Why Stockings Hold Stars — Under the hush-hush pines, Nico carried one cold mitten in his teeth. Read the full story →
Under the hush-hush pines, Nico carried one cold mitten in his teeth. He wanted to warm the porch mouse’s nest before moonset, but the house was full of creaky floorboards and one nosy clock that ticked like tiny boots. On the mantel hung a floppy red stocking, soft as a blanket and smelling faintly of peppermint. Nico slipped inside to wait for the clock to look away.
That’s when he felt a bump in the round ornament tied to the stocking’s side. Not candy. Not a bell. Inside, where nobody ever checks, were five little fallen stars, warm and prickly-bright. “Psst,” Nico whispered, “you’ll do.” He tucked one into the mitten, then paused. The stocking looked chilly too, sagging in the dark with no one thanking it for holding everyone’s surprises.
So Nico pressed the other stars into the stocking’s wool, one by one, and left before the floorboards could tattletale. Ever since, Christmas stockings carry stars on their cuffs and bellies, because one kitten gave away the hidden shine when nobody was watching. Look near the ornament again — that’s where the first secret waited, under the hush-hush pines.
