Chapter 5

Klink looked around his room taking in his surroundings. "I'm-I'm home! HOME!" He yelled happily and scrambled out of bed, slipping his bedroom slippers on his feet.

He put his coat on over his pajamas and went outside. Schultz was walking by whistling 'It's A Big Wide Wonderful World' and gazing lovingly at a piece of strudel that he held in his hand.

"Schultz! There's my favorite sergeant!"

"I didn't do it! What-ever it was I did not do it, Herr Kommandant!" Schultz yelled back. He quickly shoved the strudel in his mouth so Klink wouldn't see it.

"Schultz! You can have the entire day off! In fact take two days off!"

Schultz's jaw dropped but he quickly shut it to prevent the strudel from falling out. He swallowed. "Kommandant? Do you want me to get the doctor?"

Klink laughed and slapped his knee. "Oh doctor schmoctor! I feel great, Schultz! Tell me, before you go, what day is it?"

"And he feels great?" Schultz thought aloud. Then he answered Klink's question, "It is Christmas Day, Herr Kommandant."

"They did it all in one night too!"

"Who did what all in one night?"

"Nevermind, Schultz, nevermind. Go see Wolfie and your sister. Oh and take this with you. Buy the biggest ham you can find." Klink ran off his porch and handed Schultz a pouch full of money.

"Jawhol, Herr Kommadant! And thank you!" Schultz started merrily making his toward the main gate before Klink's mood could changed.

"And merry Christmas, Schultz!" Klink rubbed his hands and together and started toward Hogan's barracks.

He burst through the door without warning. Carter and Newkirk rushed quickly to the side of the bunk at one end of the room. Klink heard something slam shut but thought nothing of it. He was in too good of a mood!

"Where is Hogan?" he asked.

Hogan came out of his room. "Right here. What's all the hullabaloo?" Hogan looked at Klink, night cap, bunny slippers and all.

"Hogan, I had the most amazing experience; you would never believe it!" Klink said. "Oh and, Hogan, your children are adorable!"

"Children?"

"And I really don't mind about you men digging up my bush."

"Your bush? Why whatever are you talkin' about, sir?" Newkirk asked, innocently.

"Don't worry about me being mad because I'm not." Klink smiled. "I just came over to tell you all merry Christmas! And I'm going to send Corporal Langenschneidt into town to pick up a ham for your party."

Peeking in through the barracks window, unseen by the men inside, the three spirits looked on smiling. The Ghost of Christmas Present high-fived the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come at the sight of what had been accomplished.

An hour or so later after being sent after the ham, Langenschneidt returned, arms filled with groceries. Klink celebrated with the prisoners that Christmas day and even gave a violin recital that evening as part of the show they put on.

Wolfie was ecstatic that his Uncle Hans Schultz showed up. And he was even more ecstatic that Schultz gave him a large helping of his cookies. Yes, it was very merry Christmas for all indeed.Historical Note: Christmas did not still have the same meaning to the Nazis as it does to us or our characters in the story. In our story we left this fact out;

"Nazi ideologists claimed that the Christian elements of the holiday had been superimposed upon ancient Germanic traditions. They argued that Christmas Eve originally had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, but instead celebrated the winter solstice and the 'rebirth of the sun', and that the swastika was an ancient symbol of the sun.

The Christmas tree was also changed. The traditional names of the tree, Christbaum or Weihnachtsbaum, was renamed in the press as fir tree, light tree or Jul tree. The star on the top of the tree was sometimes replaced with a swastika, a Germanic "sun wheel" or a Sig rune. During the height of the movement, an attempt was made to remove the association of the coming of Jesus and replace it with the coming of Adolf Hitler, referred to as the "Saviour Führer".

Christmas carols were also changed. The words to "Silent Night" were changed so it made no reference to God, Christ and religion. Words were also changed to the hymn "Unto Us a Time Has Come" so as to remove references to Jesus."

- from Wikipedia

We hope you enjoyed our little story and that you remember the true meaning of Christmas. Celebrate Christmas by giving to those who really need it!

God bless and have wonderful, blessed Christmas!