The Wonderful World of Rudolpha: Christmas at Poinsettia Manor

Today, the children at the North Pole Animal Day Care welcome a special guest. Their teacher, Rudolpha the reindeer, has invited Bliss, the elf with a heart of gold, to come tell them a story about her life.

“For my final project for Generosity 101, I had to bring happiness into someone’s life. To complete the assignment, I visited a retirement home called Poinsettia Manor.

“After observing the residents for a while, I chose to help Louisa, a sad woman who had recently moved in. I discovered that she had no one to celebrate Christmas with. Her husband, Edgar, had recently died and her children lived very far away. The holiday season was approaching, so I knew I had to act fast.

“I came up with a plan to bring cheer to her life. On her pillow, I placed a flyer for a dinner and dance party that would be happening the next night in the dining room. She was surprised when she saw it there. After reading it, she threw it right in the recycling bin.

“I wasn’t discouraged. During the night, I looked in her closet. I placed her fanciest dress right in the middle and pushed all the other clothes to the sides. I also found some nice shiny shoes and put them on the floor under the dress.

“The next morning, Louisa let out a little scream of surprise when she saw what I had done. The outfit seemed to bring back memories, and I heard her whisper, ‘it’s the dress I wore when Edgar and I won the waltz competition.’ She bent and took the invitation out of the bin and looked at it again.

“Later that day, Louisa put on her dress and shoes and went down to the dining room for the party. As she was serving herself from the buffet, she met Adele and Dorothy, two residents who, like her, would be spending the holiday alone. All evening, the three women chatted, laughed, danced and sang. I even heard them planning a Christmas dinner where each of them would bring a special dish.

“Children, I felt such a sense of pride knowing that thanks to my work, Louisa had found friends and was happy again.”

“Bright, you’re the best,” shouted Bianca the rabbit, as she jumped up to give the elf a hug.

“You’re right,” agreed the elf, “because that assignment earned me the best mark in the class!”

Written by Johannie Dufour and Sarah Beauregard
Translated by Cyan Caruso-Comas