Chapter Four - A Celebration

"Mewwy Christmas! Mewwy Christmas!" said Webb again and again.
Chippy listened to him trying to say "Merry Christmas" correctly. Webb was still having a lot of difficulty saying his 'r's', in spite of the fact that Chippy had been coaching him all afternoon.
"Keep trying!" Chippy said to encourage him. "It will happen sooner than you think."
"Thank you ever so much for helping me," Webb said. He was very discouraged but he not about to give up. He knew that he had found a really good friend.
"I have a problem too," said Chippy, almost too ashamed to admit the truth. He was afraid of the dark and he knew that with night approaching and still no sign of his brother Chimmy, that he would have to face his very first night all alone.
"You have a problem too?" asked Webb. He could hardly believe his ears. "Maybe I can help you?" He had been wondering how he would ever be able to repay Chippy for helping him.
"Maybe," replied Chippy, reluctant to tell Webb about his fear of the dark. "I don't know where my brother Chimmy is," he said quietly. "And.......now it is starting to get dark....."
"I know just what to do," said Webb excitedly. "I will be back," he promised, hopping away very quickly, before Chippy had time to say another word.
"Oh no," thought Chippy. "I should not have said anything. Now he is gone too and I am really all alone. What am I going to do?" He started to shiver.
A cool, early winter wind was starting to blow, swirling a few leaves here and a few leaves there. When Chimmy was with him, it had been fun to chase after them, but being all alone now, it was no longer any fun.
"I won't cry," Chippy promised himself. "After all, Chimmy may still come home tonight," he reminded himself hopefully, as he scurried about gathering more food for the winter. "Chimmy would not cry," he told himself.
But it was getting darker and darker. There was still no sign of Chimmy and Webb was no where to be seen. A few snow flurries were beginning to fall too.
"Hey there!" he heard a big, booming voice say suddenly. He looked around and did not see anyone. All he could see was the lengthening shadows of the trees. He was scared. He peered in every direction, trying to see where the voice was coming from, but he could not see anyone.
"Don't be afraid!" The voice was coming from above him. "Look up!"
Chippy was almost too afraid to look up, but he was so curious that he knew he had to face who ever this was. Timidly, he raised his eyes and to his amazement, he saw a reindeer looking down at him. Swinging from his antlers was a very large wreath.
"My goodness! You are afraid, aren't you?" The reindeer said gently. "I will not hurt you. Webb told me that you could not find your brother, so I came right away. We are going to alert everyone in the forest. We will help you find him."
"Thank you," said Chippy, totally relieved and amazed at what Webb had done for him.
"And when we find him, we are all going to have a celebration!" said the reindeer. "A Christmas to be remembered!"
Little did Chippy know what a wonderful celebration that was going to be, as he scurried up onto a branch, in order to take the wreath off the reindeer's antler and place it over his doorway.
"Thank you! Thank you!" he said to the reindeer.
So much had happened that day that he did not realize that he was no longer afraid of going up the tree and out onto the branch.