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M O T H E R - O F - P E A R L
		The little girl had been told that this once, Santa Claus couldn't come home to bring her some presents under the Christmas tree, because they became destitute. But the little girl couldn't understand : how Santa Claus could forget her because her parents hadn't money enough ? She was quite convinced that Santa Claus had a lot of presents for every boy and every girl in the world, and that he couldn't take into consideration the dire poverty they were living in. So her mind was split, both she was afraid that Santa Claus really couldn't come home, and she was still hoping that he would bring her some presents. And she was still thinking about this while she was going to the land of Nod in the Christmas night. She awakened early in the morning, the morning of the Christmas day. The first thought in her mind was for Santa Claus. Did he come or not ... ? Procrastination is the thief of time, as she had been told so many times ! She couldn't wait anymore. She got up silently and joined the Christmas tree in the semi-darkness. Two eyes were gleaming between the twigs of the Christmas tree. Was Santa Claus still here ? She switched on the lights, and perceived her cat playing in the Christmas tree ; she looked immediately under the Christmas tree, still hoping ... Unfortunately, nothing at all was lying under the Christmas tree. The little girl couldn't refrain from bursting into tears, she turned off the lights and stayed near the Christmas tree to weep bitterly. Her tears touched her cat who called some acquaintances of his. A mother fairy arrived quickly. She was very moved by the situation. She searched an appropriate mote, and then she took each tear drop of the little girl, wrapping up the drops around the mote while she was turning the tears into mother-of-pearl. Tear after tear, mother-of-pearl drop after mother-of-pearl drop, the mote was swelling bit by bit. And when, at last, the tears had eased on her face, the little girl opened her eyes, and despite of the shadowy light, she discerned immediately a marvellous pearl just in front of her eyes. As an oyster, the mother fairy had turned pain into a nacre pearl. Joy dismissed sorrow from her mind while the little girl was taking the pearl in her hand. She never told anyone about the pearl, who could ever have understood ? But she kept it near her all her life, and each time she was in pain, each time the nacre pearl transformed her sorrow into joy.
			24/12/09 Isabelle Coquinot