The Christmas Chicken

A Novella

By: Allen Appel

Narrated by: Brad Wills

Victorian England. Christmas Eve. Young Jack, a blind boy of 10 years, sits alone by the hearth, making a Christmas wish: Jack would like a dog to keep him company. Suddenly Jack hears a frantic scrambling in the chimney and something plops into the room. Jack is overjoyed! Santa has brought him a dog!

Except it's actually a chicken, but don't tell Jack. He's never seen a dog or a chicken, because he's never seen anything. Jack names his pet King and over the next several days the two of them have some wonderful adventures.

This is a story to warm even the stoniest of hearts. Great for all ages, kids love it and adults find it very funny. Read it aloud to someone you love.

©2011 Allen Appel (P)2012 Allen Appel

Thank you Brad !

What did you love best about The Christmas Chicken?

I always read some Christmas story on Christmas Eve and I have a new one that we can listen to ! I cannot wait to hear this !

Have you listened to any of Brad Wills’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I know Brad has done great work in the past so I know I won't be disappointed !:)

Dickens with Cockfighting!!! Huzzah!!!

After reading a whole heckuva lot about nuclear annihilation it was time to settle down into something a tad lighter and more festive. And I couldn't have been more delighted with my choice. "The Christmas Chicken" is a very short listen which is brilliantly and audaciously narrated by Brad Wills (who else could infuse a chicken's voice with shock or dismay?) and follows a poor family as they all come together for a single Christmas. There is poverty! There is begging! Alcoholism! Bad guys! Cockfights! A small blind boy! Street urchins with hearts of gold! It's a listening classic that left me laughing and is actually safe and enjoyable fun for the whole family. It's worth the small listening time, and it's certainly worthy of the tiny pittance o' cash you'll lay out. What a delightful, delightful surprise!
It's still not the 5-star Jacob T. Marley, but what is?

Excellent, best Narrator award!

This lively short story is great for families or adults. The narrator is nothing short of amazing, including the chicken sqwaks. I hope he decides to do more work with Audible because he is a supreme talent. The story features an colorful array of characters who rally around Jack, a tenacious 10-year old boy who wants a dog for Christmas but receives, by an act of God, a big chicken. Full of humor, free of raunchy innuendo other than the dutiful father wishing to warm his backside on his lovely wife's "opulence." All 2.5 hours was a pleasure. A keeper for future holidays!

Entertaining Christmas Listen

This short audio book was a fun and entertaining Christmas listen with twists and turns. I'm a fan of chickens, so it was right up my alley. :)

I LOVED IT!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, It was a great story and Brad did a wonderful job.

What did you like best about this story?

How Jack was trying to make his family happy and the family was trying to make Jack happy!

What does Brad Wills bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He uses such emotion in his telling of this story, it pulled me right in as if I were right there. He is the best in the business. He has each person a voice and I can keep apart who is speaking. Well done Brad!!!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to this in one setting. I put it on my iPhone and go right on doing what I need to do with the phone in my pocket.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful story and wonderful told. I loved it!