Bunny Face and the Spirit of Christmas

Name: Bunny Face and the Spirit of Christmas
Author: Maud Van Buren

Bunny Face, a pale, small, good-natured boy with unusually movable ears, lives neglected with Katie Duckworth above or near her little dry-goods store. He is a habitual truant, a teller of fanciful stories, and a lover of woods, animals, spirits, and strange questions. After rescuing a thin Maltese cat from a dog, he becomes friends with the Parson and his sister, who welcome him warmly, name the cat Agnes, and introduce him to kindness, supper by the fire, and the Christmas Story. As Christmas approaches, Bunny Face sees a picture in Hampton’s Toy Shop showing Santa Claus leaving a small house among tall pine trees. Certain that he recognizes the trees on Clark’s road, he skips school and crosses snowy fields to find Santa Claus’ house. He finds only cold, wind, and trees, and returns exhausted to Katie Duckworth’s store, where Agnes comforts him. Seeing other children buy presents makes him realize that Christmas involves giving as well as receiving. He decides he needs presents and secrets too, but has nothing to give. While searching again for Santa Claus, Bunny Face encounters the dump children who live with Old Crab, the school janitor. They scoff at Santa Claus. Bunny Face begins listing people whom he believes will have no Christmas: himself, Agnes, the dump children, the janitor, and Madam Iceberg, a wealthy but isolated woman whom everyone regards as unfriendly. At the Parson’s house, he tells of this list and hears the Christmas Story for the first time. The Parson explains that its meaning is “the Spirit of Christmas that the world needs.” Bunny Face imagines this spirit as a beautiful fairy. Soon afterward, Bunny Face impulsively rides on the back of Madam Iceberg’s green sleigh to her great house. Inside, he sees a portrait of her as a young bride and declares that it is the Spirit of Christmas. Madam Iceberg is struck by his innocence and listens as he explains that she, the janitor, the dump children, Agnes, and he himself will have no Christmas. The next day Old Crab is jailed for stealing from her house. The Parson is urged to ask Madam Iceberg to free him, expecting failure, but she receives him kindly, discusses Bunny Face and the portrait, and agrees to let the janitor go. Madam Iceberg then finds Bunny Face at Katie Duckworth’s store and invites him into her Christmas secrets and surprises. Together they buy toys for the dump children, baskets of food for the janitor and others, and a basket with a red cushion and a ball for Agnes. Bunny Face reminds her that he and Madam Iceberg remain on the list, and she says she wants a little guest—Bunny Face himself—to spend Christmas Day with her and help distribute the gifts. On Christmas morning, Madam Iceberg sends Katie Duckworth a ribboned basket of oranges and nuts and brings Bunny Face and Agnes to her decorated home. Beneath a great tree are toys, games, books, skates, a sled, a velocipede, and the framed picture of Santa Claus’ house. Agnes receives her basket, cushion, and ball. Bunny Face and Madam Iceberg take a sleigh full of toys and food to the janitor’s shanty, where they give the dump children Christmas presents and a dinner basket. They also visit the Parson and his sister, delivering a letter signed by Bunny Face and Madam Iceberg. The Parson says they now know something about the Spirit of Christmas. Bunny Face joyfully identifies Madam Iceberg herself as that spirit. Returning home, she calls him “Sunny Face” because of his smile. They share a lavish Christmas dinner, then go hand in hand to sit by the fire and tell stories, joined by the warmth and generosity Bunny Face had once only imagined.

By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Children's Christmas Fiction, Children's Literature, Holiday Fiction · 7,897 words

First lines

_Gertrude A. Kay_

He was such a very little boy and everything about him was pale -- hair, / eyes, ears, everything. But even though his face was so peaked, his big / ears were what you noticed first, and we soon discovered that he could / move them most surprisingly -- backward and forward. This was something / that none of the rest of us could do. It was for this reason probably / that we began calling him Bunny Face.[9]

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What this Textopian page supports

Bunny Face and the Spirit of Christmas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Maud Van Buren, dated 1927 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Maud Van Buren
Date: 1927 CE
Language: English
Genres: Children's Christmas Fiction, Children's Literature, Holiday Fiction, Moral Tale, Sentimental Fiction
Length: 7,897 words
Structure: 1 section, 141 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Work identity for Bunny Face and the Spirit of Christmas by Maud Van Buren
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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Similar titles

Genres

Children's Christmas Fiction — The story is centered on Christmas anticipation, gift-giving, seasonal imagery, and a Christmas Day resolution designed for young readers.
Children's Literature — Its child-focused viewpoint, simple episodic narration, humorous character details, and clear emotional lessons are characteristic of literature for children.
Holiday Fiction — Christmas customs, decorations, toys, charitable surprises, sleigh rides, and a festive communal conclusion drive both the plot and atmosphere.
Moral Tale — The narrative explicitly develops the meaning of the Spirit of Christmas through compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and inclusion of neglected people.