 |
| True Christmas Story |
It is a fairly well-known tale, I am told and it conveys a wonderful message too! 'No matter how tough things are, don't give-up. you just don't know what lies around the corner! This (link) below of The Christmas-tale will bring you right to the place where I found this delightful story. so enjoy the tale---
Christmas-Tales.
True Christmas Story-
It was about a man named Robert May was a short man, barely five feet in height. He was born in the early part of the last century, the 19th hundreds. Robert had a hard time in school, being bullied in school and was ridiculed, humiliated by other children just because he was smaller than the other boys of the same age.
Even as Robert grew up, he was often mistaken for someone's little brother. When he left for college he became employed as a copywriter with Montgomery Ward, the biggest Chicago mail order house. He married and in due course his wife gave him a daughter. Then his little daughter was two years old, tragedy struck; his beloved wife was diagnosed with a debilitating disease. She became bedridden and remained so until the day she died. Nearly everything Robert had earned as a copywriter with Montgomery Ward went to his wife's medications and doctor's bills. Money was short and life was very hard. One evening in the early part of December of 1938 and two years into his wife's illness, his four-year-old daughter climbed onto his knee and asked, 'Daddy, why isn't Mummy like everybody else's mummy?' It was a simple question, asked with childlike curiosity. But it struck a personal chord with Robert May.
His mind flashed back to his own childhood. He had often posed a similar question, 'Why can't I be tall, like the other kids?' The stigma attached to those who are different is hard to bear. Groping for something to say to give comfort to his daughter, he began to tell her a story. It was about someone else who was different, ridiculed, humiliated and excluded because of the difference. Robert told his young daughter the story is a humorous way, making it up as he went along; in the way that many father often do. His daughter laughed, giggled and clapped her hands as the misfit finally triumphed at the end. His daughter then made him start all over again from the beginning and every night after that he had to repeat the story before she would go to sleep. Since they had no money for fancy presents, so Robert decided that he would put the story into book form. He had some artistic talent and he created illustrations.
This was to be his daughter's Christmas present. The book of the story that she loved so much. He converted the story into a poem.
On the night before Christmas Eve, he was persuaded to attend his office Christmas Party. He took the poem along and showed it to a colleague. The colleague was impressed and insisted that Robert read his poem aloud to everyone else at the party. Somewhat embarrassed by the attention, he would get by his co-workers Robert decided to read the poem. He took the small handwritten volume from his pocket and began to read. At first the noisy group listened in laughter and amusement. But then became silent and after he finished they broke int a spontaneous applause.
Later that evening feeling quite pleased with himself, he went home, wrapped the book in Christmas wrapping and placed it under the modest Christmas tree they had gotten. To say that his daughter was pleased with her present would be an understatement. She loved it!
When Robert returned to work after the Holiday, he has summoned to the department head offices. His boss wanted to talk to Robert about his poem. It seemed that word had got out about his reading at the Christmas party. Once Robert got into the office, he found that the Head of Marketing was looking for a promotional tool and was wondering if Robert would be interested in having his poem published. It was the following year, 1939 when printed copies of Robert's book were given to every child who visited the department stores of Montgomery Wards and it eventually became an international best seller, making Robert a rich man. His wife had unfortunately died during this time, but he was able to move from the small apartment and buy a big house. He was at last able to provide handsomely for his growing daughter.
The story is not quite over, In 1947, songwriter Johnny Marks used the theme of Rober's poem for a song, He showed the song to a famous film star of the day, Gene Autry, 'The Singing Cowboy'. Autry recorded the song and it became a world number one hit too!
You many just remember it--- The first line goes something like this---''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose....!"
I love you all my dearest friends and followers. Merry Christmas to you all your friend always
WENDY
