Our Christmas classic for the holidays

Story by Robert Hullihan, Illustrations by Brian Duffy

There was a pair of silverfish, shameless and brazen because they had grown up in one of the popular novels on the bookshelf. An insolent young spider came. Her web was deep in a stereo set. She greeted the old waterbug with: “Hey, old daddy… what’s happenin’?” Three ladybugs arrived, carefully made up and proud of their beauty. A cricket who lived in the television set came in and began acting like a game show host.

The old waterbug looked at the creatures sadly. He knew he was dealing with a new generation. But he cleared his throat and began:

“Now I know you are all new creatures in the house. This will be your first Christmas Eve here. It is my duty to tell you that there must be no stirring on that night. We are under a severe and clear directive. Not a creature in this house may stir on Christmas Eve, especially not the mice. It is a Tradition.”

When he said that, the old waterbug stared directly at a wild young mouse who had come late to the meeting. The mouse had been born in the fields of summer and had only come into the house when the nights grew cold. The old waterbug drew himself up in all of his brittle majesty. He sensed that be would have trouble with the mouse. The mouse was wild and resentful and, yes, he was a troublemaker.

“Wait a minute,” said the mouse. “Whose tradition? That’s a human tradition you’re talking about. It has nothing to do with us creatures! We can stir around all we want to, Christmas Eve or not!”

“Right on, man,” said the spider.

The old waterbug dismissed the meeting, but he made one more attempt to establish his authority as the creatures left. “And you silverfish,” he shouted. “If we ever have another meeting like this, I want you to come fully dressed. I will not tolerate nudity!” But the silverfish just giggled in their naughty way and wiggled off to get back into their popular novel. The old waterbug watched them go; he had never been more discouraged in his life.

He began to think about the wild, young mouse and the fiery way he had spoken out. The old waterbug did not understand the mouse at all, but he rather admired him. He did not want the mouse to come to harm. The old waterbug thought about the trap set in the basement. He thought about the day when the mouse, being young, would foolishly attempt to take the bait. Perhaps, in an act of bravado, he would try to do it that very Christmas Eve. The old waterbug sighed and thought about what he must do.

He crawled painfully through the rooms of the house until he came to the Christmas decorations. For hours he gnawed away at a sprig of holly until he had removed a small piece of it. He carried it into the basement and found the trap set for the mouse. Risking his life, the old waterbug carefully pushed the cheese bait off the trap and replaced it with the bit of holly. He didn’t get back to his dark place under the drain until dawn. He was exhausted.

The mouse looked at the tree and knew he had never seen anything so beautiful, not even in the fields of summer. He didn’t understand what it was. He thought, “This must be the Tradition the old waterbug is so hyper about.” Dimly, the mouse knew that something was on display here that surpassed all the creatures and all humanity. The mouse made a decision and quickly told the other creatures what to do. He knew the old waterbug would be coming out soon to see what was going on.

And, sure enough, the old waterbug came crawling slowly out, but he stopped in confusion when he saw what the creatures were doing. The little mouse stood motionless among the tiny plastic animals around a manger. The spider had spun a brilliant web on the tree, and it shimmered in the lights. The silverfish and the ladybugs hung like glittering ornaments from one limb of the tree, and the cricket quietly sang a simple, peaceful song.

All the creatures went quietly back to their places. Something had happened to them when they made their display for the old waterbug. They did not understand it, but they felt good about it.

Not one of the creatures stirred for the rest of the night. ♦

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FROM WHO-TV: Fallen Iowa National Guard soldiers return to Iowa Wednesday. The Iowa National Guard announced that fallen soldiers Staff Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Staff Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard will return to Iowa on Wednesday. Officials say the fallen soldiers, who were posthumously promoted to Staff Sgt., will arrive at the Des Moines International Airport Wednesday afternoon. The Iowa National Guard Honor Guard will conduct an honorable transfer of remains to ceremoniously receive the soldiers from the aircraft, officials said. ... READ MORE

FROM WOI: Overnight fire engulfs, destroys Perry family business. Smoke fills the air and remnants cover the ground on Willis Avenue in Perry nearly a day after a massive fire left a family business in pieces. Around 10 p.m. Monday night, Perry Fire Department responded to a large fire that completely ruined El Rey Market, a restaurant and store selling guns, baked goods and Hispanic products. Co-owner Antonio Sanchez opened the market with his brother in 2015, and they have been at the Willis Avenue location since 2016. ... READ MORE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD: US and Ukraine reach consensus on key issues aimed at ending the war but territorial disputes remain. The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, remain unresolved, Ukraine’s president said. ... READ MORE

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Clear Mortgage meteorology

Mild December weather continues. Clouds move in today and Thursday. Turning colder starting Sunday.

For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage.

1923: President Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree. On Dec. 24, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge touches a button and lights up the first national Christmas tree to grace the White House grounds. ... READ MORE

1948: A family moves into the world’s first fully solar house. On Christmas Eve 1948, a family of three moves into a home in Dover, Massachusetts with unusually large windows — the world’s first fully solar house, an idea decades ahead of its time. Nobody had ever tried living in a residence heated only by the sun, much less through a frigid New England winter. ... READ MORE

1952: McCarran-Walter Act goes into effect, revising immigration laws. The McCarran-Walter Act takes effect and revises U.S. immigration laws. The law was hailed by supporters as a necessary step in preventing alleged communist subversion in the United States, while opponents decried the legislation as being xenophobic and discriminatory. ... READ MORE

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