I have no gifts for him…
One week before Christmas
Katniss Everdeen
The Secret House
Somewhere in London.
Dear Father Christmas
My name is Katniss, I am four and a half years old and I have tried to be a good little girl.
You must have so many letters to read, but I do so hope you get to see mine! You see mummy and me aren't living at home right now. Last week, we had to leave in the night and go to stay in a secret house. I know I'm not supposed to tell anybody about it, but how will you know where to send our presents? I'm very worried because we might not get anything. I would really like you to get something for my mummy. She is very sad and doesn't really do anything anymore. I don't know where my daddy is. I haven't seen him in forever. Mummy says he is naughty and doesn't love us anymore, but I hope you can find him anyway.
I wanted to write this letter all by myself, but I haven't been to school much yet so I'm not very clever. My writing is too big and the letters are all the wrong way around. That is why Sue is helping me. She works in the secret house and helps look after me when mummy is feeling poorly. She thinks it is a good idea to tell you all about what I want for Christmas. I told her I don't think I'm a very nice little girl because I don't usually get very much. Sue says I have been very helpful since I arrived in the secret house. She told me it is a good idea to write and tell you all about it. In fact she says I should write to you about anything I want to say. After all, you are supposed to know when all the children have been naughty or nice so you must be interested in me. I don't know how she is going to get this letter to you, but when I asked her about it she just winked and asked me if I believed in magic.
I think that I do.
So for Christmas I would like some new books for the TV room. This is because all the ones in the toy box are too babyish and most of them have far too much scribble on them. If you can I would also like a book with pictures that is just for me. Maybe one with animals in it because I really like looking at them, no grizzly bears or monsters please because they are too scary. I do get a bit frightened here sometimes too. At night people make a lot of noise and it wakes me up. There is one lady who looks at me funny when I get up to go to the toilet and I don't know why. I wish I had my toy cat and cuddly bunny. Mummy forgot to pack them when we went away and it made me cry. I was a bit bad because I hugged the bunny so much his ear fell off. When mummy shouted at me I used to go and pull the fur off the cat. I am sorry now. Oh can I have them back for Christmas please?
I'm not sure what my mummy wants. She doesn't like a lot of things and I never know what will make her smile and what will make her cross. How about some new clothes because she doesn't have any of them? I know! I hear her asking for just a bit of peace and quiet in her head a lot, so how about that? That doesn't cost too many pennies.
Sue says she has to go and tidy up now as it's nearly the end of her shift.
Thank you for reading my letter
Yours sincerely
Katniss.
Two days before Christmas…
Katniss Everdeen
The Secret House
Somewhere in London
Dear Father Christmas
There are so many good things happening in the secret house today! When I came downstairs there were shiny decorations all over the ceiling. All of the children got to help hang things on a ginormous tree and I even got lifted up so I could put a star on the top! Afterwards we got to eat mince pies and drink Cherryade. I have never had them before. I don't know why all the grown-ups like mince pies so much. They are very yucky and all the fruit got stuck in my teeth. The Cherryade was much nicer because it is so funny. The bubbles go up my nose and my mouth went all pink. I hope my mummy doesn't think I stole some lipstick. Some of the children got very silly after they drank the Cherryade. They started jumping on the furniture when we put Christmas music on.
Sue says I shouldn't say any more about that part.
I think that the best thing about today was the big box in the kitchen. Sue said because I had been such a good girl that I could help her unpack it and make sure that everyone got a present from inside. She said I was in charge. I even got to use the big scissors so I could cut the cellotape. There are so many nice things for everyone. Gifts like colouring books and sweets and packs of toy cars. There are also smelly soaps and tiny hairbrushes for all the mummies. I worked hard making sure that everyone gets the present they will like the most. Some of the things aren't even for Christmas, like phone cards and toothbrushes and shampoo. Sue says that some people just want those things more. I hope she is right! I chose my mummy a hairbrush with glitter on it. Sometimes she likes it when I pretend to wash her hair in the bath. Other times she starts to cry and tells me she can still do it herself. Do you think she might comb my hair with the hairbrush too?
Sue says to make sure to tell you that I didn't ask her which present was going to be mine. I think I just forgot! If I look under the tree on Christmas morning there will be a present with my name on it for me to find. I'm so excited! Maybe I am a little bit nice after all…
I want to write more but Sue says she has to go and do work on the computer. I don't want to be bored again.
Only two more sleeps until you are here. I hope that you do find us.
Thank you
Katniss.
Christmas Eve…
Katniss Everdeen
The Secret House
Somewhere in London
Dear Father Christmas
It is Christmas Eve and I'm so excited, but I'm also feeling a bit sad. You see something has happened and now I don't know what to do about it. Please can you help me?
I don't know how any magic can be good enough to get this letter to you today. Are the elves being very helpful? Are the reindeer ready to pull the sleigh?
A new mummy and a little boy have come to stay here and now there are no presents for them. Every single one from the box was already used up! I don't really like the mummy very much. She shouts a lot, even more than my mummy and I don't always understand what she is saying. I am a bit scared of her because when I first tried to talk to the little boy, she yelled at me and told me he won't understand and that I should leave him alone. Sue says not to worry because she thinks they will go and stay somewhere else very soon.
I don't want the little boy to go. I like the way he smiles at me!
He doesn't say very much and he is a bit naughty. He drew pictures all over the walls with the broken crayons and he even ate the biscuits and carrot I left out for you and Rudolph. I don't mind though. Maybe he is hungry?
I think he wants to be my friend because he doesn't like being on his own and he follows me around everywhere. He cried a lot when Sue told him he had to go upstairs and be with his mummy because we were going to write this letter.
So please Father Christmas can you make sure that you find him as well? If you can, can you get him some chocolates and sweets of his own? It will make me feel so much better!
I have to go and get my pyjamas on now.
Hopefully you will see me soon!
Katniss
One week after Christmas….
Peeta Melaika
The Secret House
Somewhere in London
Dear Father Christmas.
My name is Peeta and I am exactly four years and two months old. I am writing this letter because my friend Katniss says it is nice to write and say thank you for my presents. I want to be good and helpful like she is. Katniss also says it is nice to talk to Sue and then she can help me write down if I am feeling happy or sad. My mummy said I was not allowed to talk in English otherwise bad people might people come and take me away.
She has gone now; so this is what I have to say…
Thank you for the chocolate cake and the marshmallows and the Christmas biscuits. I have eaten them all up! Katniss said I didn't have to share them with her because they were meant for me. Thank you also for the new book of Fairy tales in the TV room. I like looking at the pictures of the handsome princes when they rescue the princesses. Maybe I will grow up to be like them one day? Katniss has something called an animal encyclopaedia, but she says it is very special and she won't let me look at it yet. Thank you also for the new music CD's in the TV room with the pretty singing on them. I like to lie down on the floor and listen to it with Katniss. I think her mummy likes it a lot too because she always shuts her eyes and smiles when it is playing.
This week I have been feeling very sad because my mummy has left me a lot and I don't know why. This time I don't think she is ever going to come back and Sue says that some nice ladies are coming this afternoon to take me to live in a new house. There is a family living there and they have lots of toys for me to play with. I am very scared and I will miss my mummy. Can you make sure that she is ok?
I feel a bit better now though because Katniss has given me something to cuddle when I have to go. It is a toy cat and its fur is very soft. I like to carry it everywhere I go and I am going to sleep with it on my pillow at night. I wish I had something to give to her…
So Father Christmas, please can you make sure that she gets something extra nice next year? It will make me happy because I think I will always remember my new friend…
Thank you so much for reading my letter
Yours sincerely
Peeta.