class="p1">“Please tell us, Mrs. Matilda!” Mary, Mikky and Archie say together.

“Okay, puppies, I will tell you the secret. Are you ready to listen?”

“Yes! We are ready!” we cry all together.

“The secret is to sing with all your heart!”

“To sing with all my heart? What does it mean, Mommy?” I ask.

“To sing with all your heart means to have a big desire to do something good for the person you sing to! When you sing to a person with all your heart, you wish him love, happiness and joy. You really want him to feel the spirit of Christmas!” Mommy answers.

“Oh, this is so wonderful! Thank you, Mrs. Matilda!” Mary smiles.

“And yes, puppies you sing very well! I love it!”

“Mommy, thank you for your advice! We will sing Christmas carols with all our hearts. And I know our friends will like it!” I say.

After my mom’s singing lesson, we are ready to go and to serve our friends. We cannot wait to sing to them with all our hearts!

Chapter 10

The Best Day of My Life

“Who will we sing to first today?”Archie asks when as we left our house.

“Let’s go to Doctor’s Brown house.” Answers Betsy. “He is a good doctor. He is very kind and smart. He helped me last year when I was sick.”

“Yes he is a very good dog. Let’s go to his place.” I say.

Doctor Brown doesn’t live far from our house. We walk down the street. Snowflakes are slowly falling from the sky. All the trees, bushes and walkways are white. Many houses on our street are already decorated for Christmas and New Year. Oh it is so nice! I love a snowy winter.

We see a nice two-story house. The roof is white because of the snow. There are red and golden garlands on the windows. A beautiful mistletoe wreath hangs on the door.

“Here is Doctor’s Brown home.” I say.

We go to the door and knock. A little puppy girl in a yellow dress opens the door. She looks at us very attentively. She doesn’t say anything, then she runs back to the house and yells:

“Mommy, Daddy come here quickly! Father Frost with a Snow Maiden have come to our house!”

Two minutes later Doctor Brown and his wife come to the door, and the little puppy girl in a yellow dress hides behind her mother. All the family looks at us.

None of our Christmas Team says anything. They are all afraid to speak. I am the bravest puppy. I need to speak:

“Hello dear Doctor Brown!” I say. “We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

Doctor Brown and his wife smile.

“Hello dear Rex, I mean Father Frost! Hello Snow Maiden and Snowflake! And I am very glad to see those amazing reindeer too!”

“Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!” we say all together. My Christmas Team is not afraid to speak anymore.

“May we sing Christmas carols to you and your family, Doctor Brown?” the reindeer Archie asks.

“Of course, we love Christmas Carols, especially our little daughter Liza.” Mr. Brown smiles. Liza still hides behind her mom but shows her face and looks at the reindeer.

We start to sing Christmas carols. We sing with all our hearts. We really want Doctor Brown, his wife and especially little puppy Liza to feel the Spirit of Christmas. We sing three carols and then we stop.

Little Liza comes to me and says: “Thank you Father Frost! I love your songs.”

“Dear puppy Liza.” I say with a smile on my face. “You are very welcome! Father Frost has a little present for you”.

Little puppy girl claps her hands and says: “Father Frost has a present for me!”

“Do you like gingerbread?” I ask.

“Yes, I do!” she answers.

“Here is it!” I say and give her a paper bag with red ribbon and gingerbread inside.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you Father Frost!” Liza takes the bag, kisses Father Frost and runs to her mother.

“Look Mommy, I have a present from Father Frost!”

“Oh thank you very much!” Mrs. Brown says.

“Thank you for the wonderful Christmas carols and for this present to our daughter!” Doctor Brown says.

We feel the Christmas Spirit now. We are so happy. We say goodbye to Doctor’s Brown Family and go to other houses.

We sing a lot today and give out our bags with gingerbread. Today is the best day of my life. I feel so good today. Today I learned that the Spirit of Christmas is in sharing and doing something good for other dogs. Today I understood that I feel more joy when I give presents, then when I receive them!

New words

sick – больной

bush – куст

walkway – тротуар

two-story house – двухэтажный дом

mistletoe – остролист

wreath – венок

attentively – внимательно

the Spirit of Christmas – Дух Рождества

Exercises

Answer the questions

1. Who are the puppies going to visit first?

2. What is the weather like today?

3. What is the little puppy girl’s name?

4. Why do you think the little girl hides behind her mom?

5. Who starts to speak first?

6. What color is the little girl’s dress?

7. Why do you think Rex likes to give presents more than to receive them?

True or false

1. It is raining today.

2. Rex doesn’t like a snowy winter.

3. Doctor Brown lives in a three-story house.

4. A little puppy girl opens the door.

5. The puppies sing rock songs to Doctor’s Brown family.

6. Father Frost gives a bag with gingerbread to the little girl.

Guess the riddles

1. This is a special green plant