Gabe and Frosty Devise A Plan

 Gabe bounced into the back of the truck and started grumbling at Frosty. "What do you think you are doing, old man? You are not supposed be in here yet. She isn't even at the mill yet. How do you get yourself into these predicaments? It seems like every year lately at Christmas time you get goofy. Now we have to figure a way out of this before it's too late! Oh how much did those neighbors of Grandma Lu get for you this year?"

"First of all they only got twenty-five dollars for me. I guess I am getting old, but my hat flew in the right direction. It should be alright. You just have to make sure little Ellie finds it."

"Why do I have to always help you out? Huh? Tell me that? I think I will retire after I fix this for you. Once again. How many years does this make? Oh never mind. I have to be on my way. Now this is what I'm going to do. You have to make sure that Grandma Lu sees you when she and her husband come out of the diner."

"You help me because you love children, Gabe. Now you be on your way. I'll get Grandma Lu's attention somehow. I need her to get me to Marleewood. It's been a long time since I've been there. Her husband is a problem though. Well, we will just have to make this work. That's all there is to it.

"Well, Mr. Snowman, how are you going to get the grumpy old man and his wife to Marleewood? Most of all, how are you going to get them to donate that twenty-five dollars to a family that desperately needs groceries?"

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Ellie had taken her horse, Toby, out to the field behind the old mill looking for some ears of corn that the farmers had missed so that she and her mother could make some corn pudding for Christmas. It would be so good. Her horse needed some corn too. It was going to be hard to choose how much she would give her mother and how much to save for her horse. 

The snow flakes were starting to fall. They were getting so thick that she could hardly see. It was getting colder and colder. She looked at her hands and they were getting red and starting to hurt. "Oh how I wish I had some mittens. Oh well, first things first. Let me see what this thing is here in the ditch. Toby, what is this thing? It looks like some kind of a hat. I so wish you were a hat that would keep me warm instead of a useless piece of trash. I guess I could use it to carry corn in."

As she touched the top hat she started to feel warm. Her hands didn't hurt anymore. She was wearing the warmest pair of mittens she had ever had. Then she heard Toby whinny and watched him toss his head. Ellie saw her horse prancing with a beautiful blanket on his back and saddle bags that were full of corn. Oh what a wonderful Christmas this was going to be. She couldn't wait to get back to her mama to tell her all about her wonderful Christmas surprise.