the vanished Christmas stockings

What happened to the Christmas stockings?

She asks frantically around. Twenty perfect red Christmas stockings. Four hours ago they were still hanging on the classroom’s wall. Parents and kindergartners will soon arrive for the Christmas party. The hired Santa Claus is already here. She last saw him tasting the cook’s famous apple tart. She has a reputation. Her kindergarten is supposed to be the best in the whole city. Christmas stockings are a necessity for the party. It could have been worse. If the Christmas tree went missing, she would have an apoplexy. Still, she has spent many hours filling the stockings with treats.

She needs to question her teachers. It must be done discreetly. Happy employees, who are valued and held in esteem by their employer, are a prerequisite for a good kindergarten. Miss Peterson knows nothing of the disappearance. She worries about robbers and hooligans. She even looks at the hired Santa with suspicion. Miss Ingram on the other hand confesses immediately. “I gave them away a couple of hours ago,” she states calmly so as if she has done nothing wrong. It is too late to ask for details, it is far too late to try to salvage them. The first parents have arrived, their children tagging along.

She hopes that they won’t notice. Her hopes are crushed, when the very first father to arrive greets her, and continues that he needs to tell her about the stockings. The story unravels, and she finds out that the visiting priest, who spoke to the children about the meaning of Christmas, told them of little orphan boys and girls who would not have any presents at all this year. The father explains about Miss Ingram’s proposal and how, one by one, her kindergartners offered their Christmas stockings, the ones filled with chocolates and little toys and other treats, to be taken to the less fortunate. He states how proud he is about this lesson in the value of giving.

The principal sighs in relief. Now she knows what happened to the Christmas stockings. Maybe she shall turn this into an annual tradition. Or maybe she shall fire Miss Ingram for failing to inform her about her initiative.

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