Out of the Frying Pan

Grandpa's Surprise

Lenny and Lanny started saying things like “I wonder what he’s up to” and “Maybe he’s going to bring in our Christmas gifts and wrap them or something.” I was just sitting there, trying to think what a bagful of candy and hot bricks had to do with anything. This would probably stump Dick Tracy, I thought. I kept quiet, trying to listen for hints.

I thought I heard the front door shut and Grandpa walking off the front porch. After a short time, I thought I heard something beside the house. I told my brothers, “Hush, listen! Something is going on right outside the wall here.” They went quiet and we heard rustling sounds and thumping.

“Whatever it is, it sounds pretty heavy,” Lenny said. “Grandpa must have hid our gifts in the wood pile beside the house here.”

I said “I dunno, it kind of sounds like something being dragged off.”

Then Lanny piped up and said, “You don’t think something happened to Grandpa and he’s being dragged off into the woods or something?”

Lenny rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? There would be a lot more noise than that! Anyhow, ain’t nothing would wanna make our Grandpa mad.”

“Will you shut up and listen?” I said to the two of them. “It sounds like bells.”

Lanny replied, “Aren’t we a little old for Grandpa to be wrestling Santa for gifts?”

Lenny and I just looked at Lanny. He kinda shrank back and went quiet.

We heard footsteps come across the front porch and into the front room, so we just sat there, listening really hard. Then suddenly we heard thump thump thump thump, then it was quiet... and then again, thump thump thump thump, then footsteps going outside and then back in again. After a few seconds, we heard the thumping sound again, and the footsteps back outside and back inside. This same pattern of noises went on and on for a while, then finally stopped.

Everything was quiet. We strained to hear. Then Grandpa stepped around the door opening and we about jumped out of our skins. He laughed and said, “You boys were trying to hear what was going on, I see. But you stayed put like you promised. Well, time’s a-wasting. Fetch your hats and coats.”

We got dressed as quickly as we could.

“Come on in the front room and close your eyes tight and I’ll lead you out.”

“Yes, sir,” we replied. We stood in the front room, Lenny to my right, Lanny on my left, all of us with our eyes shut tight. I could feel the cold as Grandpa opened the front door, and again I heard bells. Grandpa led Lanny out onto the front porch first and then he led Lenny out. I heard another sound, something familiar, but couldn’t quite place it. Then Grandpa led me out. As I came out onto the porch, I could hear heavy breathing and the bell sounds were louder.

Grandpa said, “Okay, boys, open your eyes now.” I opened my eyes and blinked them a couple times to get them to focus. There before us was the most beautiful sight to behold!

Jack, with his huge size, was in his glory, wearing a harness made of jingle bells and behind him was a sleigh. The Christmas lights on the front porch reflected in his shiny black coat and each slight movement he made caused the bells to tinkle and reflect shimmering chrome rainbows of color. In my eyes, there could not possibly be a more delightful image, and I was struck speechless.

I realized the sleigh belonged to Mr. Mitchell (Tom); I knew he had two of them. That must have been what he came by for, I thought. That’s why Grandpa wanted Jack outside in the corral, to limber him up.

Grandpa was standing beside us, watching our reactions. “Well, boys, what do you think?”

Lenny asked, “We’re going sleigh-riding tonight?”

“Yep, that we are,” Grandpa said.

Lanny said, “This is gonna be the best Christmas ever!” Grandpa just smiled.

I kept looking at him and back at Jack and the sleigh. Grandpa asked, “Well, Mike, cat got your tongue?”

“Uhhh... uhhh,” I really was speechless. “What were the bricks for?” I finally managed to ask.

Grandpa said, “Ya just have to know things, don’t ya?” Lenny nudged me like I had said something wrong. Grandpa was only teasing, though. “The bricks go in the floor boards, in pans there to keep your feet warm, and with a blanket over your legs, the heat will rise to help warm the rest of you.”

My brothers looked at me with puzzled expressions, so I said, “I saw Grandpa put the bricks in the fireplace. They were still there if you would have looked instead of stuffing your faces with candy.”

I turned to Grandpa. “So that was the thumping sound in the front room?

“Yes, that was me wrapping them up and carrying them out to the sleigh.”

“What about the bag of candy, Grandpa?” I asked.

“That’s coming with us, so if any one comes out to greet us, they get a Christmas treat,” Grandpa replied. “You don’t miss a trick, do you Mike?” he laughed. “Well, lets git going before it gets any colder and causes ol’ Jack to freeze. You boys go and get the thermoses from earlier. They’re in the kitchen and they’re still hot. And fetch the bag of candy, too.

We were in and out like a flash. When we came back out, Grandpa was lighting the two carbide lanterns on the sleigh.