Anna All Year Round Read Online Free PDF Page A

Charlie says. "Just imagine the fun we'd have, Anna."
    Anna isn't sure she wants an Erector set but she hates to disappoint Charlie. "I'll think about it," she tells him.
    "Think hard," Charlie says.
    ***
    After supper that night, Father asks Anna if she's written her letter to Santa.
    "Not yet." She opens the wish book and shows Father the doll.
    "Very pretty," he says. "Is that all you want?"
    Anna turns the pages and shows Father the Erector set. "Do you suppose Santa would bring one of these to a girl?"
    "I don't see why not," Father says.
    Mother looks over Father's shoulder. "Surely you don't want an Erector set, Anna!"
    Suddenly Anna wants the Erector set more than anything she's ever wished for. "Yes, I do!" she says fiercely.
    Father chuckles but Mother frowns. "Please, Ira," Mother says. "Don't encourage this foolishness. Anna's a girl, a young lady. What use has she for boys' toys?"
    "I see no harm in it," Father says. "An Erector set will teach Anna how to build things, Lizzie. It's far more educational than a doll."
    Mother sighs. "We'll see," she says. "Santa may not think Anna needs an Erector set."
    Anna writes her list. She uses her best penmanship and is careful not to blot the ink or misspell any words. The doll is number one. The Erector set is number two. She adds candy, hair ribbons, paper dolls, and a book. It's a lot to ask for, but, as Mother said, Santa will decide what Anna needs.
    The days drag past slowly, slowly, slowly. Anna helps Mother clean the house. She polishes the silver. She buys presents and wraps them in her bedroom, keeping the door closed so no one will see what she's picked.
    Finally it's Christmas Eve. Father brings home a tree taller than Anna. It's fresh and green. Soon the whole house smells like a pine forest.
    Anna and Mother help Father set up the tree. They put it in front of the parlor window so people on the street will see it as they walk past the house.
    They decorate the tree with big shiny glass balls and pretty ornaments from Germany. Father adds tiny candles. Anna wants to light them right away but the candles can be lighted just once—on Christmas night.
    All day Mother has been cooking. The house smells of roast turkey and sauerkraut, cranberries and sweet potatoes, sugar cookies, and fondant, a special treat made of sugar and cream, colored in delicate tints of green, yellow, and pink. They are so sweet they make Anna's jaws ache.
    Just as darkness falls, Mother's family begins to arrive. As they come inside from the cold, they stamp their feet and cry, "
Fröhliche Weinachten! Fröhliche Weinachten!
" Anna knows that means "Merry Christmas!"
    Soon the little house is crowded with aunts and uncles and cousins, so many Anna does not know all their names. They laugh and talk, sometimes in English, sometimes in German. They remember the old days before Anna was born.
    After dinner, Grandfather Reuwer produces a bottle of homemade dandelion wine. The more he drinks, the more he talks. When Grandfather Reuwer begins telling stories that make him cry, a visiting entertainer gets out his accordion and sings. Beside him is a large chart on which the German words to the songs are written. Everyone gathers around and sings in German, even Anna. She hopes she'll remember the words, but as soon as the man turns the page, she forgets the song she just sang.
    When all the songs are sung, the whole family goes to Midnight Mass at Saint Gregory's Catholic Church. This is the first year Anna has been allowed to stay up so late. She walks down the sidewalk holding Father's and Mother's hands. The street is unfamiliar in the dark. The air smells of snow and the wind is cold. All over the city, church bells are ringing. The chimes come from many directions. It's as if the bells are ringing in heaven, Anna thinks.
    The church is warm. The light is soft and golden. Pine boughs garland the altar. In the crèche, Mary and Joseph kneel beside the manger, gazing at baby Jesus. He lies on