Rosie perched beside her grandmother on the bottom row of a stack of hay bales in the barn. The mid-December day was so cold she shivered inside her heavy winter coat. She moved closer to Grandma and pulled Jemimah, the calico barn cat, onto her lap. The cat burrowed under Rosie’s coat creating something like a feline furnace.
“What are we doing, Grandma? Can I give Jet her present now?” Even though it wasn’t Christmas yet, Rosie couldn’t resist bringing her pony an early gift. Her grandmother had insisted that she leave it in the tack room until later.
“In a few minutes.” Grandma reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small New Testament. She turned to Luke’s gospel and began to read the Christmas story.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed—”
Rosie stared at the small, foggy clouds that formed as Grandma’s breath encountered the zero-degree temperature. Kezzie and Jet munched hay in their stalls, occasionally looking over as if they were listening to the story.
“I’ve never heard of anyone reading the Bible in a barn.” The wind whistled fiercely outside. Rosie put her arms around the bulge of cat inside her coat and scooted closer to her grandmother.
“I started doing this at Christmas when your mom was about your age. Of course you remember that Christ was born in a stable—”
“Because there was no room in the inn,” Rosie added. “And He was laid in a manger—a feed box.”
Grandma nodded and resumed reading. “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Rosie fidgeted as she listened. As soon as her grandmother finished the story, she leaped off the hay bale. “Ow!” She reached inside her coat and carefully detached Jemimah’s claws from the top of her leg.
“Sorry, Jemimah! I forgot you were in there. I have to give Jet her Christmas present now.” The cat climbed up higher in the stacked hay, and Rosie disappeared for a moment, returning with a red stocking stuffed full of carrots. She tied it to the hanger on the front of Jet’s stall and stepped back to watch.
Jet heard Rosie and popped her head over the door to investigate. She nuzzled the fuzzy stocking, wiggling it until she got her teeth around one of the carrots. The pony pulled a large carrot out and crunched into it while Kezzie looked on enviously.
“Where’s my horse’s gift?” Grandma protested.
“I guess Kezzie can have one. Just one.” Rosie pawed around to find the smallest carrot and fed it to Kezzie. The horse bobbed her head as she ate.
When Jet finished her last carrot, she grabbed the stocking between her teeth. The pony shook her head up and down and pulled the stocking off its hook.
“No, girl!” Rosie ran to the door, but Jet disappeared into the back of her stall. “Grandma, if she eats the stocking, she’ll get sick!”
Grandma hurried into the stall. “Jet, you give me that. Right now!” She pulled, but the pony clenched her teeth and pulled back.
Rosie heard a ripping sound. “Oh, Jet!”
Grandma grabbed the pony’s halter, stood at her side, and pried the stocking out of Jet’s mouth. She held it in front of her with the tips of her fingers and handed it to Rosie.
With her gloved hand, Rosie tried to brush bits of partially chewed hay and carrot from the soggy, torn stocking. “Jet, you bad girl! You ruined your Christmas present.” She frowned at the pony, who tossed her head.
Jet didn’t seem at all remorseful about tearing the stocking, only angry that Grandma had taken it away from her.
Rosie set the stocking down on the tack box. “Grandma, when will I get to ride her again? If she was getting more exercise maybe she wouldn’t be so naughty.”
Grandma sat on a bale and leaned back against the hay. “If only I had an indoor arena. I’ve always wanted one, but they’re so expensive. As cold as it gets around here, it’s difficult to ride all year without one.”
“Cold like today!” Rosie jumped up and down in the barn aisle doing a few jumping jacks to warm herself.
“In the spring, Jet will be too close to her foaling date, but you’ll have plenty of time to ride next summer, after the foal is born.” Grandma placed her hand on Rosie’s shoulder. “I think you’ll be ready for your first horse show then.”
Rosie’s eyes widened. “Really? Now I have two things to wait for—the foal and my first horse show. I don’t know if I can stand it!”
“I know what you mean,” Grandma laughed. “I’m almost as excited as you are. Now, let’s go back to the house. How does a big cup of hot chocolate sound?” She patted her gloved hands together. “I can’t feel my fingertips anymore. The problem with reading the Christmas story in the barn is that it’s freezing out here!”
Rosie gave Jet a quick kiss, then walked out the door with her grandmother. “I’ll race you to the house!”
Grandma counted, “One, two, three—go!” She stomped her foot on “go,” and Rosie took off like a shot.
Rosie was halfway to the house when she paused to look back. What? Grandma wasn’t running at all. She’d barely even left the barn.
An eerie sound filled the cold winter air. Yip, yip, yip, ar, ar, arrrrrrrrr…
Rosie gulped and turned slowly, looking all around her. She ran back to her grandmother and pressed close to her side. “Wha—What was that?”
Grandma cocked her head as she listened to the haunting sound. “Sounds like coyotes—or maybe a pack of wild dogs.”
Rosie noticed the worried look on her grandmother’s face. “Where are they?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it sounded like it was coming from the woods. Let’s hurry and get inside.” Grandma grabbed Rosie’s hand and walked briskly toward the house.