The gift wrapper.(Kevin Hughes) Wilbur looked at the shiny gold wrapping paper, then he looked up at the Lady standing in front of him.

“This will never do. No, Ma’am.”

The woman, already a little impatient, in a hurry, and otherwise preoccupied with her blurring list of things she had to get done- today, snapped back:

“What? What do you mean: “This will never do.” Just wrap the gift, take my money and move along.”


Wilbur pushed her gold wrapping paper, and the small purple haired pony with the unicorn horn (still in its box) back toward her.

“You are free to leave. There is the door. If you just want the box wrapped in this Gold paper (and he lifted a corner of the roll she had presented) I can recommend any of the big departments stores on either side of me. They are in a hurry , just like you. “

The woman was stunned. Who the heck did he think he was? It is just a toy for her niece, why the big deal over the wrapping paper? All of these questions were rhetorical, and only existed in her mind. What her mouth actually said, was as much a surprise to her, as it was to him.

“Why is the wrapping so important? It is a child’s toy. The toy is important.”

Wilbur smiled a wry knowing smile. Oh how many people couldn’t tell the difference between a gift, and a thing given. The toy was unimportant, the gift was important.

“Miss. You said this gift was for your favorite niece. “

“Yes.”

“You said that she loved ponies and unicorns, and purple manes on both.”

For a moment, a smile came on the Lady’s face. A memory smile driven by a moment her and her niece shared. They were in Central Park when Sarah spotted the Mounted Police Man, and scooted over to see the horse. Little Sarah was not afraid of the giant horse, and the horse leaned in close to let Sarah pet his nose. The Policeman looked at the Lady and said:

“ Elmer here (Elmer was his horse) is good around people. But he doesn’t usually take to them so quickly. Your little girl must be something else. Elmer already loves her.”

The Lady let the smile and the memory slip. She knew how much horses meant to Sarah. That is why she bought this particular unicorn pony. It would please Sarah to no end.

Wilbur looked at the lady. He could tell she was starting to understand the difference between a gift, and a toy, or present.

“You see Miss. If I were to use that gold wrapping, it would look like a pretty present. Expensive, tasteful, and would announce to the world that you gave a present to your niece. It would be all about you, and the wrapping paper that says: “Look at me, see? I care. I spent lots of Money.” It wouldn’t be a gift. It would be a notch in your belt- so to speak.”

The Lady listened intently. She was charmed with where this was going, even though it didn’t make her look good so far..so she gave a little comment back:

“Oh, do go on. What paper should I use?”

Wilbur smiled again. He didn’t miss the slight edge of sarcasm that hung like a sharpened blade at the end of her sentence. Instead he focused on what she really wanted to know…what paper should she use?

“You see, it is obvious to me that you love your niece. It is also obvious that when you bought that Unicorn, you were thinking of the delight it would bring her. Not about how much it cost, or who knew you gave it to her. “

“True, true.” Said the Lady, with the soft voice of fact.

“So, we use this paper."

He brought out a brightly colored, but not shiny, paper. The paper was covered with ponies of all kinds, colors, and sizes. It was perfect.

“Oh, my!” Was all the Lady said.

Meaning , of course, : “What priceless perfect paper. Sarah will be very careful opening a package wrapped in that paper. And she will probably save the paper too.”

Wilbur continued on, as if the Lady had not uttered an exclamation.

“Then we put this card on it, from you. And we attach it with this. “ Wilbur pulled out what looked like the most delightful real Pony Tail, and placed it on the tag.

The Lady just stared in disbelief. Had the gift wrapper man just pulled a small pony tail to put on the package? This man is the Picasso, Rembrandt, or Michelangelo of gift wrapping. Never in her life had she seen wrapping paper, card, and yes- a small pony’s tail, that went together so well with both the present itself, and the person receiving the gift. It was a Masterpiece.

“Yes, the Pony Tail is real. To answer your unanswered question. (Wilbur quietly chuckled) No, I cannot read minds. But I am the Gift Wrapper, and I do know when the gift, the giver, and the getter, are all in sync. “

The Lady was no longer in a hurry. She watched as the paper, tag, and pony tail came together as …well…art. Sarah would be pleased. She was pleased. And Wilbur was pleased too. After all, he had wrapped a gift, and not a present.

He was, the Gift Wrapper.

by Kevin Hughes

---