Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

This sweet stocking stuffer from Disney offers a trilogy of three original and new-to-video animated holiday stories that illustrate (albeit with a heavy hand) the spirit of the holidays. The first, and best, echoes Groundhog Day, as Donald Duck's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie find themselves "Stuck on Christmas" until they stop being selfish and greedy. In "A Very Goofy Christmas," Goofy and his son Max have a crisis of belief when their mean neighbor insists that there is no Santa Claus. Finally, "Gift of the Magi" recasts O. Henry's classic story with Mickey and Minnie both sacrificing their prized possessions to buy each other a special gift. The animation is a notch above Saturday morning television. Kelsey Grammer lends his sonorous voice as narrator (and Mr. Ed fans should listen for Wilbur himself, Alan Young, as Uncle Scrooge). This spoonful of sugar is sure to help the holidays go down. Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Lee Benson)