Part 6: Cold hands and warm hearts.

We left our friends Phil and Frankie, in the company of Officer Carson and  Mary Elizabeth.  Phil has just realized that Mary Elizabeth is the sick little girl from next door, except she isn’t sick at all, and her mother has not been in a terrible accident.  We rejoin them with Phil feeling foolish, just as they are about to enter the home of Mary Elizabeth’s grandparents:

“Grandma, I brought Officer Carson and these other two nice gentlemen for some Christmas cookies, just like you asked me to.”

“Welcome gentlemen, and Merry Christmas.  Please come in.  Officer Carson, it’s so nice to see you again.  I hope everything is well with you.”

“Yes, Mrs. Springington, I’m fine.  Allow me to introduce my friends here, this is Paul Bunyan, and this is Curly.  Guys, this is Mrs. Springington.”

To which Phil and Frankie replied:

“Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Springington.”

“Nice to meet you, gentlemen.  Paul Bunyan and Curly, my what unusual names you have.  Are you by any chance familiar with the legend of Paul Bunyan, the lumberjack, and his blue ox Babe?”

Officer Carson interrupted  to say:

“Yes, Mrs. Springinton, of course they are familiar with that, but the fact is, we can’t stay long, I only, that is we only wanted to see that Mary Elizabeth made it home all right.”

“Made it home all right?  Why, whatever could you mean by that?  I could see all of you the whole time right out the kitchen window.”

“Well, anyway, I told Paul Bunyan and Curly here that I would help them go look for Moe and Larry.”

“Oh, I get it, you’re playing a game.  I have time for just one round.  Let’s see, I’ll pretend to be Ingrid Bergman, and you can help me go find Humphrey Bogart and Dooley Wilson, then, after we find them, we’ll all sit by the piano and one of us can play As Time Goes By.  I hope one of you gentlemen can play the piano, because I don’t know As Time Goes By.”

“Mrs. Sprinington, this is not a game, it’s like this, you see they, I mean we–.”

At which point Phil broke in saying:

“You see, Mrs. Springington, it’s very important that we get Officer Carson here down to the station to look for some friends of his, isn’t that right Officer Carson?”

“Yes-I mean no!  It’s very important that I get you down to the station to look for some friends of yours, Curly.  Or am I talking to Babe now?”

“Babe?  Where does Babe come into this?”

“Now, now,  Curly don’t get excited.”

“That’s right Officer Carson.  I mustn’t get excited.  None of us must get excited.  If you want to talk to Babe, you go right ahead.  Paul Bunyan is right here, so Babe must be nearby.  We can search for Babe when we go to look for Moe and Larry.”

“You gentlemen all seem a little confused.”

“No, Mrs. Springington, I’m not confused.  If I could only make you understand without exciting anybody–”

“We’re not confused either Mrs. Springington.  It’s Officer Carson here, I’m sure he’s been working very hard lately, and he probably just needs a rest, and we want to make sure, that is we–”

“Excuse me gentlemen, the telephone is ringing.   See if you can sort this out while I answer….Hello…?  Oh, hello  Mr. Gordon… Merry Christmas to you too…Officer Carson?  Yes, he’s here, just a moment…Officer Carson, Mr. Gordon is on the telephone, he wishes to speak to you.”

“Thanks Mrs. Springinton.  Now we’ll see who’s confused.  Hello, Carson here…Yes, you got a hold of them, all right.  What did they say?…Yes, yes said they would get right on it, good… wanted to make sure who was missing, good… head count…What!…they couldn’t find anyone missing?…all accounted for!  Ask them to check again…you did?…Still all accounted for? …All right.  Thank you Mr. Gordon… I’m afraid I owe you two an apology.  That was Mr. Gordon on the phone, and he just told me that Morning Rise Rest Home is not missing any patients.”

To which Frankie replied:

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“No, you don’t understand.  You see, Mr. Bunyan, I thought that you two were, say, what is your real name anyway?”

“Me?  You mean you know I’m not really Paul Bunyan?”

“Of course I know that.  What do you think I am, mixed up?”

“To tell you the truth Officer Carson, we thought that you thought that we really were Paul Bunyan and Curly Howard.”

“No kidding?  I thought that you two thought that you really were Paul Bunyan, and Curly Howard.  Except I thought that you sometimes thought you were Babe the blue ox.”

“Whatever gave you an idea like that?”

“You mean you don’t know?  It’s the jumpsuits.”

“These hunting coveralls, what about them?”

“Those aren’t hunting coveralls.  Turn around, here it is stenciled right across your back Property of M.R.R.H.’

“We were wondering about this Mister R.H.  Is he some kind of mental case?”

“M.R.R.H. is not a person, it’s a place:  Morning Rise Rest Home, it’s a big place  just a few miles outside of town. They care for people who’ve had nervous breakdowns and who are, well, confused and such.”

“Oh, so you thought that we were..?”

“Yes, and you two thought that I was..?

“Yes.”

Mrs. Springington placed a large tray with an assortment of Christmas cookies on the kithcen table, followed by another tray with four cups of steaming cocoa and said:

“Well gentlemen, now that that’s all settled, as soon as you’ve finished laughing, would you care for some  cookies?   Be careful, I think the cocoa is still very hot . Mary Elizabeth, you may have some too, but only one cookie, it’s getting close to dinner time. Officer Carson, there are some chocolate chip, I believe they are your favorites.  I took them out of the oven only a few moments before you gentlemen came in. ”

“Chocolate chip?  Just out of the oven?  Gentleman, I think you’ll agree that few things in life are more enjoyable than a chocolate chip cookie that is still warm and gooey from the oven.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Say what are your real names anyway?”

“My name is Paul, uh,  Webster, and my friend here is Frankie Elliot.”

“Well, nice to meet the two of you for real.  But I’m surprised you didn’t know what people would think when they saw you wearing those orange jumpsuits.  Every one in town knows about Morning Rise.”

“I just arrived in town yesterday, never been here before that.”

“What about you, Mr. Elliot?”

“I guess in the excitement of welcoming Phil here, and wanting to help him build that snowfamily, I just forgot.”

“Well, no harm done.  But seriously, where did you guys get those things?”

“We found them in the closet of my new house.  I’m from Arizona and don’t have any winter clothes yet, so we put them on. ”

Mrs. Springington said:

“Our next door neighbor, Bill Travers used to work at Morning Rise, and he was allowed to take some of the old jumpsuits.  I believe he and his brother used to wear them went they went up north.   He moved away not long ago.  I wonder if he’s having a nice Christmas?”

“Then you must have known, Mrs. Springington, that Frankie and I weren’t really from Morning Rise.”

“Must I? Why?”

“Because I just moved into the house next door.”

“You did?  Good gracious, welcome to the neighborhood.  I must apologize for not getting over with Arthur, that’s Mr. Springinton, and bidding you a proper welcome, oh it’s just with all the baking, and the preparation, and then the show too.  I do hope you’ll forgive me, Mr. Webster.”

“That’s quite all right Mrs. Springington,  I  understand;  you probably remember how we unmarried men don’t mind if we miss out on those kind of niceties.”

“Yes, I know.  That’s why you need someone to watch after you.”

“That’s very kind of you Mrs. Springinton, but are you saying that you didn’t know that I had moved into the house next door?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And so you thought that Frankie and I were really patients at Morning Rise who had wandered off somehow?”

“Yes.  I recognized the jump suits, just like Officer Carson.  I do hope you’ll forgive me for jumping to conclusions.”

“That’s all right, Mrs. Springington.  But, you  thought we were really patients from the rest home, and yet you invited us in to have cookies, you even started an extra batch for us, before Officer Carson arrived to make sure it was, well, to make sure we behaved ourselves.  Weren’t you concerned?”

“Of course I was.  That’s why I invited you in.  I saw you two gentlemen out there in the snow,  and I thought, if that was someone in my family, some person I loved, I would want someone to offer them to come in out of the cold and have some cookies and hot cocoa, especially on Christmas Eve.”

“That’s not what I meant.  I meant, weren’t you  concerned for Mary Elizabeth or yourself?”

“Good heavens no.   I  asked Mary Elizabeth to go out only after I saw that  Officer Carson had arrived.  I could tell by the actions of all three of you that there was no cause for alarm.  I just saw two kind and gentle- looking men who appeared to be lost, who needed someone to provide them rest and warmth.  I did what I would do for any neighbor.”

Neighbor?  But I thought you said you didn’t know I had moved into the house next door.”

“I didn’t mean neighbor as in someone who lives near me.  Any person who is affected by my actions is my neighbor.”

“That includes a lot of people in some way or another, Mrs. Springington.”

“Yes, I suppose it does.”

“Don’t you get tired, worrying about how to treat so many people?”

“Good gracious no, I never worry about it.  I just do the right thing.”

To be continued…

Part 6: Cold hands and warm hearts.

We left our friends Phil and Frankie, in the company of Officer Carson and  Mary Elizabeth.  Phil has just realized that Mary Elizabeth is the sick little girl from next door, except she isn’t sick at all, and her mother has not been in a terrible accident.  We rejoin them with Phil feeling foolish, just as they are about to enter the home of Mary Elizabeth’s grandparents:

“Grandma, I brought Officer Carson and these other two nice gentlemen for some Christmas cookies, just like you asked me to.”

“Welcome gentlemen, and Merry Christmas.  Please come in.  Officer Carson, it’s so nice to see you again.  I hope everything is well with you.”

“Yes, Mrs. Springington, I’m fine.  Allow me to introduce my friends here, this is Paul Bunyan, and this is Curly.  Guys, this is Mrs. Springington.”

To which Phil and Frankie replied:

“Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Springington.”

“Nice to meet you, gentlemen.  Paul Bunyan and Curly, my what unusual names you have.  Are you by any chance familiar with the legend of Paul Bunyan, the lumberjack, and his blue ox Babe?”

Officer Carson interrupted  to say:

“Yes, Mrs. Springinton, of course they are familiar with that, but the fact is, we can’t stay long, I only, that is we only wanted to see that Mary Elizabeth made it home all right.”

“Made it home all right?  Why, whatever could you mean by that?  I could see all of you the whole time right out the kitchen window.”

“Well, anyway, I told Paul Bunyan and Curly here that I would help them go look for Moe and Larry.”

“Oh, I get it, you’re playing a game.  I have time for just one round.  Let’s see, I’ll pretend to be Ingrid Bergman, and you can help me go find Humphrey Bogart and Dooley Wilson, then, after we find them, we’ll all sit by the piano and one of us can play As Time Goes By.  I hope one of you gentlemen can play the piano, because I don’t know As Time Goes By.”

“Mrs. Sprinington, this is not a game, it’s like this, you see they, I mean we–.”

At which point Phil broke in saying:

“You see, Mrs. Springington, it’s very important that we get Officer Carson here down to the station to look for some friends of his, isn’t that right Officer Carson?”

“Yes-I mean no!  It’s very important that I get you down to the station to look for some friends of yours, Curly.  Or am I talking to Babe now?”

“Babe?  Where does Babe come into this?”

“Now, now,  Curly don’t get excited.”

“That’s right Officer Carson.  I mustn’t get excited.  None of us must get excited.  If you want to talk to Babe, you go right ahead.  Paul Bunyan is right here, so Babe must be nearby.  We can search for Babe when we go to look for Moe and Larry.”

“You gentlemen all seem a little confused.”

“No, Mrs. Springington, I’m not confused.  If I could only make you understand without exciting anybody–”

“We’re not confused either Mrs. Springington.  It’s Officer Carson here, I’m sure he’s been working very hard lately, and he probably just needs a rest, and we want to make sure, that is we–”

“Excuse me gentlemen, the telephone is ringing.   See if you can sort this out while I answer….Hello…?  Oh, hello  Mr. Gordon… Merry Christmas to you too…Officer Carson?  Yes, he’s here, just a moment…Officer Carson, Mr. Gordon is on the telephone, he wishes to speak to you.”

“Thanks Mrs. Springinton.  Now we’ll see who’s confused.  Hello, Carson here…Yes, you got a hold of them, all right.  What did they say?…Yes, yes said they would get right on it, good… wanted to make sure who was missing, good… head count…What!…they couldn’t find anyone missing?…all accounted for!  Ask them to check again…you did?…Still all accounted for? …All right.  Thank you Mr. Gordon… I’m afraid I owe you two an apology.  That was Mr. Gordon on the phone, and he just told me that Morning Rise Rest Home is not missing any patients.”

To which Frankie replied:

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“No, you don’t understand.  You see, Mr. Bunyan, I thought that you two were, say, what is your real name anyway?”

“Me?  You mean you know I’m not really Paul Bunyan?”

“Of course I know that.  What do you think I am, mixed up?”

“To tell you the truth Officer Carson, we thought that you thought that we really were Paul Bunyan and Curly Howard.”

“No kidding?  I thought that you two thought that you really were Paul Bunyan, and Curly Howard.  Except I thought that you sometimes thought you were Babe the blue ox.”

“Whatever gave you an idea like that?”

“You mean you don’t know?  It’s the jumpsuits.”

“These hunting coveralls, what about them?”

“Those aren’t hunting coveralls.  Turn around, here it is stenciled right across your back Property of M.R.R.H.’

“We were wondering about this Mister R.H.  Is he some kind of mental case?”

“M.R.R.H. is not a person, it’s a place:  Morning Rise Rest Home, it’s a big place  just a few miles outside of town. They care for people who’ve had nervous breakdowns and who are, well, confused and such.”

“Oh, so you thought that we were..?”

“Yes, and you two thought that I was..?

“Yes.”

Mrs. Springington placed a large tray with an assortment of Christmas cookies on the kithcen table, followed by another tray with four cups of steaming cocoa and said:

“Well gentlemen, now that that’s all settled, as soon as you’ve finished laughing, would you care for some  cookies?   Be careful, I think the cocoa is still very hot . Mary Elizabeth, you may have some too, but only one cookie, it’s getting close to dinner time. Officer Carson, there are some chocolate chip, I believe they are your favorites.  I took them out of the oven only a few moments before you gentlemen came in. ”

“Chocolate chip?  Just out of the oven?  Gentleman, I think you’ll agree that few things in life are more enjoyable than a chocolate chip cookie that is still warm and gooey from the oven.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Say what are your real names anyway?”

“My name is Paul, uh,  Webster, and my friend here is Frankie Elliot.”

“Well, nice to meet the two of you for real.  But I’m surprised you didn’t know what people would think when they saw you wearing those orange jumpsuits.  Every one in town knows about Morning Rise.”

“I just arrived in town yesterday, never been here before that.”

“What about you, Mr. Elliot?”

“I guess in the excitement of welcoming Phil here, and wanting to help him build that snowfamily, I just forgot.”

“Well, no harm done.  But seriously, where did you guys get those things?”

“We found them in the closet of my new house.  I’m from Arizona and don’t have any winter clothes yet, so we put them on. ”

Mrs. Springington said:

“Our next door neighbor, Bill Travers used to work at Morning Rise, and he was allowed to take some of the old jumpsuits.  I believe he and his brother used to wear them went they went up north.   He moved away not long ago.  I wonder if he’s having a nice Christmas?”

“Then you must have known, Mrs. Springington, that Frankie and I weren’t really from Morning Rise.”

“Must I? Why?”

“Because I just moved into the house next door.”

“You did?  Good gracious, welcome to the neighborhood.  I must apologize for not getting over with Arthur, that’s Mr. Springinton, and bidding you a proper welcome, oh it’s just with all the baking, and the preparation, and then the show too.  I do hope you’ll forgive me, Mr. Webster.”

“That’s quite all right Mrs. Springington,  I  understand;  you probably remember how we unmarried men don’t mind if we miss out on those kind of niceties.”

“Yes, I know.  That’s why you need someone to watch after you.”

“That’s very kind of you Mrs. Springinton, but are you saying that you didn’t know that I had moved into the house next door?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And so you thought that Frankie and I were really patients at Morning Rise who had wandered off somehow?”

“Yes.  I recognized the jump suits, just like Officer Carson.  I do hope you’ll forgive me for jumping to conclusions.”

“That’s all right, Mrs. Springington.  But, you  thought we were really patients from the rest home, and yet you invited us in to have cookies, you even started an extra batch for us, before Officer Carson arrived to make sure it was, well, to make sure we behaved ourselves.  Weren’t you concerned?”

“Of course I was.  That’s why I invited you in.  I saw you two gentlemen out there in the snow,  and I thought, if that was someone in my family, some person I loved, I would want someone to offer them to come in out of the cold and have some cookies and hot cocoa, especially on Christmas Eve.”

“That’s not what I meant.  I meant, weren’t you  concerned for Mary Elizabeth or yourself?”

“Good heavens no.   I  asked Mary Elizabeth to go out only after I saw that  Officer Carson had arrived.  I could tell by the actions of all three of you that there was no cause for alarm.  I just saw two kind and gentle- looking men who appeared to be lost, who needed someone to provide them rest and warmth.  I did what I would do for any neighbor.”

Neighbor?  But I thought you said you didn’t know I had moved into the house next door.”

“I didn’t mean neighbor as in someone who lives near me.  Any person who is affected by my actions is my neighbor.”

“That includes a lot of people in some way or another, Mrs. Springington.”

“Yes, I suppose it does.”

“Don’t you get tired, worrying about how to treat so many people?”

“Good gracious no, I never worry about it.  I just do the right thing.”

To be continued…

We left Phil and Frankie conversing with Officer Carson, who is convinced the boys have wandered away from a rest home.  He is attempting to tactfully remind them of this by asking how they got there orange jump suits, to which question Frankie replies:

“We didn’t steal them, if that’s what you mean.”

“Why no  Paul, of course not.  I wasn’t suggesting that you stole them.  It’s obvious that they belong to you and that you, well, you belong in them.”

“Excuse me, Officer Carson, did you just call him Paul?”

“That’s right Curly, I did.”

“You know my name is Curly, and his name is..?”

“His name is Paul Bunyan, that’s right Curly  If you come with me, I think we might be able to find Moe and Larry down at the station having some Christmas cookies.”

“Just a moment please, Officer Carson, I have to talk to Frankie,  I mean Paul.  Excuse me…  Frankie, Frankie, hold on a second, listen to this.  I think that Officer Carson is missing a few brass buttons.”

“What are you talking about Curly?”

” He thinks you’re really Paul Bunyan, and he wants us to help him go find Moe and Larry from the Three Stooges.”

“Gee, this is a tough spot.  Better humor him.  Maybe if we let him think he’s taking us to the station, the other policemen can subdue him without anybody getting hurt.”

“I suppose that’s the best thing to do, but I hate to leave off building this snowfamily.  Still, we can’t let  a policeman wander around in his state of mind.  Look at him,  poor sap.  If it wasn’t for the uniform, he’d look just like any other big, dumb cluck.  Still, in a way, I envy him Frankie.  He’s not jaded, not cynical like so many of the rest of us; just believing in his fantasy world with childish innocence.  That’s what the world has lost, Frankie; that childish innocence.  We’ve got to fight to regain that, and then hold onto it, so we don’t all end up jaded, selfish, destructive, lonely people.”

“Yeah, but there’s got to be some rational ground between being jaded and selfish and walking around believing in fairy-tale characters.  You want to have some innocence, all right, but you can’t be foolish and believe everything, otherwise you end up like Officer Carson there.”

“I suppose you’re right, Frankie.  Still, there’s got to be a way to  believe in truth, to retain at least that much innocence,  without believing in fairy tales.  Poor Officer Carson.  On Christmas Eve too.”

“We’d better let him take us in.  He’s starting to look antsy, like he’s expecting the paddy wagon to come and take him away or something.”

“Okay, here goes.  Oh Officer Carson, Paul Bunyan and I have decided we will help you go and look for Moe and Larry at the station.”

“That’s great, say you’ll love the Christmas cookies too.  The sarge’s wife has been baking all week, and boy are her cookies and treats delicious.”

Unnoticed by Phil, Frankie, or Officer Carson, a young girl had just  joined them.

“Excuse me, Mr. Policeman.”

“Yes, who’s that?”

“It’s me, Mary Elizabeth.”

“Merry Christmas, Mary Elizabeth.  It’s nice to meet you, but, you shouldn’t be here–I mean, you shouldn’t be out in the cold without your mittens.  Does your mother know you’re out here?”

“No,  but my grandmother sent me out to invite you and these other two gentlemen in for some  hot cocoa and Christmas cookies.  She just put a fresh batch in the oven.  And see ,  my mittens are right here in my pocket. Besides, if my fingers get cold, you’ll hold my hands to keep them warm, won’t you?”

“Well, sure I  will Mary Elizabeth, but some other time.  I really think you should be running along now.  These gentlemen and I were just going down to the station–”

“Please Mr. Policeman, my grandmother will be so happy; she saw these two nice gentlemen here building the snowman and so she decided to make an extra batch, just for them, and then she saw you too and wanted to make sure you came into the house so she could wish you a Merry Christmas.”

“Well,   I wouldn’t want to disappoint your grandmother.  Maybe I could walk you back to the house and wish your grandmother a Merry Christmas, and grab a few cookies for myself and these other gentlemen while they wait here. What do you  guys say to that?”

“Mary Elizabeth  seems to really want us to go with her, and besides, her grandmother put in an extra batch just for us.  We would be ungrateful if we didn’t go and accept her kindness and wish her a Merry Christmas.   I think it best that we should escort Mary Elizabeth back to her grandmother’s house while you wait here.  We would be glad to bring you some cookie’s, Officer Carson.”

“No.  As long as you’re going with Mary Elizabeth, I think it best that I escort her too.”

“All right then, that’s settled.”

“Come on, my grandmother’s house is right next door.”

“Excuse me Mary Elizabeth, did you say your grandmother’s house is right next door?”

“Yes, see, we’re almost there already.”

“Well, do you have a sister, or a girl cousin staying with your grandmother?”

“I’ve got lot’s of girl cousins, but I’m the only one staying with my grandmother and grandfather right now.”

“Then who was that sick little girl I saw being carried into the house by a nurse last night?”

“That was no sick little girl, that was me.  I was tired, that’s why my Mommy was carrying me.”

“Your Mommy?  I thought your Mommy was in a terrible accident.”

“No sir, she wasn’t in an accident, she was in a play.”

“A play?  Why was she dressed like a nurse?”

“That’s her character.  Mommy was cast as nurse Mary Lee in the play Christmas in Connecticut.”

“She was cast in the play.  Oh brother, was I ever mistaken!  I feel like an idiot.”

“That’s okay Mister, everybody makes mistakes.  Come on in and have some of Grandma’s Christmas cookies, that will make you feel better.”

To be continued…

If you have read this and like it,  please  remember to “Like”  and “Share” with friends on social media.

Notes on  first version:  As with Campfire Creepers: My Friends Head. I acknowledge a debt to the Golden Age of Radio for inspiration in the development of the story line and characters in this piece.  I would like to specifically mention the outstanding Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show  as the basis of the dynamic between the two friends to whom you have just been introduced.  In recognition of the inspiration provided by the Harris and Fay Show, I have named the characters Phil “Curly”, and Frankie, after Phil “Curly” Harris, as himself, and Frankie Remley, who was a real life musician in Phil’s band, but whose character on the show was played by Elliott Lewis.  I hope you shall meet a character named Alice a little later in the story.

To my lovely wife Sarah, thank you for your ongoing support, patience and encouragement.  Thank you for listening to my thoughts and ramblings.  I am grateful  for your feedback, input, and ideas, all of which I value and treasure.

To listen to or find out more about the great radio shows of the past,    I recommend Sirius/XM Radio Classics channel 148 ,   http://www.radiospirits.com  , or http://GregBellMedia.com.

Part Five:   A Yuletide snowball of confusion.

Phil and Frankie were busily building the snowfamily in earnest, when they had an unexpected visit from a neighbor.  The boys are  afraid someone might think they have stolen the coveralls they are wearing, so Phil has decided to do the talking until they find out what the man wants.  We rejoin our friends just after Phil has greeted the man with a “Merry Christmas.”  and the man replies:

“Good afternoon gentlemen, and Merry Christmas.”

“Nice day for Christmas Eve, isn’t it?  All this snow.”

“Yes.”

“We’re building a snowman.  Actually a whole snowfamily.”

“I see.  It seems that you two may have lost your way.”

“Lost our way?  How do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, shouldn’t you be somewhere else?”

“No.  This is the spot I’ve chosen.  I’m not leaving until we’ve finished building this snowfamily.  They have to be finished tonight, it’s very important!”

“Very well, I didn’t mean to excite you.   Your friend seems to be having trouble rolling that giant snowball.”

“Oh, excuse me.  Hey, Mr. Bunyan, you want some help with that?”

“Sure Babe, I could use a hand.”

“Excuse me, mister, I need to give him a hand.”

“Of course, but first, did you just call him Mr. Bunyan?”

“Sure, you know as in Paul Bunyan.”

“And he called you Babe?”

“Yeah, you know the blue ox.  Of course that’s not my real name, I just let him call me that, you know, to humor him.”

“Come on Curly, this thing’s getting heavy!”

“Now he called you Curly.”

“Yeah, that’s what he usually calls me.”

“Are Moe and Larry around somewhere?”

“Moe and Larry?  Ha ha, that’s a good one, mister.  Listen, I’d  love to stop and chat, but  I really want to get this done.”

“One more thing,  tell me, how did you happen to get here?”

“What here?  We just walked out the front door.”

“Just walked out?”

“Yeah, the front door, same as any other normal person.  Is that so hard to believe?”

“No, no, not at all.  I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t–that is, that there is anything unusual about you walking out the front door.  Oh, look, here comes Officer Carson.  Perhaps he would like to hear all about your snowfamily.  Merry Christmas, Officer Carson.”

“Merry Christmas Mr. Gordon, gentlemen.  Mr. Gordon, I have those toys  we collected at the station all ready, I wonder if you could relay a message to Mrs. Gordon?”

“Certainly, excuse us gentlemen…   I don’t think they can hear us over here.  They seem harmless enough, but they refuse to consider leaving until they finish building their snowfamily.”

“This is a tough spot.  I wonder  how they got out?”

“When I asked them they said that they just walked out the front door.”

“Seriously?  Somebody must have slipped to let that happen.  Listen, you go back to your house and call Morning Rise, tell them two of their guests are missing.    It’s a good thing the Rest Home provides all their patients with those orange jump suits; makes them real easy to spot whenever any of them wander off like those two.   Look at them, poor souls, just out playing in the snow.  I kind of envy them in a way.  You know, when you’ve been a cop for a  few years, you see some pretty unpleasant things; the things people do, I mean, and some days you wonder if the whole world has become nasty and mean and uncaring.  Some days I ask myself where all the innocence has gone.  Seeing those two reminds of what it was like to be a kid, and how nice I thought the world would be when all us kids grew up and changed it.  Instead it seems the world changed us.  Just look at those  happy souls, they haven’t got a clue.  Why if it weren’t for those orange suits, they’d just look like a couple of poor, dumb lugs who never grew up. ”

“Yes, but they are wearing the suits, and it’s no mistake.  You can see the stencils:  Property of M.R.R.H;  Morning Rise Rest Home.”

“Yeah, you’re right.  They’re a couple of patients all right. I’ll stay here and  try to humor them.  Most of the residents there are harmless, just so long as you keep them calm.   I’ll try to talk these two into coming down to the station with me, but I won’t push it if they start to get excited, so  just keep an eye on us.  Try to let me know how soon the wagon will get here to pick them  up.”

“Right.  Be careful though, that one thinks he’s Paul Bunyan, and the other one has a split personality between Babe the blue ox and Curly from the Three Stooges.”

“Thanks for the heads up.  I wouldn’t want him to get a hold of an axe and think I was a tree.   Oh well, the only thing I see that he might go for is that snow shovel stuck in the bank over there. Here I go… Well, you two sure have been busy.  That’s a mighty big snowman you’ve built there.  How many more are you going to make.”

“A Mama and a sister and a brother.”

“Well, that’s very nice, a whole family.  Say, it’s getting cold out here.  Why don’t you fellows come with me to the station.  We’ve got homemade Christmas cookies, and plenty hot to drink.  That will warm us all up.  What do you say?”

“You got ahead.  We’ve got to finish this snowfamily.”

“You’ve got to finish?  Well, then if you can stand the cold, so can I.  I’ll just stay with you.”

“Would you like to give us a hand?”

“I think I’d better keep both hands free.”

“What’s that?  I didn’t hear you.”

“I said I’m not free to help.  Normally I love to build snowmen, same as you, but, I’m on duty, and well you know, the uniform and all.  I wouldn’t want to get it all soaked building a snowman.”

“Sure, sure.  Too bad you don’t have a nice pair of coveralls like these to keep you dry.”

“Yes,  they certainly do look like they keep you dry.   I don’t think I’ve ever seen a set of coveralls like that in a store.  Do you mind telling me where you got them?”

Continued in Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part 5b)

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time. (Part One.).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Two).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Three).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part 4 rev.)

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time. (Part One.).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Two).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Three).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part 4 rev.)

Part Five:   A Yuletide snowball of confusion.

Phil and Frankie were busily building the snowfamily in earnest, when they had an unexpected visit from a neighbor.  The boys are  afraid someone might think they have stolen the coveralls they are wearing, so Phil has decided to do the talking until they find out what the man wants.  We rejoin our friends just after Phil has greeted the man with a “Merry Christmas.”  and the man replies:

“Good afternoon gentlemen, and Merry Christmas.”

“Nice day for Christmas Eve, isn’t it?  All this snow.”

“Yes.”

“We’re building a snowman.  Actually a whole snowfamily.”

“I see.  It seems that you two may have lost your way.”

“Lost our way?  How do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, shouldn’t you be somewhere else?”

“No.  This is the spot I’ve chosen.  I’m not leaving until we’ve finished building this snowfamily.  They have to be finished tonight, it’s very important!”

“Very well, I didn’t mean to excite you.   Your friend seems to be having trouble rolling that giant snowball.”

“Oh, excuse me.  Hey, Mr. Bunyan, you want some help with that?”

“Sure Babe, I could use a hand.”

“Excuse me, mister, I need to give him a hand.”

“Of course, but first, did you just call him Mr. Bunyan?”

“Sure, you know as in Paul Bunyan.”

“And he called you Babe?”

“Yeah, you know the blue ox.  Of course that’s not my real name, I just let him call me that, you know, to humor him.”

“Come on Curly, this thing’s getting heavy!”

“Now he called you Curly.”

“Yeah, that’s what he usually calls me.”

“Are Moe and Larry around somewhere?”

“Moe and Larry?  Ha ha, that’s a good one, mister.  Listen, I’d  love to stop and chat, but  I really want to get this done.”

“One more thing,  tell me, how did you happen to get here?”

“What here?  We just walked out the front door.”

“Just walked out?”

“Yeah, the front door, same as any other normal person.  Is that so hard to believe?”

“No, no, not at all.  I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t–that is, that there is anything unusual about you walking out the front door.  Oh, look, here comes Officer Carson.  Perhaps he would like to hear all about your snowfamily.  Merry Christmas, Officer Carson.”

“Merry Christmas Mr. Gordon, gentlemen.  Mr. Gordon, I have those toys  we collected at the station all ready, I wonder if you could relay a message to Mrs. Gordon?”

“Certainly, excuse us gentlemen…   I don’t think they can hear us over here.  They seem harmless enough, but they refuse to consider leaving until they finish building their snowfamily.”

“This is a tough spot.  I wonder  how they got out?”

“When I asked them they said that they just walked out the front door.”

“Seriously?  Somebody must have slipped to let that happen.  Listen, you go back to your house and call Morning Rise, tell them two of their guests are missing.    It’s a good thing the Rest Home provides all their patients with those orange jump suits; makes them real easy to spot whenever any of them wander off like those two.   Look at them, poor souls, just out playing in the snow.  I kind of envy them in a way.  You know, when you’ve been a cop for a  few years, you see some pretty unpleasant things; the things people do, I mean, and some days you wonder if the whole world has become nasty and mean and uncaring.  Some days I ask myself where all the innocence has gone.  Seeing those two reminds of what it was like to be a kid, and how nice I thought the world would be when all us kids grew up and changed it.  Instead it seems the world changed us.  Just look at those  happy souls, they haven’t got a clue.  Why if it weren’t for those orange suits, they’d just look like a couple of poor, dumb lugs who never grew up. ”

“Yes, but they are wearing the suits, and it’s no mistake.  You can see the stencils:  Property of M.R.R.H;  Morning Rise Rest Home.”

“Yeah, you’re right.  They’re a couple of patients all right. I’ll stay here and  try to humor them.  Most of the residents there are harmless, just so long as you keep them calm.   I’ll try to talk these two into coming down to the station with me, but I won’t push it if they start to get excited, so  just keep an eye on us.  Try to let me know how soon the wagon will get here to pick them  up.”

“Right.  Be careful though, that one thinks he’s Paul Bunyan, and the other one has a split personality between Babe the blue ox and Curly from the Three Stooges.”

“Thanks for the heads up.  I wouldn’t want him to get a hold of an axe and think I was a tree.   Oh well, the only thing I see that he might go for is that snow shovel stuck in the bank over there. Here I go… Well, you two sure have been busy.  That’s a mighty big snowman you’ve built there.  How many more are you going to make.”

“A Mama and a sister and a brother.”

“Well, that’s very nice, a whole family.  Say, it’s getting cold out here.  Why don’t you fellows come with me to the station.  We’ve got homemade Christmas cookies, and plenty hot to drink.  That will warm us all up.  What do you say?”

“You got ahead.  We’ve got to finish this snowfamily.”

“You’ve got to finish?  Well, then if you can stand the cold, so can I.  I’ll just stay with you.”

“Would you like to give us a hand?”

“I think I’d better keep both hands free.”

“What’s that?  I didn’t hear you.”

“I said I’m not free to help.  Normally I love to build snowmen, same as you, but, I’m on duty, and well you know, the uniform and all.  I wouldn’t want to get it all soaked building a snowman.”

“Sure, sure.  Too bad you don’t have a nice pair of coveralls like these to keep you dry.”

“Yes,  they certainly do look like they keep you dry.   I don’t think I’ve ever seen a set of coveralls like that in a store.  Do you mind telling me where you got them?”

Frankie, who had been keeping quiet until now replied:

“We didn’t steal them, if that’s what you mean.”

“Why no  Paul, of course not.  I wasn’t suggesting that you stole them.  It’s obvious that they belong to you and that you, well, you belong in them.”

“Excuse me, Officer Carson, did you just call him Paul?”

“That’s right Curly, I did.”

“You know my name is Curly, and his name is..?”

“His name is Paul Bunyan, that’s right Curly  If you come with me, I think we might be able to find Moe and Larry down at the station having some Christmas cookies.”

“Just a moment please, Officer Carson, I have to talk to Frankie,  I mean Paul.  Excuse me…  Frankie, Frankie, hold on a second, listen to this.  I think that Officer Carson is missing a few brass buttons.”

“What are you talking about Curly?”

” He thinks you’re really Paul Bunyan, and he wants us to help him go find Moe and Larry from the Three Stooges.”

“Gee, this is a tough spot.  Better humor him.  Maybe if we let him think he’s taking us to the station, the other policemen can subdue him without anybody getting hurt.”

“I suppose that’s the best thing to do, but I hate to leave off building this snowfamily.  Still, we can’t let  a policeman wander around in his state of mind.  Look at him,  poor sap.  If it wasn’t for the uniform, he’d look just like any other big, dumb cluck.  Still, in a way, I envy him Frankie.  He’s not jaded, not cynical like so many of the rest of us; just believing in his fantasy world with childish innocence.  That’s what the world has lost, Frankie; that childish innocence.  We’ve got to fight to regain that, and then hold onto it, so we don’t all end up jaded, selfish, destructive, lonely people.”

“Yeah, but there’s got to be some rational ground between being jaded and selfish and walking around believing in fairy-tale characters.  You want to have some innocence, all right, but you can’t be foolish and believe everything, otherwise you end up like Officer Carson there.”

“I suppose you’re right, Frankie.  Still, there’s got to be a way to  believe in truth, to retain at least that much innocence,  without believing in fairy tales.  Poor Officer Carson.  On Christmas Eve too.”

“We’d better let him take us in.  He’s starting to look antsy, like he’s expecting the paddy wagon to come and take him away or something.”

“Okay, here goes.  Oh Officer Carson, Paul Bunyan and I have decided we will help you go and look for Moe and Larry at the station.”

“That’s great, say you’ll love the Christmas cookies too.  The sarge’s wife has been baking all week, and boy are her cookies and treats delicious.”

Unnoticed by Phil, Frankie, or Officer Carson, a young girl had just  joined them.

“Excuse me, Mr. Policeman.”

“Yes, who’s that?”

“It’s me, Mary Elizabeth.”

“Merry Christmas, Mary Elizabeth.  It’s nice to meet you, but, you shouldn’t be here–I mean, you shouldn’t be out in the cold without your mittens.  Does your mother know you’re out here?”

“No,  but my grandmother sent me out to invite you and these other two gentlemen in for some  hot cocoa and Christmas cookies.  She just put a fresh batch in the oven.  And see ,  my mittens are right here in my pocket. Besides, if my fingers get cold, you’ll hold my hands to keep them warm, won’t you?”

“Well, sure I  will Mary Elizabeth, but some other time.  I really think you should be running along now.  These gentlemen and I were just going down to the station–”

“Please Mr. Policeman, my grandmother will be so happy; she saw these two nice gentlemen here building the snowman and so she decided to make an extra batch, just for them, and then she saw you too and wanted to make sure you came into the house so she could wish you a Merry Christmas.”

“Well,   I wouldn’t want to disappoint your grandmother.  Maybe I could walk you back to the house and wish your grandmother a Merry Christmas, and grab a few cookies for myself and these other gentlemen while they wait here. What do you  guys say to that?”

“Mary Elizabeth  seems to really want us to go with her, and besides, her grandmother put in an extra batch just for us.  We would be ungrateful if we didn’t go and accept her kindness and wish her a Merry Christmas.   I think it best that we should escort Mary Elizabeth back to her grandmother’s house while you wait here.  We would be glad to bring you some cookie’s, Officer Carson.”

“No.  As long as you’re going with Mary Elizabeth, I think it best that I escort her too.”

“All right then, that’s settled.”

“Come on, my grandmother’s house is right next door.”

“Excuse me Mary Elizabeth, did you say your grandmother’s house is right next door?”

“Yes, see, we’re almost there already.”

“Well, do you have a sister, or a girl cousin staying with your grandmother?”

“I’ve got lot’s of girl cousins, but I’m the only one staying with my grandmother and grandfather right now.”

“Then who was that sick little girl I saw being carried into the house by a nurse last night?”

“That was no sick little girl, that was me.  I was tired, that’s why my Mommy was carrying me.”

“Your Mommy?  I thought your Mommy was in a terrible accident.”

“No sir, she wasn’t in an accident, she was in a play.”

“A play?  Why was she dressed like a nurse?”

“That’s her character.  Mommy was cast as nurse Mary Lee in the play Christmas in Connecticut.”

“She was cast in the play.  Oh brother, was I ever mistaken!  I feel like an idiot.”

“That’s okay Mister, everybody makes mistakes.  Come on in and have some of Grandma’s Christmas cookies, that will make you feel better.”

To be continued…

If you have read this and like it,  please  remember to “Like”  and “Share” with friends on social media.

Notes on  first version:  As with Campfire Creepers: My Friends Head. I acknowledge a debt to the Golden Age of Radio for inspiration in the development of the story line and characters in this piece.  I would like to specifically mention the outstanding Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show  as the basis of the dynamic between the two friends to whom you have just been introduced.  In recognition of the inspiration provided by the Harris and Fay Show, I have named the characters Phil “Curly”, and Frankie, after Phil “Curly” Harris, as himself, and Frankie Remley, who was a real life musician in Phil’s band, but whose character on the show was played by Elliott Lewis.  I hope you shall meet a character named Alice a little later in the story.

To my lovely wife Sarah, thank you for your ongoing support, patience and encouragement.  Thank you for listening to my thoughts and ramblings.  I am grateful  for your feedback, input, and ideas, all of which I value and treasure.

To listen to or find out more about the great radio shows of the past,    I recommend Sirius/XM Radio Classics channel 148 ,   http://www.radiospirits.com  , or http://GregBellMedia.com.

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time. (Part One.).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Two).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Three).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part 4 rev.)

Part Five:   A Yuletide snowball of confusion.

Phil and Frankie were busily building the snowfamily in earnest, when they had an unexpected visit from a neighbor.  The boys are  afraid someone might think they have stolen the coveralls they are wearing, so Phil has decided to do the talking until they find out what the man wants.  We rejoin our friends just after Phil has greeted the man with a “Merry Christmas.”  and the man replies:

“Good afternoon gentlemen, and Merry Christmas.”

“Nice day for Christmas Eve, isn’t it?  All this snow.”

“Yes.”

“We’re building a snowman.  Actually a whole snowfamily.”

“I see.  It seems that you two may have lost your way.”

“Lost our way?  How do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, shouldn’t you be somewhere else?”

“No.  This is the spot I’ve chosen.  I’m not leaving until we’ve finished building this snowfamily.  They have to be finished tonight, it’s very important!”

“Very well, I didn’t mean to excite you.   Your friend seems to be having trouble rolling that giant snowball.”

“Oh, excuse me.  Hey, Mr. Bunyan, you want some help with that?”

“Sure Babe, I could use a hand.”

“Excuse me, mister, I need to give him a hand.”

“Of course, but first, did you just call him Mr. Bunyan?”

“Sure, you know as in Paul Bunyan.”

“And he called you Babe?”

“Yeah, you know the blue ox.  Of course that’s not my real name, I just let him call me that, you know, to humor him.”

“Come on Curly, this thing’s getting heavy!”

“Now he called you Curly.”

“Yeah, that’s what he usually calls me.”

“Are Moe and Larry around somewhere?”

“Moe and Larry?  Ha ha, that’s a good one, mister.  Listen, I’d  love to stop and chat, but  I really want to get this done.”

“One more thing,  tell me, how did you happen to get here?”

“What here?  We just walked out the front door.”

“Just walked out?”

“Yeah, the front door, same as any other normal person.  Is that so hard to believe?”

“No, no, not at all.  I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t–that is, that there is anything unusual about you walking out the front door.  Oh, look, here comes Officer Carson.  Perhaps he would like to hear all about your snowfamily.  Merry Christmas, Officer Carson.”

“Merry Christmas Mr. Gordon, gentlemen.  Mr. Gordon, I have those toys  we collected at the station all ready, I wonder if you could relay a message to Mrs. Gordon?”

“Certainly, excuse us gentlemen…   I don’t think they can hear us over here.  They seem harmless enough, but they refuse to consider leaving until they finish building their snowfamily.”

“This is a tough spot.  I wonder  how they got out?”

“When I asked them they said that they just walked out the front door.”

“Seriously?  Somebody must have slipped to let that happen.  Listen, you go back to your house and call Morning Rise, tell them two of their guests are missing.    It’s a good thing the Rest Home provides all their patients with those orange jump suits; makes them real easy to spot whenever any of them wander off like those two.   Look at them, poor souls, just out playing in the snow.  I kind of envy them in a way.  You know, when you’ve been a cop for a  few years, you see some pretty unpleasant things; the things people do, I mean, and some days you wonder if the whole world has become nasty and mean and uncaring.  Some days I ask myself where all the innocence has gone.  Seeing those two reminds of what it was like to be a kid, and how nice I thought the world would be when all us kids grew up and changed it.  Instead it seems the world changed us.  Just look at those  happy souls, they haven’t got a clue.  Why if it weren’t for those orange suits, they’d just look like a couple of poor, dumb lugs who never grew up. ”

“Yes, but they are wearing the suits, and it’s no mistake.  You can see the stencils:  Property of M.R.R.H;  Morning Rise Rest Home.”

“Yeah, you’re right.  They’re a couple of patients all right. I’ll stay here and  try to humor them.  Most of the residents there are harmless, just so long as you keep them calm.   I’ll try to talk these two into coming down to the station with me, but I won’t push it if they start to get excited, so  just keep an eye on us.  Try to let me know how soon the wagon will get here to pick them  up.”

“Right.  Be careful though, that one thinks he’s Paul Bunyan, and the other one has a split personality between Babe the blue ox and Curly from the Three Stooges.”

“Thanks for the heads up.  I wouldn’t want him to get a hold of an axe and think I was a tree.   Oh well, the only thing I see that he might go for is that snow shovel stuck in the bank over there. Here I go… Well, you two sure have been busy.  That’s a mighty big snowman you’ve built there.  How many more are you going to make.”

“A Mama and a sister and a brother.”

“Well, that’s very nice, a whole family.  Say, it’s getting cold out here.  Why don’t you fellows come with me to the station.  We’ve got homemade Christmas cookies, and plenty hot to drink.  That will warm us all up.  What do you say?”

“You got ahead.  We’ve got to finish this snowfamily.”

“You’ve got to finish?  Well, then if you can stand the cold, so can I.  I’ll just stay with you.”

“Would you like to give us a hand?”

“I think I’d better keep both hands free.”

“What’s that?  I didn’t hear you.”

“I said I’m not free to help.  Normally I love to build snowmen, same as you, but, I’m on duty, and well you know, the uniform and all.  I wouldn’t want to get it all soaked building a snowman.”

“Sure, sure.  Too bad you don’t have a nice pair of coveralls like these to keep you dry.”

“Yes,  they certainly do look like they keep you dry.   I don’t think I’ve ever seen a set of coveralls like that in a store.  Do you mind telling me where you got them?”

Frankie, who had been keeping quiet until now replied:

“We didn’t steal them, if that’s what you mean.”

“Why no  Paul, of course not.  I wasn’t suggesting that you stole them.  It’s obvious that they belong to you and that you, well, you belong in them.”

“Excuse me, Officer Carson, did you just call him Paul?”

“That’s right Curly, I did.”

“You know my name is Curly, and his name is..?”

“His name is Paul Bunyan, that’s right Curly  If you come with me, I think we might be able to find Moe and Larry down at the station having some Christmas cookies.”

“Just a moment please, Officer Carson, I have to talk to Frankie,  I mean Paul.  Excuse me…  Frankie, Frankie, hold on a second, listen to this.  I think that Officer Carson is missing a few brass buttons.”

“What are you talking about Curly?”

” He thinks you’re really Paul Bunyan, and he wants us to help him go find Moe and Larry from the Three Stooges.”

“Gee, this is a tough spot.  Better humor him.  Maybe if we let him think he’s taking us to the station, the other policemen can subdue him without anybody getting hurt.”

“I suppose that’s the best thing to do, but I hate to leave off building this snowfamily.  Still, we can’t let  a policeman wander around in his state of mind.  Look at him,  poor sap.  If it wasn’t for the uniform, he’d look just like any other big, dumb cluck.  Still, in a way, I envy him Frankie.  He’s not jaded, not cynical like so many of the rest of us; just believing in his fantasy world with childish innocence.  That’s what the world has lost, Frankie; that childish innocence.  We’ve got to fight to regain that, and then hold onto it, so we don’t all end up jaded, selfish, destructive, lonely people.”

“Yeah, but there’s got to be some rational ground between being jaded and selfish and walking around believing in fairy-tale characters.  You want to have some innocence, all right, but you can’t be foolish and believe everything, otherwise you end up like Officer Carson there.”

“I suppose you’re right, Frankie.  Still, there’s got to be a way to  believe in truth, to retain at least that much innocence,  without believing in fairy tales.  Poor Officer Carson.  On Christmas Eve too.”

“We’d better let him take us in.  He’s starting to look antsy, like he’s expecting the paddy wagon to come and take him away or something.”

“Okay, here goes.  Oh Officer Carson, Paul Bunyan and I have decided we will help you go and look for Moe and Larry at the station.”

“That’s great, say you’ll love the Christmas cookies too.  The sarge’s wife has been baking all week, and boy are her cookies and treats delicious.”

Unnoticed by Phil, Frankie, or Officer Carson, a young girl had just  joined them.

“Excuse me, Mr. Policeman.”

“Yes, who’s that?”

“It’s me, Mary Elizabeth.”

“Merry Christmas, Mary Elizabeth.  It’s nice to meet you, but, you shouldn’t be here–I mean, you shouldn’t be out in the cold without your mittens.  Does your mother know you’re out here?”

“No,  but my grandmother sent me out to invite you and these other two gentlemen in for some  hot cocoa and Christmas cookies.  She just put a fresh batch in the oven.  And see ,  my mittens are right here in my pocket. Besides, if my fingers get cold, you’ll hold my hands to keep them warm, won’t you?”

“Well, sure I  will Mary Elizabeth, but some other time.  I really think you should be running along now.  These gentlemen and I were just going down to the station–”

“Please Mr. Policeman, my grandmother will be so happy; she saw these two nice gentlemen here building the snowman and so she decided to make an extra batch, just for them, and then she saw you too and wanted to make sure you came into the house so she could wish you a Merry Christmas.”

“Well,   I wouldn’t want to disappoint your grandmother.  Maybe I could walk you back to the house and wish your grandmother a Merry Christmas, and grab a few cookies for myself and these other gentlemen while they wait here. What do you  guys say to that?”

“Mary Elizabeth  seems to really want us to go with her, and besides, her grandmother put in an extra batch just for us.  We would be ungrateful if we didn’t go and accept her kindness and wish her a Merry Christmas.   I think it best that we should escort Mary Elizabeth back to her grandmother’s house while you wait here.  We would be glad to bring you some cookie’s, Officer Carson.”

“No.  As long as you’re going with Mary Elizabeth, I think it best that I escort her too.”

“All right then, that’s settled.”

“Come on, my grandmother’s house is right next door.”

“Excuse me Mary Elizabeth, did you say your grandmother’s house is right next door?”

“Yes, see, we’re almost there already.”

“Well, do you have a sister, or a girl cousin staying with your grandmother?”

“I’ve got lot’s of girl cousins, but I’m the only one staying with my grandmother and grandfather right now.”

“Then who was that sick little girl I saw being carried into the house by a nurse last night?”

“That was no sick little girl, that was me.  I was tired, that’s why my Mommy was carrying me.”

“Your Mommy?  I thought your Mommy was in a terrible accident.”

“No sir, she wasn’t in an accident, she was in a play.”

“A play?  Why was she dressed like a nurse?”

“That’s her character.  Mommy was cast as nurse Mary Lee in the play Christmas in Connecticut.”

“She was cast in the play.  Oh brother, was I ever mistaken!  I feel like an idiot.”

“That’s okay Mister, everybody makes mistakes.  Come on in and have some of Grandma’s Christmas cookies, that will make you feel better.”

To be continued…

If you have read this and like it,  please  remember to “Like”  and “Share” with friends on social media.

Notes on  first version:  As with Campfire Creepers: My Friends Head. I acknowledge a debt to the Golden Age of Radio for inspiration in the development of the story line and characters in this piece.  I would like to specifically mention the outstanding Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show  as the basis of the dynamic between the two friends to whom you have just been introduced.  In recognition of the inspiration provided by the Harris and Fay Show, I have named the characters Phil “Curly”, and Frankie, after Phil “Curly” Harris, as himself, and Frankie Remley, who was a real life musician in Phil’s band, but whose character on the show was played by Elliott Lewis.  I hope you shall meet a character named Alice a little later in the story.

To my lovely wife Sarah, thank you for your ongoing support, patience and encouragement.  Thank you for listening to my thoughts and ramblings.  I am grateful  for your feedback, input, and ideas, all of which I value and treasure.

To listen to or find out more about the great radio shows of the past,    I recommend Sirius/XM Radio Classics channel 148 ,   http://www.radiospirits.com  , or http://GregBellMedia.com.

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time. (Part One.).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Two).

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, A Tale of Christmas Time (Part Three).

Part Four:  Who is Mister R.H.?

We left our friends Phil and Frankie after they had just discovered some very bright coveralls to keep them warm and dry so they can finish building a snowfamily for the little girl in the house next to Phil’s.  We rejoin them now as they  head back out into the snow.

“Frankie, there’s one more thing that’s bothering me.   I wish you would stop calling that girl at The Glass Slipper things like dish and hot number;  she  has a name you know.”

“I figured that out myself , but you haven’t told me her name. ”

“I know.  I’m trying to remember, but you know how terrible I am with people’s names.  It was a nice sounding name too, reminded me of one of my aunt’s.  Olivia, that was it.”

“Olivia?  You have an Aunt Olivia?”

“Yes and she’s a wonderful woman.”

“Olivia huh?  I went to school with a girl named Olivia, all the way from kindergarten through high school.  Nice kid too.  I had a crush on her since I was about twelve, but I was too shy to ever say anything.  I wonder whatever happened to her?  By now she’s probably married to some guy.  Lucky stiff.”

“Here we are, what do we do first?”

“Let’s work on making that base more round.  Here, give me a hand, we’ll roll it a couple more times, and then shape it.”

“All right.   Hey, this goes a lot easier with two people pushing.”

“What did I tell you?  We’ll have Papa here finished in no time, then get to work on Mrs. Snowman.”

“For all you know Frankie, this girl Olivia could be just as nice as the girl you went to school with, or just as wonderful as my aunt, but you talk about her like she is just an object; a dish, a hot number.   What happened to us Frankie?  No just you and I, but everyone:  you used to be a shy kid.  I used to paint just for the love of it.  That guy who bawled me out probably had dreams of building something great for other people when he was a kid.  What happened?”

“We grew up, Curly.”

“Sure, we grew up;  we outgrew some of our childish ways and learned how to get along in the big world, but something else happened Frankie, something that doesn’t have to be a part of growing up, but something people have come to expect and accept just as if it had to be.”

“I suppose we all just naturally get jaded.”

“Jaded ?  Is that another one you picked up from the crosswords?”

“Yeah, Jaded: a five letter word beginning with the letter J for weary, worldly, cynical.

“Cynical, there it is, what did I tell you Frankie?”

“I guess you’ve got something there Curly.”

“Yeah, and I want to unget it.”

“Did you say unget it?”

“Yeah, as in get unjaded and uncynical.  I think I’m finally starting to figure out what all this is leading to;  what I need to do.  If there were just some way I could tip myself over and pour all the cynicism out of me.”

“Sort of like emptying out a hot water bottle.”

“I guess so.”

“Then where would you be?”

“What do you mean, where would I be?”

“A hot water bottle only does any good when it has hot water in it.  Once you pour all the water out, it lays there flat.”

“All right then, I’ll get some new water.  Some fresh, clean, hot water”

“Where?”

“Well, I’ll just–say what do you mean?  You’ve got me going in circles, I’m not a piece of rubber, I’m a human being.”

“Don’t blame me, you’re the one who’s talking about tipping  yourself over and pouring things out.  Would you be happier if I had said a teapot?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just my darn trouble with words, and  I’m so close to having this figured out.”

“Why don’t you get your brushes and paints?”

“My brushes and paint?  How are they supposed to help me figure this out?”

“You said yourself you are better at expressing yourself with colors than words.”

“Yeah, I did say just that.  Colors Frankie, that’s the key.  Thanks for reminding me about the colors.”

“Always glad to help.  Now tell me what I did.”

“You happened to use the word jaded to describe what I was calling cynical, and jade is green, and green is a color.  See what you did?  So what kinds of emotions or personality traits are associated with the color green?” What comes to mind Frankie?”

“An emotion?  Associated with the color green?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, there’s the green-eyed monster, jealousy.”

“You got it.”

“And then there’s green with envy.”

“That’s another one.  And we can’t forget about cynical because of its relationship to jaded.  Now what are some of the same kinds of  things that go with  other colors?”

“Red usually goes with anger.”

“Good, good. Red, rage, anger.”

“Of course red is also the color of love, as in Valentine’s hearts and so on.”

“So it is. We’ll have to careful with red.  Here’s one:  purple is usually associated with pride.  That’s too bad, I really like purple.”

“Where’s all this going Curly?”

“It’s like this Frankie.  I want you to help me to think of all the different  emotions and personal qualities and such that can control a person’s life in terms of the colors associated with them.  Then, instead of trying to pour the cynicism out of myself and ending up like an empty hot water bottle,  I’ll just concentrate on painting my character with the colors associated with the goods things and washing away any of the colors associated with the bad things.”

“So you want to wash away the green and the purple, and be careful how you use red?”

“That’s it Frankie, you’ve got it!”

“And what colors are you going to replace them with?”

“Well, let’s think of some more positive ones besides love.  I know, how about true blue for honesty and steadfastness.”

“Yeah, but there’s also blue as in feeling the blues.”

” I’ll have to figure out just the right shade,  I want there to be plenty of blue, a strong, solid, trustworthy blue.  Here’s another good one,  gold as in heart of gold. “

“But not as in all that glitters is not gold.”

“Right again Frankie, don’t want any fools gold.  I’m after the genuine thing, the kind of gold that shines like the light of the sun or with some kind of divine beauty that illuminates a person from within.  And then, white.  White for purity.”

“Let’s not get carried away.”

“Purity of intent, purity of motive.  Unselfish giving, no strings attached.”

“Okay, throw in some white. Now what have you got?”

“A start, Frankie, a fresh start.”

“So after you wash away the green and the purple, where are you going to find just the ride shade of blue, and the genuine gold, and the white?”

“What do you mean where am I going to find them?”

” You want to get rid of the cynicism and pride, all right.  Where do you get the true  blue honesty and steadfastness, and the genuine heart of gold and the purity you’re talking about?  You can’t just walk into an art supply store for those you know.”

“You mean how do I know if I’m replacing pride and greed with things that are truly good and not just counterfeit?  You’ve got something there Frankie, I hadn’t thought of that.   It’s like you just said, there’s no supply store for virtue.”

“While you think that over, give me a hand with this torso, then we’ll lift the head on and Papa’s built.  I don’t suppose you have a carrot for the nose do you?”

“Not on me, and I’m fresh out of lumps of coal, at least until tomorrow.”

“Hey Curly, hold still for a moment.”

“What is it Frankie?”

“There’s some kind of lettering stenciled on the back of your suit.  I just noticed it.”

“What does it say?”

“Property of M-R-R- H.  Mister R.H.”

“That must be the initials of the guy who lived in the house before me.”

“Kind of strange, him having his clothes stamped like that.  Does it say the same thing on the one I’m wearing?”

“Turn around, let me look.  Yep, there it is all right: Property of M-R-R-H.”

“This Mister R.H. must have thought he was some kind of bigshot to have his initials stenciled on his hunting gear.”

“Yeah, or he really liked this stuff and didn’t want anyone to steal it.”

“What if someone comes along and thinks we stole them, or thinks we’re posing as this Mister R.H.?”

“Frankie, who would steal clothes like this?  You’d have to  be crazy to  want to wear something like this unless you were way out in the woods at hunting season.”

“Yeah, but we’re wearing them.”

“That’s different.  The owner left them behind, and we found them, we didn’t steal them; and we’re only going to wear them until we finish building this snowfamily.  Besides, anyone can tell that we’re not crazy.  And I know I at least don’t look like a thief.”

“Thanks a lot Inspector, what does that make me, the obvious criminal type?”

“You know I’m just fooling with you Frankie.  You look just as honest as I do.”

“Well, that’s some comfort.  I wonder what the initials R.H. stand for?”

“Could be lot’s of names.  Maybe Robert Harrison.”

“Or Roger Hornswoggler.”

“I say, Mr. Harrison, shall we resume?”

“Yes, Mr. Hornswoggler.  Let’s continue with the snowfamily.”

“I can’t handle being called  Hornswoggler, better stick with Babe.”

“All right, Babe, let’s get started on Mama’s base.”

“Let’s have at it, Mr. Bunyan.”

“Hey Curly,  I hate to show my jaded side so soon already, but take a look at this character crossing the street.”

“Why, what about him?”

“Take a look at that kisser, would you?  Did you ever see such a sour puss?”

“Quiet, he’ll hear you.”

“I know that look.  My shop teacher in seventh grade always gave us that look, even when we weren’t doing anything wrong.  I’ll bet he recognizes these jump suits and thinks we stole them.”

“All right Frankie.  Just calm down, we haven’t done anything wrong.  Better let me do the talking until we find out what he wants.  Good afternoon sir, and Merry Christmas.”

To be continued…

Click here to read Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time (Part5a)

If you have read this and like it,  please  remember to “Like”  and “Share” with friends on social media.

Notes on  first version:  As with Campfire Creepers: My Friends Head. I acknowledge a debt to the Golden Age of Radio for inspiration in the development of the story line and characters in this piece.  I would like to specifically mention the outstanding Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show  as the basis of the dynamic between the two friends to whom you have just been introduced.  In recognition of the inspiration provided by the Harris and Fay Show, I have named the characters Phil “Curly”, and Frankie, after Phil “Curly” Harris, as himself, and Frankie Remley, who was a real life musician in Phil’s band, but whose character on the show was played by Elliott Lewis.  I hope you shall meet a character named Alice a little later in the story.

To my lovely wife Sarah, thank you for your ongoing support, patience and encouragement.  Thank you for listening to my thoughts and ramblings.  I am grateful  for your feedback, input, and ideas, all of which I value and treasure.

To listen to or find out more about the great radio shows of the past,    I recommend Sirius/XM Radio Classics channel 148 ,   http://www.radiospirits.com  , or http://GregBellMedia.com.