Rudolph's short stories

On a cold winter night in the 1930s, the little girl Barbara lay on her father's lap and asked innocently, "Dad, why is my mother different from other people's mothers?" Such a simple question broke Bob Mayer's heart.

His eyes secretly fell on the other side of the room, and his young wife was lying on the sofa, suffering from cancer. She has been in bed for two years, and all Bob's income and savings have been exhausted by expensive medical expenses. Suffering ruined the lives of two adults, and now Bob suddenly realized that his daughter's happiness was at stake. He combed his daughter's hair with his fingers and prayed silently for a satisfactory answer.

Bob knows the meaning of "alien" very well. He was stunted from childhood and was often bullied by his partners until he cried. After going to college, I was often mistaken for my classmate's little brother because of my thin figure. Life as an adult is not satisfactory. Many students found decent jobs as soon as they graduated, but he just worked as an advertising planner in a mail order company. In his thirties, he was heavily in debt and down and out.

Bob naturally didn't expect that his answer would bring great fame and fortune and endless joy to thousands of children. On that cold winter night in Chicago, in that shabby room, Bob asked his daughter to lean on his shoulder and made up the following story for her:

"Once upon a time there was a reindeer named Rudolph. It is the only reindeer with a red nose in the world. People naturally call it Rudolph with a red nose. Rudolph's strange nose embarrassed him. The reindeer laughed at him, and even his parents and sister suffered. Rudolph was deeply immersed in infinite inferiority complex.

On Christmas Eve this year, Santa Claus gathered four strong reindeer to travel around the world to give presents to children, but the thick fog suddenly covered the earth. Santa knows it's impossible to find a chimney in this weather. Suddenly, Rudolph appeared, his red nose shining in the fog. The problem of Santa Claus is solved. He took Rudolph to the front of the sled, put on the reins, and then got on the sled himself. They're on their way! Rudolph brought Santa Claus safely to every chimney. Wind, frost, rain and snow can't beat Rudolph. His red nose can penetrate the fog like a lighthouse!

Santa Claus told everyone that Rudolf saved Christmas that year. Rudolph became the most famous reindeer and was loved by everyone. The red nose used to be its shame, but now it has become the envy of everyone. "

After the story was finished, my daughter smiled happily. Since then, my daughter has been pestering her father to tell the story again every night, and finally Bob can recite it in his sleep.

Christmas is coming, and Bob can't afford expensive Christmas presents. He decided to adapt Rudolph's story into a children's poem and make a small illustrated picture book as a Christmas present for his daughter. Night after night, Bob began to work after his daughter fell asleep.

Just as the album was about to be completed, tragedy happened: his wife died. His daughter became Bob's greatest comfort. He endured his grief and continued to write at his desk in a lonely room.

At the company's Christmas party, Bob read out his works in public. At first, the noisy crowd laughed while listening, then gradually quieted down and finally could not help but give warm applause. The next day, Barbara was overjoyed when she received a gift from her father. The year is 1938.

By Christmas 1947, Rudolph with a Red Nose had sold 6 million copies and became one of the best-selling books in the world. After ups and downs and all kinds of misfortunes, Bob finally succeeded, but he didn't lose his cool head. Every Christmas, he always recalls that night with gratitude. I didn't expect my daughter's little question to become the best-selling fairy tale book in the world. Maybe the real fairy tale is life itself.