Heidi Heckelbeck and the Christmas Surprise Read online

  Chap ter 1: A LETTER TO SANTA

  Chap ter 2: TINY TRINKETS

  Chap ter 3: FIT FOR A QUEEN

  Chap ter 4: SNOW DAY!

  Chap ter 5: SNOWED UNDER

  Chap ter 6: SQUISH! SQUASH!

  Chap ter 7: A BAD MIX

  Chap ter 8: SOMETHING FISHY

  Chap ter 9: A HOLLY JOLLY FAVOR

  Chap ter 10: CHRISTMAS MAGIC

  ‘Heidi Heckelbeck and the Tied-Dyed Bunny’ Excerpt

  About Wanda Coven and Priscilla Burris

  Hey, Santa,

  It’s me, Heidi Heckelbeck. How’s it going up there at the Nor th Pole? Hope you had a good year. Mine was very good. I hardly got into trouble! But you probably already know that. By the way, do you really see me when I’m sleeping and know when I’m awake? And are you really magical? Hope you don’t mind all the questions.

  Now I’d like to talk about Christmas. I only want one thing this year. Can you guess what it is? It’s PRINCESS CHARMING by Helen Cranston. Princess Charming is a witch in disguise. I love that because it reminds me of ME, except for one thing. Princess Charming is a princess and I’m j ust a regular ol’ kid at dumb ol’ Brewster Elementary. BOR-ing.

  I hope you have good weather for your sleigh ride.

  Your friend,

  Heidi

  Heidi folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope. Then she addressed it in her neatest handwriting:

  Heidi stuck a Christmas tree stamp in the upper right-hand corner. She looked at the envelope. Hmm . . . it seems boring, she thought. I’ll have to make it more cheery. I really want Santa to notice my letter. Heidi opened her desk drawer and took out her rainbow markers. Then she drew a candy cane, a snowman, and a reindeer on the envelope.

  “Done!” she said triumphantly. “My letter to Santa is ready. Now all I have to do is mail it.”

  Heidi tingled with excitement. I hope I get that new book, she thought. Then she trotted down the hall to find her mom.

  Mom stood at her dresser and put on a small hoop earring. Her jewelry box stood open like a treasure chest. Heidi peeked inside. She loved to poke through her mom’s jewelry. She waded through the trinkets with one finger and pulled out a silver charm bracelet. I’ve never noticed this before, thought Heidi. It’s so beautiful. Tiny silver charms hung from a silver link chain. The bracelet had a pretty silver toggle clasp.

  “Where did you get this?” asked Heidi, holding the bracelet in her hand.

  Mom looked at the charm bracelet and smiled. “I got that for my tenth birthday,” she said. “I collected the charms for years.”

  Heidi admired each tiny charm. Some of the charms had movable parts. Heidi tried each one. She opened the lid on an itsy-bitsy jack-in-the-box, and out popped a mini silver clown. She pushed the clown back inside. Then she opened a teeny-tiny sunglasses case and pulled out a wee pair of sunglasses. She tucked them back inside. Then she pressed a button on a mini toaster, and up popped two slices of toast.

  “I LOVE this bracelet,” said Heidi.

  Mom brushed her hair and looked at Heidi in the mirror. “It’s one of my favorites,” she said. “Someday I’ll give it to you.”

  “Really?” said Heidi, her eyes growing wide. “Can I try it on?”

  “Sure,” Mom said.

  Mom wrapped the bracelet around Heidi’s wrist and inserted the toggle into the loop. Heidi held out her arm and admired the bracelet.

  “I wish I could have it now,” Heidi said.

  “How about when you turn ten?” said Mom. “If I give it to you too soon, it may slip off your wrist.”

  Heidi shook the bracelet to see if it would fall off. It was only a tiny bit too big. She doubted it would fall off.

  “Can’t I please have it now?” asked Heidi. “I’ll go SO bonkers if I have to wait that long.”

  “I’ll let you try it on once in a while,” said Mom. “Then it won’t seem like such a long time to wait. But always remember to ask for permission first. Okay?”

  Heidi nodded.

  Then Henry galloped into the room.

  “Yeehaw!” he shouted.

  Heidi’s younger brother had on a brown leather cowboy hat, a red bandanna, and brown cowboy boots.

  Henry tipped his hat. “Howdy, pardners!” he said.

  “Howdy!” said Mom.

  “Whatever,” said Heidi.

  Henry noticed the bracelet on Heidi’s wrist.

  “WHERE did you get that?” asked Henry.

  “In Mom’s jewelry box,” said Heidi.

  Henry galloped to Mom’s jewelry box and looked inside. He pulled out a long strand of pearls and swung them around on one finger.

  “Can I use this as a lasso?” he asked.

  Mom caught the twirling pearls in midair.

  “Let’s find you a piece of rope instead,” she said. “Heidi, would you find one for your brother? We have rope in the garage.”

  “Sure, Mom,” said Heidi, taking off the bracelet and placing it carefully into the box. “And then I have to mail my letter to Santa.”

  “You’re only just mailing it NOW?” asked Henry. “I mailed mine in October. I wanted to make sure Santa got mine first.”

  Heidi rolled her eyes. “Well, la-di-da,” she said, pretending not to worry—even though she really did.

  Then they raced to the garage.

  Heidi found a piece of rope on a hook in the garage. She handed it to Henry.

  “Don’t strangle yourself, pardner,” said Heidi.

  Henry rolled his eyes.

  “Har-dee-har-har,” he said.

  Henry and Heidi put on their coats and headed for the mailbox. Heidi popped her letter in and put up the flag. Henry mounted the garden gate as if it were a horse. It was made of logs, so it was easy to straddle. He lifted the metal bar that latched the gate and used it for the reins. Then he bounced up and down and twirled the rope over his head.

  “Wahoo!” he shouted.

  Heidi folded her arms and watched her brother. She noticed a car coming down the street. Hey, that’s the Lancasters’ car, she thought.

  “Lucy’s here!” she shouted.

  Heidi had been expecting Lucy. They had planned a playdate earlier in the week. Heidi ran to greet her friend. Lucy hopped out of the car and waved good-bye to her mother. The girls held hands and jumped up and down. Then they ran into the house.

  “Wait for me!” cried Henry as he hopped off the gate and hurried after the girls.

  “Let’s play dress-up,” suggested Heidi as soon as they got inside.

  “Okay,” said Lucy.

  “No, thanks,” said Henry. “I need to get back to the corral.”

  Henry galloped to his room, and the girls headed for the playroom.

  Heidi opened the costume trunk and pulled out a red velvet dress with white fur trim.

  “I’m going to be the Christmas Queen,” she said.

  Lucy rummaged around in the trunk and pulled out a white satin dress. It had ruffles around the skirt and sleeves, and sparkly sequins all over.

  “And I’ll be Princess Snowflake,” she said. “She’s a winter fairy.”

  The girls changed into their dresses.

  Heidi put on a bejeweled tiara. Lucy wrapped a feathery white boa around her neck and shoulders.

  “Here, use this,” said Heidi. She handed Lucy a silver wand.

  Then the girls each slipped on a pair of glittery high-heeled shoes.

  “You look fabulous, darling,” said Heidi.

  “So do you,” said Lucy. “Except a Christmas Queen needs more jewels.”

  Heidi looked in the trunk. She found some go
ld bead necklaces and put several strands around her neck. Then she remembered her mother’s charm bracelet.

  “I’ll be right back,” said Heidi.

  She ran to her parents’ room. She popped open Mom’s jewelry box and helped herself to the charm bracelet. I’ll just borrow it for a little while, she thought. I’ll put it right back when I’m done.

  Heidi zipped back to the playroom.

  “Look at this!” she said as she held up the bracelet for Lucy to see.

  Lucy’s eyes lit up. “Wow, that’s SO beautiful,” she said.

  Heidi showed Lucy all the movable charms. Lucy worked each one.

  “Can you help me with the toggle?” asked Heidi.

  “Sure,” Lucy said.

  Lucy stuck the silver T into the loop. Then Heidi shook her wrist. The charms tinkled.

  “And now it’s time for the royal Christmas tea,” said Heidi in a proper English accent.

  “Oh yes,” said Lucy in the same accent. “Let’s prepare to have tea.”

  Lucy and Heidi set out play teacups and saucers. They filled the little teapot with water. Then they arranged plastic pastries on a three-tiered serving tray. They had miniature cupcakes, doughnuts, pretzels, pies, and cookies. Then the Christmas Queen and Princess Snowflake sat at the table and sipped their tea and nibbled the pastries.

  “You have a superb pastry chef, Your Royal Highness,” said Princess Snowflake.

  “Why, thank you, Princess,” said the queen.

  Then she shook a silver bell with a wooden handle.

  “And now it’s time to light the royal Christmas tree,” said the queen. “Will you do me the honor, Princess?”

  “I shall be delighted,” said Princess Snowflake.

  Lucy waved her sparkly wand. Then Heidi quickly switched on a tabletop Christmas tree. The colored lights glowed in the evergreen branches.

  “Simply magical,” said the queen.

  Princess Snowflake curtsied.

  “Perhaps you could provide us with some royal Christmas snow,” said the queen.

  “As you wish, Your Highness,” said the princess.

  Lucy waved her wand again. Then the girls looked out the window. They both squealed with delight.

  “Oh my gosh!” cried Heidi. “It worked. It’s really snowing!”

  Lucy looked at her wand in disbelief. “Wow! How did I do that?”

  “You must have a magic wand,” said Heidi.

  Lucy giggled. “Let’s go out and play in the snow.”

  “Yeah,” said Heidi.

  The girls wriggled out of their dresses, put on their play clothes, and ran downstairs.

  “Henry, it’s snowing!” Heidi called on the way down.

  Henry darted out of his room and followed the girls.

  They bundled up in hats, mittens, and scarves. Then they ran outside into the swirling snow.

  Heidi and Lucy caught snowflakes on the tips of their tongues. Henry scooped a handful of snow and packed a snowball. Then he threw it smack into Heidi’s back.

  Heidi whirled around and glared at Henry. “Uh, you know what this means,” said Heidi.

  Henry shook his head.

  “This means WAR!”

  Henry squealed and ran from Heidi.

  Heidi mounded a ball of snow in her mittens and threw it at her brother. It whizzed past his ear. Henry knelt down and made another snowball. This time he threw it at Lucy. It hit Lucy in the back of the head. She cringed as the slush slid down her neck.

  “Get him!” Lucy shouted.

  Heidi and Lucy bombarded Henry with snowballs. Henry ducked and ran away. Then he stumbled into the snow. The girls continued to pelt him with snowballs.

  “Stop!” begged Henry. “Stop! I surrender!”

  Heidi threw one more snowball. It hit Henry right on the bottom. Heidi and Lucy laughed.

  “Okay, the war’s over,” said Heidi.

  “Let’s make a snowman,” suggested Lucy.

  “Great idea,” Heidi said.

  They each began to roll a ball of snow across the yard. The more they rolled, the bigger the snowballs got. Heidi’s snowball got so big, it wouldn’t budge. “This one will be the base,” she said.

  They used Lucy’s ball of snow for the middle. Henry’s snowball became the head. Heidi found two pieces of charcoal in the garage for the eyes. Lucy added twigs for arms. Henry put his hat and scarf on the snowman. Then they stood and admired their creation. They named him Cool Dude.

  “My hands are freezing,” said Lucy.

  “Same here,” Heidi said.

  “I’M turning into an icicle,” said Henry. “Let’s go inside.”

  Everyone piled into the mudroom and hung up their wet clothes. Mom made hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and candy cane stirring sticks. She set a bowl of popcorn on the table. Heidi and Lucy stirred their hot chocolate and licked the candy canes. Henry dropped popcorn into his hot chocolate and scooped it out with a spoon.

  Heidi and Lucy stared at Henry.

  “What?” he said.

  “That’s so disgusting,” Heidi said.

  “It’s good,” said Henry, slurping a piece of soggy popcorn. “You should try it.”

  Heidi rolled her eyes.

  Then the doorbell rang. Mom went to the front door and brought Lucy’s mother into the kitchen.

  Mrs. Lancaster smiled. “Did you have a fun afternoon?” she asked.

  “Did we EVER!” said Lucy.

  Lucy told her mother all about the royal Christmas tea and playing in the snow. Listening to Lucy reminded Heidi of the charm bracelet. She had forgotten all about it when they went out to play in the snow. She looked at her wrist. The bracelet wasn’t there! She pushed up her sleeve. No bracelet!

  Oh no, Heidi thought. I lost Mom’s charm bracelet! She didn’t say a word. She knew Mom would be very upset with her for taking the bracelet without asking. I’ll have to look for the bracelet after Lucy goes home, she thought.

  Heidi waited for Lucy to finish her hot chocolate. It seemed like Lucy and her mom would never go home. As soon as they were out the door, Heidi ran straight to the playroom.

  Heidi pulled everything out of the costume trunk. No bracelet. She crawled around on the floor and looked under the table and chairs. No bracelet. She shook the red velvet dress and looked in its sleeves. Still no bracelet. It must’ve fallen off outside.

  Heidi slid back into her soggy boots and coat and ran outside. The snowstorm had turned into a blizzard. She sifted back and forth through the snow with her boots. She walked around the snowman. Maybe it’s in the snowman, Heidi thought. She brushed patches of snow off the snowman. No bracelet. She wandered around the yard and looked in the driveway.

  It’s no use, Heidi thought. I’ll never find it beneath all this snow. I’ll have to wait until it melts. Heidi trudged toward the door. She didn’t even notice when Dad pulled into the driveway. He tooted the horn, and Heidi turned around. There was a Christmas tree on top of the car. Heidi ran toward it. At the same time, Henry ran out the front door as he tried to zip his coat.

  “The tree!” exclaimed Henry.

  “Hey, guys,” said Dad as he got out of the car. “I almost didn’t make it home from Andy’s Tree Farm in all this snow. Would you give me a hand?”

  “Sure,” Heidi said.

  Heidi and Henry helped Dad untie the tree and shake off the snow. Then they carried it into the house and set it up in the family room. Mom turned on some Christmas music. Then Dad swirled strings of lights around and around the tree. Heidi opened the boxes of ornaments. Mom had wrapped each ornament in tissue paper for safekeeping. Heidi and Henry never knew which one they were going to unwrap. They loved to announce each ornament as they unwrapped it.

  “I got the gingerbread house!” said Heidi.

  “I got the Frog Prince!” Henry said.

  “I got the skier!” Mom said.

  “Now I got the pickle!” said Heidi.

  They unwrapped nutcrackers, sleds
, crystal snowflakes, glittery stars, skates, and dancing Santas.

  “We sure have collected a lot of ornaments over the years,” said Dad.

  “It reminds me of all the charms I collected for my charm bracelet,” said Mom.

  She looked at Heidi.

  Heidi gulped. Why did Mom have to mention the charm bracelet? she wondered. It made her feel terrible. Mom will be so unhappy if she finds out it’s missing. Heidi looked out the window. The snow had gotten even deeper. I am SO doomed, she thought.

  Heidi woke up the next morning and opened the blinds. The sun sparkled on the fresh snow. It was well over a foot deep. There’s no way I’ll find the charm bracelet today, she thought.

  Heidi and Henry got ready for school and headed for the bus stop. The snowplow had left steep snowbanks on either side of the driveway. Heidi spotted something in the tire tracks. She stooped down and lifted something from the snow. Heidi gasped. The charm bracelet! Then she took a closer look. Most of the charms had been crushed by the snowplow. Oh no! NOW what am I going to do? she wondered. Heidi quickly slipped the bracelet into her backpack. Then she looked around for Henry. He was on top of a snowbank.

  “Come on!” Heidi shouted to him. “We’ll be late for the bus!”

  Henry slid down the snowbank. Then they raced to the bus stop.

  Heidi found Lucy as soon as she got to her classroom.

  “I have AWFUL news,” said Heidi.