Holiday Memories: Santa Mouse

One of the most memorable memories around the Christmas holidays was when my three sons were little.

I found a book entitled "Santa Mouse." This little mouse was Santa's helper and when Santa called out, "Let's go, load up the sleigh," Santa mouse ran as fast as his little legs would carry him and leaped to get on the sleigh but it took off too fast. He held on for dear life but his grip was not strong enough. As the sleigh went higher and higher, Santa Mouse lost his grip and fell, down-down-down towards a big snow drift in the countryside. While he was falling, he took the wrapping paper off the gift he had brought and used it for a parachute to break his fall.

After the fall, he looked around to figure out where he was. It was cold and he was wet. He saw a faint light far away. It was an old farm house. He walked toward the light until he came to the farmhouse where he found his way in. He knew if he climbed to the top of the tree and waited for Santa on a top branch, near a bright white light, that Santa would find him. He did so and fell asleep.

The ending of this story was, "So if you look up to the top of your tree and find a bright white light, look for Santa Mouse because he may be waiting for Santa on your Christmas tree."

While I was Christmas shopping, I found a little "Santa Mouse," placed it on top of our Christmas tree near a bright white light, and on Christmas morning while we were opening our gifts, my youngest son became very quiet and very still. I asked him what was the matter. He whispered, "Mama, look - Santa Mouse is on our tree!" He was so cute and believed so strongly, it was a lovely memory to keep all these years. (He just turned 35 this week!)

Carolyn Tyzbir is a resident of Carson City.