The sting of winter entered no man’s land and the Tommies draped their sleeping blankets over their thick woolen tunics to keep warm. A cold wet drizzle fell over the battlefield as sounds of gunfire decreased in no man’s land. Both sides huddled inside trenches to avoid the bitter cold winds.
While Clovis and Homer were foraging in the woods that day, they found a new home in a hollow tree with a big round open notch. High above the deep snow, they claimed it for their shelter for the winter. They lined their new home with warm layers of foliage. Homer urged Clovis to help him gather all the seed leaves they could find and place them inside their new home.
Later that day, they returned to the sidelines to find the intensity of warfare gradually decreasing once again. Both sides of the battlefield huddled deep inside the trenches to shield themselves as the bitter cold winds continued. Clovis and Homer returned to their warm home.
In celebration of Christmas, an unofficial cease-fire began during the day on December 24. As the artillery smoke dissipated, the medic teams from both sides began removing their wounded to the sidelines.
When all was quiet, the truce began, and soldiers began singing Silent Night, Holy Night. The tune could be heard up and down the trenches throughout no man’s land. That evening, Clovis and Homer flew down to the trench lines where the grenadier and three of his comrades were making a small clearing in the snow to erect a makeshift tent. Large pieces of wood gathered from the forest were buried in the ground to support the tent covered with blankets. A branch from an evergreen was propped up inside the tent and decorated as a Christmas tree. They decorated the little branches as they sang Christmas songs.
They decorated the top with a candle for light. In the spirit of the holiday, trinkets such as key chains, watches, and photographs of their families were hung on the branches. Some removed holiday cards from their haversacks and placed them at the foot of the little Christmas tree.
As four soldiers gathered inside, Clovis and Homer approached the door.
“Meet my feathered friends,” smiled the grenadier, as he pulled a small piece of bread from his pocket and crumbled it on the ground. He rejoined his friends as they huddled in a circle for a game of cards. Clovis and Homer ate the pieces of bread and began to watch the game with great interest.
Before the game began, another comrade appeared in the entrance and handed the grenadier a bottle of spirits.
“Cheers!” the soldier said in passing, indicating he had lifted the bottles from one of the German supply trucks. He bid them Merry Christmas. The grenadier took the time to remove the top on the bottle, and spoke in a solemn tone.
“Well, my friends, we were told the war would be over by Christmas, and that didn’t happen.”
“I didn’t believe it anyway,” said another.
Clovis and Homer looked at each other with great disappointment.
“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, my friends!” said the grenadier, filling their mugs. “Here’s to an end to this bloody war!” They toasted one another.
The soldiers gathered in a circle, and began placing their bets. Items such as combs, coins, keys, and pencils. The game continued as Clovis stood by the grenadier and watched him play his hand, while Homer watched from the other side.
As the night went on, the soldiers fell asleep one by one. Clovis and Homer decided to have some fun. They took two cards each, mimicking the soldiers.
“Ante up, Homer.”
Clovis pushed a comb toward Homer, and Homer flipped over one of his cards. Homer pushed a shiny coin toward Clovis, and Clovis turned over one of his cards. As the bets continued, Clovis declared a win with one ace and a six. But, Homer said he won with the king and queen.
“You’re a sore loser, my friend.”
“I don’t know, Clovis, these look like important people to me!”
Homer became distracted by the liquid left in the bottom of a mug clutched in the hand of a sleeping soldier. He slowly sipped the bitter liquid.
“Yuck! But it sure feels warm.” he said as he sipped a little more.
Then Clovis sipped some of the liquid in another cup which made his feathers ruffle.
“Bitter,” he said, pausing between sips.
“You’re right, it feels warm.” Homer looked around the tent at the sleeping soldiers.
“Do you think they will be okay?”
The last candle burned out, and Clovis and Homer, feeling a bit more confident about the inclement weather, set out into the cold night to find some carefree adventure. The small irrigation furrow was frozen all the way across the battlefield, and they took advantage of the holiday. The trail seemed endless as they skated down its narrow path, occasionally playing leapfrog. Then, with wings entwined, they skated joyfully into the snowy night. They were so drunk, they did not know where they were, and did not feel the cold brisk air. Around midnight, they became separated.
The next morning, Clovis was awakened by a barking dog. Each bark was followed by a faint call for help. Clovis found himself in an abandoned squirrel’s nest with his wings hanging over the side. Clovis recognized Homer’s voice. He flew closer to investigate. Homer had landed in a thicket upside down, and was being held at bay by a stray Belgian sheepdog.
“Get me out of here!” he yelled.
Clovis distracted the dog by flying close to the ground until he led him far enough away; then returned to rescue his friend.
“Did you get rid of that loud yapper?”
“Don’t worry about him anymore, Homer. How am I going to get you out of here?”
Homer slipped further down as Clovis loosened the twigs.
“Ouch!”
Clovis pulled twigs from one area until there was an opening. Homer finally began to slide out. The ground began to rumble.
“What’s that noise?” asked Homer.
Clovis turned to see enemy tanks out on maneuver rolling toward them. Homer felt doomed.
“It’s the mashers, isn’t it?”
“Well. . .”
“Get me out of here, hurry!”
The ground began to shake as the tanks rolled closer, and Homer finally broke free. As they leaped away, the tank crushed the underbrush. They perched in a tree overlooking the near disaster.
“Where have you been all night, Clovis?”
“How long have you been stuck in the thicket, Homer?”
“I don’t know”
“Same answer.”
Homer began to preen his plumage.
“Your eyes would be bulging too if you were upside down all night.”
“What happened last night anyway?”
“Don’t know,” shrugged Homer. “But we’ll never win the war if the allies keep drinking that skunk water!”
Aware that they were in enemy territory, Clovis and Homer returned to their perch on the sidelines for the remainder of Christmas day, and watched the troops play football.
The next morning, Clovis and Homer returned to the sidelines to find total silence in no man’s land. Homer looked back and forth between the trench lines.
“Do you think the war is over?”
“Don’t know.”
They waited and watched until the middle of the morning when a German field marshal stood on the parapet of the enemy’s trench line and waved a white flag. Across the battlefield, the allies responded by raising a white flag. Then, the German field marshal fired three gunshots into the air, thus ending the holiday cease-fire. Ground warfare resumed once again in no man’s land.