|
Here's
the
story
of
how
the
reindeer
with
the
bright
red
nose
first
came
to
life...
The
year
was
1939.
A
young
man
named
Robert
May
was
working
as
a
copywriter
for
a
department
store
in
Chicago.
One
day,
his
boss
asked
him
to
write
a
Christmas
story
that
could
be
given
away
to
customers'
children.
Robert
set
to
work
on
the
project,
but
he
found
it
hard
to
keep
his
mind
on
his
writing.
His
wife
was
ill
with
cancer,
and
he
was
filled
with
grief.
He
thought
of
his
four-year-old
daughter,
Barbara.
She
didn't
understand
why
her
mother
couldn't
play
or
go
places
with
her.
Robert
also
thought
of
his
own
childhood.
In
school
he
had
skipped
two
grades
ahead.
Tall
and
thin,
the
youngest
in
his
class,
he
didn't
always
fit
in.
The
other
children
made
fun
of
him.
He
decided
to
write
a
story
to
comfort
Barbara
and
other
children
who
felt
different
and
left
out.
His
boss
said
the
story
should
be
about
an
animal.
Robert
thought
that
"for
Christmas,
there
was
only
one
animal...a
reindeer."
The
reindeer
would
be
different,
as
Robert
had
been
as
a
child.
But
the
story
would
have
a
happy
ending.
Whatever
made
the
reindeer
different
would
make
him
a
hero.
Santa
would
need
a
reindeer
that
was
strong,
fast,
and
able
to
fly
in
dark,
snowy
weather.
What
would
make
him
different?
Could
he
see
in
the
dark?
No,
that
was
silly.
"Then,"
said
Robert,
"I
had
it!
A
nose...to
shine
in
the
dark
and
light
the
way,
a
big,
red,
shiny
nose."
What
could
he
name
the
reindeer?
Rollo?
Too
happy
for
a
lonely
reindeer.
Reginald?
Too
formal.
What
about
Rudolph?
That
was
it!
Rudolph
the
Red-Nosed
Reindeer!
Robert
read
the
finished
story
to
Barbara
and
her
friends.
They
loved
it!
It
began.
"Twas
the
day
before
Christmas,
and
all
through
the
hills,
the
reindeer
were
playing...enjoying
the
spills
of
skating
and
coasting,
and
climbing
the
willows...and
hop-scotch
and
leap-frog
(protected
by
pillows)."
The
department
store
published
Robert
May's
book
and
gave
free
copies
to
two
million
children
during
the
1939
Christmas
season.
After
World
War
II,
over
three
million
more
copies
were
given
away.
So
Robert's
story
was
a
great
success-but
there
was
more
to
come.
In
1949,
Robert's
brother-in-law,
Johnny
Marks
wrote
the
song,
"Rudolph
the
Red-Nosed
Reindeer,"
based
on
Robert's
book.
Gene
Autry
recorded
the
song
and
by
1950
it
was
the
most
popular
Christmas
song
on
the
radio.
Even
today,
millions
of
children
and
adults
still
sing
it.
The
story
of
the
kind-hearted
little
reindeer
still
brings
us
special
cheer
at
Christmas-and
all
because
Robert
May
remembered
how
it
felt
to
be
different.
Story
of
Rudolph
adapted
from
an
article
in
Highlights
for
Children
written
by
Catherine
R.
Joyce;
December,
1994.
Back
|
