Chapter Five - Good News

"My name is Rudy," said the reindeer to Chippy, as he helped him to put the wreath in place. "Webb told me your name is Chip."
Chippy looked at the big reindeer more closely. His voice sounded kind of muffled and there seemed to be a very strange glow about him. In the darkness of the early evening, he had not seen the mask that Rudy was wearing over his mouth and nose.
"That sounds so grownup," thought Chippy. "In fact, I rather like that name!" He was much too polite to ask the reindeer why he had his mouth and nose covered. "Maybe he has a cold...sure sounds like it," he reasoned to himself.
"Sorry if I frightened you. I have to be really careful because I am not at all like other reindeer. I have a very bright red nose and it scares everyone, so I keep it covered. It is really not much fun being different. Sometimes I get laughed at too," the reindeer said sadly.
Chippy could hardly believe his ears. "I won't laugh at you," he promised Rudy. "Thank you for coming to help me. I really appreciate it."
"You mean I can finally take this silly thing off?" asked Rudy. "I hate wearing a mask over my mouth and nose. I can barely breathe in it."
As Chippy nodded his head, the reindeer tried to brush against the tree to remove the mask, but it was tied at the back of his head and he could not take it off. Chippy scurried back up the tree as quickly as he could and out onto the branch to help him.
"I will untie it for you," he said to Rudy and he did just that.
"What a relief that is!" said Rudy, as it fell to the ground.
"Oh my!" said Chippy, quite startled at what he saw. "I am so sorry! It just took me by surprize."
Rudy's nose was glowing like a brilliant light in the darkness of the early evening. In fact, it lit up the entire area with a warm and wonderful glow. Not knowing what to say, Chippy scurried back down the tree to retrieve it for him.
"I know," said Rudy. "Everyone reacts the same way as soon as they see me."
"Now I know why Webb sent Rudy here," thought Chippy. "He knew that I was afraid of the dark." He gazed up at Rudy. This was the last thing that he had ever expected to see.
Suddenly the moon appeared, just as if it had been hiding behind the clouds, waiting for this exact moment to come out.
"Well, I think that we had better get busy finding your brother," said Rudy very seriously. "Christmas will be here very soon."
Chippy nodded in agreement. "Yes," he said. "What shall we do?"
"Good new! Good news!" Rudy and Chippy could hear Webb's voice calling to them from a distance.
"We're here!" hollered Chippy to Webb as he hopped closer. "Did you find Chimmy?"
But Chippy was only to be disappointed, as Webb relayed the message to them that someone had seen a chipmunk, sitting on the back of a big truck that had pulled away earlier that day.
Now neither Rudy nor Webb knew what to say as they gazed at Chippy's unhappy face. Chippy turned away, trying not to cry. He looked up. Just then, the 'man in the moon' seemed to smile gently as if to say that everything would be all right.