The following 15 essays were chosen as winners in “The Gift of the Magi” contest sponsored by the Bangor Daily News. More than 400 students in grades four through eight from all over the NEWS circulation area entered the contest.

Students were asked to write on the topic: “The thing I love most and the person for whom I would give it up.”

The contest was held in conjunction with the NEWS’ sponsorship of the Penobscot Theatre Company production of a musical based on the O. Henry short story. The production runs through Jan. 19. In “The Gift of the Magi,” an impoverished husband and wife each give up the thing they treasure most to buy the other a Christmas gift.

Brotherly love

Kevin Barry Bangor Fourth grade winner

“My name is Kevin and I’m nine years old. I have an old English sheepdog who I love very much named Muffin. My six year old brother Travis got very sick and was taken to Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. The doctors thought Muffin might be part of the reasons that Travis was sick. After taking lots of tests they found out Travis was not allergic to dogs and that we could keep her but if Muffin had made Travis sick even though I love Muffin I would give her up. Because I love Travis more.”

A special closeness

Kelley Bell Brewer Fourth grade winner

“One day when I was younger I went to see my grandmother. She was very ill. She called me to her bed side and said she has something special for me to remember her by. She opened a small black case, that had the most beautiful necklace in it I had ever seen. She put the necklace around my neck and said this is for my first very special granddaughter. I want you to keep it always and remember I love you. It wasn’t long after that, my grandmother died and I felt very lost without her.

One Christmas my very best friend Allison’s father had just died. She felt very lonely without him like I did when my grandmother died. I wanted to give her something special for a Christmas gift. The only thing that I had was the necklace that my grandmother gave me. It was going to be hard to give up my necklace, but I felt Allison needed something special. I wrapped it up in the black case and gave it to Allison on Christmas day. I told her that it was very special to me and that I wanted her to have it.

True friendship

Ryan Coffin Ellsworth Fourth grade winner

“The person that I would give up for is Casey. The thing that I would give up is my bike. I would give it to Casey because he is my best friend. And Casey likes my bike very much because the bike has red and white on it. I am going to give my bike to Casey because on his bike his chain broke and he couldn’t fix it. Casey needed to have a bike to ride to school.

The gift of Pepere’s love

Matt McInnis Hampden Fifth grade winner

“My grandfather meant a lot to me. He died six years ago, but I still think about him. Most every time our family goes to Van Buren I ask if we can go to his grave. I start to cry as I write. When I see pictures of him it makes me really sad that he passed away. My grandmother, my mom and I are probably the only people who think about him every day. He had fun with our family, such as spending time with us during holidays and when we went to visit. I’m sad that I didn’t get to see more of him than what I did. What really shocked me was when my mom told us he died. It happened like this … we were watching TV in the morning. Mom had been on the phone with our grandmother for quite a while. When she got off the phone we went into her room and she was in tears. We asked what was wrong. She said “Amy, Mike, Matt, this morning Pepere has died.” We started to cry and asked how he died. She said, “He died of lung cancer.” That was the first person that died in my life that was related to me. It was the saddest day of my life.

The thing I love most about Pepere is the love he gave to our family. The person I would give his love up to would be my grandson when I’m a grandfather. To share his love with my grandson, I would be sure not to smoke, so I would live a long fun life.”

Breath of life

Matthew Madore Hampden Fifth grade winner

“I have asthma and I don’t like it, but I can still play sports. I would give up my health to some child who is very ill. Even if that child gets asthma, it would make him or her better. Giving this to a ill child would make me feel so wonderful that I helped him or her.”

There’s no one like Dad

Jennie Helena Morrill Bucksport Fifth grade winner

“I gave up my whole entire family and all my friends to stay with this person. I would give anything up. This person is a great person. I gave up my mother and my grandparents, my brother and my only sister. My best cousins ever in the world. You couldn’t ask for any better ones. I gave up 230 friends for this person. I gave up all my aunts and uncles. I also gave up my house that I love I had lived in for 10 years. I gave up everything even the farm I used to live on. I gave up New York that I lived in for ten years. I also gave up ballet for this person. I would never give up all this for another person.

I gave all this up and now this person has given it back to me. If this person ever wanted me to give up anything again, I would do it because I love him a lot and he couldn’t be any better than he is. This person is my father. I love you dad.

Repaying a debt

Shaun Lagasse Madawaska Sixth grade winner

“I would probably give up my baseball mitt to buy my mom a watch. My mom is a very hard worker. She works at Ames as an assistant manager. She has many different hours. Sometimes she might work from eight to ten at night.

My mom is a person that works very hard to keep a roof over my head and to feed us properly. When my mother comes home she cheers me up. My mom deserves a watch. She is very special to me.”

Value of a grandfather

Seth Lovley Wallagrass Sixth grade winner

“It’s hard to decide what I treasure most. Even though it took many long years and lots of money, I could sell all my sports cards to a dealer. I could probably get quite a bit of money on old or valuable cards like Michael Jordan’s or Jerry Rice (rookie – 1986).

I would take all this money and give it to some nurses and doctors so that they could do a surgery, so that my grandfather would not have diabetes. My grandfather is a very special person and we have lots of good times. He would do the same for me. I love my grandfather and don’t like to see him have a shot (needle) every day.”

Treasure trove of books

Caroline Wentworth Pembroke Sixth grade winner

“When I first read the essay question I couldn’t think what would be my most important possession because I have so many things I treasure. However, after thinking about it, I decided my books mean the most to me.

Books not only keep you company when you’re alone but with them you can travel to new places, learn new ideas and in mystery stories find out `who done it.’ I’ve collected so many books over the years that I have enough to start my own library, a statement my mother often makes to me when she sees my bookcases.

Instead of starting my own library, I’d rather donate the books in my mother’s name to a children’s library in hope that they will bring as much joy to them as they have brought to me.”

Making up for lack of love

Allyson Ashe Bangor Seventh grade winner

“Whenever I visit my grandparents in a milltown of northern New Hampshire, I play with the little boy that lives next door to them. He is four years old, and his name is Tony. He comes from a poor family and doesn’t get much love.

I always try to be really nice to him. I almost try to make up for the love that he doesn’t get. One time while I was there, I went shopping. In the toy department of the store, I saw a package of bubbles. I decided to buy them for Tony. When I gave them to him, his eyes were filled with joy to see that someone cared that much for him. He played with the bubbles all day until the bubble solution ran out.

That day, I thought of an idea that I thought would make Tony feel important. It would take some courage, but I could do it. I decided to give Tony the teddy bear that I had slept with since the day I was born.

I wrapped up the bear and brought it to his house. I figured that this would make his day. When I told him that I had slept with it since I was born, he was so excited that he gave me a great big hug. I was right. It did make his day. I still miss my bear but I am sure that I did the right thing.”

The watch that `talks’

Adam Quinn East Corinth Seventh grade winner

“My uncle was thirty-six years old when he died. He was sick with diabetes and was legally blind.

He had a `talking’ watch. It would tell you the time when you pushed a button. He always let me and my cousins push the button, because we thought that was neat.

When he died our grandmother gave us all things of his. I was given the watch. I still love to press the button.

My grandfather is also a diabetic. His eyesight is slowly getting worse. If and when the time comes, I will give him my uncle Rollie’s watch so he will be able to tell the time.”

A burning candle

Kate Wiebe Bangor Seventh grade winner

“Deciding the thing that I love the most is not the easiest thing to do. I thought for hours about this, and I finally got an idea of what this really means.

The thing that I love the most would have to be so special to me that there would only be one person for which I’d give it up.

There are a lot of things that mean a lot to me, and even though this one thing may not seem like much, I would be very upset if anything happened to it.

This summer I went to a one week camp, and I met a very special friend there. Actually, I met two very special friends. One of these people lives in New York, and the other lives only an hour away. I would do almost anything to see either of them. Well, at the end of the week we had a special dedication ceremony. Everyone in the camp got a small candle to burn all night. We all cried all night, and the next day we left, and haven’t seen each other since.

So that one small candle means a lot to me, and when I finally burn it again, at the camp reunion, I’ll think of the friends I met, the only two people for which I’d give my most prized possession to.”

Wise beyond her years

Nena Dority Ellsworth Eighth grade winner

“The thing I love the most would be my education, mostly because I have the opportunity to go to a good school (Beech Hill) and I can go to college.

If anyone were to receive my education I would give it to my mom. She did go to school but only until she got out of high school. She couldn’t receive a college education due to money.

My mom has helped me remember school is important and that you really need it in life. I have also said the same to my mom.

My mom helps me with school when she can. I help her, too.

My mom has gone back to school and I’m very proud of her and I hope she uses her opportunities wisely and remembers I’m here to help in anyway possible.”

A trade to take away pain

Annastasha Merchant Addison Eighth grade winner

“The thing I love most is the quilt my grandmother made for me. The squares have Holly Hobbie-like dolls that are standing backwards on them. Their dresses and parasols are made from scraps of material from things she made for my aunts, mother, and other relatives. She gave it to me when I was in fourth grade.

There are really two people I would give my quilt up for. They are my two cousins, Bobby and Brian Jr. They both have cerebral palsy, and Bobby also has hydrocephalia. They have both had to have several operations and suffered through more pain than most kids will ever know. If I could make them better just by giving up my quilt, I would. I would not even need to think about it because I love them both very much and do not want them to go through any more pain.”

Carrying on the laughter

Megan Phillips Bangor Eighth grade winner

“In my room, on an old dusty shelf, there is a small white box that has an old but still sparkling railroad spike. Inscribed on a tag attached to the spike saying: `Dear Megan, This golden spike and much love from Grandpa and the Norway Branch Railway. James Phillips, President.’

When I was eight, my grandfather, the president of the Norway railroad, gave me this spike that was painted gold. Now sure this doesn’t seem like much of a present but it stands boldly on my shelf as a memorium.

My grandpa was a great guy. He had a one of a kind sense of humor and he knew how to make us laugh.

Now that my grandfather is gone, I believe it is my duty as oldest grandchild to carry on his spirit and sense of humor. Even though I never really acknowledge the old spike, I would never give it away for anything.

There is one person I would give up the spike for. This person is my sister. Now I don’t usually give much to my sister. Sometimes I let her borrow my clothes but that is about it. I would give the spike to my sister because she reminds me of my grandfather; she makes me laugh. I would never give that away.”