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From YouTube: It's Storytime: "Silver Packages" by Cynthia Rylant
Description
Gather your children around for the first episode of our new series, "It's Storytime." In this installment, Spring Hill Elementary Principal Pam Bailey reads the holiday book, "Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story" by West Virginia author Cynthia Rylant. Enjoy! #BeAwesomeCabell
A
Hello,
my
name
is
Pamela
Bailey
and
I
am
the
principal
of
the
most
awesome
elementary
Spring
Hill
Elementary,
and
today
I'm,
going
to
read
a
story
to
you
entitled
silver
packages,
an
Appalachian
Christmas
story
by
Cynthia
Ryland,
let's
get
started
first
of
all,
I
have
a
very
important
point.
I
must
make
out
to
you
before
we
start
reading.
A
This
story
was
inspired
by
a
real
train:
the
Santa
train,
which
rose
through
the
Appalachian
Mountains
each
Christmas
season
from
this
train
tons
of
toys
and
treats
are
tossed
by
volunteers
to
the
children
of
coal
towns
who
wait
patiently
by
the
tracks.
This
has
been
happening.
Every
single
Christmas
since
1943,
some
of
you
weren't,
even
thought
of
then.
Let's
get
started
silver
packages,
an
Appalachian,
Christmas
story,
a
train
comes
through
Appalachia
every
year
at
Christmas
time
and
though
it
doesn't
have
antlers.
Nor
does
the
man
standing
on
its
rear
platform
have
a
long
white
beard.
A
It
may
as
well
be
Santa
Claus
his
slave
for
all
the
excitement
it
stirs
up.
People
call
this
the
Christmas
train
and
it
has
been
coming
to
them
for
years,
each
new
child
born
in
the
mountain.
They
learn
to
walk,
they
learn
to
talk
and
they
learn
to
wait
for
the
Christmas
train.
It's
everyone's
delight.
The
older
people
remember
its
beginnings.
They
tell
of
a
rich
man
who
had
been
coming
traveling
through
the
hills
by
car
many
years
back.
No
one
knows
why
he
came
into
the
hills,
but
why
isn't
important?
A
A
From
the
caboose
of
the
Christmas
train,
he
brings
into
the
hills
each
December
on
the
23rd.
Everybody
knows
it.
The
train
will
slowly
wind
up
and
around
the
mountains
and
on
the
platform
of
its
caboose
will
stand
the
rich
man
in
a
blue
wool
coat.
He
will
toss
a
sparkling
silver
package
into
the
hands
of
each
child,
who
waits
beside
the
tracks
and
for
some
it'll
be
the
only
present
that
they
receive.
So
the
train
is
awfully
important.
One
year
a
boy
named
Frankie
stands
beside
those
tracks
and
waits
for
the
Christmas
train.
A
It's
very
cold
and
a
lot
of
snow
has
come
down
the
night
before
Frankie's
shoes
are
thin
and
his
feet
hurt
badly
from
the
cold,
but
he's
determined
to
wait
even
if
his
feet
and
all
the
rest
of
him
becomes
ice.
Now.
This
particular
boy
wants
a
particular
present,
not
just
any
present,
tossed
from
the
back
of
a
train,
a
particular
present,
a
doctor's
kit
he's
been
waiting
for
it
beside
the
tracks.
The
train
comes
through
finally,
noisy
and
steamy
and
scary.
It
is
so
big,
but
everybody
loves
to
see
it.
A
They
cheer
clap
and
some
others
they
even
week
to
see
it
coming.
Frankie
stands
there
at
the
tracks,
praying
for
a
doctor's
care
till
he
sees
a
caboose
slowly
come
up
and
when
it's
just
past
his
nose,
he
shouts
and
waves
and
runs
out
to
the
train
his
icy
feet.
Aching
from
the
rear
platform,
the
rich
man
in
the
wool
coat,
sees
him
Merry
Christmas.
He
calls
and
he
tosses
in
to
Frankie's
hand
a
sparkling
silver
package.
Frankie
stops
running
he's
out
of
breath,
so
he
can't
yell.
Thank
you.
A
Then
he
only
could
hold
tight
to
his
gift
and
wave
to
the
man
and
the
train
disappears
into
the
mountains.
Frankie
carries
his
package
home.
He
puts
his
own
name
on
it
and
he
sets
it
under
the
family
Christmas
tree
on
Christmas
morning.
He
opens
it.
It
isn't
a
doctor's
kit.
It's
a
cowboy
holster
set
and
three
pair
of
thick
red
socks.
Frankie
looks
at
his
mother
and
father
and
brothers
and
sisters,
and
he
tries
not
to
cry.
A
He
wears
the
socks
all
winter
and
plays
with
the
Cowboys
set
all
year,
but
he
dreams
of
a
doctor's
kit.
The
next
Christmas
Frankie
waits
again
in
the
cold
for
the
Christmas
training.
The
socks
still
fit
him.
So
his
feet
are
very
warm,
but
his
fingers
are
cold
and
hurting.
He
waits
at
the
track
and
prays
for
a
doctor's
kit.
The
train
comes
the
rich
man,
tosses
the
silver
package
and
on
Christmas
morning
Frankie
opens
it.
No,
it's
a
little
police
car
with
lights
that
really
work
plus
two
pair
of
brown,
mittens
Frankie
doesn't
cry.
A
He
wears
the
mittens.
All
winter
plays
with
the
car
all
year,
but
he
dreams
of
a
doctor's
kid
Frankie
waits
three
more
years
for
a
doctor's
care.
It
never
comes.
He
gets
trucks,
balls
and
games.
He
gets
mittens
socks,
hats
and
scarves,
but
the
doctor's
kit
never
comes
when
Frankie
grows
up.
He
moves
away
out
of
the
hills.
He
lives
in
different
places
and
meets
different
kinds
of
people,
and
he
himself
changes
a
little
into
a
different
kind
of
person.
A
A
A
So
a
broom
man
who
has
been
gone
a
long
time.
He
moves
back
into
those
same
mountains
to
live
his
brothers
and
sisters
they're.
Still
there
waiting
for
him.
He
returns
to
the
hills
where
he
grows
up
and
that
winter
near
Christmas.
He
stands
at
the
tracks,
watching
the
children
wait
for
the
train
and
it
comes
as
always.
The
grown
man
watches
the
steam
engine
moved
toward
him,
watches
the
caboose
roll
by
him
and
he
nearly
runs
after
the
Train.
So
strong
are
his
memories.
A
The
grown
man
nearly
runs
after
a
silver
package,
but
instead
he
watches
the
little
girl
chase.
The
caboose
watches
a
man
in
the
wool
coat
toss.
Her
sparkling
silver
package
watches
the
gift
land
near
the
little
girl's
feet.
Watches
are
running
so
fast
that
she
trips
on
her
silver
package
and
watches
her
fall
hard
to
the
ground.
The
grown
man
runs
now,
but
not
for
the
Train,
not
for
the
rich
man
in
the
wool
coat.
But
for
that
little
girl.
A
He
picks
her
up.
He
wipes
her
tears
with
the
scarf
from
around
his
neck.
He
smiles
at
her
it's
okay,
little
one.
He
says
easily.
The
train
is
disappearing
into
the
trees.
He
had
meant
to
wave
to
the
rich
man,
but
there
wasn't
time
he
picks
up
the
silver
package
and
puts
it
into
the
little
girl's
arms
you'll
be
all
right.
He
tells
her
I
will
make
sure
of
it.
He
pulls
open
his
kid
to
look
for
a
band-aid.