Almanzo carves a wooden deer for Rose's Christmas present. Surprises happen when she misplaces the deer on Christmas Eve.
The Christmas Deer
Almanzo was putting the finishing touches on his
daughter's Christmas present. Rose had seen Beth's intricately carved Morgan
horses that Almanzo had given Laura as an early Christmas present and wanted
something like them. Only she didn't want horses, she wanted some wild
creatures, something like a rabbit or a fox or a bear or even a beautiful white
tailed deer.
"That's what I'd like most of all,
Papa," Almanzo remembered her saying.
There was a lot more to that conversation
"Papa, how long did it take you to make
Mama Beth's horses?" the seven year old asked her father only this morning
after breakfast.
Almanzo turned, unable to keep a straight face.
"Now Rosey Posey, I'm not goin' to give you Mama Beth's Morgans for
Christmas?"
"PAPA," Rose laughed, "I don't
want Mama's horses, I just want some animals like those, something like a
rabbit or a fox or a…"
Almanzo nodded his head. "Yes I know, Rosey,"
he said, picking her up and putting her on his lap. "You're not going to
get me to give them to you any earlier than Christmas Eve, no matter how hard
you try."
Rose smiled. "Does that mean you've made
them already, Papa?" she said, looking into his eyes.
Almanzo frowned, looking into her eyes.
"Rose?" he said, shaking his head.
Rose smiled. "Alright, Papa, I'll wait. I
guess I'll have to."
"Manly," he heard his wife's voice
calling him, "dinner is almost ready."
"Be right there, Beth," he called from
the barn.
"You don't have to shout, Almanzo," Laura
said, smiling. "I'm standing right next to you."
Almanzo smiled, as he covered up the carved figures
with an old blanket, and then placed his arms around his wife's shoulders.
"What are you doing out here? Not that I
really mind it." He swayed her back and forth
"I came to see how far you've gotten with
Rose's Christmas gift,"
Almanzo laughed as he uncovered the four figures he
had been working on. "Jealous?" he asked her.
"Of course not, Almanzo Wilder," Laura
said, releasing him. "How could you even suggest such a thing, especially
about my own daughter?"
"Well," he answered, uncovering the
animals, "here we have a fox, a rabbit, a bear and a…"
"A deer," Laura smiled, picking it up,
admiring the intricacy of her husband's work. "They are certainly
beautiful, Manly." She put down the deer and put her arms around Almanzo's
shoulders and snuggled up closer. "I mean you could make me more of those,
couldn't you?"
He shook his head and pulled her close. "You know
that I can." He smiled. "And how do you know I'm not doing just
that."
"You know I'm not sure if she wants to play
with them or if she wants to pull the deer around with her. I should've asked
her."
Laura smiled. "Until you ask her, I'd say let
her use her imagination. She's got plenty of that." She kissed her husband
lightly on the lips and they released each other. "Anyway, supper's
getting cold. And," she said, "We've received a letter from Jenny in
from Currie this afternoon."
Almanzo recovered Rose's Christmas gift.
"She's staying with Tom and Minnie, isn't she? How is she doing on her
first teaching assignment?"
"Seems she ran into Jeb Carter in Sleepy Eye.
He's living on his own there and was surprised to see her. They've gotten very
close, Manly."
"Well, he always liked her, Beth. Even when we
moved down here from Walnut Grove, they were inseparable before the Carters
moved on to California."
Laura nodded. "It's true, they were. Jeb only
wanted to move back to Minnesota when Jenny got her first teaching position
there. We were lucky that Tom and Minnie offered to look after her."
"Mama, Papa," Rose's voice interrupted as
she ran into the barn. "Supper's ready and it's getting cold."
Almanzo and Laura smiled at each other and
separated. Manly grabbed her left hand and Laura her right. The three were all
smiles as they headed indoors to enjoy their supper.
The Wilders had been living at Rocky Ridge Farm for
almost three years now, ever since Walnut Grove had been destroyed in 1890.
They were now situated in a small four room white clapboard house, which
Almanzo had built with materials found on the land. The one room cabin that
they all shared for a year before moving into the main house was cozy enough,
almost like their tiny house in Walnut Grove. Jenny had lived there briefly
before passing her examination for a teaching certificate. She had one place in
mind and that was Walnut Grove, but there was nothing left there and if it
were, she would have to see what shape it was in. So she accepted the job in
Currie when it was offered. Almanzo and Laura had let her go reluctantly, but
knew that she would be fine living with the Martin's on their ranch.
"What does Jenny say, Papa," Rose begged
her father to read the letter aloud. The three of them were sitting around the
fireplace.
"She's doin' well, Rosey," Almanzo said.
"The kids really love her." He looked up at Laura. "Chad and
Becky Brewster have a little girl of their own, Beth. She's only two years old
and Jenny says she's beautiful and so well behaved."
Laura smiled. "The children were really good
to me and Minnie, Manly," she said. "I'm surprised they are having a
hard time finding a good teacher."
"Maybe Jenny will change all that," Rose
said, looking at her parents. "Mama, didn't Aunt Eliza write you,
too?"
"Yes, Rose," Laura said. "Your aunt
and Mort Carstairs are still seeing one another, although they are still just
friends. And, believe it or not, Mort hasn't been let go. I think he's finally
broken his record."
"Well, young lady," Almanzo said, turning
to his daughter. "Tomorrow is a big day. I have to get the tree set up in
here tomorrow and you and Mama Beth can decorate it, how does that sound?"
"Oh, Papa," Rose said, hugging him.
"I can't wait. Thank you." She released him. "I'm going to
bed."
Chapter 2
Laura looked up at the tree. She didn't expect one
quite this big.
"Rose, would you mind going out to the barn to
get the rest of the ornaments? The tree is your father cut down is just a bit
bigger."
"Yes, Mama," Rose said. She was almost
finished stringing the popcorn to wrap around the tree. She hurried out the
door and ran over to the barn, opening up the door. She knew where they were,
they were always in the same place year after year, underneath Almanzo's work
table. This time there was a blanket covering the table and it hung so far over
the side of the table that it obstructed her view. She brushed the cover aside,
knocking it off the table altogether. She grabbed the wooden box filled with
ornaments and started on the way out when she saw a wooden figure on the floor,
something small and white, as Papa had painted it.
She put the box on the floor and bent down to pick
it up, noticing that when it had fallen there was a small fracture in its right
leg.
"A white deer," Rose said, turning it
over in her hand. "It's so beautiful; I'm going to show it to Mama
Beth." She put it carefully in the box of ornaments, picked up the box and
brought it inside the house.
Rose put down the box and grabbed the wooden
figure. "Mama, Mama, look what fell on the floor," she said, handing
it over to her.
Laura knelt down and took it from her daughter and
turned it over in her hand. "It certainly is beautiful, Rose, but where
did you find it? I thought…"
"When I brushed the blanket aside, it must
have fallen off Papa's work table," Rose said.
"Well, this was to be part of your Christmas
present, but I'm sure your father wouldn't mind, but we should wait to ask
him."
"Oh please Mama," Rose begged.
"Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve, anyway. I promise that I'll be careful
with it."
"It looks like its leg has a small crack in
it; it must have happened when it fell." She looked at Rose. "Are you
sure you don't want Papa to mend it?"
"I promise I'll show it to Papa when he comes
back in. Can I keep it? I promise I won't play with it until I show it to
him."
"Alright, Rose," Laura said, handing the
white deer back to her. "Right now, though, I want you to put the deer in
a safe place, then come back here and help me trim this tree."
Rose smiled and took the figure back. "I'll be
right back; I'm going to it on the kitchen table, so I can show it to Papa as
soon as he walks in."
And Laura watched her as she ran into the kitchen.
xxxxxxxx
Almanzo brought his beautiful Morgan horses back
into the barn. He smiled as he stabled them, and then went over to finish
working on Rose's present. He passed the bookcases that he was going to
surprise Laura with, when he noticed that something lying on the floor.
"The blanket," he said, running over to
it. He bent down to pick it up and was about to throw it over the figures, when
he saw that the deer was missing. He smiled and shook his head. Rose, he
thought, as he covered the rest of the figures. He was sure she hadn't seen the
others; she wasn't quite tall enough to reach his work table yet. "Well he
was just going to have to get that deer back from her and give it to her when
it was the proper time for her to get it. Christmas Eve was only tomorrow night
and she would get it when she was supposed to.
"Honey, I'm… ," he called closing the
side door. He walked into the kitchen smelling his favorite dish, cinnamon
chicken. It was sitting on the table right next to the deer, which he picked up
to look at. He noticed the slight crack in its right leg. He could probably
patch it up, she'd have to be careful with it, but first he was going to have
to have a little talk with his daughter.
"Papa, Papa," he heard Rose call out as
she opened the door and ran into her father's arms. Laura walked in right
behind her.
"Time for dinner," Laura said, kissing
Manly lightly. "Go on, you can wash up here. Rose and I will set the
table."
Chapter 3
Rose was in the henhouse collecting eggs. She had
the little white deer in her coat pocket. Her father had given it back to her
last night and told her not to worry, he would make her another one and it
would be ready by tonight. She didn't want another one, she told her father,
and she wanted to hold onto this one because she loved it so. Almanzo agreed
finally, but made her promise to keep it safe and not let anything happen to
it.
Rose had placed it her pocket, promising to put it
back on the mantle when she got back in the house, but she had forgotten about
it until this morning when she put her coat back on. As soon as she finished
doing all her chores, she would place it back on the mantle where it would stay
safe.
She had crocheted a beautiful doily for her mother
and had just finished knitting socks for her father. It was the first time she
did either and it had taken her a long time to work on them.
She had just placed the eggs down by the henhouse
door when she spotted the rabbit outside the fence. Rose crept up on the rabbit
and watched as it inched forward. She walked closer and it inched forward a
little further this time. She inched closer again, but this time the rabbit ran
and she chased after it until she heard her mother's voice calling for her.
She ran back to the henhouse, picked up the eggs
and felt inside her coat pocket for the little deer, but it had gone. It must
have fallen out when she was chasing the rabbit. She wanted to go back and look
for it, but she wasn't exactly sure where she had dropped it. Besides, her
mother was calling for her again. She picked up the eggs and headed into the
house.
There was pea soup, ham, mashed potatoes, corn, and
string beans for dinner with apple and pumpkin pie for dessert. Afterward, the
Wilders exchanged gifts as they always had on Christmas Eve. Laura had made
Rose some new dresses and Manly two shirts. Almanzo bought Beth a book of Ralph
Waldo Emerson's essays and poems. He also handed Rose the rest of her little
wooden figures. But he had noticed that the first deer he had made her was
missing.
"I lost it, Papa," she said, hanging her
head, almost ashamed to admit it. "I was chasing a rabbit. I didn't mean
to lose it, Papa." She ran to her father in tears and Almanzo hugged her.
"We'll find it, Rosey. It's around here
somewhere. Don't you ever worry about that?"
That night, Rose couldn't sleep. She was up looking
out the window wondering where her little deer was. Maybe Papa was right, maybe
he would find it, after all, it wasn't like she lost it out in the street. It
was still on the property somewhere. Meanwhile, she had to take care of the
other animals her father made her.
The sound of the mantle clock struck six and she
noticed that it was starting to get lighter outside. She slid her robe over her
nightgown and ran to the outhouse. It was on the way back that she saw it,
standing between the barn and back door. She couldn't believe her eyes and she
silently crept over to see if it was real.
It was a beautiful white tailed baby fawn and it
was all white.
What she was surprised about the most was that it
hadn't run away as she approached it. It just stood there as she got closer,
watching her move toward him. She petted him and coaxed him over to the barn.
That's when she noticed he was having a hard time walking. He seemed to be
favoring his right leg.
She tied him to a support beam and looked around
for some hay to give him. She bent down and sat next to him, petting him.
"There, you'll be alright. We'll take care of
that leg of yours and things will be fine. Just take it easy, it will soon be
light outside."
Christmas morning dawned bright and clear. Laura
stirred first. She looked toward her right and Manly was still sleeping. She
stepped out of bed and slid her robe over her nightgown to check on her
daughter.
But she wasn't in her room.
"Manly," she called softly as she walked
back to their room. "Rose is gone."
Almanzo stirred and turned over. "You sure,
Beth? Maybe she's out doin' her chores."
"On Christmas morning?"
Almanzo sat up. "That's not like her, Beth, you
know that as well as I do. She's got to be here somewhere."
"Well, she's not in the house," Laura
called from the living room. She had no idea where Rose had slipped off to.
Maybe she was doing her chores. She looked in the direction of the barn for any
sign of her.
Almanzo got up from the bed and slid his robe over
his nightshirt. "You know how upset she was once she realized that she
lost that wooden deer."
Laura ignored the comment. "Manly," she
called to him from the other room. "The barn door is wide open."
He walked out to join her at the window and
frowned. "What would she be doing in there? She must be freezing, although
it really hasn't been all that cold lately."
"Why don't we go and find out?" Laura
said, staring up at her husband.
Chapter 4
Almanzo and Laura stared at each other.
"I'll go in first if it makes you feel
better," Almanzo said.
Laura nodded and he kissed her lightly on the lips
and headed into the barn.
The silence seemed like forever before she started
for the barn. "Manly?" she called out softly as she walked toward the
partially opened door. "Manly, are you…" but she never finished.
In front of them were two figures. One of them was
Rose and she was resting her head on a curled up animal of some type, something
small and pure white. It lifted his head and stared at the two strangers who
had just entered.
"It's a white deer, Beth," Almanzo
exclaimed, keeping his voice low. "I've never seen one before."
"It's so beautiful, Manly," Laura
whispered. "What's it doing down here?"
Almanzo shook his head, but didn't say anything
except call his daughter's name.
"Rose?" he asked as he crept closer, all
the while the deer kept his brown eyes on Manly's every move.
"Rose, wake up," he called, as he reached
out and shook her gently. "Rose?"
She stirred a little and her eyes fluttered open.
"Papa?" she asked, trying to remember where she was. "Papa, is
that you?"
Almanzo nodded his head and stepped closer,
scooping her up in his arms and nuzzled her neck.
"Are you alright?" he asked, putting her
down on the ground.
"I'm fine, Papa. I guess I just fell asleep
out here is all."
The deer stood up and stared straight at Rose. It
started to follow after her.
"We are goin' to have to let that deer go,
Rose." Almanzo said. "We have to get it into the …" His voice
trailed off.
"Papa, we can't let him go, not yet. He's
lame. His leg is injured."
Laura nodded. "She's right, Manly. He seems to
be favoring that right leg."
Almanzo inched closer. "Let's take a look at
that leg." He bent down and stroked its side. "Seems to be fractured,
not really broken."
"Shouldn't we get veterinarian?" Laura
asked.
"Dr. Thomas is out of town the whole week,"
Almanzo said. "I'm sure we could make up a temporary splint. Beth, go get
the wraps we use for the horses. Rose, get me two sticks of wood from the
woodpile under my work table along with some rope. Let's see what we can
do."
xxxxx
"Where did you find him, Rose?" Almanzo
asked when they all sat down to breakfast of pancakes, sausages and potatoes.
"He was just standing out there, Papa,"
Rose answered. "Just between the house and the barn. He let me move him
into the barn. I had never seen a white deer before; I thought it was a
dream."
"Well, you don't see white deer as often, but
they do exist. And they aren't all albinos either."
"Albinos, Papa?"
Almanzo nodded. "Albinos are all white, with
pink noses and eyes."
"He didn't have those features, Manly,"
Laura said, sitting down. "He had brown eyes and a black nose, just like
any other deer."
"Well, he's goin' to have to rest for now.
I'll go take another look at him after we eat. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"We can't keep him, Papa?" Rose said,
looking into her father's eyes. "You said that.."
Almanzo nodded. "No, we can't keep him, Rosey.
He has to go back out into the wild as soon as possible. We are just goin to
watch him for a few days until his leg mends."
"All right, Papa," Rose said, getting up
from the table. "Can I go back out to the barn now, Mama Beth? I want to
see him."
Laura smiled. "Sure, go on, but not until you
get dressed, young lady."
Rose smiled. "Yes Mama," she answered
before hurrying inside the door to her room.
Chapter 5
"Manly," Laura called from the kitchen,
"Is Rose still in the barn?"
Almanzo looked up from the book he was reading and
smiled. "I was just about to go out there. I guess I forgot what time it
was."
"Don't worry about it. Just tell her that
supper's almost ready?"
"Sure thing, Beth," he smiled and kissed
her lightly on the lips. "Been a quiet day."
"Yes it has," Laura said, "not like
those Christmases in Walnut Grove, the whole family getting snowed in every
year."
"And sittin' around tellin' all those stories
of Christmases past," Almanzo lost the smile. "Where is everyone this
year?"
Suddenly a knock came on the door. "Laura,
Almanzo,"
Laura came out of the kitchen and stared over at
Almanzo. "Who on earth?"
Almanzo was sliding into his coat. "Sounds
like Eliza Jane," he said, and opened the door to find his sister and her
companion, a short, balding man with glasses.
"Eliza," Almanzo said, a wide smile on
his face. "What are you doin' here?"
The two embraced tightly and pulled apart.
"And this must be…"
"MORT," Laura said, running from the
kitchen into his arms. "How are you? Last letter I received said that you
two were still teaching there."
Mortimer Carstairs smiled. "First job I
haven't been fired from. Been going on three years, Laura." He turned his
attention to Manly. "I'm Mort Carstairs, Eliza's fiance. And you must
be…"
"Almanzo, Laura's husband?" he said,
shaking Mort's extended hand.
"Fiance?" Laura and Almanzo both said it
together.
"And where's little Rose?" Eliza Jane
said, changing the subject.
"Right here," Rose said, running through
the back door. "Aunt Eliza, I've heard a lot about you from Papa and Mama
Beth. It's like I already know you."
She hugged her tightly and they released each
other. "Last time I saw you…" Eliza started, but Rose wasn't paying attention.
"Papa, can you come outside to the barn a minute?"
Almanzo frowned. "Sure, Rosey, just comin' to
get you." He looked up at Eliza Jane and Mort. "You two are right in
time for supper, if you can stay."
"Of course we can," Eliza Jane smiled.
She looked at her sister in law. "Need any help in the kitchen,
Laura?"
"Sure," she answered. "Mort, you can
set the table and Eliza, you can help me serve."
She smiled.
"Be right back," Manly said, as he and
Rose disappeared about the back door.
xxxxxx
Almanzo let Rose run ahead; he figured he'd meet
her by the barn. He didn't expect Eliza Jane to be there, the last time he'd
seen her was right after his stroke while they were still in Walnut Grove,
except that he really didn't want to think about that right now. What he wanted
to concentrate on…
He had kicked something, but wasn't sure what it
was. He saw something white go flying up in the air and walked over to the
place where it had landed. He bent down to pick it up and his eyes widened.
"It's the little white deer," Almanzo
stared at it turning it over in his hand. It was a miracle that it hadn't
broken when he kicked it; his leg was still the only thing that was fractured.
He looked for Rose, but she was gone, probably in the barn by now. He wasn't
sure if he wanted to tell her what he had found, wasn't sure at all. Maybe he
would just…
"Papa," Rose called, standing by the barn
door. "Come on."
"Be right there, Rosey," he said,
pocketing the little wooden deer and walked over to join his daughter in the barn.
"I milked the cow and I need some help
carrying in the milk pail," Rose said, "I fed the hens and Magic.
He's been sleeping."
"Magic," Almanzo said, looking at the
fawn. He was lying on a small pallet that Rose had made for him, laying on his
right side, all his legs out for everyone to see. "As soon as his leg
heals, Rose, he's goin' back."
"I know, I know," Rose answered. "I
just needed something to call him."
Almanzo smiled. He kissed his daughter on the
forehead. "I'm gonna be out here for a little while, tell Mama Beth when
you get inside. Don't worry; I'll bring the milk pail. Just help Mama get
everything ready for supper."
Rose smiled and hugged her father. "Alright,
Papa," she said. "I love you."
Almanzo watched her run inside and took the little
wooden deer out of his pocket. A little homemade paste should do the trick he
thought as he stood up and walked over to his work table.
Chapter 6
"So," Almanzo said, as he took his seat
at the head of the table while Rose helped Laura with serve dinner.
"Eliza and Mort are spending Christmas with
Mort's family in Mountain Grove," Laura said, as she placed the leftover
ham on the table. "I had no idea your parents were so close."
"Well," Mort said, "it's about an
hour straight up the road, not that far. My brother in law's family is from
Mansfield. My sister, Amy, moved here from Boston, where we grew up, and met my
brother in law. They moved out to Mountain Grove when the town needed a
doctor."
"Really?" Almanzo said.
"Yes, it's true. We're staying with them out
there."
"We have separate rooms," Eliza chimed
in. "They actually have a large house."
"I'm sure they do, Eliza Jane." Laura
said, passing the mashed potatoes.
"So your brother is a doctor?" Rose
asked, heaping some potatoes onto her plate and passing it to her father.
Mort laughed. "Well, Rose, he's married to my
sister, so that makes him my brother by marriage. And yes, he's a doctor, a
veterinarian, which means.."
"I know," Rose said, grabbing the ham
plate from Laura, "he's an animal doctor."
"Very good," Mort said, looking at Laura.
"Do you know anything about medicine, Mr.
Carstairs? Do you help out while you're visiting there because we have…"
"Rose," Almanzo scolded her. "That's
enough."
"No," Mort said, looking at Almanzo.
"It's alright." He looked at Rose. "Between teaching jobs I did
help out for awhile. I did study some aspects of medicine while I was at
Harvard, but…."
Without saying another word, Rose got up from the
table and took Mort's hand. "I want to show you Magic," she said, but
Laura stopped her. "After supper, Rose, not now. I'm sure the little fawn
will be fine."
"Fawn?" Mort asked. "There's a fawn
out there?"
Almanzo nodded. "In the barn. It has a
fractured leg. I put a splint on it and it should be healed in the next few days.
If you'd like, I'll take you out to the barn after supper."
"Yes," Mort said, "I would like
that."
Laura beamed. "Then it's settled. Oh, how long
can the two of you stay?"
"Just a little after supper. Eliza and I can
come back tomorrow or the next day. We'll be there until New Year's Day It's
not all that far and I don't mind driving."
"Well," Mort said, turning to Rose,
"looks like we'll be coming back to visit you. Is that alright?"
"We have to see if Magic likes it," Rose
said, grabbing the plate of string beans.
xxxxxx
Eliza Jane helped Laura with the dishes as Mort,
Almanzo and Rose made their way to the barn. It wasn't quite dark, but Almanzo
lit up one of the lanterns and handed it to him.
"There he is," Almanzo said, pointing to
the pallet of hay.
Mort stared, dumbstruck. "He's pure
white," he said, looking over at Almanzo. "I've heard that there were
white deer, but…"
"Hello Magic," Rose said, running over to
the fawn and sat down next to him. Manly and Mort followed.
"Why do you call him Magic?" Mort asked
Rose when they reached him.
"Because he just appeared last night, on
Christmas Eve, as if by magic."
Mort looked at Almanzo, who just smiled. "It's
true. I was just lucky to have some splints and some wraps. Should heal up in
the next few days. Rose and I are keeping an eye on him."
Mort bent down and felt the deer's leg. "Well,
Almanzo, you seem to know what you're doing,"
Almanzo shook his head. "Horses, yes, deer,
no. I'm assuming it's the same thing."
"I think that's all anyone can assume right
now. I can bring my brother in law by here tomorrow," Mort said, as the
men stood up.
Almanzo smiled. "Thanks. That would be a big
help." He looked at Mort. "Beth's got the best coffee in town and
some great apple pie."
Mort nodded. "Can't wait to try some. Almanzo,
can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Manly said, looking over at his
daughter. "Rose, time for dessert. Comin' inside?"
"Be there in a minute, Papa." Rose said,
"I want to say goodbye to Magic."
"Alright, but don't take too long." He
turned to Mort. "What did you want to know?"
"Why do you call Laura 'Beth?'"
Almanzo smiled and shook his head. "Well,
since you asked," he said. And he led Mort out of the barn back into the
house, Rose tagging behind him.
xxxxx
Mort was as good as his word. He brought back his
brother in law, Asa Johnson, to the Wilder farm to check on the little fawn.
"Looks like that deer healed pretty quickly,
Mr. Wilder," Dr. Johnson said, standing up. "I've already taken the
splint off. Just keep him in the barn for a few more days before you set him
free."
Almanzo nodded. "I just don't want my daughter
gettin' too attached to that deer. She's already given him a name."
The doctor nodded. "I understand," he
said. "I'll tell you something else, Mr. Wilder…"
"Almanzo," Manly said, smiling.
"Almanzo," he corrected, smiling back.
"That is a beautiful white deer. Does your daughter have something to take
the pain away when you do set him free?"
Almanzo nodded. "I carved her a wooden figure
of a deer. It's on my work table dryin' up. Seems somethin' was wrong with that
deer's right leg as well, but he should be all mended by now."
"Listen, I can give you a little somethin' for
stoppin' by."
Dr. Johnson shook his head. "No need for that.
I can send my assistant around tomorrow if that's alright with you."
Almanzo shook his head. "We'll be fine, but
thanks for the offer."
"We'd best be going," Mort said, climbing
into the buggy.
"Well," Almanzo said, "You're always
invited over the house, if you ever get out this way again."
"Thanks," Dr. Johnson answered. "We
just might take you up on that."
Almanzo waved as they drove away and watched until
the buggy disappeared down the road, and walked inside the house. For now
everything was quiet, but it wouldn't stay that way for long.
Chapter 7
"There it is, Nathanial," the stranger
said, pointing to the Wilder barn. "That's where Doc's kid said it
was."
His companion nodded. "Kid? He's fifteen,
Hank. It's his assistant, that's all. "
Nathaniel shrugged. "And the Doc's son. Still
a kid to me, since I've known him so long."
"What time you got?" Hank asked,
fidgeting with his rifle. He was getting nervous.
Nathaniel pulled out his pocket watch, opened it
and held it up to the bright moonlight. "Twelve thirty in the
mornin'." He stared at Hank. "What are we doin' here again?"
Hank shook his head. "We're gonna get that
there white deer, skin him and sell his pelt. That's what we're gonna do."
"When?" Nathaniel asked, pocketing the
watch. "You think that white deer is really in there?"
Hank nodded. "Accordin' to Adam, the Doc's
son, it is."
"Well," Nathanial asked. "What are
we waitin' on? Let's do it already."
They were just getting out of the buggy when the
barn door opened, taking the two men by surprise. As soon as it opened though,
it closed tightly shut again.
"What's goin' on?" Hank said, shaking his
head. "Let's go."
The two of them secured the reins, then got out of
the buggy and started for the barn, the rifles in their hands.
The barn door opened again and a little face peered
out, looked around quickly and went back inside again.
The two men froze in the tracks, not exactly sure
what they were looking at.
They waited for a long time before they started
moving again; creeping slowly toward the barn.
"Hold it," Nathaniel said, as they stopped
short.
"What's the matter?" Hank said, his eye
narrowing.
"I hear somethin' in there, sounds like a
little kid."
Hank frowned. "At this hour? You're just plain
scared, Nate. You just don't want to go through with this, do you?"
"Well, if you wanna know the truth," he
answered, but Hank frowned.
"You always was a coward, Nate, since we were
kids. You never amounted to anything, did you? Just another…"
The barn door opened again and the little face
stuck its head out. This time they could see that it was just what Nathaniel
said it was. A little kid. And not just a little kid.
"It's a girl," Hank said, "It's a
little girl."
"Go on, Magic," her little voice was
clear and strong, the two men heard her.
"Go on, get out of here,"
What happened next stunned the two men into
silence. Magic walked out, apparently unaware of what was for waiting for him.
"There he is, Nate." Hank said, raising
his gun. "Shoot him."
But they never fired a shot.
"I can't, Hank. He's too pretty."
"Well, I'm going to. He's just standin' there."
Hank raised his gun again, but this time the little
girl stepped out.
"Magic, don't stand there, go. Go on; get out
of here, before my Papa wakes up."
The deer turned to look at her. He walked back as
if she could protect him.
The little girl stroked his side and patted him on
the head. "Go on, silly. Get out of here."
The deer turned and walked out cautiously, then
picked up a little speed.
"I'm lettin' off a shot," Hank said,
shouldering the rifle and firing.
It missed by a mile. The white deer turned and
looked in the direction the shot had come from when another one split the air.
Lights came on inside the Wilder farmhouse.
"Magic, go, get out of here," the little
girl said, hitting him on the side and the deer bolted. Another shot rang out
and still another. The little girl looked in the direction of gunfire.
The door to the farmhouse opened and a tall, blond
haired man stepped out, a rifle in his hand. Behind him,at the door,stood a
small woman. "Who's out there?"
Another shot rang out and the deer, almost into the
woods, fell to the ground. The little girl watched in horror.
"MAGIC," she cried out. "MAGIC."
"Rose?" the blond haired man called out.
"Rose?"
"They shot Magic, Papa," the little girl
cried and ran into her father's arms. "They shot him."
"Who's they?"
The little girl pointed. "Those two people
over there." The tall man followed her finger and stared.
"Get inside, Rosey. NOW."
"But they.."
"GET INSIDE," he shouted, "and tell
Mama Beth to call the police."
Chapter 8
Laura didn't have to call the police, there were
two policemen who had heard the whole thing. They were off duty and on their
home.
"Let's get outta here, Nate," Hank said,
trying to fire his gun again, but it had run out of bullets.
And so did Nathaniel's.
"Hold it right there, boys," the blond
haired man said, raising his rifle. "Now you two drop those guns. The
police will be here any minute."
"The police are here now, Mr. Wilder. You can
put your gun down now. We've got it under control."
The policeman turned to Hank and Nathaniel, the
hired hands at Doc Johnson's ranch. "And just what were the two of you
lads thinking when you started firing that gun at this hour? And at a little
girl yet?" he asked, shaking his head. "Charlie, handcuff these two
and take them in."
He turned toward Almanzo who had also put his gun
down. "You alright, Mr. Wilder?"
"Yeah, I'm alright, Jack. Thanks for comin' so
quickly."
"Good thing we were passin' by when it
happened that's all." He turned to his partner. "Charlie, get them in
the rig and keep 'em company. I'm bringin' them in."
Almanzo watched as the two policemen carted off the
two men. He turned and walked back inside the house, leaning the rifle against
the corner of the room.
Now he had to go out and see if the white deer was
alright, he couldn't wait until morning.
He picked up the lantern and lit again, then walked
out to the edge of the woods where he saw Magic fall. He was sure that he'd see
something, but as he combed the grounds, he could find nothing.
Nothing but some bent grass and deer tracks leading
into the woods.
With a sigh, Almanzo walked into the barn and
scooped the little wooden deer off of his work table. He had been holding off
on giving it to Rose all this time, but now he was sure she would need it.
He blew out the lantern, closed the door to the
barn and walked into the house where Beth was waiting with a hug and a long
kiss.
"Where's Rose?" he asked when they broke
apart.
"I put her to bed," Laura answered.
"She's going to need her sleep, Manly."
Almanzo shook his head. "She shouldn't have
been up in the first place, Beth. She could've been hurt, maybe even
killed."
Laura smiled and touched his cheek. "We should
go to bed, get some rest. We'll deal with Rose in the morning."
Almanzo nodded. "Before we go to bed, I want
to give Rose a little something," he said, holding up the wooden deer.
"Alright, Almanzo, I'll be waiting in our
room."
They kissed lightly, then Laura went into their
room and Manly went into Rose's room. She was asleep alright. He sat down on
the bed, opened her hand and slipped the little wooden deer into it. He curled
her fingers around it as she stirred, then kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you little Rosey Posey," he
whispered and touched her cheek. He stood up and walked toward the door taking
a last peek at his daughter before he shut it again.
xxxx
Rose heard the mantle clock strike eight and she
sat straight up in bed. She felt something in her left hand and found that it
was in a fist. She opened it up and out fell the little white wooden deer. She
looked down at it and smiled as she rolled her legs over the side of the bed to
pick it up from the floor. She examined it thoroughly, Papa had done what he
had promised and had mended his leg. She stood up, still clutching the deer, slid
her robe over her nightgown, put on her slippers and ran out of her room
through the back door.
She looked around expecting to see Magic, but he
wasn't there. She ran to the edge of the of the woods expecting to see him
lying there, but all she found was some bent wet grass.
She was still clutching the deer as she ran back to
the barn and opened the door, but he wasn't there either. She was beginning to
wonder if the whole thing had been a dream. Tears were filling her eyes as she
closed the barn door, still clinging to the wooden deer when she looked up.
There out in the middle of the field, somewhere
between the house and the barn door was the white deer.
"MAGIC," she cried, running over to him,
but this time he didn't wait, he just bounded off towards the woods.
"Bye Magic," she said, waving as he
disappeared. "We'll see each other again." And she walked into the
house, still clutching the little wooden deer, wondering if indeed, it had all
been a dream.
Chapter 9
"Well," Mort said, raising his glass, "here's
to a happy and healthy New Year."
Everyone at the table raised their glass in unison.
"Yes," Eliza Jane added, "And all's
well that ends well."
The Wilders had been invited to stay at the
Johnson's ranch in Mountain Grove by Amy Johnson, Mort's sister, after Eliza
relayed what had happened at Rocky Ridge. There was plenty of room at the ranch
and they really wanted to meet the Wilder family after hearing so much about
them through Eliza and her brother.
"Well," Asa said to Almanzo after they
all sat down. "How are you enjoying your stay?"
Almanzo looked over at Laura and smiled.
"Can't exactly say; we've only been here since yesterday."
"It's a lovely home," Laura said, looking
at her husband. "and such a beautiful garden. You certainly do make someone
feel as if they are home. It's no wonder Mort speaks highly of you, Amy."
Amy blushed as she turned to her husband, who was
sitting next to her. "Why, thank you, Laura."
"So, tell me," Laura asked, as they both
excused themselves from the table to serve the dessert and coffee. How do you
manage to do it all?"
Amy smiled as she reached for the apple and pumpkin
pie. "We do have ranch hands, only I really should apologize for what's
happened. I hope that in some small way this makes up for it."
Laura smiled, as she reached for the Johnson's
china teacups. "Don't you worry about anything, as Eliza Jane said, 'All's
well that ends well.'"
Eliza, who was pouring the coffee, "At least
no one was hurt; who knows what could have happened out there with those men shooting
at everything in the middle of the night."
She turned to Laura. "At least Rose is
alright. I suppose she's been punished appropriately."
Laura looked up at her sister in law, trying to
control her temper. "Yes, Eliza Jane, Almanzo and I have already spoken to
Rose about what happened and she understands a little more about …."
Amy smiled, scooping up two filled cups from the
table. "Eliza, would you grab the pies while Laura and I bring in the
coffee?" and as the two exited out the swinging kitchen door, Amy and
Laura looked at each other and smiled.
"Thank you," Laura said, quietly.
"You're very welcome," Amy said, as they
placed the filled cups on the table. "Now who wants coffee or tea?"
xxxxxx
The children had already eaten and were playing
quietly in the big playroom upstairs. Rose had situated herself by the window,
looking out over the rolling fields.
"So," eight year old Elijah Johnson said
as he sat down next to Rose, "You looking for your little white deer? You
really did see him, didn't you?"
"Leave her alone, Eli," twelve year old
Maddie Johnson sat down next to her. She looked down at her own carved white
deer. "Your father sure is good at woodworking."
Rose turned from the window and smiled. "Yes,
he is, Maddie. I'm sure that you, Eli, Adam and Asa will be by our house to see
what else he's done."
"You still haven't answered Eli's
question," ten year old Asa said, looking straight at Rose. "
"You know I did, Asa Johnson," Rose said,
"I'm not lying. Your father looked in on him while he was still in our
barn."
"Has he been back?" Eli asked.
Rose shook her head. "I never saw him
again." She turned back toward the window. "I know he's out there
because he showed up by our barn the next morning, but he ran away again."
"I'm sure he'll be back," Maddie said,
putting her arm around Rose, staring out the window. "Just give it some
time. He's probably frightened at what happened. Now why don't we all…."
Maddie stopped mid-sentence. "Asa, Eli, get
over here, quick. There's something out there."
Eli and Asa ran to the playroom window. "Look
at that, Asa, there he is."
Sure enough a pure white deer stood outside between
the house and Amy Johnson's fenced in garden, but it didn't seem interested in
that. It stood looking up at the window as if it knew that Rose had been inside
the house, waiting for it.
"It's Magic," Rose said to herself.
"I'm sure it is."
"What did he do Rose," Asa asked,
"follow you here?"
Maddie turned to look at Asa, then back to Rose.
"Don't pay any attention to him, he doesn't know anything." She
turned back to the window. "He certainly is beautiful."
"Come on, children," Amy called upstairs.
"Time for bed. You too, Rose."
Asa, Eli and Maddie all turned from the window.
"Yes, Mama," they all called at once, then turned back to the window,
but the deer was gone. Rose was still by the window, looking out.
"Come on, Rose, time for bed," Maddie
said, leading her away from the window.
"I'll be there in a second," Rose said,
as the other children left. She turned back to the window.
"Rose?"
She didn't recognize the voice and turned in the
direction of it. A tall, brown haired, brown eyed boy stood looking down at
her.
"You must be Adam," Rose said, staring up
at him. "You look just like your brothers."
The fifteen year old smiled and nodded.
"You're a pretty smart little girl," he said, bending down.
"I just wanted to apologize to you for
everything that's happened to your family."
Rose smiled. "Nothing to be sorry for, Adam.
It's not really your fault. Everything did turn out alright, after all. My
parents are making me do extra chores to keep me busy."
Adam laughed. "Keeping an eye on you, are
they?"
Rose nodded. "They lock up the barn at night
now. I'm not allowed to go there on my own; I have to see one of them
first." She smiled. "Well, I gotta go to bed now, before Mama and
Papa come up here to check on me."
And Rose ran out of the playroom toward the room
she shared with Maddie.
Adam stood up and walked over to the window. He
scanned the outside quickly, but couldn't see a thing. He shook his head and
was about to turn away when he noticed something white staring up at him.
"Magic," he said, "I'm sorry about
what happened. Will you forgive me?"
The deer just continued to look up at him and then,
with a little flick of his white tail, he was gone.
Epilogue
The Wilders, Mort and Eliza Jane all left New
Year's Day. Mort and Eliza accompanied Almanzo, Laura and Rose back to Rocky
Ridge where they all said their goodbyes. The couple headed for the train and
Minneapolis where each would begin a fourth year of teaching.
The marriage between Mort and Eliza never did work
out, they remained friends the rest of their lives with Eliza finally moving
down to Crowley to accept another and last teaching position.
As for Magic, the little white fawn grew up and
visited the farm on and off for six years. Rose couldn't prove it, but one year
three deer showed up at the farm; two tan colored and another pure white one.
Fact vs Fiction
Mortimer Carstairs is a character from the Little
House episode, A Wiser Heart from Season 8 of the TV series, Little House on
the Prairie.
Asa and Amy Johnson, their four children and the
ranch at Mountain Grove, Missouri were my inventions only. The town of Mountain
Grove is real and is about a half hour down the road from Mansfield by car.
The meeting of Magic and Rose was also invented by
me. It is based on an original story idea that I had some time ago.
Crowley, Louisiana was on its way to becoming the
"rice capital of the United States." Raising rice was plentiful and
Thomas Jefferson Thayer was convinced that it was more profitable than his
business in Spring Valley. And so, in 1893, Thomas, Eliza Jane and a few of his
children made the move from Spring Valley, MN to Crowley, LA.
White deer are real and can be found in almost
every state in USA.
The Wilders actually moved from DeSmet, SD to
Mansfield, MO in 1894. Rocky Ridge Farm already had a small cabin on the
property which they made their home for the first year.
