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Old Toys, New Presents
Reader Star Rating: 
Alexa Dagny Alonzo
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Nick Curry received an early Christmas present from his grandfather on the first day of December. It was a race car, about the size of his palm.
Everyday Nick played with his new toy; he even showed it to his playmate, Tom. Nick and Tom enjoyed playing with the car as it is bright red and shiny.
One day Mrs. Curry asked her son if he wanted another gift for Christmas.
He replied, "No, Mommy, I love grandfather's gift; I can play with this all the time."
Nick's parents were relieved for his joy.
They wanted to give their five-year-old son a present this year but things have been tough lately, and they still had to save their money for Christmas food.
But as days turned into weeks Nick grew tired of playing with his tiny race car.
He no longer jumped from his bed every morning to play with it.
Even Tom lost interest in the shiny red car.
They wanted to play outside and ran around in the small backyard.
Nick's parents were worried that their son was becoming bored with grandfather's gift and they couldn't buy him a new toy to play with.
They were only thankful that Tom came to their house everyday to play with their son.
Five days before Christmas two things happened that made young Nick feel sad and bored.
Tom's family went away for vacation and heavy rain poured down on their small town.
Nick didn't have any playmates and he could not go outside the house.
"You can play with your red car," Mrs. Curry suggested.
"But I want another toy." Nick said sadly.
His mother sighed and told him gently, "Nick, I hope you understand that we don't have any money to buy you a new car."
Nick cried in his mother's arms, longing for a new toy and a friend.
Knock, knock, knock.
Nick and his mother looked at each other.
"It must be the rain," she told him.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Mommy, I think someone is at the door." Nick said.
So they went to the door and opened it.
A young woman held an umbrella in her left hand and carried a young boy in her right arm.
"Goodness, what are you doing outside in this bad weather?" Mrs. Curry exclaimed, "both of you could catch a cold!"
"Excuse me madam, my name is Gayle and this is my two-year-old son, Joshua.
We didn't mean to interrupt you but we were on our way to the market when it began to pour."
"The market? But it's still half an hour away!"
"Yes and we couldn't reach there in time without soaking my poor baby. This is the first house we've seen and if you wouldn't mind, may we take shelter under your roof? At least until the rain stops."
"Of course, of course, come on in. Oh poor baby, let me hold him while you dry yourself, I'm Mrs. Curry and this is my son, Nick."
Nick looked at the young baby's face in his mother's arms.
"Mommy, I think he's about to cry."
"It must be from the cold," Mrs. Curry said, "come along, have some warm tea with us in the kitchen."
She led Gayle to the kitchen and gave her tea and cookies.
"Pardon me for the inconvenience we've caused you Mrs. Curry, but this is the only time I could get out of the house to buy a present for my baby Joshua.
I've been saving up for months to buy him a toy, but if this rain doesn't stop, I guess we'll have to go back home without buying a toy for him."
Nick's mother looked at the little boy and asked him, "Hey, Joshua, what kind of toy would you like?"
"Car!" young Joshua squealed.
"I have a car; I can give it to you!" Nick ran to his room and retrieved his red shiny car.
"Here, Joshua, this is yours now."
Nick's mother looked concerned.
"But Nick, that's the only toy you have this Christmas. Mommy and Daddy cannot afford to buy you any presents."
"But it's raining outside Mommy; they can't go to the market and buy a toy for him." "Well then, if that is what you want dear, you will make baby Joshua very happy today." His mother smiled warmly.
"Oh, thank you Nick, thank you, Mrs. Curry. You are most kind." Gayle smiled.
As baby Joshua held the shiny red car in his tiny hands, he tugged at his mother's sleeve.
"Trucks!"
"It's a car Joshua; you have a new toy car."
"Trucks!" he kept saying.
"I'm so sorry; he must be thinking that this is a truck." Gayle apologized.
"Bag! Bag!"
This time Joshua pointed at his mother's bag.
"Oh, you want to play with your trucks."
Gayle opened her bag and took out two old green trucks.
She gave them to her son.
"Trucks!" Joshua held out the two trucks to Nick.
"Oh, Joshua, you are very sweet," his mother said.
"Nick, I think he wants to give you his trucks."
"But they're his toys." Nick's mother exclaimed.
"No Mrs. Curry," Gayle said, "this morning I found these toy trucks in front of our house, lying at the side of the road.
As soon as I washed them with soap and water I showed them to Joshua, but he kept telling me, 'Car!'
As I thought of the money I had saved, I decided to buy him a toy car so that he can see what it looks like."
"Trucks! Car!" Joshua once again squealed as he played with his new car and pointed at the trucks in Nick's hands.
"Well, well, I guess we gave our boys new presents today." Mrs. Curry said happily as she and Gayle gazed lovingly at their children playing with their new toys.
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