GINGERBREAD TOWN

Once upon a time there was a place called Gingerbread Town. People lived there a long, long time ago before things were as they are now. It was a time when it only snowed on the mountains and it only rained on the oceans and the fields were watered by brooks and streams and there weren’t any storms and there wasn’t any sickness and nearly everyone had fun doing the things that made them happy.

That was especially true in Gingerbread Town. When visitors came, they always mentioned to each other how sweet the town was. They said, “This is a really sweet town.” The people who lived there loved it, especially the children. They ate whatever they wanted and played with the toys their parents gave them.

Jared, R.J., and Michael were children who lived in Gingerbread Town. They were friends who loved their toys and we know just how much boys love their favorite toys. They took really good care of them because they wanted them to last for a long time. Some of their toys had belonged to older brothers and sisters, why some even belonged to their own parents kept since they were children themselves. All those children really loved toys.

There were many other boys and girls in the town for them to play with. They had playgrounds made of pretzels and candy and giant marshmallows to jump on. There were rows of these marshmallows from their houses all the way to school so they could spring and jump to school instead of walking.

One day a man with a very tall hat came to town. His name was Mr. Twister. He wore a black frock coat and he seemed very mean. The children never saw anyone who looked so unhappy! He certainly wasn’t happy when he came into Gingerbread Town and he frowned at the beautiful Lemon Drop Clock in the Gingerbread Tower.

He carried a bent metal stick and when he pointed it at the children, the earth shook and strange light and dark gray puffs called clouds covered the sun and filled the sky. All the people came out of their houses to see what was shaking the peacefulness of Gingerbread Town and all the children stopped playing by the chocolate stream in Jellybean Park.

Mr. Twister told the people there was too much fun in Gingerbread Town. He told the children they had to bring him their toys, all their toys.

The parents exclaimed, “No, Mr. Twister, not the toys. They love them so!”

“Yes, all of them,” he demanded, “or I will make it RAIN! Rain, do you know what that

means? Water will pour from the sky and this village will melt.

The people in Gingerbread Town had never seen it rain. They lived in gingerbread houses and had gingerbread stores. The roofs were made of cookies and were covered with sugar icing. All the streets were paved with licorice.

“Why pouring water from the sky would ruin us!” the grown-ups said. People went back to their homes and the children grew very afraid. What would become of their town if it rained.

One mother stayed behind and asked Mr. Twister what he would do with the toys, but he wouldn’t say. He just raised his stick and the rumbling began.

Jared and R.J. bounced on the marshmallows to the school where older children were learning what older children needed to learn.

“Help!” they cried, “Help! Help!” A man in a big black hat and coat wants to take our toys or he will melt the town. What can we do? “Help! Help! What can we do?”

The students came out with their teachers and soon their parents came along to tell them what had happened. They quit having fun. Their parents would have to give away all their toys. They apologized to the children. The students went back to class but now they were very unhappy.

Michael stayed at home. He was the youngest boy at the playground. He had seen Mr. Twister scare everyone. When they came in from outside, his mother closed the door and put her finger to her mouth,

“Shhh...” she said, “I have a plan.”

Michael loved his Mom, but he didn’t know she could do magic. He was about to learn about her special skills. She went to the bedroom and took a multicolored scarf from a secret box made of rock candy and hard strawberry taffy.

“This scarf can make some things disappear,” she told Michael. It can’t make them go away, it just makes them invisible. I know it would be nice to cover that mean man with the scarf and make him go away, but it doesn’t work that way.”

“Go tell your friends, Jared and R.J. and the others to tell all the children to get their very favorite toys and bring them to our house. Have them come through the back door so that Mr. Twister won’t see.”

Michael followed the sugarplum path to the giant marshmallows that led to the school. He told the children his mother’s plan. The teachers decided it was time for the students to go home.

Jared and R.J. went to Michael’s house. His mother asked them to try to talk to the man. They went out to the street and began talking to Mr. Twister. “Why aren’t you happy in Gingerbread Town?” they asked him.

“I’m not happy anywhere. I don’t want anyone else to be happy either.

“Show me your crooked silver stick” R.J. said to the big black-coated man. “Show me how it works.”

“It’s working now,” he screamed and the sky became as dark as the man’s strange coat.

 “Are you sure they will be safe here?” the children asked Michael's mother.

She assured them that they would and she helped them bring the toys through to her bedroom. Soon every child in town had brought her their toys, the ones they felt so close to, the ones they couldn’t bear to be without.

“Mom,” Michael asked her when they were stacked in the bedroom, “how can the scarf work when there are so many toys? It can’t cover them all.”

His mother winked at him. “Oh, yes it can! It’s a magical scarf.”

She closed her eyes and began to sing of birds and sunshine and flowers in bloom. In a minute the scarf had begun to dance across the toys and as each was touched it faded from sight. She continued to sing of candy and streams and kittens and happy boys and girls. When Michael looked around the room, not a toy could be seen.

“Where have they gone?” he asked.

“They’re still here,” his mother told him. “They’re just out of sight until we need them again. Go tell Jared and R.J. that it’s time all the children brought the remaining toys to Mr. Twister.”

Soon they had gathered the toys to bring to Mr. Twister. They came back to the town center and laid them at his feet. The sky was falling. Water and sugar and bits of the roofs were dripping by the time the last ragged little doll was placed in front of the tall dark stranger.

“What!” thundered Mr. Twister. “Is this all of the toys? This isn’t enough. This town is known for having the best and the most toys, and I want them now! I will have to search your homes.”

He headed for Michael’s house. Michael became afraid.

It began to rain harder. Jared and R.J. had thought they were very brave. They wanted to save Gingerbread Town. They had given all their unnecessary toys to the man who was making it rain, but now he wanted more.

R.J. cried out, “You go ahead, Mr. Twister, but they are all here.”

The whole town was in the square. They all nodded their heads. No one said anything as Mr. Twister walked up to the door.

Michael looked at his mom. He whispered, “Will he see them?”

“No he wont.” She reassured him.

He was still worried. Michael thought and thought about how unhappy Mr. Twister was. He tried to think what made him happiest and he remembered his good luck charm. A crystal prism that dazzled him everyday and which delighted everyone who saw it.

“Mr. Twister, Mr. Twister, come with me,” he shouted to the scowling man. “I have something to give you.”

“What is it?” He turned and frowned at the little boy.

Michael took him to his room. He got it from his chest and ran back outside onto the sticky licorice street. Mr. Twister followed him outdoors. Then, in sight of everyone, Michael reached up and gave the man a brilliant cut crystal.

“What is this? What can I do with this?” Mr. Twister held up the beautiful prism.

“When you hold it in the sunlight, it makes colors dance all over the world.” Michael told him.

“I don’t see any colors,” he said.

All of Gingerbread Town was quiet except for the drops falling to the ground. Everyone was so sad.

“You see, it needs sunshine.” Michael explained. The rain has to stop before it will work. It’s my favorite thing and you may have it.”

“Hmm. I can stop the rain, but it better do what you say,” Mr. Twister said. He laid down the stick and shortly the clouds left and the sun began to shine again.

Mr. Twister held the crystal to the light and colors danced along the lanes and across the houses. “

“What a wonderful toy!” he cried and for the first time he smiled a big sunny smile. “This is better than all the rest. I will take this piece of sunshine with me and give you back your toys and your Gingerbread Town.”

The people watched as the sun dried out their houses and hardened the licorice streets. They waved goodbye to the man who had wanted to take all their toys away. But now he had left with only the crystal and the toys were still there.

Over the next few hours the children came to Michael’s house to retrieve their favorites now visible in the room where they had disappeared.

“It’s good to have our town back, Mom”. Michael said.

“Yes it is and thank you,” she said hugging him.

Michael went out to play with all the other children. It was good to be with his friends in Gingerbread Town.

(c) Gay Reiser Cannon * All Rights Reserved