Nothing like curling up with your kids around the yule log and reading them a magical Christmas short story. Here are six that will sprinkle a little magic on the festive season. Some of these classics can be found online and printed in time for bed.
Papa Panov’s Special Christmas by Leo Tolstoy
The author of the doorstop epic War & Peace also wrote short stories, and this one captures the generous spirit of Christmas in a nutshell. Papa Panov is a shoemaker; on Christmas Eve he has a dream in which Jesus promises to visit him on Christmas Day. But when Christmas Day arrives, the only people Papa Panov meets are a poor roadsweeper and a young mother who can’t afford to buy shoes for her baby… where can Jesus be?
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen
A tree’s-eye view of Christmas, this tells the story of a small fir tree who is so busy longing for better things to come, he forgets to appreciate what he has. When he is cut down to make a Christmas tree, he thinks, now my life will really begin…
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
We might not quite have reached Dickensian levels of deprivation during the recession, but anyone feeling the financial pinch of the festive season would be advised to re-read the ultimate Christmas classic. If you’ve been leaning a bit towards the Scrooge-like over the past few years, A Christmas Carol will restore the balance.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L Frank Baum
American author Lyman Frank Baum wrote many children’s classics, the best-known of which is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He wrote a Christmas-themed novel, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, and also this short story, about a group of daemons, Selfishness, Envy, Hatred and Malice, who are jealous of Santa because he gets all the children’s attention. When their efforts to tempt Santa fail, they decide to kidnap the big guy instead.
The Christmas Cuckoo by Frances Browne
Browne was a 19th century Irish writer who was blinded at infancy by smallpox, but went on to become a highly respected poet and novelist. She moved from her home in Donegal to Edinburgh, finally settling in London. Her most famous work, a children’s short story collection entitled Granny’s Wonderful Chair, features this festive tale of two poor brothers, Spare and Scrub, whose fortunes are changed by a visit from the titular bird.
The Best Christmas Present in the World by Michael Morpurgo
The author of War Horse revisits the Great War in this poignant tale of a letter found in an antique desk, written by a soldier from the trenches in Christmas 1914. Three other stories make up the collection: On Angel Wings, about a visit from someone who may be the Angel Gabriel; The Best of Times, about a prince trying to cheer up his princess bride before Christmas, and The Goose is Getting Fat, in which Charlie tries to save Gertrude the Goose from becoming Christmas dinner.
