The Jewel Collar by Christine Karol Roberts Read Free Book Online Page B

going on. It was Mikey
the Mallard. Mikey was friends with Steve the Squirrel and the rest
of the garden friends. Mikey had beautiful, colorful feathers and
loved to eat bread pieces and quack and swim in the pool.
     

     
     
     
    He immediately spotted Ari’s Jewel Collar and
said to Ari “Where did you get your beautiful Jewel Collar?” Ari
told him that his Mommy gave it to him so that he would not be so
sad at Christmas in his new garden at their new home. “Would you
like to be my friend, too?” Ari asked Mikey. “Here is a lovely
jewel for you from my collar. Merry Christmas.”
     
     

     
     
     
    Mikey, who was a very playful duck, was
overjoyed since he also missed his friend, Larry the Lhasa Apso.
Larry the Lhasa Apso moved away from the garden when his parents
sold their house to Ari’s Mommy.
     

     
     
     
    “You know, Ari”, said Mikey, “I have another
friend, Pete the Possum, but I only see him at night when he comes
out to eat leftover food and oranges which have fallen from the
orange trees.”
     

     
     
     
    “I can introduce you to Pete tonight.” Ari
was excited because one of his best friends in the beach garden was
Paul the Possum. They chased each other around the pool in the
moonlight every night at the beach house. The new friends said
goodbye until the next day because Ari’s Mommy called him into the
house for bedtime.
     

     
     
     
    That night, after dinner, Ari took his place
by the edge of the pool, waiting for Mikey to show up and introduce
him to Pete the Possum. Ari had been watching Pete for a few weeks
now.
     

     
     
     
    Mikey arrived in the garden. They finally
heard the rustle of leaves and the clicking sound which meant that
Pete the Possum was near.
     

     
     
    “Pete.” Pete looked around and saw his
friend, Mikey. “I’d like you to meet Aristotle, Ari to his
friends.” Mikey said. “Ari and his family just moved here from the
beach.
     

     
     
     
    Ari is new to the neighborhood and he would
like to be your friend.” Ari handed Pete one of his jewels and said
to him “I would like to share this with you. This jewel is for you
for Christmas. It is from my favorite Jewel Collar.” Pete shook
Ari’s paw, said thank you and told him he looked forward to many
moonlit nights playing around the pool and garden.
     

     
     
     
    Ari heard the flapping of wings and looked
up. He saw Hannah the Hummingbird feeding her children in the tree
above. Ari decided to share some jewels with them later. Ari was
thrilled. He had so many new friends to play with and share his
days in the garden.
     

     
     
     
    While Ari loved each of his beautiful
collars, the Jewel Collar was by far his favorite and his most
prized possession.
     

     
     
     
    Although moving away from his old friends and
beach garden made him sad, Ari now had many new friends in the
Floral Park garden to spend fun-filled days with, including the new
little Hummingbird family.
     

     
     
     
    Later that day, Ari walked around his garden
and barked happily at the baby hummingbirds. Ari knew that it was
more important to have good friends than jewels.
     

     
     
     
    Ari learned that sharing with others was the
most important lesson he could learn. Ari was so happy and knew it
would be the best Christmas ever.
     

     
     
     
    The next day was Christmas and Ari and his
new friends gathered around the water fountain and admired their
jewel Christmas gifts from Ari. The Sparrow Family arrived to
celebrate Christmas with their garden friends and wondered what the
excitement was all about.
     

     
     
     
    Ari approached the Sparrow Family,
comfortable that he could introduce himself to the Sparrow Family
without Steve the Squirrel’s help. He handed them five jewels, one
for each member of the family. “Merry Christmas,” Ari said. “I
would very much like to be your friend.” The Sparrow Family chirped
to Ari that it would be their pleasure and thanked Ari for his
Christmas gifts to