For days Paul has been very excited, because Christmas is getting closer and closer. He constantly asks his mom how many more nights he has to sleep until it is finally time. He still has to be patient a little. "Will you help me bake cookies later?", asks Paul's mom at breakfast. "Oh yes, oh yes!", Paul calls out immediately, excited. "I want to cut out and decorate the cookies!" Paul's mom smiles. The simple cut-out cookies with colorful decoration are Paul's favorite cookies.

A short time later Paul's mom has already prepared and rolled out the dough – and then Paul is finally allowed to help. Diligently he cuts out one cookie after another – in many different shapes: stars, hearts, flowers, moons and many more. As soon as the first baking tray is in the oven, a wonderful scent spreads through the kitchen. "Mmm, yummy!", Paul exclaims, "I want to try a cookie as soon as they're done!" Full of anticipation he watches the sweet treats in the oven. "But first they have to cool a little so you don't burn your fingers and your tongue," his mom says, "then you may nibble." All day Paul and his mom are busy rolling out dough, cutting out shapes and decorating the finished cookies.

In the meantime Paul's dad has already brought the Christmas tree in from outside and set it up in the living room. First he puts up a long string of lights with large candles and then he hangs many different glass baubles on the tree: big and small, red and golden. Finally he attaches a Christmas garland made of paper that Paul made a few days ago at kindergarten especially for Christmas. Satisfied, Paul's dad looks at the beautifully decorated tree.

Then he closes the living room door behind him and, to be safe, sticks a piece of tape over the keyhole so that Paul doesn't peek through secretly and discover the tree, because it is a surprise for Christmas Eve. In the evening Paul crawls into bed tired. Baking cookies is quite tiring, but it's also a lot of fun. Soon mom comes to give him a goodnight kiss. Oh, if only it would finally snow, thinks Paul as his eyes slowly close. Then he could finally go sledding and build a snowman. He yawns once more, and then he is already asleep. And outside, all of a sudden very fine, soft snowflakes fall onto the windowsill. First a few and then more and more...