The little town in Norway was all wrapped up in thick snow that carpeted the lanes and roofs of little wooden houses. Snowflakes from the heavens above swayed in the icy cold winds that placed them on the pine branches that cradled them .It was Christmas eve and there was  cheer in the air but not so for little  Mark.

.

Mark helped his dad decorate the Christmas tree with stars, cornets, coloured glass balls and candles but his heart was not in it. Tears filled his eyes whenever he thought of his dear doggie sparkle that was no more.

Mark met Sparkle for the first time when he was just three. He was one of the nine cute pups that Mr.Roger had and Mark instantly liked Sparkle out of all the others. Sparkle had dashed towards him and licked his feet and held out his paw as if asking Mark to take him home…and that was how their lovely friendship started.

Sparkle and Mark were inseparable. .They were together all the time and last Christmas, Sparkle was such a happy doggie… constantly wagging it’s tail and trying to help Mark and his dad by picking up decorations with it’s teeth.

Sparkle had the habit of getting into fights with the local hounds and one day it came back very hurt and despite the efforts by the local vet it succumbed to injuries in Mark’s lap that left the little boy devastated. Mark’s parents tried to cheer him up but in vain.

It felt like this pain would never leave him and his tears would never dry.

All he wanted for xmas was his Sparky.....

The children of the town were on the other hand very excited about Christmas.

They sang Christmas carols merrily and moved from house to house asking for ‘Christmas Buck’ or Christmas sweets that was the tradition since ages but lil Mark wouldn’t join them.

Mark’s mom made the special traditional rice porridge for the Christmas elf, ‘Nissen’like every year that day.

According to Norwegian folklore the Elf protects farm animals and he expects the people to make this porridge for him and place it outside their homes.

Mark carried some rice porridge in a small bowl and placed it outside for Nissen and screamed to him loudly asking him to protect and care for his Sparkle wherever it was.

He looked above and saw the stars shining brightly and the snowflakes dropping down from heavens…swaying in the icy winds and gently falling over him. He felt cold and unhappy and his tears froze on his pale cheeks before they trickled down his chin.

‘Sparkle…I miss you!’ Mark screamed into the icy winds.

Later that night after church service and a sumptuous Christmas dinner the family heard a knock at their door.

Mark opened the door and found no one there. He saw a small basket that was covered with a red drape. When he reached for it he moved back his hand startled as he saw something wriggling and a whimper coming from below the drape.

He mustered courage and uncovered the basket only to find a small pup looking at him with dreamy eyes and it went ‘woof woof’ looking at him.

As soon as the pup saw Mark, it jumped off the basket and came running to him and started sniffing his feet with it’s tiny nose. Mark ran into the house and the pup followed him surprising everyone.It was almost like a lil furry snowball pouncing towards him.

‘Go home you lil pup!’ Mark screamed standing on a chair and looking down at the pup but the pup replied ‘woof woof’.

 It stood in front of him and extended its tiny paw,wagging its lil tail and  just the way Sparkle did when he had first met him.

Mark got down the chair picked the naughty lil pup while his dad went outside to check who had left the basket there but found no one.

‘Well...Marky I think the pup likes you and wants to be your friend...Do you think you can love it like you loved sparkles?’ Mark’s dad asked.

Mark was hesitant and looked at the lil pup that started licking his face all of a sudden....

He laughed and said ‘I think I can. I will call him Miracle!’…

Far away from the house some foot prints were seen on the christmas snow…...

pic courtesy-www.ifimages.com

http://www.ifimages.com/public/image/934375/view.html

pic-http://www.purina.com/i/dogs/pno_puppies.jpg