Pocket's Christmas Wish

Ann Bonwill
& RussellJulian

M SCHOLASTIC

On Christmas morning, just outside their burrow,
five rabbits met a snow angel.

Four rakkits kopped akead to tke skating pond
kut Pocket, tke littlest rakkit, stayed kekind.
He kad a question to ask.

“Excuse me,” said Pocket. “ Can you tell me tke meaning
of Ckristmas?77 But tke snow angel didn't answer.

v

J

Pocket wrinkled kis tunny nose. He twitcked kis kunny ears.
He wiggled kis kunny wkiskers. Tke snow angel sparkled in

tke lemon light, kut still ske didn't answer.

A trail of footprints led away from tke snow angel's skirt.
It stretcked as far as Pocket could see. “I wisk I knew tke

meaning of Christmas," tkougkt Pocket. “Maybe if
I follow tke footprints, ill find it at tke end."

And o ff he hopped

The footprints wound around the edge of the skating pond.
Pocket paused to watch his brothers and sisters
swooshing and spinning together on the ice.

t*$b

In tkeir tunny smiles Pocket could see tlie love of family.
But tke footprints didn't stop at tke pond, so Pocket topped on

Pocket followed tke footprints to a kolly Lusk wkere
a little kird was trilling anid ckiirpmg amonj tk(
kerries. As ke listened to tke merry music,
Pocket could kear tke joy of song.

But the footprints zig-zagged away from the hus
so Pocket hopped on.

Thefootprints led Pocket to a clearing in tke forest
wkere tke air was tkick witk tke scent of coming snow.
As ke sniffed tke air, Pocket could smell tke memory of
winters past. But tke footprints made a loop around tke

clearing and tiptoed out tke otker side.

ii

tyt** . •- , •

I „ **i

» ’" Mi

Pocket still wisked k e could knd tk e
meaning of Ckristmas, so ke kopped on.



Pocket followe d tke footprints to a fallen log.
It was starting to snow. He caugkt tke dancing flakes

on kis pink kunny tongue. Tkey tasted fresk,
like tke promise of sometking new.

But tke footprints didn't stop at tke 1 Oi
so Pocket kopped on.



0
p4
nj ucd
0
co CD

0 ^P p
o o
<U 0 ^d

JV 0

o r-1 P P4
CP ^
o -Q P4

•OD 0 5-4 0 o
^P
a 0) o • r—( ■+■>

o ^P 0(V*

-M5-4 p o nj 0
co p 4c->o
0 O
^~d p
^p <D 0 CP
p ^-P u
o
aj r-d -4-> co

,- I1 0 CD P *dB
u CV nj
42 '43 P
m
k&. rd CO
• rH 0
5-4
0 _p _ CO
O. s
**OD CO CO ^"d
0
0 CD
5-4
CD P
0o 0
5-4 O
-4—1 4-> 0 s*

CD CO m 02$ CO
0
P CD 5-4

p4 0 "0 ^ PP

nj £ 0p o

- nj P’

*-73 f-i M CO
nj r-P
0 *P
CD CO
P^
^ •-
PP 0
P_-4 50h)
—d ffi
P
P

Pocket was cold. I ke wet snow coated kis kunny nose
and ears and clung to kis kunny wkiskers. Pocket

was kungry. But ke couldn’t eat tke grass tkat was tucked
keneatk tke snow for tke winter. Pocket wondered

kow ke was supposed to find tke meaning of Ckristmas
witk a rumkling tummy and icy wkiskers.

t' ’-*« ’-' > kJC-

v." i-' T > v^t

^1 wWW^

*-* ~v . ^ V*' ^ . f.-

^ r,.‘/ *

\

He plodded on, down a kill and across a stream, until he
came to a small cottage with a dark red door.
The footprints ended.

Pocket peered tkrougk tke cottage window. He saw tkree
ckildren gatkered around a tree witk twinkling ligkts.

■■ ■

Heheard their happy lau gkter and smelled the woodsy
smoke of their log fire. He even tasted the faint flavor

of cinnamon wafting out of the cracks around the
win dow frame. Th e snow un der Pocket's feet
didn't feel so cold any more

Tken the hark red door opened, just a sliver, and a fat,
orange carrot appeared. Pocket hopped over to the carrot

with his mouth watering, hut as he started to nihhle,
a hahy wood mouse scurried out from under the sled.

Tke mouse looked cold.
Tke mouse looked kungry.
Tke mouse looked up at Pocket

witk round mouse eyes.

As he share d the carrot with the mouse, Pocket knew
the gift of giving. At last his wish had come true.
He had found the meaning o f Christmas.

■mm' ■ SR,' A M,
■M

* • rVr • i/.M A '* '

%



Pocket Popped home,
his heart full
of love,

j°y/

memory,
promise,
and comfort.
The gifts of the Christmas season.



wK en Pocket readied tke skating pond, kis krotkers
and sisters were just coming off tke ice. As soon as
tkey saw kim, tkey skook tkeir kunny tails and
tkumped tkeir kunny feet.

“Merry Christmas!” said Pocket,

as ke ckased tkem kack to tke kurrow.

V





Pocket is a little rabbit who wishes—from his whiskers
to his bunny feet—that he might discover
the meaning of Christmas.

When Pocket hops out of his burrow on Christmas morning,
he finds footprints left by children who have been
playing in the snow. He follows them all the way
to a cozy cottage, and it is there, on the doorstep,
that Pocket’s Christmas wish comes true.

A book tofill hearts withfestive cheer

This edition is available for distribution ISBN 178-D-S4S-4J i
only through the school market.
o>
M SCHOLASTIC
0»i
www.scholastic.com
&i

*9

T 7ADS45 43717E