THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1964
THE NYSSA GATE CITY JOURNAL, NYSSA, OREGON
Nyssa Sixth Grade Students Write
Poems
Covering Wintertime Topics
These are some of the poems written recently, as an assign
ment, by Nyssa students in Elvin Ballou’s sixth grade class
room. They cover subjects from animals to Christmas day.
Both Ballou and the Journal publishers feel that they will be
enjoyed by many readers.
Stocking Up Begins
With Santa Claus Act
Santa Claus, envisioned today
as a jolly, cheerful man with an
affinity for children, was a ro
manticist too, according to leg
end.
The first Santa Claus, St. Nich
olas, started the custom of hang
ing stockings by the chimney
when h i s romantic heart was
touched and he gifted a bankrupt
merchant’s three marriageable
daughters with gold for their
dowries.
Desiring anonyimity, he tossed
the three bags of gold through
the window, or, as some tell it,
down the chimney. One of the
bags landed in a stocking which
had been hung up to dry on the
mantelpiece.
Hanging up stockings thus be
came part of the holiday ritual.
HORSE DRAWS SLEIGH
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and
Rudolph would cause no excite
ment in the Netherlands where
children believe that a horse pulls
St. Nicholas’ sleigh. The great
horse is named Sleipner, and the
Dutch children fill their wooden
shoes with hay for him. This gives
him energy to get St. Nick to
every house.
OWYHEE TRUCK
& IMPLEMENT CO
TREE CANDLES PREFERRED
The celebration of a West Ger
man Christmas is filled with tra
dition, foremost of which is the
Christmas tree, dating back 400
years. Until recently, trees were
trimmed with candles and al
though artificial lighting for tree
ornaments has been introduced,
the candles are still preferred by
many.
and warmest wishes to all our friends
Christmas Day
This November Day
On Christmas Day the snow
Lay soft and thick and white,
But Santa Claus had come
To see us in the night.
He filled my little stocking;
I knew he’d not forget—
O, thank you, thank you, Santa;
Perhaps I’ll meet you yet.
You always are so kind to rne
When Christmas comes around.
I often wonder how you come;
You never make a sound.
—By Janie Farmer.
It was cold and bleak November
On that first Thanksgiving Day,
With wilderness all around,
With hardship and courage along
the way—
For there was little food and shel
ter.
They built a church near a bay,
But as freely as they please,
They will worship and pray.
But with their favorite Indian
friends,
They sang their grateful phrase
Of their love and thanks,
In their humble kind of way.
Now we live in a modern world,
Where the children laugh and
When fall comes ’round,
Play,
And leaves drift to the ground
Mr. Winter is on his way down. But we’ll never forget the thanks
For November’s Thanksgiving
The animals all storing food
Day.
For the cold months;
For
this great land of the free,
For Mr. Winter has been known
We
honor the Pilgrim Fathers’
To pull terrible stunts.
stay,
All the animals so busy—
Who did much for you and me,
To watch makes one dizzy.
For the wonderful land today.
Such chatter, such screeching
—By Janis Takami.
With crows in trees preaching.
But when Mr. Winter comes
THANKSGIVING
The creatures are snug in the On the 26th of November (this
nest;
year),
God planned it that way
Is a special day,
And his way is best.
To thank the Lord for all we
have,
-By Mardi Tensen.
In all we do and say.
—By Susan Howes.
Mr. Winter
GATE CITY CLEANERS
• jgw.
Christmas
Christmas comes in Wintertime;
Big bells begin to chime.
Jesus’ birth we celebrate,
By being friends with small and
great.
Christmas is a time for fun.
Sometimes boys get a popgun;
Sometimes girls get little dolls,
And little babies get big balls.
Christmas is a happy day;
Little children act very gay.
Hope you have lots of fun—
Merry Christmas everyone!
—By Frank Sells.
WHEN THE AIR IS CRISP
AND CLEAR AND COLD
The air is crisp and clear and cold,
Although this school is very old.
Its walls are crumbled
And a bit jumbled;
The doors hang wrong
And the walls aren’t strong.
The floors are bowed
And the books are sewed.
The teachers are nice
If you can break the ice
When the air is crisp and clear
and cold.
—By Dellas G. Frederiksen.
THE RABBIT
THAT IS NO MORE
I had a little rabbit;
He was always blue.
I never had any fun with him,
So I made some stew.
—By Kyle Lassiter.
IN SOUTH PACIFIC
For Fiji Islanders, Christmas
starts at 2 a.m. when carolers
wake the villagers with serenades.
At dawn, when everyone is
awake and assembled, some at
tend church while others take
care of preparing the feast.
Sober Reminder . . .
Want to stay alive for ’65? Stay
out of the deadly “Holiday Fol
lies.” Don’t drink and drive. This
sober reminder is from the Traf
fic Safety and Education division
of the Oregon Department of Mo
tor Vehicles.
heartfelt prayer at this holy Christmas season.
WILD GEESE
Wild geese are flying south today;
I’ll play in the falling snow
And make icicles crack—
Then when spring brings sunny
days again,
I’ll watch the geese fly back.
—By Richard Beck.
DR. K. A. DANFORD