Christmas would soon be here!

Seven-year old Marie knew just what she wanted. Marie wanted new figure skates. She loved to skate and her old regular "baby skates" were getting too small.

"Mommy", exclaimed the excited little girl, "I know what I want for Christmas! I would like a new pair of figure skates."

"New skates?" asked the busy young mother. "Well, new skates are expensive, but maybe we could afford plain skates like your old ones."

Marie frowned. "No, Mommy, I don’t want plain skates. I want figure skates. You know, the kind with the ice-picks on the front of the blades. Then, I can poke the toe of my skate into the ice and I can push off from anywhere I like. I could make lovely turns, learn to jump, and stop all of a sudden, just like the figure skaters on TV. Also, the boot part must be snowy white and lace up nice and high."

"Oh my dear, you must think I'm magic!", said Mommy, as she finished drying the lunch dishes. "We might afford plain skates, but certainly not fancy, white figure skates."

Marie sighed and said quietly, "Well, maybe I can ask Santa, then."

"Maybe", said the sensible mother, "but Santa isn’t made of money either."

This didn’t look promising at all, but Marie would not give up hope.

Christmas was just days away and Marie had done all she could think of to make her wish come true. She had written a polite letter to Santa describing the skates she so dearly wished to receive. She was especially good, and she was very careful to mind when Mommy wanted her to do things. Most of all, Marie wished and hoped as hard as she could. She hoped and wished for those beautiful, white figure skates with the ice-picks on the toes.

By Christmas Eve, Marie was pretty sure she had done everything she could.

Mommy had warned her not to get her hopes too high, but Marie held on to faith. "Santa will find a way", she thought. There was something magical about Christmas! The little girl felt the spirit of Christmas all around her as she burrowed down in her warm bed and went to sleep.

In a wink and a blink, Christmas morning was here. Marie joined her family in the living room. Santa had been there and there were lots of nice things under the tree.

Pretty soon, the gifts were all opened, but there were no skates.

Marie sighed! She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Then, suddenly, Mommy jumped out of her chair.

"What’s this behind the sofa?"

Mommy reached behind it and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box, and looked at the tag.

"Oh my dear, it’s for you, Marie!"

Marie tore the wrapping off and opened the box. She folded back the tissue paper and there, nestled inside the box, were the most beautiful, white figure skates you ever saw. 

Santa had made her wish come true.

Marie’s mother smiled softly as she watched her daughter's eyes sparkle with delight over the beautiful new skates.

This was Marie’s most magical Christmas, ever.

The End