The boy who wanted books for Christmas

Ted, his parents thought, was very serious for so young an age
Instead of playing with toys, his face was glued to a book’s page.
His father bought him basketballs his mother got him tools,
But it seemed that little Ted didn’t know the "little boy rules."
"Little boys should go to the streams and catch frogs all day,"
Ted's father, a large builder man, would always persist to say.
"Little boys should play with dogs," Ted's mother said to her son,
"If you promise to take care of it, we could probably get you one."

So when Christmas came around Ted's parents were eager to see
What requests Ted would write in a letter to Santa would be.
So they gave him some paper and a pen and told him then to begin.

“Dear Santa, all I was this year is lots and lots of books”
From behind his back the parents exchanged confused looks.
“Don’t you want a bicycle or a model toy gun?”
“Why would I want those things? They don’t sound very fun.”
“How about a fire engine or a choo choo train set on tracks?”
“I want books!” said little Ted, “not those silly wisecracks.
You asked me what I wanted and this is what I’ve said,
Now if you don’t mind I’m going to go on off to bed.”

And when it dawned bright and snowy on cheerful Christmas day,
Ted's parents waited anxiously to see with which toys Ted would play.
He unwrapped trains and toy cars but shoved them all aside,
It was not till he unwrapped a book that his eyes truly grew wide.

His nose in the book, and without a word he went off to his room,
Once the door was shut his parents whispered with an air of gloom.
"All the lovely toys we bought him, he didn't give them a second look.
Why did his eyes light up only when he unwrapped the book?"
They left Ted to his reading, though they worried through the day,
And looked outside a little wistfully at the neighborhood boys at play.
"Why won't he romp and jump and play sword fights just like them?
Why is it that all he does is read his books for hours on end?"

So that afternoon, both parents went to his door to knock,
But what was on the other side left them with quite a shock.
Instead of Ted's blue-walled room they found a vast, green forest,
Where endless cedars stretched to the sky and bright birds chorused.
They looked around wondering if it were safe to cross the threshold.
Where the carpet ended and grass began the parents' worry grew tenfold.

"Ted! Ted!" their combined voices carried into deep, thick wood,
Then the ground began to rumble not far from where they stood.
As the thunder grew louder, the couple dared not draw near to inspect
And the husband's arms circled his wife driven by the instinct to protect.
Then from behind the trees a troop of riders, dressed finely in red,
Burst from the forest's depths following their leader little Ted.

"Ho!" he called rearing his horse, the crown on his head nearly fell.
"I'm glad you're here," Ted said, "now you know about this place as well."
The parents were stricken dumb at the sight of him on the steed.
But Ted's father would have lied if he said he was not pleased.
"Wha- Wha- What is this place?" Ted's mother stuttered still confused.
"This world is like nothing I've ever seen," the father said bemused.
"This is where the books take me," said Ted atop his shining horse.
"But I always finish my adventures in time for dinner, of course.
I'm sorry I did not tell you about this place. I wanted you to understand,
I really really did. I thought you wouldn't believe me about this dreamland,
And so I ran and hid."
"Well we believe you." said Ted's father looking through the boughs to the sky.
"We'll give you all the books you need for your imagination to supply."

Now Ted no longer shuts himself up behind his bedroom door,
Father, son, and mother read books on the living room floor,
Sharing in adventures, and traveling to places far and unknown,
But most importantly, Ted never had to travel these roads alone.