"Ribbons"
The storekeeper looked around his deserted store, automatically doing a mental inventory of his
stock. It had been a pretty good Christmas sales, as all the empty shelves showed. Since Christmas
was the next day, the store would be closed.
The front door opened on one last customer, just as he reached for the light switch. It was a small
boy, with a very runny nose, all bundled up in several layers of mixed clothing. This won't be much
of a sale, the storekeeper thought.
"Yes, boy, what do you need? Be quick, as I need to close."
"Mister, I've got to get my little sister a gift for tomorrow, and there is only one thing she wants, a
pretty bright red ribbon. I hope it don't cost much. All I have is fourteen cents. You can have it all."
"Ribbon, ribbon...? I don't believe I have any right now, and if I did there wouldn't be much left.
Everyone used it for Christmas decorations."
"Would you look, Mister? It will be the only present she'll get, and I want to get it for her, real bad."
So the storekeeper went behind the counter, once more, and gave a quick glance around. Seeing
nothing that looked like a red ribbon, he quickly gave up. There wasn't any profit staying any longer,
and he was getting hungry. "Nope, boy, no ribbon. Come back day after Christmas, and I might
find some."
The little boy began to cry softly, as he moved towards the door. His wet heavy shoes left tracks
across the shining floor. As he reached the door, the storekeeper turned out the lights. Pulling on his
heavy coat in the darkened store, he heard a quick rustling sound. Straining his eyes in the darkness,
he tried to see where the sound had come from. Seeing nothing, he moved towards the door again,
in the dark.
There...there was that sound, once more!
Spinning around, the storekeeper made his way back to the light switch, and snapped it on with a
angry gesture. Expectiing to see a mouse scurrying away, he was totally astonished to see a mound
of shineing red ribbon on his counter right next to the cash register. Shaking his head, he wondered
how he had overlooked the pile of ribbons earlier? Darting to the door, he opened it,and called out
to the little hunched figure walking away from the store.
"Come back, boy. I found some ribbon after all"
After the fourteen cent sale was rung up, the storekeeper turned out the lights once more, and locked
up the store for the night. He, then, followed the happy child down the street.
Behind, the steet lamp shone into the store. It's soft light made the candy canes gleam.
All white, no red.
Written by: Bruce H. Goslowsky
The storekeeper looked around his deserted store, automatically doing a mental inventory of his
stock. It had been a pretty good Christmas sales, as all the empty shelves showed. Since Christmas
was the next day, the store would be closed.
The front door opened on one last customer, just as he reached for the light switch. It was a small
boy, with a very runny nose, all bundled up in several layers of mixed clothing. This won't be much
of a sale, the storekeeper thought.
"Yes, boy, what do you need? Be quick, as I need to close."
"Mister, I've got to get my little sister a gift for tomorrow, and there is only one thing she wants, a
pretty bright red ribbon. I hope it don't cost much. All I have is fourteen cents. You can have it all."
"Ribbon, ribbon...? I don't believe I have any right now, and if I did there wouldn't be much left.
Everyone used it for Christmas decorations."
"Would you look, Mister? It will be the only present she'll get, and I want to get it for her, real bad."
So the storekeeper went behind the counter, once more, and gave a quick glance around. Seeing
nothing that looked like a red ribbon, he quickly gave up. There wasn't any profit staying any longer,
and he was getting hungry. "Nope, boy, no ribbon. Come back day after Christmas, and I might
find some."
The little boy began to cry softly, as he moved towards the door. His wet heavy shoes left tracks
across the shining floor. As he reached the door, the storekeeper turned out the lights. Pulling on his
heavy coat in the darkened store, he heard a quick rustling sound. Straining his eyes in the darkness,
he tried to see where the sound had come from. Seeing nothing, he moved towards the door again,
in the dark.
There...there was that sound, once more!
Spinning around, the storekeeper made his way back to the light switch, and snapped it on with a
angry gesture. Expectiing to see a mouse scurrying away, he was totally astonished to see a mound
of shineing red ribbon on his counter right next to the cash register. Shaking his head, he wondered
how he had overlooked the pile of ribbons earlier? Darting to the door, he opened it,and called out
to the little hunched figure walking away from the store.
"Come back, boy. I found some ribbon after all"
After the fourteen cent sale was rung up, the storekeeper turned out the lights once more, and locked
up the store for the night. He, then, followed the happy child down the street.
Behind, the steet lamp shone into the store. It's soft light made the candy canes gleam.
All white, no red.
Written by: Bruce H. Goslowsky
