December 25
I took a stool this time. It was hard carrying it to Jareth's room up all those stairs that you can walk upside down on. Jareth and Sarah were still asleep. I climbed in between them. Sarah yelped and fell out of bed. She grabbed all the blankets with her. Jareth had no clothes on. He said a word I don't know, but I am sure it is a four dollar one. He made a glass ball and suddenly Sarah was next to him with all the blankets. He made another and a huge comforter appeared out of nowhere over all of us. Sarah tried to be cross only Jareth wouldn't let her. I tried to tell him it was Christmas and there were presents. Jareth said it was too cold to get up. He said we could only get up if the short hand of the clock was on the seven and the long hand was on the 6. That's ages and ages away. I slept. Jareth's bed is like a nest, all warm and comfortable.
Sarah didn't listen to Jareth. She woke me up when the short hand was on the 6 and told me I wasn't allowed in Jareth's room until after it is daylight. I told her there were presents. Sleep is boring. She told me to go and wake mom and dad. I raced the goblins down the stairs.
We all sneaked into the living room where the tree was. Tulby worked out how to switch on the lights on the tree. We played freeze with the lights, every time they flashed on we had to be still, and ran around when they flashed off. Larat and Maddy knocked the tree over and it hit the TV. We all held still through three dark patches of light but Mom didn't come downstairs. We couldn't lift the tree off the TV so we went back to the Labyrinth to call Hoggle.
Hoggle was even grumpier than Sarah. He bargained meanly, I had to give him my plastic train set I got for Christmas last year for his help. We got the tree off the TV but it wouldn't stand up, so Hoggle pushed it against the wall and it looked okay. I was just giving Hoggle all the bits to the train set when Mom came into my room. I think she might have seen Hoggle before he dove under my bed. She said it was too early and I had to wait until seven. Everyone is telling me to wait. It is not fair. I pouted. Mom said if I was going to be trouble, I would have to wait till after dinner for presents. I managed a Jareth smile with all teeth. It didn't work very well. Mom told me to not be cheeky and to play quietly.
When it was seven Mom put on the Christmas music and knocked on my door and Sarah's for presents. Only, Sarah isn't in her room. I sent Tulby to warn her, 'cause Mom is already in a bad mood. Only, when Mom turned on the living room lights, she screamed. Sarah ran past me down the stairs, wrapped in Jareth's comforter. I couldn't grab her to warn her. We don't have glittery blankets at home, Mom would notice for sure!
I ran down after her and tried to grab Sarah but she was gaping at the television. It was cracked. We hadn't noticed that. The goblins and I slunk off, but Sarah grabbed my shirt. Before she could yell, I told her about the glittery comforter. She squeaked and ran upstairs. Only right then, Merlin came into the room and the look Mom gave us was as bad as Jareth when he's in a bogging mood. I grabbed his collar and we ran upstairs to Sarah's room just as she was coming out. She wouldn't let us hide in the Labyrinth.
We only got presents after dinner. Dad says we won't have a TV for a whole week until after new year's. Sarah is mad at me. Mom is mad at me. Dad is sort of sad. I went and told Jareth because he is the only nice person. He called Tulby, Larat, Maddy and Hoggle to hear the whole story. He laughed so hard he missed sitting in his throne and landed on the step. He gave us all chocolate medals for causing excellent mischief for mortals. I think I will have Christmas in the Labyrinth next year.
