Novella: Yahtzee

This is the last chapter of a book I wrote with my sister entitled Yahtzee.  It still needs some major editing, so please, PLEASE let me know your thoughts in the comments.  Here’s a bit of background to help you understand the story:

Yahtzee is a kitten in a family of cats, and she’s always getting into some sort of trouble.  Yahtzee’s siblings are Ginny, Eddie, and Louie (pronounced LOO-ee); her mother is Miss Casey.  “Mr. Filup” (Yahtzee misspelled his name; he’s really Mr. Philip) is Yahtzee’s imaginary friend.  Oh, and the picture of the cat is what Yahtzee’s supposed to look like.  Anyway, here ya go:

Chapter 8

Yahtzee’s Christmas

It was Christmas Eve night. Yahtzee and her siblings were hanging their stockings for Kitty Kringle to fill with goodies. Yahtzee had an entire list of things that she had sent to Kitty Kringle with her letter. She wrote a list of the things she wanted:

A RAG DOLL

A WIFE FOR MR FILUP

A KITTEN STUFFED ENIMEL

A RED BLANCET

A DOLHOWSE

A NUTKRAKER

AUNT MILDRED’S BOTTOM CIKED (*)

A PRINSESS COLORING BOOK

CRANS

A RED TUTU

A TEEARA WITH RUBYS

A NEW ROOM WITH NO GINY

     The other kittens had asked for “simpler” things such as a new scooter for Eddie, a bike for Louie, and new stuffed animals for Ginny because Yahtzee had taken so many of them for the turkey. (**)  

     Yahtzee had plans for her presents for everyone else. Louie was getting ashes that she had found in the fireplace. Eddie was getting a fancy tissue that Yahtzee had written on.  It said: TO EDDY FROM YAHTZEE.  Ginny was getting one of Yahtzee’s old dolls that was missing its head.  Miss Casey was getting litter from the toilet in a little bag that read: TO THE WORSTEST MOMMY IN THE HOLE WROLD FROM YAHTZEE.

     “Mommy?” asked Ginny. “What time will Kitty Kringle be here?”

     “Only when every kitten in the world is in bed! And speaking of which, it’s way past your bedtime!” answered Miss Casey. “Upstairs, all of you! Time for bed!”

     Yahtzee, however, had other ideas. She was still stuffing her own stocking with candies she had bought on the way home from school. She decided that, in case Kitty Kringle couldn’t come, she would still get plenty of candy.

     “Yahtzee, did you hear me? I said time for bed,” said Miss Casey.

     Yahtzee stomped up the stairs. “Merry Christmas, sweetie,” said Miss Casey blowing Yahtzee a kiss. Yahtzee was too excited to sleep and talked out loud to Mr. Phillip until Ginny threatened to “tell mommy.” Then Yahtzee shut her mouth and eyes. Soon she fell fast asleep.

     In what seemed like only a few minutes, it was Christmas morning. Yahtzee sprang out of bed and ran downstairs closely followed by Ginny, Eddie, and Louie.

     “What did Kitty Kringle bring us?” asked Eddie excitedly. “Did he bring me my scooter?”

     “Hey! There’s my bike! I knew he’d bring it!” shrieked Louie and started riding it around the living room.

     “Oh, new stuffed animals!” said Ginny bending down and gathering all of them into her arms.

     Yahtzee peeked into her stocking and saw crayons, a tiny red blanket rolled into a ball and something else. It was a little bag of coal tucked in the toe of her stocking. Beside it lay a little note that read:

                     Try a little harder to be good next year.

                                            Kitty Kringle

     Yahtzee was furious. Coal! She had asked him for everything but coal, and he went ahead and gave it to her anyway! “Mommy! Kitty Kringle only brought coal for me!” said Yahtzee, and she showed Miss Casey the note. Miss Casey tried hard not to smile.

“Well, sweetie. Maybe Kitty Kringle is right,” said Miss Casey looking away so that Yahtzee couldn’t see her smiling.

“Right? RIGHT? OF COURSE HE ISN’T RIGHT!” Yahtzee shouted.

“Yahtzee, don’t you dare use that tone with me!” said Miss Casey. “Kitty Kringle did bring some of the things you asked for, didn’t he?”

“ONLY A STUPID RED BLANKET AND SOME CRAYONS! WHAT ABOUT MY TUTU? WHAT ABOUT MY TIARA? WHAT ABOUT MY DOLLHOUSE? WHAT ABOUT AUNT MILDRED’S KICK—“

“Yahtzee!” Miss Casey scolded. “Have you opened any of your other presents yet? Just try to be good next year and then maybe you’ll get everything you ask for.”

“Okay, Mommy,” sighed Yahtzee. For once she actually listened to her mother. “I’ll try. By the way, Mommy, you’re not the worstest mommy in the whole world. Throw away the stupid present I gave you.”

Miss Casey smiled and hugged her daughter. “Merry Christmas, Yahtzee!”

“I love you, Mommy! Merry Christmas!”

*Aunt Mildred is Yahtzee’s aunt, obviously, and she’s grumpy 24/7.  She and Yahtzee don’t really get along.

**Yahtzee stuffed the Thanksgiving turkey with Ginny’s stuffed animals.