Hi Lottifriends! This is the week of Christmas..are you getting excited? Well, to bide our time until the "big day", we have created another story. This time, it is inspired by a popular Dr. Seuss children's story, with our own words added and the story changed a little bit. FUNICULI & FUNICULA FAN-FICTION presents HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS ....and how Helmut brought it back! Once upon a time, there was a land called "Whoville". The people of Whoville loved Christmas alot and spent alot of time decorating their town for the holidays. Near the town, lived a fellow known as the Grinch. He did NOT like Christmas at all...no one quite knew the reason why. "Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!" he growled, with his grinch fingers nervously drumming. "I MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!" he thought. For, tomorrow, he knew that all of the girls and boys in Whoville would wake up bright and early to find presents under the tree and stockings full to overflowing with good things. There would be feasts and lots of happy Christmas noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing the Grinch hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! The Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing! "Why for fifty-three years I've put up with it! I MUST stop Christmas from coming!...But HOW?" Then he got an idea! An awful idea! He decided that he would STOP CHRISTMAS from coming to Whoville! He would STEAL IT away! Oh what a plan he had! While the people of Whoville were sleeping in their beds, he would sneak into their homes and steal all of their Christmas decorations, their Christmas food, their Christmas presents....EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS!! When the people of Whoville woke up on Christmas morning, they were very saddened to see that Christmas was gone...it had been stolen!! Their hearts were broken and their faces no longer wore smiles. Suddenly, through the sadness and gloom, a golden voice rang out through the town. A voice that seemed to chase away the sadness and gloom and brought back a smile to each and every face. It was the voice of Helmut Lotti. Helmut's beautiful voice sang, "It's Christmas" and "Christmas is here again". His voice seemed to make their hearts glow and brought back the feeling of Christmas to the town. When Helmut stopped singing, he looked around at all of the kind faces and said in a soft and tender voice, "No one can steal Christmas away. For Christmas is not about gifts, decorations or food...it's a feeling." Helmut then encouraged the town to join him in singing "We wish you a merry Christmas". Their singing was joyous and their faces were smiling. Back at his home, the Grinch put a hand to his ear. He heard a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow! But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! Helmut's voice was the most wonderful thing he had ever heard....and those songs....they were so HAPPY! It couldn't be so! He looked down at Whoville and saw that EVERYONE was singing along with Helmut and they were smiling and happy and celebrating CHRISTMAS! Without any presents at all? Without any decorations? Without any food? He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming afterall! Somehow or other, it came just the same and the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood there puzzled. "How could it be so?" he asked himself. "Christmas came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes or bags!" Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" And what happened then...? The Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day! (Helmut's music has this effect on people you know ;))! And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight, he whizzed with his load through the bright morning light and he brought back the presents, the decorations, the food for the feast! Helmut and the people of Whoville gave him a warm welcome into town. And he......HE HIMSELF...joined Helmut in song! And everyone....including the Grinch....lived happily ever after, thanks to the powerful infuence that Helmut's golden voice has on people!! THE END. HAPPY CHRISTMAS!! BACK.......HOME