Elmo had figured out something by watching his human very closely: in December, adults go a little… peculiar.
They wrap objects, whisper secrets, and hide packages everywhere like overly excited squirrels.
But there was one fact Elmo considered absolutely essential:
Christmas means presents.
And in his opinion, it was only logical that presents should arrive for puppies too.
After all, if he — who wagged his tail even in his sleep — wasn’t considered “good,” then who was?
Then one morning, the most important thing of the week happened.
DING DONG.
At the door sat a huge package.
No logo, no hint — just a festive box with a bright red ribbon and a couple of golden stars stuck on the side, looking suspiciously joyful.
Elmo gave it a long sniff, narrowing his eyes:
“This must be for me. I’m 98% sure. Still need that final 2% though.”
His human opened the box and pulled out the Christmas tree.
Elmo examined it with far more professionalism than a six-month-old should have, but inside he was thinking:
“Alright, nice tree… but where are the presents? My presents?”
Christmas Eve did not improve the situation.
His human arranged gift after gift under the tree, saying the same line every time:
“This one is for…”
And each name was not Elmo.
For the aunt.
For the grandpa.
For the cousin.
Even for the neighbor who only says hello on sunny days.
Elmo watched with the offended expression typical of puppies who know exactly what’s happening… and absolutely disagree.
When night fell, he curled up under the tree, convinced the Christmas magic would “fix things.”
And, in a way, it did.
A golden ornament slipped off a branch and rolled toward him as if calling his name.
A light blinked twice, like a secret signal.
Then, from behind the tree, came a soft thump.
Elmo approached.
There was a package that definitely hadn’t been there before.
Red paper.
Golden ribbon.
And a tag:
For Elmo – because your first Christmas deserves everything.
Inside, he found four treasures:
A new blanket, soft like a cloud that has decided to sit beside you.
A storybook, ready to fill winter evenings with adventures.
A bag of super-wild treats, smelling of forests, freedom, and pure happiness.
And a new ornament, shiny and round, with a tiny drawing that looked… suspiciously like him.
Elmo stared at it, then at his human, then back at the ornament.
He understood instantly that this one was “his,” the one he’d find on the tree every Christmas from now on.
His human stroked his head.
“You really thought I forgot about you?”
Elmo wagged his tail so hard he nearly made the tree wobble.
And that’s when he discovered a simple truth:
presents don’t always arrive right away, nor when you expect them.
But when they do… they smell exactly like someone who loves you.
And if there’s one day of the year when puppies should absolutely get a present,
that day is called Christmas.