Ryers Readers - As Cool As It Gets

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

It is the COOLEST time of the year! And that means it is time for the annual holiday gift exchange! Will the Cool Bean be able to find the perfect gift before the party?!

Let's do this! Thank you so much for tuning into today's story. Don't forget to rate and follow so you never miss out on all the Ryer's Reader's fun. And if you're looking for even more fun, come join me on the Ryer's Reader's Patreon page, where you can find ad-free episodes, bonus content, and even become a Ryer's Reader's celebrity. Before we get into the story, do you want to know a fun fact? Did you know that tinsel was originally made from real silver and dates all the way back to the 17th century in Germany? Nowadays, tinsel is made from plastic or aluminum, which is much cheaper and easier to make. Pretty cool, huh? Okay, story time! Today, we are going to read, as cool as it gets by Jewry John.

Watch out! Here come the holidays. Bells are ringing. Jingles are jingling. Tinsel is tingling. Whatever, it doesn't matter. The truth is, I don't usually feel very festive, jolly, or merry this time of year. I may be a cool bean, but I don't always have the coolest holiday season.

Oh no, no, no, no. Here's why. Every year, there's a big old, fancy old holiday party. All the beans in town are there to celebrate and whoop it up. Every single year, we have a gift exchange. To enter, you select a bean's name out of a hat. This year, I randomly picked Benadette J. Not to be confused with Benadette S.

Benadette J is one of the coolest of the cool beans, and I knew she would be expecting one of the coolest of the cool gifts. It's kind of a big deal. There's a lot of pressure to be a great gift giver during the holidays. After all, what's cooler than making someone's day with an amazingly expensive present Am I right? Of course I couldn't buy her something extravagant like that.

I had no bean bucks to my name. So I tried finding a gift for a bean a debt. I went on a treasure hunt across town. Alas, all I found was an egg corn, a button, a rock, an apple core, a broken leaf, and a single, solitary shoe. A bean-like-beena dent wouldn't want any of that stuff? I considered not going to the party at all. I could hide in my house with the lights out in case anyone came looking for me.

Things would be easier that way. But then, just as I was starting to panic, I spied some pens and paints and paper in a dusty forgotten cabinet. I hummed. Suddenly, I had a car. cool idea. Been a while since I had done anything creative, but I decided to give it a whirl. I drew a line. Then another. Then another. It started out as a simple landscape. Then I added a couple tigers, a lightning bolt, a sporty car, an electric guitar, and a double rainbow.

I topped it off with a sketch of Benadette herself, looking at a little. Oh, so very cool. After an hour or two, I admired my illustration. It had humor. It had heart. It had a lightning bolt. It was the best thing I ever made. Perhaps. I put the drawing in a folder and headed to the party before I could talk myself out of it. It felt like a long walk. By the time I arrived at the house, I started having second thoughts. This was before I saw the gift stacked in the corner, stretching all the way to the ceiling. And then I remembered my silly little folder containing a silly little drawing. I sheepishly placed my gift on the stack, not making eye contact with anybody.

Finally, a bean named Charlene dinged a glass. It's gift time, she hollered, gather around. All the beans sat in a circle. A few friends waved me over. Yeah, this should be really fun. I said way too loudly. Then I laughed awkwardly. Ah,

A-choo! Then I sneezed on a plate of cookies. Then I bumped my name on the coffee table. Everyone just stared. I spotted Benadette sitting straight across from me, looking excited. Sorry in advance, I thought. All the beans exchanged gifts. Immediately there were yelps of approval.

It was a gift. cavalcade of shiny, expensive stuff like electronics, clothes, jewelry, you name it. Finally, it was my turn. Oh, the dread, but there was no way out. Let's get this over with, I thought. Benadette took the folder and shook it, listening for a rattle. She smelled it in case it was sweet. Finally, she opened it and gently removed my artwork, holding it in both hands. She stared at it for a full minute. There was only silence. I knew it, I thought, the worst gift of the party.

Time to disappear forever. I started plotting my escape, just as I was about to sprint to the door and never. look back and start a new life somewhere? Benadette finally spoke up. Wait, you drew this for me? She asked. Um, yes, I said feeling a bit queasy. Goodness, this is the absolute coolest present I have ever received, she said. It is? I asked. It's totally and completely wonderful, she said. This gift is as cool as it gets. Everybody crowded around my drawing.

All the beans had nice things to say about it, like, wow, and neat, and cool. What a feeling. I'd created something unique and original. I had given it away, and it had made it. And it had made somebody happy. All in a day. The rest of the party sped by in a blur of holiday music, sweets, and fun games. Some of the other beans asked if I would make them drawings.

Oh, and I received a neat present, too. It was a scarf that a bean named Jean had knitted for me. He'd been really nervous about my reaction, he said. I told Jean how much it meant that he had taken the time to make me something. And my new scarf kept me cozy when I went outside. It was truly a cool and also warm gift indeed. The walk felt shorter this time. And I had pep in my step and a smile on my face.

So yeah, this has actually turned into a pretty cool holiday season after all. I've realized that a gift is a gift, whether it's bought, found, or created from scratch. I even came up with a new motto, when in doubt, just make something. So, that's what I'm going to do from now on. Happy holidays, every bean! And don't forget to stick around to see if you can answer today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? Can you remember something, anything that the cool bean drew in his picture to Bean

drew? The Cool Bean drew tigers, a lightning bolt, a sporty car, an electric guitar, a double rainbow, and Beanadette in his picture. If any of those was your answer, you did it. Great job! You sure were paying attention. I hope you enjoyed that story. I wonder what we're going to read next.