This Christmas Story was written in 2021 and we hope you enjoy it in 2022, whether for the first time or returning to it like an old favourite. The rhyming verse was inspired by Clement Clarke Moore’s, ‘The Night Before Christmas’, but this is a tale that acknowledges there can be anxiety & sadness for some children at Christmas, as well as joy. This story is dedicated to all the little Moffles who have mixed up feelings at Christmas & to the grown ups who love them.
Here is what Louise Michelle Bomber had to say about the story:
‘As an adoptive mum I know first hand how Christmas can be experienced ….a nervous, fearful anticipation of whether my little ones will be overlooked, forgotten or whether they too will experience the ‘magic’ that they have heard of. This beautiful offering gently holds those worries close. Mikenda again offers empathic insight into what some might not even notice ….thank-you’.
We’ve added some more Moffle pictures to our Charlie Moffle Christmas story & you can download a free copy here. Merry Christmas everyone & happy reading!
Listen to Mikenda & Sara chatting with Gilly Hope from BBC Radio Newcastle, about our work in mental health & Sara’s vision to open accessible mental health centres across the UK for children & adults. The Moffles are supporting Sara Young’s Community Interest Company, Changing Minds with Pick Up a Penny, helping to raise the profile through advertising & donating some proceeds from the sale of Tippy Moffle’s Mirror.
Here is an audio recording of our first Moffle book – Tippy Moffle’s Mirror. Beautifully read by our great friend, Connie Crosby. We loved hearing the story come to life & we hope you do, too.
Connie Crosby is an actor, singer, storyteller, voice artist and aspiring director. She grew up in the world of Cornish theatre & is part of the Story Republic, a performance troupe who tell stories, poems and songs.
During these Covid times, we all need some little treats to let us know we are thought about and cared for! This short story is our gift to you and your child, free to download and keep. Stories are a powerful way of helping our little ones make sense of the world.
Please use the comment section below to let us know what you think – we would love to hear from you.
‘Why are you climbing the Christmas Tree?’ exclaimed Daddy Moffle, as his furry face and whiskers turned mint green with surprise, and the tips of his ears showed a rosy hint of crossness. Charlie Moffle climbed higher and his big, brown eyes peeped out from behind a sparkly bauble.
Charlie had come to live with new Daddy Moffle just a few weeks before, when the leaves on the trees were turning shades of red and gold and before the snow covered the floor of the forest. This was their first Christmas together and yesterday they had hung their painted acorns and holly berries on the walls. They piled the presents for their family and friends, higgledy-piggledy under the tree. Just two more Moffle sleeps and it would be Christmas Day.
Daddy Moffle bustled across the burrow, to rescue Charlie from the tree. As he did so, he noticed a loud rustling beneath his paws. Daddy looked around and gasped with louder surprise to see all of the wrapping paper from the presents ripped and scattered across the floor! ‘Oh, Charlie Moffle what did you do?’ sighed daddy sadly and his whiskers drooped as they turned pale blue.
‘It wasn’t me!’ yelled Charlie, his fluffy face turning bright red. The Christmas tree wobbled so much that the star perched on the top tumbled off and bounced under the sofa. Daddy Moffle took a deep breath and paused. Although the star had fallen, he could see little Charlie was holding on tightly to the tree trunk and he wasn’t going anywhere fast. Daddy Moffle noticed the disappointed feeling that was turning his big furry tummy a shade of berry blue. He had wanted their first Christmas together to be perfect and now it all seemed to be in tatters.
Then daddy took another deep breath and asked himself out loud why it might be that Charlie Moffle had needed to open all the presents and climb the Christmas tree? He wondered if Charlie might be thinking about all the Christmases before he came to live in this new burrow. As daddy spoke gently to himself, the Christmas tree stopped wobbling and became very still. Charlie’s ears were turning silver and busy listening.
‘Oh Charlie’ said Daddy Moffle, ‘I’ve been so busy making Christmas look the way I liked it when I was small that I haven’t thought enough about making it just right for you. I know Christmas has not always been a happy time for you and maybe it reminds you of sad or scary feelings? You haven’t had many presents in the past. Perhaps it is hard for you to believe that you are a special Moffle who deserves good things? No wonder you opened everybody else’s presents!
Daddy Moffle settled himself at the bottom of the tree. Slowly, Charlie climbed down and sat very close by. He reached out a tiny, yellow paw and daddy held it gently. ‘Let’s tidy up this mess’, said daddy ‘and then we can plan a Christmas that fits just right for you and me’.
Welcome to the world of the Moffles! 