The
True Story of
Rudolph
Rudolph
A
man named Bob
May, depressed
and
broken-hearted,
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
Montgomery
Ward during
the Great
Depression.
Then he was
blessed with
his little girl. But it was all short-lived.
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.
Montgomery
Ward went on
to print,
“Rudolph, the
Red-Nosed
Reindeer” 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
Montgomery
Ward to print
an updated version
of the book.
In an
unprecedented
gesture of
kindness, the
CEO of
Montgomery Ward
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
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 Dinah Shore , 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."
vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , 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 & HAPPY NEW YEAR
Enjoy
life... it has
an expiration date
Fran
