The Twelve Knights: A Christmas Adventure

By C.J. Ferrara

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781465315632

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Copyright © 2010 by C.J. Ferrara.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

C H A P T E R  1

C H A P T E R  2

C H A P T E R  3

C H A P T E R  4

C H A P T E R  5

C H A P T E R  6

C H A P T E R  7

C H A P T E R  8

C H A P T E R  9

C H A P T E R  1 0

C H A P T E R  1 1

C H A P T E R  1 2

C H A P T E R  1

The Knight of Christmas Light

Snow fell, covering the trees and streets and houses of a small midwestern town on an evening very close to Christmas. Horse drawn freight wagons loaded with goods for the holidays plodded through mounting drifts to downtown stores. Carriages with passengers and their bundles clattered by on snow covered cobbled lanes. Shoppers with armloads of packages hurried along as fast as they could manage on slippery sidewalks. Everything seemed the same as it did every year at Christmas time.

But something was very different this particular year. No one smiled. No one looked happy. No one wished anyone a Merry Christmas. The spirit of Christmas was nowhere to be found.

On a quaint side street with well kept Victorian homes, a group of rowdy carolers tramped from house to house. They were followed by Sarah and Christopher, ragged little orphan twins. The children were alone and homeless. They hoped someone, grateful for the singing, would invite them all in for a holiday treat.

The singers stopped in front of one of the stately homes.

Sing number three, shrilled a fat lady.

They won’t give us a Christmas treat for that old chestnut! objected a bearded man in a derby. The carolers began to argue.

As the quarrel continued, Sarah and Christopher hurried onto the porch. They peered longingly through the window. A cozy parlor was decorated with pine boughs and holly and an enormous Christmas tree. A warm blaze was crackling in the fireplace.

It looks so lovely inside, smiled Sarah.

Warm too, I’ll bet, added Christopher, pulling his tattered coat tighter about himself.

When the carolers finally decided to sing, The Twelve Days of Christmas, the parents and children of the house gathered in the doorway to listen. But the song was off-key and dreadful. The children covered their ears. Their father and mother made the most awful faces and slammed the door.

One by one, the carolers stopped singing as they realized that no one at this house was going to offer them anything. They turned away and lumbered up the block complaining more loudly than ever.

I’m cold. Let’s go back up town and find a fire, protested Christopher. The people on this street are all grouchy.

Sarah insisted on following.

Suddenly an argument broke out. The carolers simply could not decide which house to sing in front of next.

It doesn’t matter where we stop or what we sing, piped up one. Some of you are so out of tune nobody would recognize it, anyway!

With that, they stopped right in the middle of the sidewalk. They pushed and shoved and accused each other in a most dreadful manner.

A tall young caroler in a huge top hat much too large for his head actually removed his coat and challenged the one in the derby to fight.

Everyone is grumpy this year! complained Christopher.

Sarah put her arm around her brother.

Oh Christopher, don’t you be grumpy, too. It is Christmas time.

The tall caroler and his opponent heard them talking.

Stop following us! cried the tall caroler.

They’re the ones making us sound out of tune! shouted the fat lady. Get away!

She threw a snowball at the twins and laughed. Another caroler did the same, then another and another and another until they were all laughing and throwing snowballs at the twins.

Sarah was ready to cry. Christopher got angry. He didn’t like anyone doing anything to hurt his sister or make her cry. But before he could say a word, the laughter stopped and so did the snowballs.

The tall young man in the top hat put his coat back on and wrapped his scarf about his neck. Then he joined the others as they carelessly formed their crooked ranks and marched off singing another off-key carol.

It wasn’t a very good idea to follow them, said Christopher angrily. He knocked the snow from his ragged jacket and yanked down his old knit cap.

Oh, bother the carolers! replied Sarah as she brushed the snow from her coat. She adjusted her bonnet and scarf and carefully arranged her hair. Then she pulled up her knee length stockings and put her hands in her old tattered muff. She always tried to look as nice as she possibly could.

As the twins continued slowly up the block, they dropped further and further behind the carolers. They could still hear the awful sounds of their music.

Then the singing stopped abruptly. Another scuffle began. An old man hurrying home with an armload of packages stacked higher than his head had accidentally bumped into them.

The children watched in horror as the carolers tormented the old man. They laughed horridly at him, grabbed his packages and scattered them in all directions. Then the fat lady pulled him. The man in the derby pushed him. The young man in the huge top hat shoved him into a snow drift. Then they formed their crooked lines and continued up the street as though nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, the old man wiggled and grunted, trying to pull himself from the snow drift. Sarah and Christopher hurried to help.

Hooligans! muttered the old man as he squirmed to his feet to retrieve his bundles. It’s disgraceful!

Sarah cheerfully handed him one of his packages.

Here’s another one, sir, said Christopher.

What do you imps want? he growled as he stacked his packages. Get away from me or I’ll call a policeman. With that, he heaved up his bundles and hurried away.

Christopher sat down on the curb with his head in his hands. Sarah settled gracefully beside him and cuddled him.

Everything will be just fine, she said, trying to cheer him up.

A policeman tapped them with his truncheon.

What are you kids doing in this neighborhood? he asked sternly. You certainly don’t belong here.

We’re just resting, explained Christopher.

Well, rest somewhere else, he said, glaring at them. It doesn’t look good for me to have beggars or worse on my beat. Get along!

They stood up and started slowly down the street. The policeman watched for a moment, then continued on his way.

What’s wrong with everyone? Christopher wondered out loud. It’s almost Christmas, but nobody is happy.

He stopped abruptly. There in the gutter was a brightly wrapped package with a big green bow.

Look, Sarah. The old man missed this one, He bent down and retrieved it. We’d better catch up to him and return it.

Just then, the policeman looked back to make sure the children were leaving his neighborhood. He saw Christopher holding the package.

What have you got there?! he bellowed. Before the twins could explain, he blew his whistle and shouted, Thieves. Thieves!

Come on, Sarah! cried Christopher as he grabbed her hand.

The children ran with the package. The policeman took out after them. Down the street. Up an alley. Past the stables. Into a back yard.

A vicious dog, tied to a stake, jumped at them to the length of his rope, just missing Sarah. She shrieked as Christopher pulled her away and pushed her alongside the house.

The off-key carolers were coming up the block, growling another tune, when the twins bolted through the gate and bowled into them. Their singing turned to shouts as the fat lady was knocked over.

Well! she complained loudly. I never.

Excuse us, please, panted Sarah. We didn’t mean to…

Before she could finish, Christopher grabbed her hand again, tucked the package tightly under his arm and bumped through the carolers. Then he turned on a burst of speed, dragging his sister behind.

Don’t just stand there, demanded the fat lady. Help me up!

A few grabbed her arms and started to lift.

The policeman broke from the backyard, blowing his whistle.

Thieves! he cried as he shoved through the carolers in pursuit of the children.

Thieves! cried the carolers. They dropped the fat lady and joined the chase.

A horse drawn wagon loaded with barrels came clopping up the street. Christopher and Sarah raced in front of it. The driver threw his weight backwards, tugging at the reins to stop the horses. They reared up madly. Barrels flung out of the wagon.

Crazy kids! he shouted.

The policeman was still on their trail, blowing his whistle. The carolers were only a few steps behind.

Thieves! shouted the policeman.

Thieves! shouted the carolers.

Thieves! shouted the driver. He jumped from his wagon and joined the chase.

The twins raced alongside another house, down another alley and into another back yard.

Here, Sarah! cried Christopher as he spotted a loose board in a small shed and pushed it aside.

Oh my, I’ll bet it’s icky in there.

No time for that, Sarah, replied Christopher