The kingdom of Khapin Fliggen has a wonderfully kind king. He is often very wise and is certainly good-hearted. But he is a bit of shlemiel. He is forgetful, He drops things when he doesn’t lose them altogether.
King Lester’s daughter Mireleh is sometimes embarrassed at some of the things that happen when Tateh is around, but, as her mother says, she kvetches too much.
This story begins about three weeks before the first night of Chanukah. King Lester, Queen Beta and Mireleh were sitting at the table eating their breakfast when a servant came into the room with a letter on a gold plate. When King Lester reached for the letter, he pushed the tray into the servant’s chin. Oops! So sorry!, said King Lester.
The letter was from King Lester’s brother, King Loitel of the kingdom of Groisseh Metsieh, which was 75 miles north of Khapen Fliggen, about a 3 hour drive.
The letter said:
My dear Brother Lester:
So Chanukah is almost upon us again. We wold love the Meshpucheh to share the memories of the miracles together. Please bring Queen Beta and your little sheinkeit Mireleh to our palace for the Chanukah week.
From Loitel.
Princess Mireleh was very excited. “I do so want to spend the Chanukah holiday with
My favorite cousins, Rifka, Malka and Daniel. Let’s go, please tateh!”
“Of course, my little one,” King Lester said to his daughter. I will write back to
Loitel this moment.
“Please remember to mail it dear,” said Queen Beta knowing how forgetful husband
can be sometimes.
“Beta, don’t worry, I’ll remember. In fact, I’ll take care of everything. I’ll do the packing. I’ll even do the driving. This is for family. I don’t want any servant driving you. This will be one of my Chanukah gifts to all of you.
Princess Mireleh looked at her mama. Queen Beta looked at her daughter. They both shrugged their shoulders and hoped for the best.
The morning of the first night of Chanukah finallyh came. “Let’s get an early start” King Lester insisted. “We don’t want to miss the candle lighting the first night. He packed the car and tripped over a rock and fell into a rose bush. He was only scratched a bit, so he continued to the car. But then he was called back to the palace to solve a small problem.
One of the toilets was overflowing, and the servants were arguing as to which one had to call the plumber to fix it. Then three more problems came up which the King had to solve. By the time they were ready to leave, it was afternoon.
“No problem,” King Lester said. “It is only a three hour trip!”
After driving for about an hour, Queen Beta said to her husband,
“Lester dear, I saw a sign that said “south”. Are we on the right road? Afterall, Groiseh Metseyeh is north of Khapen Fliggen.”
“Absolutely, Beta dear. Don’t worry so much. Every worry adds a wrinkle on your face you know! I have been this way many times. I recognize the trees. They’ve been my good friends these many years. The sign is wrong.”
Mireleh laughed to herself. “Only my tateh can be friends with trees. I wonder if he
Has names for them!”
An hour after that, Beta said, “Lester dear. I saw three more signs that said “south.” Do you still recognize your friends along the way.”
“Actually, Beta, these trees seem to be strangers to me. Perhaps the signs are not wrong.”
But King Lester kept driving south.
Princess Mireleh began to worry. “Tateh,” she said anxiously, “If the signs say “south” and the signs are not wrong, and Groiseeh Metiseh is north, then we are going in the wrong direction.”
“Mireleh, you are too young to have wrinkles from worry. However, you are probably right.,”
“So Lester , dear, interrupted Queen Beta, “what are you going to do about it.
“Hmmm, “ said the King. “what should I do about it? Wait, I have a brilliant idea. Never accuse the King of Khappin Fliggen of never having a good idea! What do you think about us going to the next exit and turn around so that we are going north? Perhaps that would work.”
“What a clever idea,” mumbled Queen Beta.
“Oy vey,” groaned Princess Mireleh. “We have been driving for a million hours in the wrong direction. We will never get to Groisseh Metiseh in time to light the candles. And besides, I’m so hungry.”
“Stop making wrinkles,” said Mireleh’s tatah. I thought about one of you getting hungry along the way. So I brought a picnic basket full of all your favorite Chanukah foods. The food is cold, maybe, but still good.”
Mireleh was glad to hear this. She loved eating lotkes and donuts, and all the other fried things that were Chanukah favorites.
King Lester sotpped the car and went to the trunk, returning with a big basket. He opened the back seat and climbed in next to Mireleh.
“Yum,” he said as he opened the basket and handed Mireleh a piece of Matzoh.
“Tateh,” Mireleh moaned. We don’t eat Matzoh at Chanukah time. We eat it at Pasache.’ And what is this?” Mireleh said as she picked a round ball out of the basket. “It looks like a Matzoh ball!. That isn’t Cbanukah food either!”
“Oh dear,” said Queen Beta. “But anyway, Mireleh, you like Matzoh and love matzoh balls, even cold.
“But this matzoh ball isan’t cold,” Mireleh signed. “It is frozen as hard as a gold ball. I can’t eat that.! Oh well, I suppose I will eat the matzoh.”
After the picnic , they got into the car again, traveling north in the correct direction.
Soon it looked like it was getting darker. “OH NO!, wailed Princess Mireleh. Now we will
Miss the lighting of the candles for the first night of Chanukah.
“Don’t worry,” King Lester said, proud that he thought of everything. “I brought our Chanukeah and candles with us. We can set upt the Chanukeah on the hood of the car and light the candles under the stars.
“But Tateh,” Mireleh said with a sigh. I hate to tell you this, and maybe you haven’t noticed. But it is snowing outside. There are clouds and we can’t see the stars.
“Ah, and so it is snowing. Well, we will like the candles under the snow. Remember, snow is frozen water and water is necessary for life. The snow is a gift from Hashem.
It’s nice to light the candle under Hashem’s gift..right?”
King Lester went the the trunk again and took out two beautiful shabat candles in two candle holders.
“Oops,” said King Lester when he returned to the car. I brought shabat candles instead of the chanukeh.
“Oh no! said Mireleh. Now what are we going to do?
Queen Beta looked at the candles and then said , “Mireleh, tonight of Chanukah. That means we only light one candle. And we need one more candle for the shamash. So we can use the Shabat candles because we have two.
They set them up on the hood of the car. But when King Lester lit the shamash, the snow put the flames out. He did it again and again and again. But the snow kept putting the flame out.
“No wrinkles, Mireleh, everything is under control. We can set upt the candles in the car where the soda cans go.”
They lit the shabat candles and King Lester told everyone the story of the Chanukah miracles.
“But tateh,” moaned Mireleh. “ Usually after the candles are lit, I open my first present. That is tradition in our family.
“And so you shall open your first gift,” said King Lester who went to the trunk of the car. He soon returned with a big black bag . He had a broad smile on his face when he told
Mireleh how much she would love her first present…”It’s something you always wanted.”
King Lester’s smile disappeared when he looked inside the bag. Instead of presents , he brought the garbage.
“Oops, he said, “ I brought the wrong bag. But that’s not a problem. Khapen Fliggen is on our way to Groisseh Metseye. We’ll stop there and get the gifts. I can also call Uncle Loitel and tell him that we will be a little bit late.”
“Just a little late!” Princess Mireleh mumbled.
By the time they arrived back at the Khapen FLiggen palace, it was quite lagte. They had been driving for hours and hours and hours, only to come back home.
“Perhaps it is best that we go early tomorrow moring and arrive for the second night of Chanukah, “ suggested Queen beta.
“That’s a good plan, “ said Queen Beta. Mireleh only yawned.
The next day Queen Beta put the Chanukeah in the car and a picnic basket full of donuts
and cold latkes. King Lester put the bag of gifts after he checked what was inside 5 times.
One of the servants was chosen to drive them.
By noon they arrived in Groisseh Metseyeh.
Oh how they hugged one another!
“It is so great to see you again after all this time,” King Lester said to his brother. King Loitel responded by saying, “But I just saw you last Tuesday!”
“Nevermind all of that,” said Queen Maya, King Loitel’s wife. We have a holiday to celebrate. We have to light the candles later, exchange gifts, and most importantly,
talk about the many Chanukah miracles.
“Princess Mireleh began to laugh. She laughed and laughed and laughed.
“So, what’s so funny Mireleh,” her cousins asked her.
“We had better talk about a really important present –day miracle….THE MIRALCE
THAT WE GOT HER!.