The Toy Fair

 
In a city with many children, the event of the year had finally arrived: the great toy fair.
Christmas was in fact just around the corner and every year, in this period, the city organized the fair. It was a well-known fair: vendors came from all over the world to make their wares known. There were all possible gifts that parents could give their children to make them happy.

For the occasion, a wealthy bank manager decided to take Christmas Eve afternoon free: he too wanted to visit the fair this year! As she started, she thought to herself: "This Christmas I want to give my baby something very beautiful and interesting. I can afford it ... I've worked hard all year and I'm willing to spend a lot ... indeed ... a lot! ".

That same afternoon, a gardener also went to the fair and as he walked along he thought: "It's been a bit tough year with my small salary, but I still managed to save a little ... I hope I can buy something nice for my little girl. ".

Meanwhile, their wives had stayed home with the children and were preparing Christmas lunch. The director's baby was in his room. Although the room was very nice and there was a closet full of puppets and toys, he was a little sad. In fact, he was thinking of his father. She saw so little of him. In the evening she came home from work just when he had to go to bed. Or he was busy, because he also brought work home. He tried to console himself by thinking that tomorrow would be Christmas and that he would receive other beautiful gifts. But the thing that reassured him most was that finally his father could be home with him all day tomorrow.

The gardener's little girl, on the other hand, happily helped her mother prepare Christmas lunch. She didn't have many toys, but thanks to her parents' vivacity and imagination, she never felt alone. "Tomorrow is Christmas, who knows what beautiful games we will all play together!" He thought happily.

Arriving at the fair, the banker immediately began to look critically at each toy on display. There was everything a child could want: from electric trains to bicycles, from plush toys to books, etc. He wanted to buy something really big for his son, but above all something that would keep him busy and entertain him at the same time. He was always so busy and focused on his work that he didn't spend much time playing together.

The gardener, who had also arrived at the fair, looked around calmly. He was just a little worried because he hoped to find something his little girl would like and that wasn't too expensive. Even though he knew he couldn't buy much, he didn't miss a thing. She wanted to tell and describe everything she saw to her little girl.

Towards evening the director and the gardener met by chance in front of a room where at the entrance there was a large billboard with the words: "Here you can find the best gift for your child". They saw many curious people enter, but almost all of them left disappointed and discontented. Intrigued, they in turn decided to enter. It was a large room with very white walls, very bright, it was almost empty and there were no toys. At the back of the room there was only a large antique mirror hanging on the wall and in front of it, sitting at a desk, an old gentleman with a long white beard. He wrote and every now and then he watched people going in and out.

The director, perplexed and disappointed, was about to leave immediately, but when he saw the gardener approach the old man and politely ask him who he was, he too slowly approached. He heard the old man answer: “I am very old, all my life I have been building toys for the children of the world. But this year I brought something special and precious ... this beautiful antique mirror behind me ". The manager and the gardener looked at each other in amazement, then looked at the mirror. Disoriented and almost irritated, the director turned to go, but once again stopped, because he saw the gardener shake the old man's hand and with a happy face exclaim: "I understand! Now I know what to give my little girl. I'm no longer worried ... goodbye and thank you very much ".

The gardener then left the room happy. The banker, left alone, looked at the mirror again and thought what a child could do with such an ancient and fragile mirror. Not daring to ask the old man, who commanded a lot of respect, he hurried out to try to reach the gardener. As soon as he found him he immediately asked him what on earth he had understood. Not daring to ask the old man, who commanded a lot of respect, he hurried out to try to reach the gardener. As soon as he found him he immediately asked him what on earth he had understood. Not daring to ask the old man, who commanded a lot of respect, he hurried out to try to reach the gardener. As soon as he found him he immediately asked him what on earth he had understood.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you!" Replied the gardener. “You have to get there by yourself. You will see that one day you will understand why this can be the best gift for your child! ".

On Christmas day, the gardener's daughter opened the gift and happily admired the beautiful colored pens and large white drawing sheets that her father had bought her at the big toy fair. She got up and hugged him: "Thanks dad, so we can draw together all the beautiful things you saw at the fair."

"Not only that, my child," said the father. «We can draw other much more beautiful things, for example the snow ... Look out the window ... it's still snowing! You know, tonight, after many years, it snowed a lot. And since you haven't seen the snow yet, later we will all go for a walk together with Mom so you can touch her and play. We can throw balls at each other and make a puppet ... You'll see how nice! ». The banker's son was also happy that morning. He was opening a huge package received as a gift. Surprisingly, he never finished pulling many small train carriages out of the package; there were also the rails and many little houses that appeared from stations and country houses,
He was very happy: surely his father would have helped him to build it ... today he was finally at home all day with him and his mother. But as she approached to hug him and thank him, the phone rang. The father got up from his chair and went to answer. His face became serious. He hung up and looking a little sadly at his wife and son, he reported: "Even today work is calling me! I'm very sorry, but I have to be in New York for an important conference tomorrow. I must leave immediately! ".

The wife said nothing. She was used to it. The child, on the other hand, felt bad. His face turned sad and two tears came. Dad noticed him and tried to console him: "Don't cry! You know I love you very much. Then, for the little train, I don't really need to be there too! You will be able to build it with your mother ... ".

The baby turned and was about to run away crying to his room, but he stumbled upon an all-white package wrapped in red ribbon. He bent down and sat on the carpet began to open the package. He was sad and tried to console himself with this new gift. The parents looked at each other perplexed. Then the father asked: "I didn't think there were any other gifts ... Was it you?"
"No
The father approached the child and the present worriedly. He wanted to know where it came from and above all to make sure it didn't contain anything dangerous.

Meanwhile, the child had delicately opened the package and surprised to find a red ball with lots of white dots, like so many snowflakes. The father looked at the son and the gift and then took the box to see if there was any note with the name of the person who had given it. With astonishment he found it: "Santa Claus." He closed his eyes thoughtfully and immediately remembered the old man with the long white beard who commanded so much respect. Then he also remembered the mirror and the words that were written at the entrance to the room: "Here you can find the best gift for your child." And finally he understood too and was moved. In the mirror he had seen his image and realized that he himself was the best gift for his son! This the gardener had understood immediately!

She hugged the baby and, weeping with happiness, exclaimed: "I'm not leaving today. Let's stay together ... Today you are more important than my job. Come on, let's go out in the garden ... we'll play with the new ball and mum will cheer for us ".

While the whole family went out happy to play together, it also began to snow where the child lived who, since that day, no longer felt lonely and sad.

Unknown author  - Source: AngelaPercaso.net