>>
>>>> The True Story of
>>>>
>>>> Rudolph
>>>>
A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his
drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.
>>>>
>>>> His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
>>>>
>>>> Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her
dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"
>>>> Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger.
>>>>
It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different
for Bob. Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys.
He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called
names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and
never seemed to fit in.
>>>> Bob did complete college,
married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter
at MontgomeryWards during the Great Depression.
>>>>
Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived.
Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob
and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the
Chicago slums.
Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.
>>>>
>>>>
Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even
afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was
determined to make one - a storybook!
>>>> Bob had
created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story
to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told
the story,embellishing it more with each telling.
>>>> Who was the character? What was the story all about?
>>>>
The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The
character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the
character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.
>>>> Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day.
>>>>
But the story doesn't end
there. The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little
storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to
print the book.
>>>> Wards went on to print, “Rudolph,
the Red-NosedReindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa
Claus in their stores.
>>>> By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than
>>>> six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major
>>>> publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.
>>>>
>>>> In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May.
>>>>
The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed
and Bob May, now remarried with agrowing family, became wealthy from the
story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story
doesn't end there
either.
>>>>
>>>> Bob's brother-in-law,
Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was
turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and DinahShore , it
was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed
Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling
more records than any other Christmas song,
>>>> with the exception of "White Christmas."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept
on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the
lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't
so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.
>>>> MERRY CHRISTMAS
>>>>
>>>> Enjoy life... it has an
>>>>
>>>> expiration
>>>>
>>>> date!
>>> --
>>> James G. Moore, PE
>>> PO Box 572
>>> Piketon, OH 45661
>>> Tel: 740-776-6500
>>> Mobile: 740-370-8203
>>>
>
> --
> James G. Moore, PE
> PO Box 572
> Piketon, OH 45661
> Tel: 740-776-6500
> Mobile: 740-370-8203
>
