Christmas morning at the Flaggs

It looks like Santa has come to the Flagg house, but where is everyone?

Oh, there are Bob and Betty, on the front steps. What are they doing there?

Oh, look! There's Patsy in a one horse open sleigh with Betty's parents. Bucky is there too. Mr. and Mrs. Drapeau are doing this for Patsy as special Christmas treat. They know how much Patsy loves horses.

Patsy and Bucky have been staying with Mr. And Mrs. Drapeau for the last couple of weeks.
 As soon as she sees her parents Patsy jumps out of the sleigh and jumps into their arms. She has missed them terribly even though her grandparents spent every moment entertaining her while she was with them.  Bucky just wants to go inside and see what's in his dish.

When the family goes into the living room the only thing Patsy sees is the bicycle.

"Why is the delivery man's bicycle here?" She asks her parents. Patsy loves the delivery man's bicycle. She has wanted it ever since she first saw it the day he delivered the basket from California.

Then just after that her daddy came home.  The deliver man brought him on his bicycle. Daddy had been gone for a long time.

Her parents laugh. "Santa brought that bicycle for you," says Bob. "He knew you wanted one."

"Really!" says Patsy. "Oh, Daddy! Can I ride it? Now. Can I."

"I'm sorry sweetheart, there's too much snow outside today. I'll take you out as soon as the streets are clear of snow." says Bob.

"Patsy is so excited about the bike that she hasn't noticed the big surprise." says Betty to her father.

I think it's time to introduce them," says Mrs. Drapeau.

"Patsy," calls her mother. "Come over here."

"What's that?" asks Patsy.

"This is your new baby brother," says Betty.

"What does it do?" asks Patsy.

"Well," says Bob, "he doesn't do anything but be a baby right now. But when he grows up a bit you can play with him."

"But I didn't ask Santa for a brother," says Patsy. "I asked him for a pony. Can we trade him for a pony? I could play with a pony right away. I wouldn't have to wait."

"I'm sorry Patsy, we can't trade him in. We are going to keep him."

But Patsy has already lost interest in the baby brother who doesn't do anything. She has found a use for his stroller. Bucky is having fun too.

"Patsy! Get Bucky out of the baby's carriage." the adults tell her. "It's not a toy."

Patsy is thinking that a pony would have been a lot more fun. She is not sure she likes Christmas this year. A bicycle she can't ride and a baby that is no good for anything. She can't figure out why the grown ups are paying so much attention to it.