Haimish Helps Stevie Write a Letter

Well, hello there! I’m Steve, the narrator of these Haimish stories. Scottish Haggis are cute-looking critters, but their lives are a lot like ours. Today, we find Stevie hard at work at his desk, trying to write a letter to Father Christmas. That’s the Scottish name for Santa Claus.

Haimish comes up to Stevie, who has a thoughtful face. He holds a quill, a type of pen made out of a feather.

Haimish sees Stevie at his desk and asks, “Yuptae, numpty?” A ‘numpty’ is a Scottish word for ‘lovable idiot’. Haimish was using Scottish for, “What are you doing, idiot?”

Stevie replied, frowning, “Ah’m tryin’ tae write a letter tae Father Christmas, an’ ah dinnae ‘ave a script of wha’ tae ask fer!” ‘Dinnae ‘ave a script’ is the Scottish way of saying, “I don’t have an idea.”

Haimish snorted, “Haud yer haverin’, wean! Ya ask Father Christmas wha’ ya want fer Christmas. Tell ‘im wha’ ya want, it’ll be a skoosh!” ‘Haud yer haverin'” means stop taking nonsense. A wean is the youngest child in the family. ‘It’ll be a skoosh’ means don’t worry, it’ll be easy. The Scottish language can be hard to follow sometimes!

Stevie said, “But Haimish, Da says Father Christmas is luv, and that he gies presents to all the lads and lassies cuz ees luv.” Da is how the Scottish say ‘father’,

Haimish looked confused. “Och, aye?” That’s the Scottish way of saying, “Yes, and?”

Stevie puffed his cheeks and blew out. This is how a Haggis expresses frustration. “If ah’m askin’ fer summat, ‘ow cannae show luv?”

Haimish opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Stevie asked a fair question. Christmas is about love, so how does asking for something show love?

Haimish was silent as he thought for a moment. “When ah dinnae ken what tae do, ah gae ask Ma and Da. Ah’ll be back anon!” Remember, ‘ken’ is the Scottish word for ‘know’, and ‘ah’ll be back anon’ means I’ll be back real soon.’

Haimish found his Ma and Da in the kitchen. They were sitting at the table, holding hands as they talked. Pa, as always, was smoking his pipe.

Haimish spoke, “Ma, Pa, is Christmas aboot luv?”

Pa smiled and looked at Ma. She smiled back, then looked at Haimish. “Aye, mae bonnie lad! Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth o’ Jesus. Dae ya ken Jesus?”

Haimish nodded. “Jesus was the Son o’ God winnae?” ‘Winnae’ is how the Scots say, “Wasn’t he?”

Ma nodded. “That be true, lad! The best sign o’ luv we ever ‘ad!”

Pa looked at Haimish and said, “The Bible says, ‘Fer God so luved the world that ‘e gave ‘is only Son, that ‘e who believes in ‘im shuild nae die but ‘ave everlasting life.’ Dae ya ken ‘everlasting’, lad?”

Haimish looked confused. “Ever-lasting? Nae, Pa. I dinnae ken.” Haimish was saying he didn’t know what it meant.

Ma spoke, “Dae Pa and I only luv ya some o’ the time?”

Haimish shook his head. “Nae, Ma! Ya luv me all the time, both of ya!”

Ma smiled, “Dae it stop?” Haimish shook his head again. “That means it be everlasting. Now do ya ken?”

Haimish nodded. “Och, aye! But…if Christmas is aboot luv, then why dae we ask fer presents?”

Ma smiled as she answered, “Och, mae bonnie lad! Ah’m proud ya asked! A lad, sooch as yerself, shoodnae ask fer things, unless fer others. It’s fine tae say wha’ ya’d like tae get, but Christmas shood be aboot wha’ we do fer others, sooch as God’s gift tae us.”

Ma looked at Pa and said, “Stevie is writin’ Father Christmas. Haimish is helpin’, right Haimish?”

Haimish nodded. Pa smiled, “Good on ya. laddie! An older brawf shuid help the wean!” He is saying the oldest brother should help the younger brother.

Haimish smiled, “Ah like helpin’ Roman and Stevie! So Stevie shood say what he wuid like, but ask fer tings fer others?”

Ma and Pa both nodded. Pa spoke, “Och, aye lad! Tha’ is the way of it!”

Haimish turned to go. “Thanks, Ma and Pa!” He turned to go, then stopped and looked back at them. “Ah luv ya both true!’ He then ran down the hall to Stevie’s room.

Ma had a tear in her eye as Pa patted her hand and said, “E’s a right bonnie lad, he is!”

Haimish found Stevie at his desk. He shared with Stevie what Ma and Pa said. He looked at Stevie and asked, “Dae ya ken wut ya need tae write noo?”

Stevie nodded, then bent to the letter and began to write. Haimish sometimes helped with how to spell a word.

Dear Father Christmas,
Mae brawf Haimish says I shood tell ya wut ah want fer Christmas. Ah want a train set. Ah saw one tha’ has smoke tha’ cooms out when it roons.

Haimish also says I shuid ask for others. Please bring a new pipe and baccy fer Pa, (That’s the tobacco for the pipe.), and a new apron fer Ma, and a box of tea. Please gie Haimish the chanter ‘e wants so he can learn the pipes. (A chanter is a music instrument that lets the user learn how to play the bagpipes.) Please bring a soccer ball fer Roman cuz ‘e needs a new ‘un. ‘E may be on the naughty list, but please forgive him. It’s Christmas!

Oh, and Father Christmas, ah hope ya gie a cushion fer yer gawpin’ dawp! (He’s asking for a cushion for Santa’s aching backside!) Ah ken ridin’ yer sleigh all over the world gets ya knackered! (Knackered is the Scottish way to say tired.) Thanks fer sharin’ luv all over the world!

Love,
Stevie

Roman came into the room and looked at the letter. “Wut dae ya mean ah’m on tae naughty list, an’ why are ya writin’ aboot Father Christmas’s bum, ya numpty!” He pulled Stevie from the desk, and the two began wrestling on the floor.

Haimish shook his head and laughed at the two of them.

So Haimish helped Stevie write a letter to Father Christmas. What was your favorite part of the story? What is Christmas about? Do you ask for things for yourself for Christmas? What would you ask for others in your family? Is Christmas about getting presents, or about giving? What can you do this Christmas to give to others?

What does ‘everlasting’ mean? Have you written a letter to Santa? If not, get on it!

Merry Christmas!