FW: The True Story of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
samsy john
The True Story of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
A man named Robert L. 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.
Bobï؟½s wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldnï؟½t understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dadï؟½s eyes and asked, ï؟½Why isnï؟½t Mommy just like everybody elseï؟½s Mommy?ï؟½ Bobï؟½s jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.
Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bobï؟½s 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 heï؟½d rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.
Bob completed college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl.
But it was all short-lived. Evelynï؟½s 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 couldnï؟½t even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldnï؟½t buy a gift, he was determined a make one ï؟½ a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animalï؟½s 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 doesnï؟½t end there.
The general manager of Montgomery Ward heard about the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, ï؟½Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeerï؟½ 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 a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter.
But the story doesnï؟½t end there either.
Bobï؟½s 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 Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. ï؟½Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeerï؟½ was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of ï؟½White Christmas.ï؟½
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 isnï؟½t so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.
It is hard to read motivational inspirational stories like this and not get a little emotional or misty-eyed.