The Christmas Stockings

  

The Christmas Stockings
A Story by Vicky Oldham, © December 2019

The stockings were hung by the chimney tonight,
Two hanging like socks by the dim fire light,
But two were shaped different, like animal paws,
Of a cat or a dog, or something with claws.

Not to ask questions, I wouldn’t impose,
But I wondered why stockings were shaped just like paws,
When all of a sudden, a ring at the door,
Told me quite clearly what they were for.

A family arrived with their dog and their cat,
And kids bundled up in a coat and a hat, and
Knocking the snow off, they all came inside,
Let the dog off the leash while the cat ran to hide.

Outside the moon on the glittering snow,
Reflected on homes as they stood in a row.
With lights on the gutters and doorways and trees,
It was holiday festive and so Christmas-sy.

The children were playing ‘till Mom and Dad said,
“Santa is coming, and it’s time for bed.”
Tucked into their beds, they fell right to sleep,
While the dog and their cat lay by their feet.

But in the wee hours, a strange light appeared,
And the dog and the cat picked up their ears,
The door wasn’t closed so they ran out to see,
A little old man in a red suit and beard.

Under the tree he placed a big box,
Then he filled up the stockings -- the ones just like socks,
But seeing the paws he frowned and with that,
He knew he’d forgotten the dog and the cat.

And just as he thought they wouldn’t really mind,
The cat meowed — and the little dog whined.
So startled was he to see them so near,
He gasped, and exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”

As the wind blew the snow to the window in drifts,
Santa stood thinking about all those gifts,
For good little children all over the earth,
All to be opened the day of Christ’s birth.

But when he turned round, Santa could see,
A pile of cookies and milk by the tree.
He filled the paw stockings with cookies, and sat,
Then filled up a bowl with milk for the cat.

They licked Santa’s face as he pat them goodbye,
With a wink and a nod, up the chimney he’d fly.
And so in the morning, when they awoke,
The family cried, “Someone is playing a joke!”

The stockings like paws, you couldn’t believe,
Were filled up with cookies left out Christmas eve,
And all of the milk in the bowl on the floor, was
Lapped up by the cat, ‘till there was no more.

So that is the story and now you can say,
Why Santa remembers our pets to this day.
The dog bones and catnip he never forgets,
Merry Christmas to All, including our pets!