Hushby’s Waiting Star — Under the hush-hush snow, Hushby carried a square present to the tallest pine in Pine Hollow. Read the full story →
Under the hush-hush snow, Hushby carried a square present to the tallest pine in Pine Hollow. He wanted to set it beneath the branches before the first bell from the little cottage, but the snow was deep as whipped cream and squeaked under his toes. His scarf dragged soft tunnels behind him. “Not yet,” he whispered to the box, though his paws itched to peek.
A small silver spark tumbled from the cloudy sky and landed in the pine with a sound like a spoon tapping glass. It was not a snowflake. It shivered on the top branch, dim and tired. Hushby held up the present, hoping the spark might be the missing shine he had waited for, but it only blinked once. “I fall too early,” the spark sighed. “If I shine now, everyone opens their surprises before they are ready.”
So Hushby stood still. Snow gathered on his hat. The cottage bell finally rang, one warm note rolling over the hill, and the spark stretched into a bright five-point star. Ever since, the stars on winter trees wait for the first bell before they glow. If you spot Hushby in the hush-hush snow, can you tell whether he is still waiting—or just beginning to smile?
