Cowboy True worked at the Rocking R Ranch. He was tall and thin and always wore a big smile. His hair was messy and his cowboy boots were always dusty. He spent his days rounding up cattle and taming wild stallions. Cowboy True was a friendly fellow. He liked to make up games and play with the children who lived down the road in a small town called Sweet Water. He had a way of making folks laugh and feel happy, and he never passed up a chance to do a good deed or help out any of the townspeople who might have needed it.
Cowboy True did a lot of helpful things for people. One day he would carry the Widow Martin’s groceries home for her. On another day, he might sweep the steps out in front of the Sweet Water Mercantile for the store’s owner, Mister Hamilton. Cowboy True seemed to be the most helpful around Christmas time. He liked the holidays best of all because the town would be full of happy people needing help carrying Christmas gifts from store to store.
Every Christmas Eve, the people of Sweet Water would have a Christmas barn dance. Everyone in town and at the Rocking R Ranch would get dressed up and go to the dance. The townspeople would sing Christmas carols, exchange presents, and eat a lot of Christmas cookies and cakes. People would come from miles around to celebrate the Christmas season.
One Christmas Eve, Cowboy True finished up his chores, washed his face, tried to comb his messy hair, saddled up his horse, placed his special Christmas gifts in his saddlebags, and rode off of for the barn dance.
