heap ! Bruno moves quickly to help get Bertie off Ollie.

" Well " says a bruised and battered Ollie " That didn't work! and noone else is climbing on me again"
" Calm down Ollie " Bertie soothes " Noone needs to stand on you any more! I have just realised, we can ask your mum to come move the china and bring a ladder so we can do the dusting!"

" That's a much better idea " agrees Bruno

" Why didn't you think of that before!" Ollie cries!
" don't know " Bertie shrugs his shoulders " But I have to head home soon and I need the money from helping your mum to buy my Mame a present for Christmas "
"Then you'd best go find mum and ask her " Ollie remarks " I'm too bruised to move at the moment ! I may have broken something!"
Bertie rolls his eyes knowing Ollie is such a drama queen " All right I'll go , maybe she'll give me an extra pound and I can get my old granny a bar of chocolate for her present !"

 Bruno, whose been standing quietly listening to the boys, suddenly freezes !
A present for his granny! Oh no ! he needs to buy HIS granny a present! she'd always said grannies don't get presents at Christmas only children but Bertie wanted to buy his granny a present , so granny's do get presents! ........

To be continued....


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