برنامه‌های کریسمس جک

Chapter three

Jacks Christmas Plans

“Do toys scare little boys,”, asked an ugly old witch. Jack taught, “they’ll never understand Christmas”.

On the night of December 24, the night before Christmas, everybody in Christmastown was very happy. Santa Claus came on this night every year with toys for good girls and boys. At nine o’clock most of the children were in their beds and the youngest were asleep. But a lot of older children couldn’t sleep because they were very excited. So they closed their eyes and waited for the sound of Santa Claus’s feet.

Jack Skellington walked around the town and looked through the windows of the pretty little houses. He saw the children in their beds and he could see a Christmas tree in every house. Each tree had beautiful red and green decorations on it and pretty lights. He loved everything in this place. Suddenly, he had a great idea.

“I’m going to go back to Halloweentown,” he thought. “I’ve got a great plan!”

Sally was busy in her kitchen with the flowers for the Doctor’s drink.

“He’ll sleep a long time after he drinks this,” she thought.

“Where’s my drink,” the Doctor shouted from another room.

“It’s almost ready,” Sally shouted.

She took it to him and watched carefully. He put his nose near the cup.

“What did you put in my drink tonight,” he asked her.

“I put some hot water, some milk, some sugar–”

“You didn’t put any flowers in it, I hope,” said the old man. “You did that to me before. I remember! You wanted to run away. I remember that, too!”

“Flowers? You are funny,” said Sally. “Drink it and then I’ll bring your dinner.”

“I want you to drink some first,” he said.

“It’s very hot, so I’ll take a little on my spoon,” she said.

Sally took a spoon with holes in it from her skirt. She put the cup near her mouth and used the spoon. The drink fell through the holes and back into the cup. The old man’s eyes were not very good, so he didn’t see it.

“Very nice,” said Sally. “Now you drink it.”

She gave him the cup and the Doctor drank it. Then he fell asleep with his head on the table. Sally put a warm jacket over him and she ran out the door.

It was late at night but nobody in Halloweentown was asleep. They were very sad about Jack. Where was he? The witches didn’t scream and the vampire children didn’t want to play. Everything was quiet. The Mayor was the saddest because he couldn’t plan the next Halloween without Jack.

Suddenly, he heard a dog.

“Listen - Is that Zero,” shouted the Mayor.

Then another sound - a strange sound - came from behind the large doors in the wall around Halloweentown. When the doors opened, Jack arrived in a big red sleigh. Zero flew behind him and his big red nose lit the way. The witches, skeletons, and vampires jumped up and down and laughed.

Everybody shouted, “Jack’s back!”

“Jack! Where were you,” asked the Mayor.

“I’ll tell you… I’ll tell everybody,” Jack said loudly. “I want everybody in town to come here in two hours.”

Sally was in the woods when she heard about Jack from one of the witches. She wanted to listen to Jack so she went back into town.

“The Doctor’s asleep, so I have time,” she thought.

In the center of town Jack, stood on a box in front of the witches, skeletons, and vampires. A lot of small black animals flew around excitedly.

“I want to tell you about a wonderful place! Its name is Christmastown,” Jack said.

“Christmastown? What’s that,” some witches asked.

“It’s a world of wonderful white snow. It’s a beautiful place, a happy place. Look at this,” Jack said.

He showed them a Christmas tree. Everybody’s eyes opened wide.

“And look! This is a present,” he shouted.

He took a box with pretty paper from under i he tree and showed it to I hem.

“What is it,” an ugly old vampire asked. He had a very white face, very black hair, and a very red mouth.

“A present is a box with pretty paper around it– and inside–,” Jack said slowly.

“What’s inside,” called a witch.

“We don’t know,” Jack answered.

“Don’t know? Why not?” The people of Halloweentown didn’t understand.

Quickly, Jack took off the paper and opened the box.

“Inside, there’s a toy,” said Jack. He showed them a child’s toy.

“A boy? That is strange,” said one of the skeletons.

“Not a boy! A toy” shouted Jack.

“Do toys scare little boys,” asked an ugly old witch.

Jack thought, “They’ll never understand Christmas.”

Then he had a good idea. “Maybe they’ll understand this.”

He looked at each of them very carefully and he spoke quietly and slowly.

“There’s a very old man in Christmastown,” Jack said. “He’s big and round with long, white hair. His clothes are red and he flies through the night sky in a big red sleigh. He shouts loudly and laughs! They call him Santa Claus! He puts presents under Christmas trees inside every house. When the children wake up in the morning, they find them. Then they open them.”

Everybody was excited when Jack finished his story. They were a little scared, too, and that was good.

Jack left and went home. “How can I tell them about Christmas,” he thought. “I have to find a better way. First, I have to understand.”

Later that night in his bed, Jack looked in a lot of books. He read Christmas stories and he found Christmas songs. But what were they really about?

“Maybe the Doctor can help me,” Jack thought. “Maybe his chemicals will teach me more about toys, decorations, and Christmas trees! I’ll go to his house and discuss everything with him in the morning.”