Crazy Cat's Christmas Surprise

Crazy Cat loved Christmas! He loved helping Mr. Humann decorate the Christmas tree by playing with all the lights and ornaments. He loved helping Mrs. Humann bake cookies by walking all over the kitchen counter. He loved helping Harry write his letter to Santa Claus by swatting the pen out of his hand. Most of all, he loved Christmas presents!

It was a cozy evening in the Humann house. The family huddled on the couch with blankets and hot cocoa, watching a Christmas cartoon about a silly elf. Crazy Cat had the best seat in the house! He sat on Mr. Humann’s shoulder, staring at the bright colors and moving pictures. Suddenly he heard a strange noise outside. Buzz, buzz, buzz!

“Meow!” said Crazy Cat, biting Mr. Humann’s ear.

“No, Crazy Cat! Don’t do that!” said Mr. Humann.

Crazy Cat jumped down and ran to the front door. No sooner than he did, the doorbell rang. Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!

“Who could that be?” said Mrs. Humann.

“I don’t know,” said Harry.

Mr. Humann opened the door, but there was no one there! A dark drone flew away in the distance, and there was a large box on the front porch. It was wrapped in red and green striped paper, and it smelled like milk and cookies. On the top of the box was a label that said: Do not open until Christmas!

“Wow, a Christmas present!” said Harry.

Mr. Humann picked up the box and brought it inside, setting it under the Christmas tree with a thump. “Who’s it for?” he said.

“I don’t know. I didn’t order anything,” said Mrs. Humann.

Harry looked at the box. “There’s no name,” he said.

“Maybe it’s for me,” said Mr. Humann.

“Maybe it’s for me,” said Mrs. Humann.

“Maybe it’s for me,” said Harry.

Crazy Cat was bored! He crept under the Christmas tree and started playing with a red ball on one of the bottom branches. Bat, bat, bat!

It fell and broke with a clink! Mr. Humann, Mrs. Humann, and Harry looked at each other, then at Crazy Cat. “Maybe it’s for Crazy Cat!” They said all at the same time.

For him? Crazy Cat wondered what could be inside the box. Maybe it was a fancy jingle bell collar, or a new catnip mouse. Even better, maybe it was a box of Christmas goose and gravy-flavored cat treats! Maybe there was nothing inside at all, and the box itself was the present. Crazy Cat would love a new box to curl up in! He sniffed the box and pawed at the wrapping. Scratch, scratch, scratch!

“No, Crazy Cat! Don’t do that!” said Mrs. Humann.

Harry picked up Crazy Cat, and Crazy Cat began to purr in his arms. “We have to wait until Christmas!”

“Forget who it’s for! Who’s it from?” said Mr. Humann.

Mrs. Humann and Harry shrugged.

The next day Mr. Humann asked his boss at work about the package. Mrs. Humann asked the neighbors next door, and Harry asked all of his friends at school. None of them knew about the package! That night, Harry called Grandma, but she said she didn't send anything. Mrs. Humann called Cousin Herb, but he didn’t know about the present. Mr. Humann called Uncle Herman and Aunt Hilda, They didn't send it either!

Mr. Humann sighed, hanging up the phone. “I guess we’ll have to wait until Christmas to find out,” he said.

Mrs. Humann frowned, and Harry stomped his foot in frustration. “But that’ll be forever!” said Harry.

Crazy Cat didn’t want to wait until Christmas either! He jumped onto the mystery box, curled up, and went to sleep. The Humanns said he couldn’t open the box until Christmas. They didn’t say anything about sleeping on it!

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Christmas Eve finally came, and it was a busy day in the Humann house! Mr. Humann was in the basement wrapping presents. Crazy Cat walked all over the wrapping paper and sat down right in the middle of it. Crinkle, crinkle, crinkle!

“No, Crazy Cat! Don’t do that!” said Mr. Humann.

Crazy Cat went upstairs to see what Mrs. Humann was doing. She was in the kitchen cooking Christmas dinner. While she was basting the goose, Crazy Cat hopped onto the counter and knocked all of her spices down to the floor. Clatter, clatter, clatter!

“No, Crazy Cat! Don’t do that!” said Mrs. Humann.

Crazy Cat went into the living room to see what Harry was doing. He was setting out a glass of milk and a plate of cookies for Santa Claus. Crazy Cat nibbled the foot off a gingerbread man. Munch, munch, munch!

“No, Crazy Cat! Don’t do that!” said Harry.

“These cookies are for Santa Claus,” said Harry. “On Christmas Eve, Santa brings toys to all the good children of the world. If you’re good, he might bring you something too.”

“Meow!” said Crazy Cat. He wanted a present from Santa Claus! Most of all, he wanted to know what was inside the mystery package. He could hardly wait for tomorrow to come!

Crazy Cat was so excited, he could hardly sleep that night! Long after the rest of the family went to bed, he curled up on the mystery box under the tree. He was beginning to doze off when he heard a strange noise. Jingle, jingle, jingle!

What was that? Crazy Cat sleepily opened his eyes to see a stranger in the living room. He was a fat man, dressed all in red. The stranger was too old to be Mr. Humann. His voice was too deep to be Mrs. Humann, and he was way too big to be Harry!

Meow!” said Crazy Cat.

The stranger turned, and Crazy Cat saw it wasn’t just any stranger. It was Santa Claus! “Ho, ho, ho! Hello, Crazy Cat!” said Santa. “Have you been a good boy this year?”

Had he been good? Crazy Cat didn’t know. “Meow!” he said again.

Crazy Cat watched as Santa drank all the milk and ate all the cookies Harry left for him. Then he opened his big red sack and took out gifts for the whole family. There were some for Mr. Humann, some for Mrs. Humann, some for Harry, and even some for Crazy Cat! He neatly set them under the tree, but just when Crazy Cat thought he was done, Santa reached for the mystery package.

Why was Santa trying to take the box? Harry said he was supposed to leave gifts, not take them! Not moving from the top of the box, Crazy Cat hissed. Sss, sss, sss!

Santa laughed. “Ho, ho, ho! May I have that back please, Crazy Cat?” he said. “That was supposed to be a gift for Mrs. Claus. Some of the elves were testing out the drones in the toy shop, and they accidentally sent it here instead.”

Crazy Cat stared at Santa. “I’ll tell you what. If you let me have this box, I’ll leave you something even better,” said Santa. “Ho, ho, ho! How does that sound?”

Crazy Cat liked that idea! He jumped off the box, stretched, yawned, curled up under the tree, and fell asleep.

When Crazy Cat woke up, it was morning. Mr. Humann, Mrs. Humann, and Harry were all gathered around the Christmas tree, still in their pajamas. There was another mystery box where the old one used to be. It was the same size, the same shape, and it had the same red and green striped wrapping. Crazy Cat wondered where it came from. Did he just dream about meeting Santa Claus?

“Merry Christmas, Crazy Cat!” said Harry. “Which present should we open first?”

Crazy Cat tapped the mystery package with his front paw. Mr. and Mrs. Humann pulled the box out from under the tree, and Harry picked up a red envelope attached to the top. “Mom, Dad, look! There’s a note,” he said.

Mr. Humann opened the envelope. “Dear Mr. and Mrs Human, Harry, and Crazy Cat,” he read, “Thank you for keeping Mrs. Claus’s gift safe. Sorry again about the mistake! Merry Christmas! Love, Santa Claus.”

“Well, I’ll be!” said Mrs. Humann.

“Wow!” said Harry.

“Meow!” said Crazy Cat, clawing at the wrapping paper.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s open it!” said Mr. Humann.

Crazy Cat tore off the wrapping paper with some help from Mr. Humann, Mrs. Humann, and Harry, of course. Inside were gifts for the whole family. Mr. Humann got a new tool kit. Mrs. Humann got a new sweater. Harry got a remote-controlled drone just like the one that delivered the first mystery box.

What did Crazy Cat get? A fancy jingle bell collar, a new catnip mouse, and a box of Christmas goose and gravy-flavored cat treats!

“This is the best Christmas ever!” said Harry, giving Crazy Cat a scratch behind his ear. Crazy Cat purred in agreement. It really was the best Christmas ever!