Small acts of generosity and family love
Leo's Five Flat Stockings
On Christmas morning, Leo discovers all five stockings are flat and empty because everyone forgot to fill them. Using small things from around the house, he fills each stocking and clips a handmade drawing to every one, then waits for his family to wake and see what he has done.
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26 pagesPage 1
On Christmas morning, Leo woke up before the sun. The house was quiet. Even the dog was still asleep.
Page 2
Leo tiptoed to the tree in his pajamas. Five stockings hung in a row. He reached up and patted one. It was flat.
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He patted the next one. Flat. Then the next, and the next, and the last. All five were flat and empty.
Page 4
"Everyone stayed up too late," Leo whispered. "Nobody filled the stockings this year." His shoulders drooped.
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Then Leo looked around the quiet room. He had two hands, two feet, and a whole house full of small things. "I can fill them," he said.
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For Mama's stocking, he chose a tea bag that smelled like oranges. He dropped it in and listened to it land.
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For Papa's stocking, he picked the tiny soap from the bathroom shelf. It was shaped like a boat. "Papa will like this," he said.
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For his sister Mia, he rolled up one of his own drawings. It showed a cat wearing a crown. He tied it with a red ribbon.
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For Grandma, he found a smooth gray stone from his pocket. He had carried it all week. He put it in gently.
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And for the dog? One dog biscuit, right on top. Leo's dog sniffed the air in his sleep and wagged his tail.
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Now every stocking had something inside. But they still looked plain and empty from the outside.
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So Leo made one more drawing. Then another, and another. Five small pictures, one for each stocking.
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He clipped a picture to every stocking with a clothespin. A sun, a star, a heart, a tree, and a round smiling moon.
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Then Leo sat down by the tree to wait. He yawned. He waited some more. The sky outside turned from black to gray.
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First came the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Then Mia's voice: "Leo? Why are you sitting there?"
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Mama and Papa came down in their pajamas. Grandma followed slowly, holding the rail. Everyone stopped and stared at the tree.
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"Five flat stockings," said Papa. "We forgot to fill them last night." He looked at Leo. "But someone else did not."
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Mama pulled out the tea bag and laughed. "It smells like oranges! And it is exactly what I wanted."
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Papa held up the little boat soap. Mia unrolled the cat drawing and laughed out loud. "A cat with a crown! That is me!"
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Grandma turned the gray stone over in her hand. "You carried this all week," she said softly. "I will keep it on my windowsill."
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The dog found his biscuit and crunched it happily. Then everyone looked at Leo's stocking. It was still flat.
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"Wait," said Mia. She ran upstairs and came back with a folded note. Everyone had signed it, even the dog, with one paw print.
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Mia slipped the note into Leo's stocking. Leo opened it. "Thank you for filling our Christmas with small things," it said.
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The first light of morning came through the window. It turned the tree gold and the stockings warm.
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They stood together by the tree, holding their stockings. Each one had a small drawing clipped to the top.
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"Merry Christmas, Leo," said Mama. Leo smiled. His stocking was not flat anymore. Neither was he.