all started on Thanksgiving Day, right after dinner.  Fran and Madame Ooglepuss and Buelah Witch were just about to clear away the dessert dishes when Fletcher Rabbit stood up and rapped for order.  There was a very serious business-like look in the way Fletcher's ears were flopping.

    He cleared his throat noisily and began, “The question  of Christmas mail is something we must all deal with properly this year.  Christmas may seem a long way off to you but it has already begun for the mailman, and I think we Kuklapolitans should do everything we can to help.  We have already bought the presents we're going to send away.  Why not get them out right away – tomorrow if possible?”

    Everyone nodded and agreed.

    Fletcher continued, “Another very important thing is to try to wrap packages properly and address them correctly.” He frowned a little.  “I’m not mentioning any names but some of us were a little sloppy in our wrapping last year.”

    Fran and Kukla exchanged glances and Ollie, who always takes things very personally, said belligerently, “Don't look at me.  I’m the best wrapper here.  I always do an efficient, neat job.  I volunteer for the position of Kuklapolitan Christmas Postal Inspector for 1950.”

    Fletcher looked even more serious.  “I’m very sorry Oliver, but I’ve already appointed Cecil Bill.”

    Ollie looked a little crushed and muttered to himself.  Kukla, afraid that the situation was growing a little tense, said, “Fletcher, I think that's a great idea.  We'll all have our packages wrapped and ready by 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.  Let's get the dishes done.”

    Well, you never saw such a busy bunch of people in your life.  Madame Ooglepuss had set up her ironing board and was pressing last year’s ribbons.  Mercedes had volunteered to lick all the stickers.  Fletcher was kept running back and forth checking postal zones and weighing packages.  Ollie and Kukla  were in charge of the tying department.  Ollie’s tooth came in very handy for holding knots.  Fran was bringing the station wagon around to the mail room so Cecil Bill could load it.

    Finally everything was wrapped but Ollie's package which, of course, was bulkiest of them all.     He seemed to be having a little trouble with the brown paper and string but everybody was a little afraid to offer help after his speech about being so efficient – that is, everybody but Cecil Bill who was anxious to get thing to the post office.

    “Tooie, tooie, to-tooie,” he spoke up boldly.

    “No thank you, Cecil Bill. I can wrap packages efficiently by myself.  Besides, you’re Postal Inspector not Chief Wrapper.  Now stand aside and watch a really masterful job.”  String and paper flew so fast that you couldn’t even see Ollie.  Finally, the last knot was tied with a grand flourish of his tooth and Ollie stood back, beaming with pride and putting from over-exertions.

    “It’s kind of a funny shape," said Kukla.

    “Who cares what shape it is” Ollie answered sharply, “as long as it’s efficiently wrapped?  All right, Mr. Inspector, put your stamp on this!!”  There was not a ‘tooie-tooie’ in the room.  As a matter of fact there was no Cecil Bill.

    “Wouldn’t you know, “ Ollie said.  “He’s jealous. Well, never mind, I’ll carry it to the care myself.”

    He reached for the package when Kukla cried out, “Wait, wait!!”

    An odd looking bulge in part of the bundle suddenly came to life and burst through the paper.  There was the Inspector and you never heard such a string of 'tooie-tooie-tooies’ in your life.

    “One thing you’ll have to admit,” Ollie said between laughs, “I’m a very efficient wrapper.  I even wrapped up the Postal Inspector.”
 

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