Christmas Short Stories Anthology

Vasilisa had not seen her daughter for four years. Her daughter, Yefimya, had gone after her wedding to Petersburg, had sent them two letters, and since then had seemed to vanish out of their lives; there had been no sight nor sound of her. And whether the old woman was milking her cow at dawn or heating her stove or dozing at night, she was always thinking of one and the same thing - what was happening to Yefimya, whether she were alive.... Read in English, unabridged.

In Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket, Lucy Rose tries to talk her folksy Aunt Cyrilla out of bringing her big, bulgy, funny-looking basket to the city to deliver Christmas goodies to their relatives in the city. When their train is stranded during a snow storm, Aunt Cyrilla and her fellow passengers team up to provide a proper Christmas morning for the little ones in their care.

It's Christmas at Camelot and that can only mean one thing...an eerie adventure is about to begin! Grab a cup of mead, sit back and enjoy this famous Christmas short story told like never before.

A Perfect Christmas with Chaos is a story that gives you a peek into Ember's first Christmas with Mav. Hear a part of their story that was never told before. Find out a little bit more about your favorite couple and Mav's sexy biker brothers. It's Christmas. And the Harbingers of Chaos are coming for dinner.

Kat saw the warning signs that her marriage was on the brink of collapse. The pressure of middle-class existence, an absent sex life, and a husband about to lose his job all spelled disaster. In a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, she hatched a plan to remind Ethan of their sexier days. First, she convinced him to take her on his next business trip. Second, she mailed a negligee to the lodge where they would be staying. Third, she had to figure out which model Ethan gave the negligee to when he didn't realize it was for her.

Holly flieht über die Weihnachtstage aus New York, weil ihr der Rummel auf die Nerven geht. Die Rocky Mountains sind genau der richtige Ort, um zu arbeiten. Denkt sie. Nur hat ihr niemand gesagt, dass es dort Männer gibt, die nicht nur ihr Herz höher schlagen lassen, sondern auch noch mit Nachnamen Christmas heißen ... Eine Kurzgeschichte von Erfolgsautorin Kajsa Arnold, die nicht nur zu Weihnachten Spaß macht!

Originally published in an 1896 edition of The Home Monthly, "The Burglar's Christmas" tells the story Crawford, a homeless man in Chicago who has not eaten recently and considers stealing food on Christmas Eve. Reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son, this tale reflects on the nature of forgiveness. This recording of "The Burglar's Christmas" was recorded as part of Dreamscape's Classic Christmas Stories: A Collection of Timeless Holiday Tales.

This short story, "El Espejo de Navidad", is in Spanish. It is about a father, who is having a hard time letting go of his daughter, as she comes to the point, where she no longer believes... in Papa Noel(Santa).

In "A Hospital Christmas" a Civil War-era hospital is the setting for a Christmas story about caring for others, thinking positively, and how sharing can make Christmas meaningful for those who have little.

It's a typical Christmas Eve. All except for the hot weather. And the head.

"A New Way to Spend Christmas" describes a Christmas visit to Randall's Island in the East River, where orphaned and sick children are looked after. A charitable woman brings gifts and spreads "sunshine in that shady place" to the unfortunate children who live there.

Thomas Hardy wrote this engaging seasonal story for The Father Christmas Annual in 1877, which was very early in his career. One can just imagine the family sitting by the fireside after the big Christmas lunch, and listening as one member of the family read the story (set in the Wessex countryside he knew so well). By this time, he was already making his mark as a writer. One of his greatest achievements, Far From the Madding Crowd was published three years earlier.

While doing some last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve, a man has a magical experience. He watches a child preparing to get on Santa's lap through a shop window and is reminded about a special Christmas memory. When the child gets down, Santa makes eye contact with the man, and they are immediately taken back to a moment they had shared (in his past). So the story unfolds as he stares through a window of time at a glimpse from Christmas past....

Siblings Alexina and Stephen are down on their luck this year and resign themselves to not having a Christmas dinner. But when their wealthy, gourmand uncle James invites himself to their house for Christmas, the pair scramble to lay out a sumptuous feast, including his favorite, Mince pie. But 10 minutes before the turkey is done, an unforeseeable disaster occurs that threatens to ruin everything.

Christmas is one of the best times for huddling round the fire, wrapping up in a cozy blanket and telling each other stories. Storyteller Vicky Parsons brings a series of Christmas stories to charm and delight the whole family. Her lyrical style and humour gives a unique take on age-old stories, and new stories from her own imagination.

On the surface Norman is not the perfect Christmas tree, but just because he is different to the other trees, he is no less special and no less deserving of a happy home full of love.