A Stocking Stuffer for all the Wondrous Readers of this Blog: "The Christmas Tie," A Children's Story

BY K.L. NELSON

One Christmas, a boy named Daniel thought he would like to buy his father a gift.

But what? He did not know what his father liked or needed.

Trying to get ideas, he watched his father get ready for work one morning. He saw him put on a coat and tie. His father often wore neckties to work.

“That’s it,” thought Daniel. “I’ll get him a new tie. A Christmas tie!”

Excitedly he shared his plan with his mother and she drove him to the department store that very day. They went to the section where they sold men’s clothing.

Daniel saw lots of ties. Lots and lots of ties. More ties than were on his father’s tie rack, more ties than he had ever seen before.

Red ties, green ties, red and green ties—

Black ties, white ties, silver ties, blue and gold ties—

Ties with stripes, ties with circles, ties with triangles and squares and rectangles—so many ties, it made his head spin!

Finally he found the perfect one.

A bright blue tie with dazzling white snowflakes. He held it up for his mother to see.

“Are you sure?” she said, showing him a different one. “There’s this handsome gold one here…”

He was sure. Daniel brought the bright blue tie with the dazzling white snowflakes to the cash register and dug into his pocket and pulled out some coins and a handful of squished-up bills.

He had saved his allowance and done extra chores around the house to earn the money. He was proud because he was using his own money to buy the present.

That night at dinner, barely able to contain his excitement, Daniel asked his father, “What do you want for Christmas?”

Home from the office after a long day, his father had shed his coat but his tie was still on, the knot loosened around the collar of his white shirt. “You mean a present?” he said.

“Yes,” the boy said eagerly. “If I got you a present, what would you like?”

“Well,” said his father, “you can get me anything you like, as long as it’s not a tie.”

Daniel’s father liked to joke. He smiled when he said it. But as soon as he said it, he knew he had said the wrong thing.

The boy’s face fell. There was no hiding his feelings. He was crushed.

That night, after Daniel had gone to bed, his parents spoke about what had happened. “It was a joke," said his father. "I didn’t mean anything by it. I had no idea he got me a tie.”

“I know,” said Daniel’s mother. “But now he’s returning it. He’s not getting you the tie.”

The next day Daniel’s mother drove him back to the department store and they went back to the men’s section where they kept all the ties. The tie was still in its box and Daniel had the receipt for it. He gave the box and the receipt to the clerk, who gave him his money back.

They left the store and reached the car before the tears came. Daniel cried as they drove home.

At dinner Daniel’s father asked him how the day went. Daniel said nothing. He went to bed early that night.

On Christmas morning, Daniel and his family opened their presents, but there was no necktie under the tree. But Daniel had made special cards for his mother and father, and his father told him again and again how much he loved the card.

Later in the day, after the excitement of the morning had passed, his father took Daniel aside and spoke to him. “You know, son,” he told him. “Anything you wanted to get me would have been terrific. You understand me? Anything.”

Daniel nodded. He understood.

The next Monday, Daniel’s father got ready to go to work as usual. He dressed in his usual coat and tie, except he had on a new tie.

That tie: the bright blue one with the dazzling white snowflakes.

He was wearing it when he said goodbye to them that morning. And it was still on when he returned that night after taking the train home.

Daniel never asked how his father got the tie. And his parents never explained it. None of them even talked about it. It was like a family secret they all shared.

But Daniel’s father wore that tie for years and years. He wore it in winter, during the holidays, and in summer when icicles were the farthest things from anyone’s mind. It had an honored place on his tie rack. It was his favorite tie in the world.

            THE END