Although Justine was a small mouse, she had an unusual talent that no other mouse could compare to.

Unlike her brothers and sisters who would run around and around their small mousehole in the Arboretum, Justine would sit quietly thinking in the middle of her favourite clover patch. Today she was thinking about Christmas.

Some of the stores in Hamilton already had their Christmas trees up and so she knew it was nearly Christmas.

Now Justine was thinking about Emily. Emily was a small girl who looked like she was about eight.

She desperately wanted a pair of white roller skates like her friends had for Christmas, but they were very expensive and her mother who worked as a cashier at The Phoenix Centre, could not afford them. This is where Justine would come in.

She knew how Emily really wanted those roller skates and Justine was going to try her hardest to make sure that on December 25th those roller skates were under her tree.

Justine had a magic Santa Claus hat that had actually been given to her by Santa himself. Every Christmas Justine could make the hat human size so that she could grant a small child's wish.

The only problem was that Emily would have to put the hat on herself and say, "I wish I could get those roller skates for Christmas,'' so that Justine could grant her wish. This would be the tricky part.

So, Justine sat in the clover patch thinking, and thinking, and thinking even more.

"I've got it! I've got it!'' Justine finally yelled excitedly. "Every child goes to see the Christmas Pantomime at City Hall. I am sure that Emily would go too!'' This year the Christmas Pantomime was going to be "Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood''. She would make sure that two front row tickets appeared for Emily and her Mother. "Yes!'' Justine thought "This is going to work!'' The next day, Justine went to the City Hall ticket booth and while no one was looking she hastily wrote Emily's mum's name in two front row spaces for the last night of the show and took the tickets that went with the seats and she was off! After putting the tickets in an envelope Justine was on her way to Emily's house. She hitched a ride on the wheel of a horse and buggy and soon found herself half way to where Emily lived. She caught a traditional blue and pink bus the rest of the way. When Justine reached Emily's house she asked her friend Billy Blue jay to drop the envelop in Emily's mailbox. "Here goes nothing,'' Justine whispered quietly to herself.

Magic mouse makes Emily the happiest child in Paget "Go check the mail box, honey,'' Emily's mom said. It was something that was said every day but there was rarely any mail for either of them so it was an excitement today when Emily yelled to her mom, "We got something! We got something!'' "Open it!'' Her Mom cried unable to hide her curiosity. "That's strange. It is not addressed to anybody.'' Emily opened the envelop anyway and was amazed to see the two tickets.

"It's two front row tickets to the pantomime!'' Emily cried out.

"What?'' said her mother.

"Look!'' Emily replied. Sure enough Emily's mum looked and was just as startled as Emily.

"I wonder who did this?'' Emily's mum asked herself.

"Well, whoever did this sure was nice.'' Emily said.

Justine must have formed new lines on her cheeks from smiling so hard.

She knew that in the middle of her tiny mouse heart, that this was going to work. She went back home and sat in her favourite clover patch with a feeling of satisfaction.

Soon it was the last night of the Christmas Pantomime and Justine was in Robin Hood's dressing room trying to find his hat.

"Oh, where is it?'' Justine asked herself with a touch of annoyance in her voice. There it was, hanging on the cedar peg.

She scurried up the door in a hurry and fetched the hat. Using her mouse magic she quickly changed her Santa hat into a disguised version of Robin's hat.

Placing the new hat back on the peg she made her way to the theatre. Emily and her mother arrived at City Hall just after Justine had scurried under the leg of one of their chairs.

The show had been very enjoyable and Emily was now clapping hard as all the actors and actresses came out from behind the curtains to take a bow.

Everyone now clapped as hard as they could because Robin Hood had just come out from behind the curtain.

Emily stood up because she thought he had done such a good job. As Robin bowed he threw the Santa hat disguised as his hat out into the audience. Emily made a flying jump and caught it! "Isn't my hat great, mum?'' Emily asked as she wore the hat proudly through the streets of Hamilton.

"For the hundredth time darling, it's beautiful!'' her mum replied.

As Emily and her mum made their way back to the car, Emily lingered for a few moments at the window of a store and said quietly to herself.

"I wish I could get those Roller skates for Christmas.'' "What, honey?'' her mom asked.

"Nothing,'' Emily replied. Justine, who was following quite away behind them, whispered.

"Don't worry Emily, you will.'' Sure enough on Christmas day there was a large parcel under the tree for Emily. When she opened it she was the happiest child in Paget, and Justine was the happiest mouse.

MAGIC MOUSE -- Justine was a small mouse with a magic Santa Claus hat and every Christmas, she would make the hat human size so that she could grant a small child's wish. This year, she made Emily the happiest child in Paget.

CHRISTMAS SHORT STORY CONTEST CPN