Annabelle is determined to have a Christmas Tree that lives forever—now if she can just convince her Scroogey father.
PITCH
Christmas really can last all year long—if you have enough courage and determination. Twelve-year-old Annabelle Cunningham wants a big Christmas tree, but her father thinks his Santa Claus collection is enough and says the tree must go the day after Christmas. She defiantly selects a big tree, decorates it beautifully, and she and her parents celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together. Defying her father’s threat to chop up and burn the tree, Annabelle plants it right in front of the house with all its decorations. The neighbors gather round the tree, and when her father walks out with his axe, they urge him to put it away. Annabelle vows it’s going to be Christmas all year long. Her father sighs, looks at her and the neighbors in utter disbelief, and retreats. Annabelle celebrates Christmas all year long with appropriate holiday decorations—and eventually so does her formerly Scroogey father.
SYNOPSIS
The determination of 12-year-old Annabelle Cunningham makes Christmas last all year long. She wants a big Christmas tree, but her father thinks his Santa
Claus collection is enough. Annabelle’s mother reminds her that Mr. Cunningham
never celebrated Christmas as a child and asks Annabelle to be kind to her
father.
As Annabelle and her father drive out to the
Christmas tree farm, she hums “O Christmas Tree,” ignoring her father’s humbug. She
selects a tall, plump evergreen, and her father swings his axe. As the tree
falls, the lot manager pulls it all the way to the truck on a sled. Annabelle
climbs in the front seat, reminding her father not to act like Scrooge.
When Mr. Cunningham stops in the driveway, he
threatens to chop the Christmas tree for stove wood, but Annabelle insists it
will be the Christmas tree that lives forever. With her mother’s help, she
pulls the tree all the way into the living room, attaches a tree stand, waters
it and carefully arranges the red tree skirt. Stringing caramel popcorn and
cranberries, Annabelle watches “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and sings along
to “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Silver and Gold.” The decorated tree stands
proud and tall all Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day. It hovers over the presents
as they are wrapped and unwrapped and re-wrapped to give away to someone else.
Of course, Annabelle would never give a Christmas gift away, but Mr. Cunningham
is too stingy to buy Christmas gifts in the first place. One year he gave Annabelle
a gift she had given him—a singing reindeer head. As her father turns off the
lights on the Christmas tree, he reminds her that he is throwing the Christmas
tree in the wood stove first thing in the morning. She vows he will not burn her
tree.
Early the next morning Annabelle drags the Christmas
tree into the front yard and plants it with all its decorations right in front
of the house. The neighbors gather round. As Mr. Cunningham yells that the electric bill
is going to be enormous, the neighbors all beg him to put his axe away. It’s going to be Christmas
all year long. Infuriated, her father sighs, looks at her and the neighbors in utter
disbelief, and retreats back inside the house. Annabelle enjoys Christmas
all year long with various seasonal decorations on the evergreen tree. So does her Scroogey father.
Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters
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