The King of the Christmas Feast
In “The King of the Christmas Feast,” a little boy recovering from a long illness spends Christmas at school in the infirmary, lonely because his mother is far away across the ocean. Mrs. Darling, the nurse, and Nora try to comfort him, but their talk of homesickness leads him to insist that they must somehow make Christmas. The boy imagines a make-believe royal celebration. Using the school’s mahogany hat-tree as a splendid Christmas tree, he declares himself king and appoints Nora, Mrs. Darling, Patrick, and the cook as his subjects. He writes royal commands for a Yule log, stockings, presents, chestnuts, candles, and a feast, signing the orders “Rex.” Mrs. Darling and the servants willingly enter into the game, preparing the study, decorating the hat-tree with evergreen, filling stockings, and arranging modest gifts. On Christmas morning Patrick tells the boy that the feast cannot begin until everyone has wished for the thing wanted most. The boy eagerly learns the others’ wishes: Patrick needs warm gloves, Nora wants a red scarf, the cook needs overshoes, and Mrs. Darling would value a pad of paper for her daily notes. He secretly makes Mrs. Darling’s present from his old arithmetic pad and helps prepare the parcels. Dressed as a king, the boy is carried on a cushion to the “banquet-hall” by Patrick and Nora. Before the closed door, he gives a speech wishing that everyone may receive even the most impossible desire. Yet Patrick insists that the king must also state his own wish. The boy tries to deny it, then finally sobs that what he wants is his mother. Patrick opens the door and reveals that she has been waiting inside. After the feast, with the others’ gifts distributed and the fire dying down, the boy rests against his mother and marvels that she came despite the cost. As the last spark fades, he wishes that every girl and boy in the world has had a Christmas as happy as his.
By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Christmas Fiction, Children's Fiction, Sentimental Fiction · 6,497 words
First lines
_Elaine Sterne_
The little boy in No. 60 pressed his nose against the cold window-pane / and looked out over the school yard. It was a deserted white courtyard, / with a few muddy footprints zigzagging across the snow toward the / second dormitory. There was, to be sure, a rusty puddle in one corner / where the drops from the rain-pipe spattered, but aside from that, four / gray walls with staring windows looked him back square in the eye, no / matter how far he twisted his head.[15]
What this Textopian page supports
The King of the Christmas Feast 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: Christmas Fiction, Children's Fiction, Sentimental Fiction, Realist Fiction, School Story
- Length: 6,497 words
- Structure: 1 section, 163 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The King of the Christmas Feast by Maud Van Buren
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Christmas Fiction — The story is set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and centers on a makeshift holiday feast, a decorated tree, stockings, gifts, wishes, and reunion with family.
- Children's Fiction — Its young protagonist, simple emotional conflicts, playful make-believe, gentle narration, and uplifting resolution are directed toward a child readership.
- Sentimental Fiction — The narrative emphasizes homesickness, illness, maternal longing, kindness, generosity, and a tearful but joyful reunion.
- Realist Fiction — Although the characters engage in imaginative role-play, the plot remains grounded in an ordinary boarding-school infirmary and plausible acts of adult compassion.
Tags
Christmas fiction · Children's literature · Holiday stories · Family life · Generosity · Kindness · Community · Festive celebrations · Winter setting · Moral lessons · Traditional customs · Friendship