Bear's friends awaken him the day before Christmas and help him to stay awake as they bake fruitcakes, fill stockings, and sing carols; then, while they sleep, he prepares his own surprise.
"Christmas is coming to Camden Falls, and Flora and Ruby don't know how to feel about it. It's their first Christmas without their parents, and the memories are both happy and sad..."
While spending Christmas at their grandparents' farm, Lily becomes convinced that her younger brother Liam is right about White Cow being lonely and helps him seek a companion for her, leaving little time for Christmas preparations or reading.
Contains a collection of twelve short stories by author O. Henry, including "The Cop and the Anthem," in which a homeless man named Soapy tries to get arrested so that he can procure shelter for the winter in a nearby jail.