A Donkey Named Humblebee

By Harry Edgar

 

A donkey named Humblebee wandered through town

The day after Christmas where some people found

Stockings half empty and toys not received.

Children were crestfallen. How could this be?

 

Letters to Santa had timely been mailed,

Carefully printed on every detail,

Models and sized and colors of things,

Happy instruction for what to bring,

 

Thoughtfully studied, revised, and rechecked,

Then airmailed to Santa’s white hilltop address:

One-two-two-five up on Kingleclause Road,

At the North Pole, on the top of the globe.

 

The elves read the lists as the letters arrived.

They bustled and hustled and finished on time.

The toy room was packed from the roof to the door,

With every toy perfect and presents galore.

 

By eventide night on the eve of all days,

The presents were loaded on Santa’s big sleigh.

The reindeer were restless and raring to go.

Children world over were hoping for snow.

Martha gave Santa a kiss for good luck.

Into his pocket a love note she tucked.

Twice lucky Santa then climbed in his sleigh.

The reindeer set forth after everyone waved.

 

They ran down the hillside as fast as they could,

The leaped in the air and flew over the woods.

Higher and higher the reindeer did fly,

Under the stars of the inky night sky.

 

The planet was beautiful waiting below:

With candlelit windows, and time moving slow.

With mangers and snowmen and sacred refrains,

Christmas is magic, this holiday twain.

 

Orville and Wilbur and Lindbergh and Claus,

Santa is one of the greatest of all.

Guided by landmarks and rarely a map,

He and the reindeer know where they are at.

 

The weather forecasted was windy with snow.

The ride to the south was much windier though.

Boooool! It was cold on this long sacred night,

But weather would never stop reindeer in flight.

 

Mile after mile they flew on toward the south.

The wind caused the sleigh and the toy bags to bounce.

Bumpety bumpety bumpety bump!

The sleigh and the bounty bounced down and bounced up.

 

A snowstorm was blowing with fury and sound.

Here and there presents fell onto the ground.

Covered by darkness or covered by snow,

They lay undiscovered on Christmas and so…

 

And sooo…

 

And soooo….

 

So now back to Humblebee wandering through town.

His colors are buffy, and rusty and brown.

Humblebee searches for toys in the snow,

Wearing a muffler that Martha did sew.

 

The day after Christmas his journey begins.

He follows the weather; he follows the wind.

Present of Christmas fall often unseen

Under the snow and the trees evergreen.

 

Toys are discovered in daylight and dark,

The carefully loaded on Humblebee’s cart.

Humblebee also has friends who assist,

Helping him locate the toys on the list.

 

A boy named Evanuel is lending a hand.

Evanuel does hails from the Manx Isle of Man.

He travels with Humblebee during the search,

Recovering presents all over the earth.

 

Helping to gather the missing and lost,

Evanuel notes everything Humblebee spots.

In years that are windy the list is quite long

To certain the presents grow here they belong.

 

A puppy names Wilhelm was found in the night,

A Saint Bernard puppy, red, fluffy and white.

He has a barrel keg under his chin.

Cocoa and milk are both carried within.

 

One hundred snow bunnies join in the task,

White bunnies, snow bunnies, faster than fast.

Carrots and bilberry sharpen their sight,

So they can see in the shadows of night.

 

Joining the toy hunt is Santa’s good friend,

A hibernap bear with unusual ken.

He answers to “Elmer.” He stands on two feet.

He likes to find presents, and loves to find sweets.

 

“What is a hibernap bear?” you may ask.

In winter bears hibernate; Elmer takes naps.

He wiggles his nose, and he bolts wide awake,

When cookies and cupcakes by Martha are baked.

 

A hoot owl named Hebron sits high in a tree.

He can items as small as a pea.

“Hoot hoot” from Hebron means toys are below.

Elmer and Humblebee know where to go.

 

Two baby reindeer are learning the route.

Nibbles and Nowelle are playful and cute.

Running and jumping and kicking their feet,

A season will come when they join the elite.

 

Joeys down under lend help after storms.

Kangaroo pouches are cozy and warm.

When joeys see presents, they hop-hop with joy,

Then hop to their pouch with a Christmas-wrapped toy.

 

A family of elephants help with the hunt.

December they decorate trees with their trunks.

A baby names Tummyround likes to play games.

He also likes peanuts and large candy canes.

 

Now I must caution, a caveat please:

Sometimes the presents drop into the sea.

When toys fall on water instead of the ground,

Some sink to the bottom and never are found.

 

But if the presents are visibly near,

Evanuel the fisherman has not a peer.

Into the water he casts forth his line;

Out of the water found presents are fine.

 

Day after day and eleven Yule nights,

Humblebee follows the path of the flight,

Gathering toys that are found in the snow,

Matching the addresses where they should go.

 

By sunrise the Twelfth Day the mission will end.

The humblemost donkey and all of this friends

Will pause and acknowledge good work once again,

Then nod to each other Godspeed and Amen.

 

So where do they come from? Most come from the north.

Where do they journey? All over the earth.

Where can you see them? The bablink of your eye.

Where? In the blink of the blink of your eye.

 

So put out the cooking, red gumdrops and cheese.

Remember the carrots, and do your good deeds.

God is in heaven with Jesus above.

The angels are singing, “Merry Christmas with love.

 

To God’s good creation, Merry Christmas with love.”