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A CHRISTMAS STORY



FOR YOUNG VIRGIN ISLANDERS

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A Story for Young Virgin Islanders



PREPARED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ESEA TITLE III



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION



December 1969



Ruth Moolenaar,



Written by:



Project Coordinator-



Project Introspection,



ESEA Title III

r 4 -



NOTE: The Inkberry, a member of the

Madder Family, (Rubiaceae)

specifically, Randia aculeata L.,

is a deciduous shrub 5-10 feet

high or small tree 20 feet tall,

3 inches in diameter with erect

axis and thin crown of many nearly

horizontal spiny branches which

end with widely forking gray

spines 1/4 - 3/4 inch long.



The names arbol de navidad and

christmas tree refer to the use

of the tree as a christmas dec~

oration. A blue dye can be ob-

tained from the berries, the

source of the common names tin-

tillo and inkberry. Fishing

rods are made from the rigid

stems.



Range - Southern Florida, Ber-

muda, throughout the West Indies

from Bahamas to Cuba and Grenada,

Barbodos, Trinidad and Tobago.

Also in the thickets and open

forests of the lower mountain

range of Mexico, Central America,

Colombia, Venezula, Puerto Rico,

St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John,

Virgin Gorda and Anegada.



REFERENCE:



E.L. Little, Jr. and F. Wardsworth, Common

Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Washington, D.C.: .U.S. Department of

Agriculture, 1965), pp. 520-521.

—— oe ane mets ea



The "Beautiful Inkberry Tree" is

designed primarily to present to the

young Virgin Islander another reminder

or phase of his heritage. Through a

microscopic view of the past, refer-

ence is made to a typical family in

its preparations for the Christmas

Season. A broader purpose may be the

strengthening of the concept that

people everywhere are products of

their backgrounds,



Keeping an-alert eye on its basic

objective: to stimulate the Virgin

Islands child to achieve self-actual-

ization, Project Introspection, ESEA

Title III strongly affirms that to

understand others better we must first

understand ourselves well, hopes that

this story will help each student to

appreciate his family life and accept

himself as a creature of his ancestors

and to finally realize his indebtedness

to them.

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Helen was all excited, and she had reasons

to be. It was Christmas Eve and her Aunt Leah

and Cousin Audrey, whom she had never seen were

coming to spend the holidays at their house.

Nestled at the foot of Denmark Hill, Helen's

house shone from within; it had been so scrub-

bed in readiness for the exciting days ahead.

With her parents and three brothers, Helen

lived in this cottage from birth. Mother had

spent many evenings getting the house ready.

Floors were scrubbed, furniture polished, new

curtains were bought and hung in place. As

Helen looked around she could hardly restrain

herself from shouting with joy. What ten year

old wouldn't with the sights and smells that

were typical of Christmas being everywhere.



She ran into the yard to ask mother about the

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christmas tree but Mother just couldn't answer

at the moment. She was too busy pushing the

sweet breads around in the large dutch oven

with the broad wooden paddle. Mother smiled



as she pulled one of the sweet breads out - It

was done and my, my, how good it looked - a

rich brown round cake with prunes, cherries,

citron and nuts peeping through the baked crust.

Oh for a little taste! yearned Helen, but then

she remembered Mother had given her the bowl

and the wooden spoon to taste the batter =< Gee,

but that DID taste good. Finally Mother put

the wooden paddle to stand in a corner and

headed for the house. Helen looked back at



the paddle and smiled, It reminded her of a

picture of a beaver's tail she had seen in her

library book. The only difference was that the

base of the paddle was wider. She hoped that

this same paddle would still be around when she

grew up. (And that she would also make delici-

ous sweet breads as well as those her mother



made).

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Seining Muther on the way t) che house,

Helen asked, "Will we get the tree before Aunt

Leah and my cousin get here?" Mother put her

arms around her daughter's shoulders and said,

“yes dear, as a matter of fact, Papa and the

boys have already gone to Frenchman Hill to

chop the tree - They should be here any minute”.

Helen clapped her hands and ran ahead of her

mother straight to a cardboard box that was

partly hidden under her bed. She pulled it |

out and removed the contents slowly and thought-

fully. There were boxes of small Christmas

candles about three inches long, each candle

had the same ribbed design, but different

colors of red, blue, pink, yellow, green and

soft orange. Best of all were the glawe balls

that looked like bubbles with frosting, while

others were decorated with etched pictures.



But there was nothing for the top of the tree:

As she knelt near the box pondering over a star

or an angel for the crown of the tree she heard



papa's voice shouting to her eldest brother,

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"Leon, bring that kerosine tin over here"... .The

pan, thought Ellen - The tree is here} Now the

excitement began. How the family worked to-

gether, The tree was brought into the house

along with the tin which was about thirty-six

inches high. Placing the tree in the tin, the

boys next filled it up with rocks of different

sizes to steady the pan. Then father stood off

and looked at a job well done and mother looked

too - She studied the shape ~- When everything

seemed just xight, the kids set about trimming

the tree, To finish the job, sheets of gayly

colored gift wrapping paper were wound around

the can starting high at the base to hide the

rocks and this was kept in place by a wide band

of red crepe paper which ended in a large bow

at the front. One thing seemed missing - Or

was it really missing? No gifts were placed

under the tree. And again, as if by magic, by

nightfall there were packages and more packages

of different shapes and sizes all gayly wrap-



ped, lying under the tree.

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Any minute now Aunt Leah should be knock-

ing on their door. What seemed like a rather

long wait for Helen soon came to an end as a

taxi horn honked long and loud outside their

door, Mother quickly dried her hands from

washing the dishes, straightened her hair as

best as she could and opened the front door.

Hugging, kissing and introductions followed.



Her cousin Audrey, wearing heavy woolen

clothes, looked almost identical to Helen -

Her brown skin, however, was a lighter shade

due to climatic conditions of a Northern city

like New York. The girls liked each other from

the start, and Audrey , who wanted to know

about everything that seemed so strange, got

ready answers from her cousin, Taking quick

steps toward the tree, Audrey stopped suddenly

and looked. She was puzzled and this was very

plain to be seen. She pointed one finger to

the tree and cried, "What's that!" Poor Helen —-

she just couldn't understand her cousin's sur-



prise. Even though she was hurt- she tried not

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to show it - She couldn't embarrass her visitir,

Mother had taught her to be polite, and even more

so, to visitors in the home. She replied slowly,

"That's our Christmas Tree", Audrey threw back

her head and laughed - "A Christmas Tree? ~ No

its not. A pine tree is a Christmas tree; it

grows straight and tall, bears needles and also

grows cones instead of juicy fruits".



Aunt Leah, being very tactful, put her arms

around the two girls, drew them gently down on

the floor with her and as they sat together,

Aunt Leah told her daughter and her niece the

true meaning of Christmas. As she spoke, the

two girls listened, Then Aunt Lean continued

by speaking directly to her daughter - "So you

see Audrey, around the world, Christmas joys

take many forms. In the United States, we

believe in Santa Claus, while some have other

figures representing the spirit of Christmas.



In cold countries, trees wither and dry in the

winter time, but since evergreens remain green



all year, they are chosen as Christmas trees.

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In St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, this

Inkberry tree, (pointing to the tree in the

tin) is chosen as the christmas tree because

of its straight axis, its shapely clustered

branches and mostly because of the gray spines

that serve so easily as candle holders. When

it is decorated, it is just as beautiful as any

pine tree. This is the most beautiful christ-

mas tree I've seen in a long time". Aunt Leah

continued by telling the girls what good times

she had as a little girl when she did the same

things that Helen and her family were doing.

Very slowly Audrey leaned over and kissed her

cousin on the cheek. She didn't mean to hurt

her and she was sorry. Everyone laughed and

got up off the floor. Audrey asked, "Can I

help dress the christmas tree too? Is there

anything I can do?" Then Audrey remembered

there was nothing for the top of the tree and



said so.

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Aunt Leah went to her bags and brought



- gome small packages into the room - The girls

watched eagerly. Opening them, she revealed

some shiny bright silver rope. Together she

and the girls made a star for the top of the

tree. Taking the tinsel that was left, the

two girls wound it around the tree laughing

together as they went around and around, for-

ward and backward. Audrey began humming the

tune of "Oh Christmas Tree" and Helen and

Aunt Leah joined in. When that was finished,

dinner was ready and everyone, even papa, sang

as they gathered at the table "We wish you a

Merry Christmas", Papa alone sang the last

line as he poured guavaberry in each glass.

His loud tenor echoing through the house in a



solo, "And a Happy New Year".

PROPERTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

GOVERNMENT OF THE U.S, VIRGIN ISLANDS



PREPARED py ESEA Titte_IIl

PRoJecT INTROSPECTION: For Use



IN ut PUBLIC AND Nonekor T PRIVATE

SCHOOLS IN THE VIRGIN tS aitns

THE BATTLE OF THE VOICES



With Apologies to Clement C. Moore's



A Visit From St. Niek



Ttwae the night before Christmae

when all through the house



Not a ereature was stirring, not even

Aunt Lote



The sueet breads were placed on the

dresser with care :



In hopes that the Carolerse soon will

be there



The..ham wae all done, but tt was stiitl

aisaling



In cloves, other epices and rich

cherry herring.



Aunt Tillie in her kerchief and I in

my nightte



Juet had another nip of good guavaberry



when around the bend came the sound of

voices



I aprang from my chair - spilling drink

and tcee



Away to the door, I flew like a flash

Threw up the shutters, tore open the eash



The moon and the stare in the Tropteal sky,

Wae a breathtaking picture to the human eye

When what to my ltietening ears did I hear

But a band of Carolers, sounding very near



With a leader whose voice rose higher than

the clouds



I knew in a moment thie MUST BE ALIC LLOYD



More sweeter than angels their jubilant

votces



Resounded! Hosanna, the glad earth rejoices

In spotless white and banners gleaming

The Carolers marched but continued singing



To the top of their voices, to the top of

the htil



And taking their places, I can hear them

still.



And then in a twinkling, I heard from afar

Another group, I just knew was MISS ESTHER.

As I stepped into the yard to listen closely



Around the corner they came in rhythmia

steps so lively



Mise Esther, for the oecaston was eorrectly

attired



A straw hat, a whtte dress,



By all she was loved and admired.

Over her shoulders in the shape of an are

Was a blue ribbon that read, MISS ESTHER MARKS



She resembled a prima donna waiting for her

cue



To let go the voice that opened earth and

heaven too.



The group, they all waited, ttll Miss Esther

nodded



Then together they sang - votces exploded?

As one after another, Carols they sang



In a challenge or competition to Lloyd and

his gang.



From over the hill, the anewers came



Solo, duets, chorus refratne,



Hosannas, Hatlelujahe, again and again.

Lioyd had accepted and supreme he reigned.

4e each carol faded, the votcee grew eweeter



But morning was breaking and the contest was

over.



So as daylight dawned and the sun began to

shine,



The Carolers retreated to rest and dine

But ae they returned to homes cosy and merry



They sang "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND ENJOY.

YOUR GUAVABERRY",

PREPARED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ESEA TITLE Tit

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION



December 1969



Written by: Ruth Moolenaar,

Project Coordinator-

Project Introspection,

ESEA Title III