Heartwarming seasonal stories

When I was very young I had two spinster grandaunts who lived together. Victorian in dress, manner and outlook, they lived in an old house that had seen much better days. They kept a large number of cats, a cow for milk, a few hens and assorted fowl, among them a turkeycock. He was ‘Garibaldi’, a name earned from his large red wattle, strutting around the yard and terrorising everyone, including the postman. The latter, calling daily in the approach to Christmas was attacked one time too many and refused to again deliver unless Garibaldi was permanently removed. Weighing in at about 30 lbs it was far too big for them so it was decided to give him to a family with 11 young children who lived nearby, although there was some concern as to the tenderness of his meat.
After Christmas one of the sisters asked the recipient how her family had fared with the turkey. “Oh it was terrible Missus, he ruined my Christmas.” Concerned, the grandaunt made suitable noises that she was afraid he might have been “a bit tough”. “Oh no, Missus, he was fine but he was so big every time I had to turn him we had to get the man in from next-door to help and being the day that was in it I had to give him a drink. My fella and him finished off two bottles of whiskey and were so fluthered before the dinner they fell asleep and couldn’t be woken up and herself next door won’t even look at me ever since”.