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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..32fd741 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52231 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52231) diff --git a/old/52231-0.txt b/old/52231-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d1143e6..0000000 --- a/old/52231-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7180 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays, by Various - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays - -Author: Various - -Editor: Ada M. Skinner - -Release Date: June 3, 2016 [EBook #52231] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS' CHRISTMAS *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - LITTLE FOLKS’ CHRISTMAS - STORIES AND PLAYS - - - - - Little Folks’ Christmas - Stories and Plays - - _Edited by_ - ADA M. SKINNER - - [Illustration: colophon] - - RAND McNALLY & COMPANY - CHICAGO NEW YORK - - _Copyright, 1915_, - BY RAND MCNALLY & COMPANY - - The Rand-McNally Press - _Chicago_ - - - - -_CHRISTMAS TIME_ - - -“_I have always thought of Christmas time ... as a good time; a kind, -forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time ... when men and -women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely ...; and I -say, God bless it!_” - -CHARLES DICKENS - - - - -A FOREWORD - - -The selections in _Little Folks’ Christmas Stories and Plays_ emphasize -the joy expressed by “good will toward men” and the abundant life -suggested by “peace on earth.” Some of the stories and legends will -appeal to the child’s interest because they are filled with the spirit -of fun and jollity which is always associated with Christmas -merrymaking; other selections affirm the spiritual blessings which the -birth of the Christ Child brought to the children of men. - -The young reader’s enjoyment is enhanced and his interest quickened if -he can begin to read his book without the aid of an interpreter. -Therefore the stories and poems in this volume are arranged in two -groups: Part I includes those selections which are simple enough in -theme and form to be read by the child; Part II is made up of more -complex stories and poems, which the story-teller may read aloud or -relate to the young listener. - -My thanks are due to the following authors and publishers who have -allowed reprints from their works: Maud Lindsay for permission to use -“The Promise”; Richard Thomas Wyche for “A Boy’s Visit to Santa Claus”; -Ruth Sawyer for “The Christmas Kings”; Mrs. Richard Watson Gilder for -permission to use the poem, “The Christmas Tree in the Nursery,” by -Richard Watson Gilder; Mary Stewart for “The Finding of the Treasure”; -Raymond MacDonald Alden for “In the Great Walled Country”; Edmund Vance -Cooke for “Going to Meet Santa Claus”; Alma J. Foster for her -translation of “Cosette” by Victor Hugo; L. Frank Baum and _The -Delineator_ for “Kidnaping Santa Claus”; Emma A. Schaub for her -translation of “Christmasland” by Heinrich Seidel; Margaret Deland and -Moffat Yard & Company, publishers, for permission to use the poem, -“While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night”; Milton Bradley Company -for “The Christmas Cake” from _Mother Stories_ by Maud Lindsay; A. -Flanagan Company for the selection, “The Stars and the Child,” from -_Child’s Christ Tales_ by Andrea Hofer Proudfoot; the Pilgrim Press for -“The Visit of the Wishing Man,” from _The City that Never was Reached_ -by J. T. Stocking; The Macmillan Company for a selection from _Serapion -Brethren_ by E. Th. Hoffmann; Dr. Washington Gladden and the Century Co. -for “The Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled”; the _Contemporary Review_ -for “A Florentine Legend of Christmas” by Vernon Lee; the Packer -Institute of Brooklyn for the adaptation of the mystery play, “The Star -in the East,” and to Abbie Farwell Brown and Houghton Mifflin Co. for -the selection, “A Blessing.” - -Grateful acknowledgment is also made to Miss Elizabeth A. Herrick and -Miss Anda G. Morin for valuable suggestions given during the compilation -of these stories. - -ADA M. SKINNER - -_St. Agatha School, -New York City, N. Y._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -_A Foreword_ vii - - -PART I. STORIES CHILDREN CAN READ - -CHRISTMAS AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN 3 - -THE PROMISE 12 - -A BOY’S VISIT TO SANTA CLAUS 18 - -THE CHRISTMAS KINGS 28 - -THE CHRISTMAS CAKE 39 - -THE DOLL’S WISH 43 - -THE CHRISTMAS SPRUCE TREE 48 - -A LITTLE ROMAN SHEPHERD 52 - -THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE NURSERY 57 - -THE STARS AND THE CHILD 59 - -THE STRANGER CHILD 61 - -THE STAR SONG 63 - -THE VISIT OF THE WISHING MAN 64 - -KRISS KRINGLE 80 - -THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM 81 - -NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE KING 83 - -A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS 104 - -CHRISTMAS IN MANY LANDS 108 - - -PART II. STORIES TO READ AND TELL TO CHILDREN - -SELECTION FROM THE BIBLE: LUKE II, 8-20 125 - -THE FINDING OF THE TREASURE 127 - -THE MEANING OF THE STAR 140 - -WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT 142 - -THE GREAT WALLED COUNTRY 144 - -GOING TO MEET CHRISTMAS 155 - -A LEGEND OF ST. BONIFACE 166 - -COSETTE’S CHRISTMAS EVE 171 - -THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A WOOD SLED 192 - -KIDNAPING SANTA CLAUS 217 - -CHRISTMASLAND 235 - -A CHRISTMAS LEGEND 258 - -THE STAR IN THE EAST 265 - -A BLESSING 276 - - - - -PART I - -STORIES CHILDREN CAN READ - - - - -LITTLE FOLKS’ CHRISTMAS STORIES AND PLAYS - - - - -CHRISTMAS AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN[1] - -ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE - - -Once upon a time, when the Robin, and Turtle, and Squirrel, and Jack -Rabbit had all gone home for the winter, nobody was left in the Hollow -Tree except the ’Coon and the ’Possum and the old black Crow. Of course -the others used to come back and visit them pretty often, and Mr. Dog, -too, now that he had got to be good friends with all the Deep Woods -people, and they thought a great deal of him when they got to know him -better. Mr. Dog told them a lot of things they had never heard of -before, things that he’d learned at Mr. Man’s house, and maybe that’s -one reason why they got to liking him so well. - -He told them about Santa Claus, for one thing, and how the old fellow -came down the chimney on Christmas Eve to bring presents to Mr. Man and -his children, who always hung up their stockings for them, and Mr. Dog -said that once he had hung up his stocking, too, and got a nice bone in -it, that was so good he had buried and dug it up again as much as six -times before spring. He said that Santa Claus always came to Mr. Man’s -house, and that whenever the children hung up their stockings they were -always sure to get something in them. - -Well, the Hollow Tree people had never heard of Santa Claus. They knew -about Christmas, of course, because everybody, even the cows and sheep, -knows about that; but they had never heard of Santa Claus. You see, -Santa Claus only comes to Mr. Man’s house, but they didn’t know that, -either, so they thought if they just hung up their stockings he’d come -there, too, and that’s what they made up their minds to do. They talked -about it a great deal together, and Mr. ’Possum looked over all his -stockings to pick out the biggest one he had, and Mr. Crow he made -himself a new pair on purpose. Mr. ’Coon said he never knew Mr. Crow to -make himself such big stockings before, but Mr. Crow said he was getting -old and needed things bigger, and when he loaned one of his new -stockings to Mr. ’Coon, Mr. ’Coon said, “That’s so,” and that he -guessed they were about right after all. They didn’t tell anybody about -it at first, but by and by they told Mr. Dog what they were going to do, -and when Mr. Dog heard it he wanted to laugh right out. You see, he knew -Santa Claus never went anywhere except to Mr. Man’s house, and he -thought it would be a great joke on the Hollow Tree people when they -hung up their stockings and didn’t get anything. - -But by and by Mr. Dog thought about something else. He thought it would -be too bad, too, for them to be disappointed that way. You see, Mr. Dog -liked them all now, and when he had thought about that a minute he made -up his mind to do something. And this is what it was--he made up his -mind to play Santa Claus! - -He knew just how Santa Claus looked, ’cause he’d seen lots of his -pictures at Mr. Man’s house, and he thought it would be great fun to -dress up that way and take a bag of presents to the Hollow Tree while -they were all asleep and fill up the stockings of the ’Coon and ’Possum -and the old black Crow. But first he had to be sure of some way of -getting in, so he said to them he didn’t see how they could expect -Santa Claus, their chimneys were so small, and Mr. Crow said they could -leave their latchstring out downstairs, which was just what Mr. Dog -wanted. Then they said they were going to have all the folks that had -spent the summer with them over for Christmas dinner and to see the -presents they had got in their stockings. They told Mr. Dog to drop -over, too, if he could get away, and Mr. Dog said he would, and went off -laughing to himself, and ran all the way home because he felt so pleased -at what he was going to do. - -Well, he had to work pretty hard, I tell you, to get things ready. It -wasn’t so hard to get the presents as it was to rig up his Santa Claus -dress. He found some long wool out in Mr. Man’s barn for his white -whiskers, and he put some that wasn’t so long on the edges of his -overcoat and boot tops and around an old hat he had. Then he borrowed a -big sack he found out there, too, and fixed it up to swing over his -back, just as he had seen Santa Claus do in the picture. He had a lot of -nice things to take along. Three tender young chickens he’d borrowed -from Mr. Man, for one thing, and then he bought some new neckties for -the Hollow Tree folks all around, and a big striped candy cane for each -one, because candy canes always looked well sticking out of a stocking. -Besides all that, he had a new pipe for each, and a package of tobacco. -You see, Mr. Dog lived with Mr. Man, and didn’t ever have to buy much -for himself, so he had always saved his money. He had even more things -than that, but I can’t remember just now what they were; and when he -started out, all dressed up like Santa Claus, I tell you his bag was -pretty heavy, and he almost wished before he got there that he hadn’t -started with quite so much. - -It got heavier and heavier all the way, and he was glad enough to get -there and find the latchstring out. He set his bag down to rest a minute -before climbing the stairs, and then opened the doors softly and -listened. He didn’t hear a thing except Mr. Crow and Mr. ’Coon and Mr. -’Possum breathing pretty low, and he knew they might wake up any minute, -and he wouldn’t have been caught there in the midst of things for a good -deal. So he slipped up just as easy as anything, and when he got up in -the big parlor room he almost had to laugh right out loud, for there -were the stockings sure enough, all hung up in a row, and a card with a -name on it over each one telling whom it belonged to. - -Then he listened again, and all at once he jumped and held his breath, -for he heard Mr. ’Possum say something. But Mr. ’Possum was only talking -in his sleep, and saying, “I’ll take another piece, please,” and Mr. Dog -knew he was dreaming about the mince pie he’d had for supper. - -So, then he opened his bag and filled the stockings. He put in mixed -candy and nuts and little things first, and then the pipes and tobacco -and candy canes, so they’d show at the top, and hung a nice dressed -chicken outside. I tell you, they looked fine! It almost made Mr. Dog -wish he had a stocking of his own there to fill, and he forgot all about -them waking up, and sat down in a chair to look at the stockings. It was -a nice rocking chair, and over in a dark corner where they wouldn’t be -apt to see him, even if one of them did wake up and stick his head out -of his room, so Mr. Dog felt pretty safe now, anyway. He rocked softly, -and looked and looked at the nice stockings, and thought how pleased -they’d be in the morning, and how tired he was. You’ve heard about -people being as tired as a dog; and that’s just how Mr. Dog felt. He was -so tired he didn’t feel a bit like starting home, and by and by--he -never did know how it happened--but by and by Mr. Dog went sound asleep -right there in his chair, with all his Santa Claus clothes on. - -And there he sat, with his empty bag in his hand and the nice full -stockings in front of him all night long. Even when it came morning and -began to get light Mr. Dog didn’t know it; he just slept right on, he -was that tired. Then pretty soon the door of Mr. ’Possum’s room opened -and he poked out his head. And just then the door of Mr. ’Coon’s room -opened and he poked out his head. Then the door of the old black Crow -opened and out poked his head. They all looked toward the stockings, and -they didn’t see Mr. Dog, or even each other, at all. They saw their -stockings, though, and Mr. ’Coon said all at once: - -“Oh, there’s something in my stocking!” - -And then Mr. Crow says: “Oh, there’s something in my stocking, too!” - -And Mr. ’Possum says: “Oh, there’s something in all our stockings!” - -And with that they gave a great hurrah all together, and rushed out and -grabbed their stockings and turned around just in time to see Mr. Dog -jump right straight up out of his chair, for he did not know where he -was the least bit in the world. - -“Oh, there’s Santa Claus himself!” they all shouted together, and made -a rush for their rooms, for they were scared almost to death. But it all -dawned on Mr. Dog in a second, and he commenced to laugh and hurrah to -think what a joke it was on everybody. And when they heard Mr. Dog laugh -they knew him right away, and they all came up and looked at him, and he -had to tell just what he’d done and everything; so they emptied out -their stockings on the floor and ate some of the presents and looked at -the others, until they almost forgot about breakfast, just as children -do on Christmas morning. - -Then Mr. Crow said, all at once, that he’d make a little coffee, and -that Mr. Dog must stay and have some, and by and by they made him -promise to spend the day with them and be there when the Robin and the -Squirrel and Mr. Turtle and Jack Rabbit came, which he did. - -And it was snowing hard outside, which made it a nicer Christmas than if -it hadn’t been, and when all the others came they brought presents, too. -And when they saw Mr. Dog dressed up as Santa Claus and heard how he’d -gone to sleep and been caught, they laughed and laughed. And it snowed -so hard that they had to stay all night, and after dinner they sat -around the fire and told stories. And they had to stay the next night, -too, and all that Christmas week. And I wish I could tell you all that -happened that week, but I can’t, because I haven’t time. But it was the -very nicest Christmas that ever was in the Hollow Tree, or in the Big -Deep Woods anywhere. - - - - -THE PROMISE[2] - -MAUD LINDSAY - - -There was once a harper who played such beautiful music and sang such -beautiful songs that his fame spread throughout the whole land; and at -last the king heard of him and sent messengers to bring him to the -palace. - -“I will neither eat nor sleep till I have seen your face and heard the -sound of your harp.” This was the message the king sent to the harper. - -The messengers said it over and over until they knew it by heart, and -when they reached the harper’s house they called: - -“Hail, harper! Come out and listen, for we have something to tell you -that will make you glad.” - -But when the harper heard the king’s message he was sad, for he had a -wife and a child and a little brown dog; and he was sorry to leave them -and they were sorry to have him go. - -“Stay with us,” they begged; but the harper said: - -“I _must_ go, for it would be discourtesy to disappoint the king; but as -sure as holly berries are red and pine is green, I will come back by -Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding, and sing the -Christmas songs by my own fireside.” - -And when he had promised this he hung his harp upon his back and went -away with the messengers to the king’s palace. - -When he got there the king welcomed him with joy, and many things were -done in his honor. He slept on a bed of softest down and ate from a -plate of gold at the king’s own table; and when he sang everybody and -everything, from the king himself to the mouse in the palace pantry, -stood still to listen. - -No matter what he was doing, however, feasting or resting, singing or -listening to praises, he never forgot the promise that he had made to -his wife and his child and his little brown dog, and when the day before -Christmas came, he took his harp in his hand and went to tell the king -good-by. - -Now the king was loath to have the harper leave him, and he said to him: -“I will give you a horse as white as milk, as glossy as satin, and as -fleet as a deer, if you will stay to play and sing before my throne on -Christmas Day.” - -But the harper answered, “I cannot stay, for I have a wife and a child -and a little brown dog; and I have promised them to be at home by -Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding and sing the -Christmas songs by my own fireside.” - -Then the king said, “If you will stay to play and sing before my throne -on Christmas Day, I will give to you a wonderful tree that summer or -winter is never bare; and silver and gold will fall for you whenever you -shake this little tree.” - -But the harper said, “I must not stay, for my wife and my child and my -little brown dog are waiting for me, and I have promised them to be at -home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding and sing -the Christmas songs by my own fireside.” - -Then the king said, “If you will stay on Christmas Day one tune to play -and one song to sing, I will give you a velvet robe to wear, and you may -sit beside me here with a ring on your finger and a crown on your head.” - -But the harper answered, “I will not stay, for my wife and my child and -my little brown dog are watching for me; and I have promised them to be -at home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding, and -sing the Christmas songs by my own fireside.” And he wrapped his old -cloak about him, and hung his harp upon his back, and went out from the -king’s palace without another word. - -He had not gone far when the little white snowflakes came fluttering -down from the skies. - - “Harper, stay,” they seemed to say, - “Do not venture out to-day.” - -But the harper said, “The snow may fall, but I must go, for I have a -wife and a child and a little brown dog; and I have promised them to be -at home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding and -sing the Christmas songs by my own fireside.” - -Then the snow fell thick and the snow fell fast. The hills and the -valleys, the hedges and hollows were white. The paths were all hidden, -and there were drifts like mountains on the king’s highway. The harper -stumbled and the harper fell, but he would not turn back; and as he -traveled he met the wind. - - “Brother Harper, turn, I pray; - Do not journey on to-day,” - -sang the wind, but the harper would not heed. - -“Snows may fall and winds may blow, but I must go on,” he said, “for I -have a wife and a child and a little brown dog; and I have promised them -to be at home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding -and sing the Christmas songs by my own fireside.” - -Then the wind blew an icy blast. The snow froze on the ground and the -water froze in the rivers. The harper’s breath froze in the air, and -icicles as long as the king’s sword hung from the rocks by the king’s -highway. The harper shivered and the harper shook, but he would not turn -back; and by and by he came to the forest that lay between him and his -home. - -The trees of the forest were creaking and bending in the wind, and every -one of them seemed to say: - - “Darkness gathers, night is near; - Harper, stop! Don’t venture here.” - -But the harper would not stop. “Snows may fall, winds may blow, and -night may come, but I have promised to be at home by Christmas Day to -eat my share of the Christmas pudding and sing the Christmas songs by my -own fireside. I must go on.” - -And on he went till the last glimmer of daylight faded, and there was -darkness everywhere. But the harper was not afraid of the dark. - -“If I cannot see I can sing,” said he, and he sang in the forest -joyously: - - “Sing glory, glory, glory! - And bless God’s holy name; - For’t was on Christmas morning - The little Jesus came. - - “He wore no robes. No crown of gold - Was on His head that morn; - But herald angels sang for joy - To tell a King was born.” - - The snow ceased its falling, the wind ceased - its blowing, the trees of the forest bowed down - to listen, and lo! dear children, as he sang the - darkness turned to wondrous light, and close - at hand the harper saw the open doorway of - his home. - - The wife and the child and the little brown - dog were watching and waiting, and they welcomed - the harper with great joy. The holly - berries were red in the Christmas wreaths; their - Christmas tree was a young green pine; the - Christmas pudding was full of plums; and the - harper was happier than a king as he sat by - his own fireside to sing: - - “O glory, glory, glory! - We bless God’s holy name; - For’t was to bring His wondrous love - The little Jesus came. - - “And in His praise our songs we sing, - And in His name we pray: - God bless us all for Jesus’ sake, - This happy Christmas Day.” - - - - -A BOY’S VISIT TO SANTA CLAUS[3] - -RICHARD THOMAS WYCHE - - -Once upon a time there was a little boy who talked a great deal about -Santa Claus. He talked to his father, his mother, his brother and -sisters, until it was Santa Claus at the breakfast table, Santa Claus at -dinner, and Santa Claus at supper. This little boy had been told that -far away in the Northland lived Santa Claus. He was sitting by the fire -one day, watching the embers glow, and seeing castles in the glowing -embers. “There is Santa Claus’s house,” he said, “the great building -covered with snow. Why can’t I go to see him?” - -The little boy had worked and had saved some money. He took the money -and went down to the depot, bought a ticket, and before his father or -mother knew about it was gone to see Santa Claus. He traveled a long -time on the train, and by and by reached the end of the railroad. He -could go no farther on the train, for there was a great wide ocean, but -people crossed the ocean and so must the little boy, or at least a part -of it, in order to reach Santa Claus’s land. There was a great ship -lying in port soon to sail over the seas, and along with many people who -went aboard the ship, went the little boy. Soon every sail was spread -and out from the port went the ship, leaving far behind them the town. - -The ship sailed and sailed a long time, and finally land came in sight. -They had reached an island lying somewhere far out in the Mid seas. Some -of the people went ashore, and so did the little boy. But what a funny -land it was to the little boy! All the people were little people. The -grown men were not taller than the little boy, and they rode little -ponies that were not larger than dogs. Then the little boy asked, “What -land is this? Does Santa Claus live here?” And they said, “No. - - “This is the land that lies east of the sun - And west of the moon. - You have not come too soon. - Northward you must go, - To the land of ice and snow.” - -And so one day the little boy found a ship that was going to sail to the -Northland, and in this ship he went. The ship sailed and sailed a long -time until it finally came to where the sea was all frozen over, to the -land of icebergs and snow fields. The ship could go no farther, so what -do you suppose the little boy did then? He was in the land of the -reindeer, and over the snow fields he went in search of Santa Claus. - -One day, as he was traveling over the snow fields to find Santa Claus’s -house, he saw not far away what at first seemed to be a hill, but soon -he saw that it was not a hill, but a house covered with ice and snow. -“That must be Santa Claus’s house,” he said. Soon the little boy was -standing in front of the great building whose towers seemed to reach the -sky. Up the shining steps he went and soon he was standing in front of -the door. The little boy saw no doorbell and so he knocked on the door. -No one answered, and then louder he knocked again. Still no one -answered. He began to feel afraid; perhaps this was the house of a -giant. If Santa Claus lived there, he might be angry with him for -coming, but once more he knocked. And then he heard a noise far down at -the other end of the hall. Some one was coming. Then suddenly the latch -went “click,” and the door stood wide open, and who do you suppose was -there? Santa Claus? No; a little boy with blue eyes and a bright, sweet -face. Then the little boy said, “Good morning. Does Santa Claus live -here?” And the other little boy said, “Yes. Come in, come in. I am -Santa Claus’s little boy.” He took him by the hand and said, “I am very -glad to see you.” - -Then the two little boys walked down the long hallway, doors on this -side and doors on that, until they came to the last door on the -left-hand side. On this door Santa Claus’s little boy knocked, and a -great voice said, “Come in.” He opened the door and walked in, and who -do you suppose was there? Santa Claus? Yes, there was Santa Claus -himself; a great, big, fat man sitting by the fire, with long, white -beard, blue eyes, and the merriest, cheeriest face you ever saw. Then -Santa Claus’s little boy said, “Father, here is a little boy who has -come to see you.” Santa Claus looked down over his spectacles and said, -“Well, how are you? I am mighty glad to see you. Yes, yes, I know him. I -have been to his house on many a night and filled up his stocking. How -are Elizabeth and Louise and Katherine?” Over on the other side of the -fireplace sat Mrs. Santa Claus. She was a grandmother-looking woman, -with white hair and gold-rimmed spectacles. She was sitting by the fire -knitting; she put her arms around the little boy and kissed him. - -Then the two little boys sat down in front of the fire and talked -together. By and by, Santa Claus’s little boy said to the other little -boy, “Don’t you want to go over the building and see what we have in the -different rooms? This building has a thousand rooms.” And the little boy -said, “Who-o-o-oe.” And Santa Claus’s little boy said, “Yes, and -something different in every room.” - -Then they went into a large room, and what do you suppose was in there? -Nothing but doll babies; some with long dresses and some with short; -some with black eyes and some with blue. Then into another room they -went, and it was full of toys, wagons and horses; another room was full -of story books; another room was a candy kitchen where Santa Claus made -candy; another room was a workshop where Santa Claus made toys for the -children. Then they went into a long, large room, the largest of them -all, and in this room were a great many tables. On these tables were -suits, cloaks and hats, and shoes and stockings for the children. - -The little boy wanted to know what they did with so many clothes, and -Santa Claus’s little boy said, “We take these to the little children who -have no father or mother to make them clothes.” And so they went through -all the rooms of the great building, except one, which was away -upstairs in the corner. What was in this room no one would tell the -little boy, nor would they take him into the room. And the little boy -wondered what was in the room. - -The little boy stayed at Santa Claus’s house several days, and he had a -splendid time. Some days the two little boys would slide down the hill -on a sled, some days they would hitch up the reindeer and go sleighing, -some days they would go into the candy kitchen and help Santa Claus make -candy, or into the workshop and help him make toys. - -But one day something happened. Santa Claus came to the little boy and -said, “I am going away to-day for a little while; my wife and my little -boy are going with me. Now,” he said, “you can go with us or you can -stay here and keep house for us while we are gone.” The little boy -thought to himself that Santa Claus had been so good to him that he -would stay and keep house while Santa Claus was away. So he said he -would stay, and then Santa Claus gave him a great bunch of keys and -said, “Now you can go into all the rooms and play, but you must not go -into that room upstairs in the corner.” The little boy said, “All -right,” and with that Santa Claus, his wife, and his little boy went -down the steps, got into the sleigh, wrapped themselves up in furs, -popped the whip, and away they went! The little boy stood and watched -them until they disappeared behind the snow hills. - -Then he turned and went back into the house. He felt like a little man -in that great house all by himself. From room to room he went. He went -into the game room and rolled the balls. Some of the balls were so large -that they were as high as the little boy’s head. They were of rubber, -and if you would drop one from the top of the house it would bounce -clear back to the top. The little boy went into the candy kitchen and -ate some of the candy. He went into the workshop and worked on some -toys, then into the library and read some of the books, then into the -parlor and banged on the piano. - -But after a while, the little boy was tired, and he said, “I wish Santa -Claus would hurry and come back.” He was lonely. And so he thought he -would go up on the housetop and look out to see if he could see Santa -Claus coming home. Up the steps he went. When he reached the top, there -was another flight. Up these he went and still another flight; up, up, -he went until it seemed he had gone a thousand steps. But, finally, he -came out on top. - -The little boy stood there with his hand on the railing and looked out, -but all he could see were the snow fields, white and glistening. Santa -Claus was not in sight. He could see the track over the snow that the -sleigh had made, but that was all. - -Then down the steps he came, and it just happened that he came by the -room that Santa Claus told him he must not go into. As he passed, he -stopped in front of the door and said to himself, “I wonder what they -have in that room, and why they did not want me to go in?” He took hold -of the knob and gave it a turn, but the door was locked. Then he shut -one eye and peeped through the keyhole, but he could see nothing; it was -all dark. Then he put his mouth at the keyhole and blew through it, but -he could hear nothing. Then he put his nose there and smelled, but he -could smell nothing. “I wonder what they have in the room!” he said. “I -believe I will see just for fun which one of these keys will fit in the -lock.” - -The little boy had in his hand the great bunch of keys. He tried one key -and that would not fit, then he tried another and another and another, -and kept on until he came to the last key. “Now,” he said to himself, -“if this key does not fit I am going.” He tried it, and it was the only -key on the bunch that would fit. “Now,” he said, “I shall not go into -the room, but I will just turn the key and see if it will unlock the -lock. It may fit in the lock and then not unlock the lock.” He turned -the key slowly and the latch went “click, click,” and the door flew wide -open. What do you suppose was in the room? It was all dark; the little -boy could see nothing. He had his hand on the knob and it seemed to him -that his hand was caught between the knob and key, and somehow, as the -door opened, it pulled him in. When he stepped into the room, he felt a -breeze blowing and, more than that, as he stepped down he found the room -did not have any bottom; just a dark hole. - -Well, as the little boy stepped over into the room, he felt himself -falling, away down, down, down yonder. He shut his eyes, expecting every -moment to strike something and be killed. But, before he did, some one -caught him by the shoulders and shook him and said, “Wake up! Wake up!” -He opened his eyes, and where do you suppose the little boy was? At -home. It was Christmas morning, and his father was calling him to get -up. The sun was shining across his little bed. He looked toward the -fireplace, and there all the stockings were hanging full. The little boy -had been to see Santa Claus, but he went by that wonderful way we call -“Dreamland.” - - - - -THE CHRISTMAS KINGS - -RUTH SAWYER - - -When the Christ Child was born in Bethlehem of Judea, long years ago, -three kings rode out of the East on their camels bearing gifts to him. -They followed the Star, until at last they came to the manger where he -lay--a little, newborn baby. Kneeling down, they put their gifts beside -him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh; they kissed the hem of the little, -white mantle that he wore, and blessed him. Then the kings rode away to -the East again; but before ever they went they whispered a promise to -the Christ Child. - -And the promise? You shall hear it as the kings gave it to the Christ -Child, long years ago. - -“As long as there be children on the earth, on every Christmas Eve we -three kings shall ride on camels--even as we rode to thee this night; -and even as we bore thee gifts so shall we bear gifts to every child in -memory of thee, thou holy Babe of Bethlehem.” - -In Spain they have remembered what the Christmas kings promised; and -when Christmas Eve comes, each child puts his _sapatico_--his little -shoe--between the gratings of the window that they may know a child is -in that house, and leave a gift. - -Often the shoe is filled with grass for the camels; and a plate of dates -and figs is left beside it; for the children know the kings have far to -go and may be hungry. - -At day’s end bands of children march out of the city gates--going to -meet the kings. But always it grows dark before they come. The children -are afraid upon the lonely road and hurry back to their homes; where the -good _madres_ hear them say one prayer to the Nene Jesu, as they call -the Christ Child, and then put them to bed to dream of the Christmas -kings. - - * * * * * - -Long, long ago, there lived in Spain, in the crowded part of a great -city, an old woman called Doña Josefa. The street in which she lived was -little and narrow; so narrow that if you leaned out of the window of -Doña Josefa’s house you could touch with your fingertips the house -across the way; and when you looked above your head the sky seemed but a -string of blue--tying the houses all together. The sun never found its -way into this little street. - -The people who lived here were very poor, as you may guess; Doña Josefa -was poor, likewise. But in one thing she was very rich; she knew more -stories than there were feast days in the year--and that is a great -many. Whenever there came a moment free from work; when Doña Josefa had -no water to fetch from the public well, nor gold to stitch upon the -altar cloth for the Church of Santa Maria del Rosario; then she would -run out of her house into the street and call: - -“_Niños_, _niñas_, come quickly! Here is a story waiting for you.” - -And the children would come flying--like the gray _palomas_ when corn is -thrown for them in the Plaza. Ah, how many children there were in that -little street! There were José and Miguel, and the _niños_ of Enrique, -the cobbler,--Alfredito and Juana and Esperanza,--and the little twin -sisters of Pancho, the peddler; and Angela, Maria Teresa, Pedro, Edita, -and many more. Last of all there were Manuel and Rosita. They had no -father; and their mother was a _lavandera_ who stood all day on the -banks of the river outside the city, washing clothes. - -When Doña Josefa had called the children from all the doorways and the -dark corners, she would sit down in the middle of the street and gather -them about her. This was safe, because the street was far too narrow to -allow a horse or wagon to pass through. Sometimes a donkey would slowly -pick its way along, or a stupid goat come searching for things to eat; -but that was all. - -It happened on the day before Christmas that Doña Josefa had finished -her work, and sat as usual with the children about her. - -“To-day you shall have a Christmas story,” she said; and then she told -them of the three kings and the promise they had made the Christ Child. - -“And is it so--do the kings bring presents to the children now?” Miguel -asked. - -Doña Josefa nodded her head: “Yes.” - -“Then why have they never left us one? The three kings never pass this -street on Christmas Eve; why is it, Doña?” - -“Perhaps it is because we have no shoes to hold their gifts,” said -Angela. - -And this is true. The poor children of Spain go barefooted; and often -never have a pair of shoes till they grow up. - -Manuel had listened silently to the others; but now he pulled the sleeve -of Doña Josefa’s gown with coaxing fingers: “I know why it is the kings -bring no gifts to us. See--the street--it is too small, their camels -could not pass between the doorsteps here. The kings must ride where -the streets are broad and smooth and clean; where their long mantles -will not be soiled and torn, and the camels will not stumble. It is the -children in the great streets--the children of the rich--who find -presents in their _sapaticos_ on Christmas morning. Is it not so, Doña -Josefa?” - -And Miguel cried: “Does Manuel speak true; is it only the children of -the rich?” - -“Ah, _chiquito mio_, it should not be so! When the promise was given to -the Nene Jesu, there in Bethlehem, they said, ‘to every child,’--yes, -every little child.” - -“But it is not strange they should forget us here,” Manuel insisted. -“The little street is hidden in the shadow of the great ones.” - -Then Rosita spoke, clasping her hands together with great eagerness: “I -know; it is because we have no shoes, that is why the kings never stop. -Perhaps Enrique would lend us the shoes he is mending--just for one -night. If we had shoes the kings would surely see that there are little -children in the street, and leave a gift for each of us. Come, let us -ask Enrique!” - -“Madre de Dios, it is a blessed thought!” cried all; and like the flock -of gray _palomas_ they swept down the street to the farthest end, where -Enrique hammered and stitched away all day on the shoes of the rich -children. - -Manuel stayed behind with Doña Josefa. When the last pair of little -brown feet had disappeared inside the _sapateria_ he said softly: - -“If some one could go out and meet the kings--to tell them of this -little street, and how the _niños_ here have never had a Christmas gift, -do you not think they might ride hither to-night?” - -Doña Josefa shook her head doubtfully. “If that were possible,--but -never have I heard of any one who met the kings on Christmas Eve.” - -All day in the city people hurried to and fro. In the great streets -flags waved from the housetops; and wreaths of laurel, or garlands of -heliotrope and mariposa hung above the open doorways and in the windows. -Sweetmeat sellers were crying their wares; and the Keeper-of-the-City -lighted flaming torches to hang upon the gates and city walls. -Everywhere was merrymaking and gladness; for not only was this Christmas -Eve, but the King of Spain was coming to keep his holiday within the -city. Some whispered that he was riding from the north, and with him -rode his cousins, the kings of France and Lombardy; and with them were -a great following of nobles, knights, and minstrels. Others said, the -kings rode all alone--it was their wish. - -As the sun was turning the cathedral spires to shafts of gold, bands of -children, hand in hand, marched out of the city. They took the road that -led toward the setting sun, thinking it was the East; and said among -themselves: “See, yonder is the way the kings will ride.” - -“I have brought a basket of figs,” cried one. - -“I have dates in a new _panuela_,” cried another. - -“And I,” cried a third, “I have brought a sack of sweet limes, they are -so cooling.” - -Thus each in turn showed some small gift that he was bringing for the -kings. And while they chatted together, one child began to sing the -sweet Nativity Hymn. In a moment others joined until the still night air -rang with their happy voices. - - “Unto us a Child is born, - Unto us a Gift is given. - Hail with holiness the morn, - Kneel before the Prince of Heaven. - Blessed be this Day of Birth, - God hath given his Son to earth. - Jesu, Jesu, Nene Jesu, - Hallelujah!” - -Behind the little hills the sun went down leaving a million sparks of -light upon the road. - -“Yonder come the kings!” the children cried. “See, the splendor of their -shining crowns and how the jewels sparkle on their mantles! They may be -angry if they find us out so late; come, let us run home before they see -us.” - -The children turned. Back to the city gates they ran; back to their -homes, to the good _madres_ watching for them and their own white beds -ready for them. - -But one they left behind them on the road: a little, bare-limbed boy -whose name was Manuel. He watched until the children had disappeared -within the gates, and then he turned again toward the setting sun. - -“I have no gift for the kings,” he thought, “but there is fresh, green -grass beside the way, that I can gather for the camels.” - -He stopped; pulled his hands full, and stuffed it in the front of the -little blue _vestido_ that he wore. He followed the road for a long way -until heavy sleep came to his eyes. - -“How still it is upon the road! God has blown out his light and soon it -will be dark. I wish I were with the others, safe within the city; for -the dark is full of fearsome things when one is all alone.... Mamita -will be coming home soon and bringing supper for Rosita and me. -Perhaps, to-night, there will be an almond _dulce_ or _pan de -gloria_,--perhaps.... I wonder will Rosita not forget the little prayer -I told her to be always saying. My feet hurt with the many stones; the -night wind blows cold; I am weary, and my feet stumble with me.... Oh, -Nene Jesu, listen! I also make the prayer: ‘Send the three kings before -Manuel is too weary and afraid!’” - -A few more steps he took upon the road; and then, as a reed is blown -down by the wind, Manuel swayed, unknowingly for a moment, and slowly -sank upon the ground, fast asleep. - -How long he slept, I cannot tell you; but a hand on his shoulder wakened -him. Quickly he opened his eyes, wondering, and saw--yes, he saw the -three kings! Tall and splendid they looked in the starlight; their -mantles shimmered with myriad gems. One stood above Manuel, asking what -he did upon the road at that late hour. - -He rose to his feet--thrusting his hand inside the shirt for the grass -he had gathered: “It is for the camels, _señor_; I have no other gift. -But you--you ride horses this Christmas Eve!” - -“Yes, we ride horses; what is that to you?” - -“Pardon, _señores_, nothing. The three kings can ride horses if they -wish; only--we were told you rode on camels from the East.” - -“What does the child want?” The voice was kind but it sounded impatient; -as though the one who spoke had work waiting to be done, and was anxious -to be about it. - -Manuel heard and felt all this, wondering, “What if there is not time -for them to come, or gifts enough!” He laid an eager, pleading hand upon -one king’s mantle. “I can hold the horses for you if you will come this -once. It is a little street and hard to find, _señores_; I thought, -perhaps, you would leave a present--just one little present--for the -children there. You told the Christ Child you would give to every child, -don’t you remember? There are many of us, _señores_, who have never had -a gift--a Christmas gift.” - -“Do you know who we are?” - -Manuel answered joyfully: “Oh, yes, _Excelencias_, you are the Three -Christmas Kings, riding from Bethlehem. Will you come with me?” - -The kings spoke with one accord: “Verily, we will.” - -One lifted Manuel on his horse; and silently they rode into the city. -The Keeper slumbered at the gates; the streets were empty. On, past the -houses that were garlanded they went unseen, and on through the great -streets; until they came to the little street at last. The kings -dismounted. They gave their bridles into Manuel’s hand; and then, -gathering up their precious mantles of silk and rich brocade, they -passed down the little street. With eyes that scarce believed what they -saw, Manuel watched them go from house to house; saw them stop and feel -for the shoes between the gratings--the shoes loaned by Enrique the -cobbler; and saw them fill each one with shining goldpieces. - -In the morning Manuel told the story to the children as they went to -spend one golden _doblón_ for toys and candy and sugared cakes. And a -gift they bought for Doña Josefa, too: a little figure of the Holy -Mother with the Christ Child in her arms. - -And so, the promise made in Bethlehem was made again, and to a little -child; and it was kept. For many, many years--long after Manuel was -grown and had _niños_ of his own--the kings remembered the little -street, and brought their gifts there every Christmas Eve. - - - - -THE CHRISTMAS CAKE[4] - -MAUD LINDSAY - - -It was a joyful day for the McMulligan children when Mrs. McMulligan -made the Christmas cake. There were raisins to seed and eggs to beat, -and pans to scrape, and every one of the children, from the oldest to -the youngest, helped to stir the batter when the good things were mixed -together. - - “Oh, mix it, and stir it, and stir it and taste; - For ev’rything’s in it, and nothing to waste; - And ev’ry one’s helped--even Baby--to make - The nice, brown, sugary Christmas cake,” - -said Mrs. McMulligan, as she poured the batter into the cake pan. - -The Baker who lived at the corner was to bake the Christmas cake, so -Joseph, the oldest boy, made haste to carry it to him. All the other -children followed him, and together they went, oh, so carefully, out of -the front door, down the sidewalk, straight to the shop where the Baker -was waiting for them. - -The Baker’s face was so round and so jolly that the McMulligan children -thought he must look like Santa Claus. He could bake the whitest bread -and the lightest cake, and as soon as the children spied him they began -to call: - - “The cake is all ready! ’T is here in the pan; - Now bake it, good Baker, as fast as you can”; - - “No, no,” said the Baker, “‘T would be a mistake - To hurry in baking the Christmas cake. - I’ll not bake it fast, and I’ll not bake it slow; - My little round clock on the wall there will show - How long I must watch and how long I must bake - The nice, brown, sugary Christmas cake.” - -The little round clock hung on the wall above the oven. Its face was so -bright, and its tick was so merry, and it was busy night and day telling -the Baker when to sleep and when to eat and when to do his baking. When -the McMulligan children looked at it, it was just striking ten, and it -seemed to them very plainly to say: - - “‘T is just the right time for the Baker to bake - The nice, brown, sugary Christmas cake.” - -The oven was ready, and the Baker made haste to put the cake in. - - “Ho, ho,” he cried gayly, “now isn’t this fun? - ’T is ten o’ the clock, and the baking’s begun, - And ‘tickity, tickity,’ when it strikes one, - If nothing should hinder the cake will be done.” - -Then the McMulligan children ran home to tell their mother what he had -said, and the Baker went on with his work. It was the day before -Christmas, and a great many people came to his shop to buy pies and -cakes, but no matter how busy he was waiting on them, he never forgot -the McMulligans’ cake, and every time he looked at the clock, it -reminded him to peep into the oven. - -So well did he watch it, and so carefully did he bake it, that the cake -was done on the stroke of one, just as he had promised, and he had -scarcely taken it out of the oven when the shop door flew open; and in -came the McMulligan children, every one of them saying: - - “The clock has struck one. The clock has struck one. - We waited to hear it--and is the cake done?” - -When they saw it they thought it was the nicest, brownest, spiciest cake -that was ever baked in a Baker’s oven. The Baker himself said it was a -beautiful cake, and if you had been at the McMulligans’ on Christmas -Day, I am sure you would have thought so too. - -Joseph carried it home, walking very slowly and carefully, and all the -other children followed him, out of the Baker’s shop, down the sidewalk, -straight home where Mrs. McMulligan was waiting for them. She was -smiling at them from the window, and when they spied her they all began -to call: - - “Hurrah for our Mamma! She surely can make - The nicest and spiciest Christmas cake! - - “Hurrah for the Baker! Hurrah for the fun! - Hurrah for our Christmas cake! Now it is done!” - - - - -THE DOLL’S WISH - -ANNA E. SKINNER - - -The children liked the tiny shop around the corner better than any of -the stores on the main street of the town. It was a doll shop! No wonder -the little boys and girls loved to look in the show window. There they -saw all kinds of dolls,--rubber babies, fat kewpies with roguish eyes, -doll soldiers, tiny Japanese ladies dressed in flowered silk kimonos, -little Eskimo boys in pointed hoods and woolly coats, Dutch dolls in -wooden shoes and snow-white caps, brown-eyed dolls with rich dark hair, -blue-eyed dolls with golden curls. - -Nothing could look lovelier than the little shop at Christmas time when -the ground was white with snow. Then many of the dolls wore their gayest -dresses, and when the lights were turned on, the little show window -sparkled like fairyland. - -One night, at about twelve o’clock, a brown-haired doll with bright dark -eyes said, “Oh! how glad I am the lights are turned out at last! I’m -sure at least five hundred people stopped in front of this window -to-day.” - -“It has been a long day,” said the soldier boy who stood near her. “Even -a soldier gets tired once in a while.” - -“It is only a few days now until Christmas. I do wonder where we shall -all be this time next week,” whispered a wide-eyed kewpie. - -“Well, I hope I shall be in a pleasant, beautiful home,” said a lovely -doll, smoothing out her pale blue silk dress. “A lady who wore a rich -fur coat looked at me a long while this morning.” - -“Some of us are sure to go to rich homes. You and I are worth a good -deal of money. Indeed, there is only one doll in the show window more -expensive than we are,” answered the golden-haired maiden in white lace. - -“I suppose you mean the large doll dressed in pink satin?” - -“Yes; I heard several children call her the most beautiful doll of all.” - -“Did you notice the shabby looking little girl who stood before the -window a long time this morning?” asked the doll in blue. - -“I did!” answered the soldier boy. “She carried a cunning looking little -dog in her arms. If I should go where that silky-haired dog lives my -soldier clothes would be ruined in about ten minutes.” - -“Well, I should be very unhappy, I’m sure, in that little girl’s home. -She must be very poor.” - -“I liked her sweet face very much,” said the most beautiful doll, who -was dressed in pink satin. “She was very kind to the little dog.” - -“A cozy place is my choice,” said the lass who wore wooden shoes. “I -hope I shall live where everything is kept warm and cheerful.” - -“Yes, that is really where you belong, I suppose,” said the Eskimo boy. -“These clothes will be too warm if I am taken to one of those houses -where the rooms are all as hot as a summer’s day.” - -“Where should you like to go?” asked the little Dutch maiden. - -The Eskimo boy thought for a moment, and then said, “I hope I shall live -with some romping boy who will take me with him when he makes a snow -man. That would be jolly!” - -“Oh, do you think so?” asked the tiny doll dressed in green gauze. - -“That I do,” he answered. “I’m from the north, where there is nothing -but ice and snow.” - -“I would rather stand here in the show window than on a parlor mantel,” -pouted little Kewpie. - -“Never mind, dear,” said the Japanese doll, “I think you are to go to a -lovely little girl. I saw one looking at you this afternoon, and she -clapped her hands with delight when she saw you.” - -“Where do you think you will go?” asked Kewpie. - -“I’m afraid that I shall be chosen for some queer little person. You see -my style is quite different from that of other dolls. I hope I shall be -allowed to wear kimonos. They are very comfortable.” - -“Perhaps you will be added to some one’s collection of dolls from all -nations,” said the soldier boy. - -“Oh, I hope not,” spoke up the most beautiful doll of all. “If you were -one of a large collection I’m sure you wouldn’t be loved very much, -because collections are kept chiefly for show.” - -“You haven’t told us yet where you would like to go,” said the doll in -white lace. “No doubt some very rich person will buy you. I heard the -shopkeeper say that you are the costliest doll of all. We are all -wondering where you would like to go.” - -“I am longing to go to some little girl who will love me with all her -heart,” said the most beautiful doll. “I don’t care how humble the home -is where I live, but I want to be loved.” - -“How strange!” was the answer. - -“I hope we shall all be satisfied,” said Kewpie, yawning. - -“We shall soon know,” sighed the soldier boy. “Good night to all!” - -“Good night! Good night!” - -A hard snowstorm did not keep the people away from the doll shop the -next morning. - -Among those that crowded the store was an old gentleman with a fine, -generous face. - -“Show me a pretty doll,” he said. - -“There are some beauties in the window, sir,” answered the shopkeeper. -“Come and look at them.” - -“I’ll take the large one dressed in pink,” said the gentleman. “I’m -going to send it to a dear little girl who did me a great kindness. My -little dog strayed a long distance from home. She found him, and carried -him to me. I’m sure her kind heart will love a doll.” - -In the afternoon an old gentleman knocked at the door of a very humble -home and said, “I have brought a gift to the little girl who took the -trouble to carry my lost dog home to me. Please give it to her on -Christmas Day.” - -And so the most beautiful doll’s wish came true. - - - - -THE CHRISTMAS SPRUCE TREE - -(Norwegian Legend) - -ANNA VON RYDINGSVÄRD - - -Among the tall trees in the forest grew a little spruce tree. It was no -taller than a man, and that is very short for a tree. - -The other trees near it grew so tall and had such large branches that -the poor little tree could not grow at all. - -She liked to listen when the other trees were talking, but it often made -her sad. - -“I am king of the forest,” said the oak. “Look at my huge trunk and my -branches. How they reach up toward heaven! I furnish planks for men from -which they build their ships. Then I defy the storm on the ocean as I do -the thunder in the forest.” - -“And I go with you over the foaming waves,” said the tall straight pine. -“I hold up the flapping sails when the ships fly over the ocean.” - -“And we warm the houses when winter comes and the cold north wind drives -the snow before him,” said the birches. - -“We have the same work to do,” said a tall fir tree, and she bowed -gracefully, drooping her branches toward the ground. - -The little spruce tree heard the other trees talking about their work in -the world. This made her sad, and she thought, “What work can I do? What -will become of me?” - -But she could not think of any way in which she could be useful. She -decided to ask the other trees in the forest. - -So she asked the oak, the pine, and the fir, but they were so proud and -stately they did not even hear her. - -Then she asked the beautiful white birch that stood near by. “You have -no work to do,” said the birch, “because you can never grow large -enough. Perhaps you might be a Christmas tree, but that is all.” - -“What is a Christmas tree?” asked the little spruce. - -“I do not know exactly,” replied the birch. “Sometimes when the days are -short and cold, and the ground is covered with snow, men come out here -into the forest. They look at all the little spruce trees and choose the -prettiest, saying, ‘This will do for a Christmas tree.’ Then they chop -it down and carry it away. What they do with it I cannot tell.” - -The little spruce asked the rabbit that hopped over the snow, and the -owls that slept in the pines, and the squirrels that came to find nuts -and acorns. - -But no one knew more than the birch tree. No one could tell what men did -with the Christmas trees. - -Then the little spruce tree wept because she had no work to do and could -not be of any use in the world. - -The tears hardened into clear, round drops, which we call gum. - -At last a boy came into the forest with an ax in his hand. He looked the -little tree all over. “Perhaps this will do for a Christmas tree,” he -said. So he chopped it down, laid it on a sled, and dragged it home. - -The next day the boy sold the tree, and it was taken into a large room -and dressed up with popcorn and gilded nuts and candles. Packages of all -sizes and shapes, and tiny bags filled with candy, were tied on its -branches. - -The tree was trembling with the excitement, but she stood as still as -she could. “What if I should drop some of this fruit,” she thought. - -When it began to grow dark, every one left the room and the tree was -alone. It began to feel lonely and to think sad thoughts. - -Soon the door opened and a lady came in. She lighted all the candles. - -How light and glowing it was then! - -The tree had never even dreamed of anything so beautiful! - -Then the children came and danced about the tree, singing a Christmas -song. The father played on his violin, and the baby sat in her mother’s -arms, smiling and cooing. - -“Now I know what I was made for,” thought the spruce tree; “I was -intended to give joy to the little ones, because I, myself, am so small -and humble.” - - - - -A LITTLE ROMAN SHEPHERD[5] - -CAROLINE SHERWIN BAILEY - - -His name was Bruno and he lived a long, long way from here on the Roman -Campagna. His house was a pointed hut thatched with straw, and back of -it was the fold where the sheep lived, and then, for miles and miles, -there was no other living thing for a little boy to see. There was no -one to play with; there was nothing for a little boy to do but tend the -sheep and milk the goats and wish, oh, so hard, that he might go on that -long Appian Way to the gate of St. Sebastian and to Rome, on the other -side. - -Piccola had told him about Rome. Piccola’s father bought wool and sold -it to the traders at Rome. Twice a year Piccola and her father came out -to the Campagna at shearing time. The father haggled over the _lira_ he -must pay Bruno’s father. Piccola and Bruno sat under an olive tree, -their hands tightly clasped, as Piccola told Bruno of Rome. - -“You should see it at the _festa_ of Christmas,” she exclaimed. “Every -shop is full of lights in the evening and the flower carts stand at all -the corners. There is a manger and Babe in the chapel and,” Piccola’s -voice was rich with wonder, “there is a _box that talks_ in a shop on -the Corso.” - -“I don’t believe you; how could it talk? What makes it talk?” Bruno -asked; but this Piccola could not tell. - -“It _talks_--that is all I know,” she said, “and it _sings_,” and she -might have told more but her father came and she must say good-by to -Bruno. In a moment he could see nothing of Piccola but the flash of her -little scarlet and green skirt and the blue cornflower she wore in her -black braids. Then there was only a cloud of dust to hide the yellow -cart wheels, and Piccola was gone--to Rome where there was a box that -would talk and sing. - -There came long, sweet, all-alike days for Bruno and the sheep. The -wheat grew yellow and heavy to breaking with sweetness and Bruno watched -the harvesters. The olives ripened, and the grapes, and the figs. Then -the sun set earlier, and the nights were chilly with frost, and Bruno -and his father put warm cloaks made of skin over their blue smocks. - -“It is near the _festa_ of Christmas,” said Bruno one day. “I have never -been to Rome. Will you take me there to hear the talking box on the -Corso, father? It both speaks and sings.” - -“No,” Bruno’s father was quick in his reply, being a hard man after many -lonely years. “The ewe lambs are ailing, and I cannot leave them. And -there are no singing boxes in Rome.” - -So Bruno followed the old sheep and the lambs to their grassy hill and -helped to drive them home at night until it was the eve of the Christmas -_festa_. On this eve, he locked the gate of the fold and turned to go -into the hut. His father would be dozing, perhaps, for the cold dusk had -crept over the great Campagna and one star shone out in the purple sky. -It hung, pointing, over Rome. As Bruno looked up at it, he heard a sound -of far-away bells. They might be the bells of Rome. Oh, beautiful Rome, -with its gay, bright streets, and its flower carts, and its magic box -that could sing and turn loneliness into music! - -Bruno pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. His bare feet flashed -over the fields of dry grass and wheat stubble. He found the old Appian -Road and raced along it in the path of starlight. He was running away. -He was going to Rome. For an hour he ran. - -He had gone so far and so fast, and his ears rang so with the singing -Christmas bells that, at first, he did not hear it--the bleating of a -foolish little ewe lamb. Then it came again, and Bruno stopped. The lamb -lay under a bunch of dried brown stalks, its flesh torn by thistles and -its eyes dull with fear because it had lost its mother. - -“Stupid! Why did you run away? I can’t take you home!” Bruno stamped one -little brown foot, “I’m going to Rome for Christmas, do you hear? I -won’t take you home--” but as he spoke, he stooped down and lifted the -trembling, fearful little creature in his arms and turned back toward -the fold. - -The star path stretched at Bruno’s back now. Ahead were black shadows, -and a biting wind whirled small stones that cut his face and made -mocking sounds as it scurried through the ruined arches of the aqueduct. -He lost the road, and stiff cactus thorns cut his slim ankles. The lamb -was heavier with each step. He wouldn’t cry; no Roman lad cries, his -father had told him; but he couldn’t find his way. The little shepherd -boy dropped to the ground. He could hear the Christmas bells; no, it was -a clear, sweet voice coming from a polished wood box that sang him to -sleep. - -When he opened his heavy eyelids, Piccola’s dancing eyes met his. What -a gay little Christmas sprite she looked in her warm crimson hood and -cloak! Bruno, himself, lay in his father’s arms and Piccola’s father was -lifting the strayed lamb into the two-wheeled yellow cart, a lantern in -one hand. - -“We had to go to Albano with wool, and on the way back I begged father -to stop for you, Bruno, to go back to Rome for Christmas. We couldn’t -find you. Your father came with us to look for you, and the lamb told us -where you were.” - -“My brave little Roman lad!” It was Bruno’s father who stroked his head -with long, thin fingers. “We will return with the lamb to the fold and -find warm milk for you. Then you may go to Rome for the _festa_ with the -little _signorina_.” - -“And we’re going to _buy_ a box that talks,” added Piccola, happily. - -“And sings!” smiled back Bruno as he looked toward the Christmas star -and the gate of St. Sebastian. - - - - -THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE NURSERY[6] - -RICHARD WATSON GILDER - - - With wild surprise - Four great eyes - In two small heads - From neighboring beds - Looked out--and winkt - And glittered and blinkt - At a very queer sight - In the dim dawn-light. - - As plain as can be - A fairy tree - Flashes and glimmers - And shakes and shimmers. - Red, green, and blue - Meet their view; - Silver and gold - Sharp eyes behold; - Small moons, big stars; - - And jams in jars, - And cakes and honey - And thimbles and money; - Pink dogs, blue cats, - Little squeaking rats, - And candles and dolls - And crackers and polls, - A real bird that sings, - And tokens and favors, - And all sorts of things, - For the little shavers. - - Four black eyes - Grow big with surprise, - And then grow bigger, - When a tiny little figure, - Jaunty and airy, - A fairy, a fairy! - From the treetop cries, - “Open wide, Black Eyes! - Come, children, wake now! - Your joys you may take now.” - - Quick as you can think - Twenty small toes - In four pretty rows, - Like little piggies pink, - All kick in the air-- - And before you can wink - The tree stands bare! - - - - -THE STARS AND THE CHILD - -ANDREA HOFER PROUDFOOT - - -Long, long ago--so long that even the old gray hills have forgotten--the -beautiful stars in the sky used to sing together very early every -morning, before any of the little people of the world were up. Their -songs were made of light, and were so clear and strong that the whole -heaven would shine when they sang. - -One morning, as the stars sang and listened to each other, they heard -beautiful music coming swiftly toward them. It was so much louder and -sweeter than their own that they all stopped and listened and wondered. -It came from far above them, from out the very deepest blue of the sky. -It was a new star, and it sang an entirely new song that no one had ever -heard before. - -“Hark, hark!” the stars cried. “Let us hear what it is saying.” - -And the beautiful star sang it over and over again, and its song told of -a lovely Babe that had come on earth--a Babe so beautiful that it was -the joy of the whole world. Yes, so beautiful that when you looked at -it you saw real light streaming from its face. - -Every little child in the world has light in its face if we but know how -to see it; but this little one had so very much that its mother wondered -as she looked down upon her lap and saw it there. And there were -shepherds there to look at the Babe, and many other people saw it and -could not understand. - -But the one beautiful star knew--yes, it knew all about it; and what do -you think it knew? Why, that this Child was God’s own Child, and was so -good and loving that the whole world when it heard of it would want to -know how to be so, too. - -This one beautiful star traveled on and on, telling all the way what it -knew of the Child, and its light fairly danced through the sky, and hung -over the very place where the little one lay. - - - - -THE STRANGER CHILD[7] - -FRIEDRICH RÜCKERT - -(Translated from the German by Frances Jenkins Olcott) - - -’Twas Christmas Eve and, birdlike over the snow, flew a little stranger -child. It ran along the sparkling ground. Its face beamed with gladness. -It listened to the merry chimes of the Christmas bells and clapped its -hands for joy. - -It frolicked in the bright beams of light that fell from a cottage -window, and, peeping in, saw the Christmas tree hung full of shining -light and glittering gifts, and it watched the little children play -about the tree. - -“Oh, where,” cried the little stranger child, “where is my candles’ -light? And why is there no tree for me, nor pretty toys? Once in my -house my dear mother decked my tree! Oh, little children, may I not come -in to see your tree and play with you?” - -Then with frail hand the stranger child knocked on the window and the -door, but no one heard the sound. Then down in the cold, white snow the -little one sat, and wept. - -“O Christ Child, the children’s Friend, I have no one to love me! Oh, -why hast thou forgotten to send me a little tree with lights on every -bough?” - -And the little stranger child, with cold hands, drew its white cloak -closer around its silken hair and pretty eyes so clear and blue. - -Then came another pilgrim child. He held in His hand a shining light, -and in a sweet, mild voice, like gentle music, he soothed the little -stranger child. - -“I am the Christmas Friend. Once I was a little child. Just now I heard -your pleadings, and have come to deck a tree for you more beautiful than -any tree ever before seen. Here in the open air is your Christmas tree, -my little flower.” And the little stranger child looked up--far up--into -the deep, deep sky, and saw there a glorious tree. Stars hung among its -branches, and angels sang songs of joy around it. - -And the little child smiled with joy, and troops of radiant beings -descended and lifted the little one in their arms. They bore him to the -Christ Child’s house, which is sweeter far than any home that earth can -give. - - - - -THE STAR SONG - -ROBERT HERRICK - - -I - - Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue, - Where is the Babe that lately sprung? - Lies he the lily banks among? - - -II - - Or say, if this new Birth of ours - Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers, - Spangled with dew-light, thou can’st clear - All doubts, and manifest the where. - - -III - - Declare to us, bright star, if we shall seek - Him in the morning’s blushing cheek, - Or search the beds of spices through, - To find Him out? - - -STAR - - No, this ye need not do; - But only come and see Him rest, - A Princely Babe, in’s mother’s breast. - - - - -THE VISIT OF THE WISHING MAN[8] - -JAY T. STOCKING - - -It was Christmas night at Castle Havenough in the Land of Nothing -Strange. It had been a day of gifts and guests, and now the king and -queen had gone to a great dinner in the banquet hall, and the young -prince and princess were left alone to spend the rest of the day as they -chose. A great fire blazed in the fireplace. It cracked and roared and -chuckled as the young prince and princess threw in pitchy sprays of -evergreen. The Christmas tree across the room, bespangled with tinsel -and tassels and sheen, now glowed in the light of the fireplace and -gleamed and twinkled and sparkled as if every twig were set with rubies -and diamonds. The floor, the chairs, the table--everything--were heaped -high with gifts, for this young prince and princess had received -everything that they had wished for. And it was almost always -so,--whatever they wished for, they received. It seems strange to us, -indeed, that this young prince and princess were not always or -altogether happy. But it was not strange at all in the Land of Nothing -Strange. - -Before the king went out to the great banquet, he called the prince and -princess to his side and putting his arms about their slender shoulders, -said, “My children, I hope you have had a happy day and have received -everything that you desire. If not, I promise you that if you can agree -exactly on what you wish, and will tell me, if money can purchase it, it -shall be yours.” - -“But cannot money purchase everything, father?” - -“No, my son, not quite everything.” - -“But if money cannot purchase it, father?” - -“Then, princess, I will try and get it for you in some other way.” - -“And if you cannot?” - -“Well--then I will tell the Wishing Man.” - -And with that he was off. But not until he had told them that since this -was Christmas Day they might stay up just as late as they wished. - -Just as late as they wished! Why, this was the very best Christmas gift -of all! Because not even princes and princesses, you know, can sit up -always, or often, just as late as they wish. - -Just as late as they wished! What in the world would they do? Why, -everything, of course, in all that time. But first of all they must -decide whether there was anything more that they wished and whether they -could agree upon their wish. - -So they threw themselves upon the floor at full length before the fire, -upon the great white bearskin with the head that snarled and showed his -long, gleaming, harmless teeth as if he would eat just one more thing. -With their chins resting upon their hands, and their elbows on the -floor, and the fire throwing lights and shadows on their faces, they lay -and talked. - -“You wish first,” said the prince, who had not quite made up his mind -what he wished, and wanted time to think. “You are the younger, and you -are a girl. What do you wish?” - -“Well, I wish that all the snow were sugar and all the mud were -chocolate. Don’t you?” - -“No, of course not. Why, you couldn’t coast! The runners would stick, -and if you ran and fell upon your sled you would go heels over head, and -like as not you would break your neck. Besides, there wouldn’t be any -sugar in summer, and there would be no chocolate except when it rained.” - -“I never thought of that,” said the princess. “What do _you_ wish?” - -“I wish that--that--my Christmas stocking were as tall as this house and -I had to take a ladder to get up to it and another ladder to get down -into it. Don’t you?” - -“Why, no, of course not.” - -“Why not?” - -“Why, because the Christmas stocking is just the same size as all your -other stockings, and if your Christmas stocking were as big as the -house, all your other stockings would be as big as the house, and you -never could get one on; and if you did get it on it would go clear over -your head.” - -“That’s so,” said the prince; “I never thought of that. Well, what _do_ -you wish?” - -“Well, I wish--that every day was Christmas, and there wasn’t any -school. Don’t you?” - -“No! If there wasn’t any school, you’d be a dunce. And who wants to be a -dunce? I’ll tell you what _I_ wish.” - -“What?” - -“I wish that every day was just as nice as Christmas, but different. -Different, you know, but just as nice. That’s what I wish.” - -“So do I.” - -And so they agreed upon their wish,--that every day should be like -Christmas--different, but just as nice. And they would tell that wish to -their father in the morning. - -“But do you suppose that money can purchase it, prince?” - -“I don’t know. I--I’m afraid it can’t. But father said he would tell the -Wishing Man. I wonder what he looks like; I should like to see him.” - -“So should I.” - -Just then there was a commotion in the fireplace. It sounded as if the -wood had fallen forward on the andirons. And so it had. But something -else had happened. On the backlog, which was blazing fiercely, there sat -a funnier little man than you would see in going around the world. He -was red from the top of his cap to the tip of his boot; his coat, which -was flung over his little red wings, was red. His face was red, but -perhaps that was just a reflection from the coals of the fire. You would -think that he would have burned up or that he would have jumped out of -the fireplace in a hurry. But he didn’t do anything of the sort. It -seems very strange, but it was not strange at all in the Land of Nothing -Strange. As he sat there upon that blazing backlog, his hands upon his -knees, with the flames leaping around him, and his feet resting down in -the red-hot coals, you would have said that this was the most -comfortable seat that he had ever found in all his life. - -“Well?” the little man drawled. - -“Well?” drawled the prince and princess, as they drew back on their -elbows and sat up in amazement. - -“Well? I’m here.” - -“Who’s here?” asked the prince. - -“Why, _I_ am here. You said you would like to see what I looked like, -and so I have come. _I’m_ here.” - -“Are you the Wishing Man?” asked the princess. - -“That’s my name.” And then he broke into a snatch of a song: - - “I have wishbones on my fingers, - I have myst’ry in my eyes; - My clothes are lined with four-leaf clovers - And are stained with magic dyes. - - “I have pockets full of rabbits’ feet, - And amulets and charms; - Just for luck I pick up horseshoes; - I have tattoos on my arms. - - “I know a world of wonders, - And if you would believe, - I have fortunes in my wallet - And surprises up my sleeve. - - “I come from a distant country, - Away up near the sky, - From the golden palace, Overhead, - In the land of Wonder Why. - - “I’m the best of friends of children, - And I’ll help _you_ if I can; - Now tell me what your wishes are, - For I’m the Wishing Man.” - -They told him that they had decided to wish that every day should be -just as nice as Christmas--different, but, then, just as nice. - -“That is a good wish,” said the Wishing Man. “I hope that you will get -it, but you never can tell.” - -“You never can tell! Arn’t you the Wishing Man? Don’t you know? Don’t -you give folks their wishes?” - -“Oh, no! I am not wise enough for that. The Angel of Blessings does -that. I merely go through the world and carry to him all the wishes that -I hear people make.” - -“How do you carry them?” asked the prince. - -“Oh, right here,” and he pointed to a little jeweled box that he had at -his belt. “Right here. You see I have a padlock on it and I never lose a -wish.” - -“Are you the only wishing man in the world?” asked the princess. - -“Oh, bless my soul, no! If I were, do you think I would have time to sit -here on this nice cool seat and chat with you? There are a great many of -us, but we all look just alike, we are all dressed just alike, and we -are all twins.” - -That seems strange, but it was not strange at all in the Land of Nothing -Strange. - -“My country is the country of Wonder Why. I come here every morning, and -I stay till I have my little box full of wishes, and then I take it -back. By the way, I see that it is full now, and your wish is right on -top. Would you like to go with me to see the Angel of Blessings? Those -who talk with him are most apt to have their wishes granted. Many folks -do not get their wishes just because they do not seem to understand how -to get them. Would you like to go with me?” - -“Is it very far?” asked the prince. “Could we get back before bedtime?” - -“Oh, yes, with time to spare.” - -“Shouldn’t we be cold?” asked the princess. - -“No, we would fly very fast, and we shouldn’t have time to shiver more -than once before we got there. Come, then, get on my back,” and he -tucked his red coat between his little red wings, which he shook out, -and made ready to fly. - -“Now part your hair in the middle so you won’t be any heavier on one -side than on the other. Step right in here; the fire won’t hurt you. -Now, prince, put your right arm around my neck like this, and hold on to -my left wing with your left hand,--so, and princess, put your left arm -around my neck and hold on to my right wing with your right hand,--so. -Now, ready.” - -Up they went, and off they went, through the frosty air, faster than the -fastest aëroplane. Below them lay the beautiful white snow; above them -hung the beautiful white stars. They had just shivered once and were -nearly ready to shiver again when the Wishing Man folded his red wings -and they landed upon the doorstep of the golden palace, Overhead, in the -Land of Wonder Why. - -The Wishing Man took them by the hand, one on either side, walked up the -white marble steps, opened the great doors, which swung at a touch, and -stepped inside. This was the palace, Overhead. Anybody could see that -this was the House of Wishes. Why, there was everything here that -anybody had ever wished for or ever could wish for. Down the side here -at the right there were great possessions. There were carloads of gold -heaped up, and carloads of silver heaped up, and there were -houses--every kind of house--and there were farms that reached away just -as far as the sun shone, and there were gardens in which there was every -kind of flower that anybody had ever seen grow in any place in the -world. Over on the other side were things to wear and things to eat; -there were gowns and furs and hats and suits, and beyond these there -were bricks of ice cream as big as ice cakes,--just for one! And plum -puddings as big as your head,--just for one! And whole mince pies that -you could eat and never see anything afterward. Before them, across the -room, were the very best things of life, the very best of all, just -plain something to eat, happy days and sleepy nights, and good -friends,--just the things that men like most. These things that I have -mentioned were simply what you could see right in the first rows, but -behind these things at the right and left and over in front,--there is -nobody who ever lived who could tell you all that was there, because, as -I have told you, there was everything that anybody had ever wished for, -and everything that anybody _could_ ever wish for. - -Now, right in the center of the hall, to which a golden carpet ran, -there was a platform, and upon the platform a great white desk, bright -as the moon, and at the desk, clothed in white, sat the Angel of -Blessings. At the right of the Angel of Blessings stood his messengers. -He called them pages. The line was sometimes short and sometimes long. -They wore no uniform. Some were rich and some were poor, some had -beautiful clothes and some had ragged clothes, but the face of every one -shone like a star, and it was their duty to carry blessings and wishes -to people who had got their wish. - -Upon that golden carpet, that ran from the door to the platform, the -little red Wishing Men were continually passing each other as they came -up to the desk to leave their wishes and went out again to listen for -more. All day, all night, they came and went, came and went, and all day -and all night the Angel of Blessings, clad in white, at the great white -desk, opened the wishes and read them. Sometimes he shook his head -sorrowfully, and even frowned; sometimes he smiled and nodded! When he -frowned or looked sorrowful it meant that the wish was lost, and he -dropped it into the huge waste-basket at his left and it fell to the -bottom of the earth. But when he smiled and nodded, it meant that the -wish was granted, and he handed it to one of his pages waiting at the -right, who fell upon one knee, took the wish, and carried it to the -wisher. - -The Wishing Man took the prince and the princess by the hand, walked -along the golden carpet to the great white desk upon the platform, and -announced the visitors to the Angel of Blessings: “Prince and Princess -Havenough from the Land of Nothing Strange.” Then the prince and -princess, who, of course, had been trained in court, made their most -beautiful bow, but spoke no word until the Angel of Blessings had spoken -to them. The Wishing Man laid upon the desk the wish which they had made -and which he had carried in his little golden casket, and then he -retired with many a bow until the Angel should summon him again. - -“Prince and Princess Havenough,” said the Angel as he read the wish and -smiled, “it is a good wish. It will be granted, on _one_ condition--that -you will be my pages, carry my blessings, and take the wishes which I -send to those who have their wishes granted. Will you be my pages?” - -“Must one go very far, Mr. Angel?” asked the prince, “because we are -small; we have never traveled far; we don’t know where many places are.” - -“Oh, not at all, prince,” said the Angel; “merely to the Land of Nothing -Strange--to your home, to your friends, to your acquaintances. Will you -be my pages?” - -“We will, Mr. Angel,” and they bowed. - -“Then stand here at my right. I may have some commissions for you now. -Let me look at these wishes which have just been brought to me. Here is -a wish from a little boy in the Land of Nothing Strange, not far from -Castle Havenough. He wishes that he had a pair of skates; he hasn’t any; -all his friends have some.” - -“He may have a pair of mine,” said the prince. “I will take them to -him.” - -“Good!” said the Angel; “his wish is granted.” And he handed the wish to -the prince with the name and the address of the wisher. - -“Let me see; here is a wish from a little girl in the Land of Nothing -Strange, not far from Castle Havenough. She wishes that she had a doll. -She asked Santa Claus for one last night and he didn’t bring it to-day. -He must have forgotten it. She wants one very much.” - -“She may have one of mine! I have very many,” said the princess. - -“Good!” said the Angel; “it is granted.” - -And he handed the wish to the princess, with the name and the address of -the wisher. - -“Here is another,” said the Angel. “It is from the teachers and the -servants of Castle Havenough. They wish that they were happier,--that -the prince and the princess were somewhat more thoughtful and kind. -Shall their wish be granted?” - -“We will try, Mr. Angel.” - -“Good! And here is one from the royal house. I see the seal. Why, it is -from the King and Queen of the Land of Nothing Strange. ‘We wish that -our son and daughter were more dutiful, thoughtful, loving, and kind.’ -Shall the wish be granted, pages?” - -“We will try, Mr. Angel.” - -“Good! That is enough for to-night. To-morrow I shall have some more -blessings for you to carry. Every day I will send you some, so long as -you are in my service. And I promise you that every day will be as happy -as Christmas,--different, but just as nice. Wait a minute.” And then he -wrote something on a card and handed it to them,--he called it their - - COMMISSION - - “Be it known to all those who may read this short line, - That the prince and the princess are pages of mine; - They carry my blessings, will seek what you wish, - Will be kind and regardful, polite, unselfish. - For wages, I now and hereafter decree, - Their days shall be happy as happy can be.” - -Then he pressed a little golden button, and the Wishing Man came and -took the prince and princess by the hand and led them down the golden -carpet to the great door, and in less time than it takes to tell you -they were back again, and down again upon the skin of the great white -bear, which still lay snarling and showing his teeth at the flickering -fire. - -The Wishing Man wanted to be off, but the prince and princess asked him -so eagerly to sing again that he finally consented to sing what he had -sung before,--“Just by way of encore,” he said: - - “I have wishbones on my fingers, - I have myst’ry in my eyes; - My clothes are lined with four-leaf clovers - And are stained with magic dyes. - - “I have pockets full of rabbits’ feet, - And amulets and charms; - Just for luck I pick up horseshoes, - I have tattoos on my arms. - - “I know a world of wonders, - And if you would believe, - I have fortunes in my wallet - And surprises up my sleeve. - - “I come from a distant country, - Away up near the sky, - From the golden palace, Overhead, - In the land of Wonder Why. - - “I’m the best of friends of children, - And I’ll help _you_ if I can; - Now tell me what your wishes are, - For I’m the Wishing Man.” - -And then he was gone. - -It may be that it was a very long, tiresome journey to the palace; it -may be that the cold had made the prince and princess very sleepy; it -may have been due to something else. At any rate, when the servants came -at ten o’clock and opened the door softly, the prince and princess lay -fast asleep before the fire, which was burning very low, and the clock -was tick-tock, tick-tocking very loud indeed. - -What the prince and princess told the king in the morning, how long they -were pages of the Angel of Blessings, how many people they carried -blessings to, I cannot tell; I never heard. But this I know: that night, -and for many days after, the servants and the teachers said that it -seemed to them the prince and princess were kinder than usual, and the -king and the queen not long after were heard to say they never in their -lives _had_ seen the prince and princess so loving and so happy. - - - - -KRISS KRINGLE[9] - -THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH - - - Just as the moon was fading - Amid her misty rings, - And every stocking was stuffed - With childhood’s precious things, - - Old Kriss Kringle looked around, - And saw on the elm-tree bough, - High hung, an oriole’s nest, - Silent and empty now. - - “Quite like a stocking,” he laughed, - “Pinned up there on the tree! - Little I thought the birds - Expected a present from me!” - - Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves - A joke as well as the best, - Dropped a handful of flakes - In the oriole’s empty nest. - - - - -THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM - -ELEANOR L. SKINNER - - -The radiant star in the East had done its work. It had guided the -shepherds and the Wise Men to the manger where the heavenly Child lay in -Mary’s arms. The people, who had watched its light with solemn wonder, -and had whispered to each other about its beauty and meaning, had gone -to rest. Suddenly in the eastern sky there was a breaking up of the -glorious light into millions of shining points. A shower of silver and -gold fell to the earth. - -An old man with a long white beard saw the wonder. “The star in the East -has gone!” he sighed. “The glory of the skies has vanished!” - -Morning dawned. Happy little children ran to the fields to gather -flowers. The sunny meadows glistened with hundreds of little star-like -blossoms. - -“How beautiful!” cried the children, clapping their little hands for -joy. “Let us gather some flowers, and take a gift to the Mother and -little Babe.” - -They filled their arms with the starry blossoms and started to the -manger. On their way they met the old man with the long white beard. He -stopped for a moment and looked at the happy children. A strange light -came into his eyes; he bowed his head and whispered, “The star of -Bethlehem has burst into blossoms! The glory of the skies has come to -abide on earth!” - - - - -NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE KING - -EDWARD THEODOR WILLIAM HOFFMANN - - -It was Christmas Eve. Marie and Fritz sat cuddled together in a corner -of the back parlor, for they had not been permitted during the whole day -to go even into the small drawing room, much less into the best drawing -room into which it opened. The deep evening twilight had come and they -began to feel almost afraid. Seeing that no Christmas candles were -brought in, Fritz whispered to his sister Marie, who was just seven, -that he had heard rattlings and rustlings going on all day in the closed -room, as well as distant hammerings, and that not long before, a little -dark looking man with a big box under his arm had gone slipping and -creeping across the floor. He well knew that this little man was no -other than Godpapa Drosselmeier. At this news Marie clapped her little -hands for gladness and cried: - -“Oh, I do wonder what pretty things Godpapa Drosselmeier has been making -for us this time!” - -Godpapa Drosselmeier was anything but a nice looking man. He was little -and lean, with a great many wrinkles on his face, a big patch of black -plaster over his right eye, and not a hair on his head. He wore a fine -white wig, made of glass. But he was a very, very clever man, for he -knew and understood all about clocks and watches, and could make them -himself. So when one of the beautiful clocks in Fritz and Marie’s home -was out of sorts and couldn’t sing, Godpapa Drosselmeier would come, -take off his glass periwig and his little yellow coat, put on a blue -apron, and begin to stick sharp-pointed instruments into the inside of -the clock. Of course, whenever he came he always brought something -delightful in his pockets for Marie and Fritz--perhaps a little man who -could roll his eyes and make bows and scrapes, most comic to behold, or -a box out of which a little bird would jump. But for Christmas time he -had invariably prepared some especially wonderful invention. - -“Oh! what can Godpapa Drosselmeier have been making for us this time!” -Marie said again. - -“I’m sure this time,” said Fritz, “it must be a great castle, a -fortress, where all sorts of pretty soldiers are drilling and marching -about, then other soldiers come to try and get into the fortress, upon -which the soldiers inside fire away at them with cannon until -everything bangs and thunders like anything.” - -“No, no,” said Marie. “Godpapa Drosselmeier once told me about a -beautiful garden with a lake in it, and beautiful swans swimming about -with great gold collars, singing lovely music. And then a lovely little -girl comes down through the garden to the lake, and calls the swans and -feeds them with shortbread and cake.” - -“Swans don’t eat cake and shortbread,” Fritz cried, “and Godpapa -Drosselmeier couldn’t make a whole garden.” - -The children went on trying to guess what he might have in store for -them this time. Marie told Fritz that her biggest doll had altered very -much. She was more clumsy and awkward than ever, for she tumbled on to -the floor every two or three minutes. Fritz said that a good fox was -lacking in his collection of animals, and that his army of soldiers was -quite without a cavalry, as his papa well knew. But the children knew -that their elders had all sorts of charming things ready for them. They -remembered, too, that the Christ Child at Christmas time took special -care of their wants and knew best what gift would bring them true -happiness. - -Marie sat in thoughtful silence; but Fritz murmured quietly to himself: -“But for all that, I do want a fox and some hussars.” - -It was now quite dark. Fritz and Marie, sitting close together, did not -dare to utter another word. They felt as if there were a fluttering of -gentle, unseen wings around them, while a very far-away music could be -heard. Then a bright gleam of light passed quickly across the wall and -the children knew that the Christ Child was being borne away on shining -clouds to other happy children. At this moment a silvery bell rang out -“Kling-ling! Kling-ling!” the doors flew open, and a brilliant light -came streaming from the drawing room. - -“Oh! Oh!” cried the children, clapping their hands. - -But papa and mamma came and took their hands, saying, “Come, now, -darlings, and see what the blessed Christ Child has brought for you.” - -The two children stood speechless, with brilliant glances fixed on all -the beautiful things before them. After a while Marie, with a sigh, -cried, “Oh! How lovely! How lovely!” and Fritz gave several jumps of -delight. The children had certainly been very, very good, for never had -so many beautiful and delightful things been provided for them as at -this Christmas. The great Christmas tree on the table bore many apples -of silver and gold, and all its branches were heavy with bud and -blossom, consisting of sugar almonds, many tinted bon-bons, and all -sorts of charming things to eat. In all the recesses of its branches -hundreds of little tapers glittered like stars! How many beautiful -things there were! Marie gazed at the loveliest dolls, and all kinds of -toys, and a little silk dress, with many tinted ribbons, hung from a -projecting branch. “Oh, the lovely, lovely dress,” she cried. Fritz, in -the meantime, had had two or three trials around the table to see how -his new fox could gallop. “I believe it’s a wild beast,” he said, “but -that’s no matter. I can frighten him already.” He set to work to muster -his new hussars, well equipped in red and gold uniforms with real silver -swords and mounted on such shining white horses that you would have -thought them of pure silver. - -When the children had become a little quieter there came another -tinkling of a bell, and they knew that Godpapa Drosselmeier would show -them his Christmas presents, which were on another table, against the -wall, concealed by a curtain. When this curtain was drawn, what did the -children behold? - -On a green lawn, bright with flowers, stood a beautiful castle with a -great many shining windows and golden towers. A chime of bells was going -on inside it, doors and windows opened, and you saw very small ladies -and gentlemen with plumed hats and long robes, walking up and down in -the rooms. - -Fritz stood looking at the beautiful castle, his arms leaning upon the -table. In a little while he said, “Godpapa Drosselmeier, let me go into -your castle.” - -“That can’t be done, little Fritz,” was his answer. “The castle is not -as tall as yourself, golden towers and all.” - -“Well, then, make the man with the green cloak, who is always looking -from the window, walk about with the others.” - -“And that can’t be done, either,” said his godpapa once more; “it can’t -be altered, you know.” - -“Oh,” said Fritz, “it can’t be done? Very well, if your little creatures -in the castle can only always do the same thing, they’re not very much!” -So he went back to his Christmas table to play with his hussars. - -Marie, too, was soon tired of the little castle people, though she did -not like to show it as her brother did. At last, however, she also -crept back to the table where the Christmas presents were laid out, for -she had just noticed there among Fritz’s soldiers an excellent little -man, standing still and modest as if he were waiting patiently until -some one should notice him. In regard to his appearance, there was much -that was objectionable, for his body was rather too tall and stout for -his little thin legs, and his head was a great deal too large. But the -elegance of the little gentleman’s costume showed him to be a person of -taste and cultivation. He had on a very pretty violet hussar’s jacket, -and the loveliest little boots ever seen. It was certainly funny that, -dressed in such style as he was, he wore a rather absurd short cloak on -his shoulders which looked as if it were made of wood and on his head he -wore a miner’s cap. Nevertheless, as Marie kept looking at this little -man she saw more and more clearly what a sweet disposition was legible -on his countenance. His green eyes spoke only kindness, and the nicely -curled white cotton beard on his chin drew attention to the sweet smile -which his bright lips always expressed. - -“Oh, papa, dear,” cried Marie at last, “whose is that most darling -little man beside the tree?” - -“That little fellow, my dear, will work hard for you all; he’s going to -crack nuts for you.” With that, Marie’s father took him from the table, -and when he raised the wooden cloak the little man opened his mouth. -Marie put in a nut, and with a crack the little man bit it in pieces. He -had to crack a great many nuts. Marie picked out the smallest ones, but -Fritz gave him all the biggest and hardest nuts he could find. But all -at once there was a crack! crack! and three little teeth fell out of -Nutcracker’s mouth; and his chin became loose and shaky. - -“Ah! my poor Nutcracker!” Marie cried as she gathered up the lost teeth, -bound a pretty white ribbon about his poor chin, and wrapped the poor -little fellow tenderly in her handkerchief. In this way she held him, -rocking him like a child in her arms, as she looked at her picture -books. - -Marie and Fritz were allowed to keep their playthings in the glass -cupboard in the sitting room. Fritz soon tired of playing with his -hussars and placed them on the upper shelf, and Marie put her dolls in -the beautiful doll’s room on the lower shelf. It had become almost -midnight, and their mother had aroused the children to go to bed. Fritz -obeyed, but Marie begged for just a little while longer, saying she had -such a number of things to see to and promising that as soon as ever she -had got them all settled she would go to bed at once. Marie was a good -girl and her mother allowed her to remain a little longer with her toys, -but fearing lest Marie should be too much occupied with her new doll and -other playthings to think of the lights, her mother put all of them out, -leaving only the lamp which hung from the ceiling and which shed a soft -light over everything. - -As soon as Marie was alone she carefully unbound the ribbon around -Nutcracker’s head and examined his wounds. - -“Oh, my darling Nutcracker,” she said, “I’ll take the best care of you, -for I am really fond of you. Your teeth shall be put back and your -shoulder made right again.” She took him in her arms again, went to the -cupboard, and said to her new doll: - -“Clara, you will give up your bed to this poor, sick, wounded -Nutcracker, I’m sure.” Miss Clara in her Christmas dress looked very -disdainful, but Marie took the bed and moved it forward, laid Nutcracker -carefully upon it, and placed them on the upper shelf near the village -in which Fritz’s hussars were resting. She was about to close the -cupboard door when--hark! there began a low, soft rustling and rattling -all around, behind the stove, under the chairs, behind the cupboards. -The clock on the wall warned louder and louder, but it could not strike. -Marie looked at it, and saw that the big gilt owl which was on the top -had drooped its wings so that they covered the whole of the clock. And -the warning of the clock kept growing louder and louder, with distinct -words: “Clocks, stop ticking. Mousey king’s ears are fine. Prr-prr! Only -sing ‘poom, poom.’ Bells go chime! Soon rings out the fated time!” - -Marie grew terribly frightened and was going to rush away as quickly as -she could when she noticed that Godpapa Drosselmeier was up on top of -the clock instead of the owl. - -“Godpapa Drosselmeier,” she called out as soon as she composed herself. -“What are you doing up there, you naughty, naughty godpapa?” - -But then there began a strange scampering and squeaking everywhere, all -about, and presently there was a sound of running and trotting as of -thousands of little feet behind the walls, and at the same time -thousands of little lights began to glitter out between the chinks of -the woodwork. But they were not lights, no, no,--little glittering eyes; -and Marie said that everywhere mice were peeping and squeezing -themselves out through every chink. Presently they were trotting and -galloping in all directions all over the room. - -Marie was not afraid of mice, and she could not help being amused by -this sight. She stood watching the mice come from all directions when -suddenly there came a sharp and terrible piping noise and seven mouse -heads with seven shining crowns upon them, rose through the floor and -behind them wriggled a mouse’s body on which the seven heads had all -grown. Then the whole army of mice shouted in full chorus and went trot, -trot, trot! right up to the cupboard--in fact, to Marie who was standing -beside it. - -Half frightened, Marie leaned back against the cupboard door and there -was a klirr, klirr, klirr! What was happening? Right behind Marie a -movement seemed to commence in the cupboard and small, faint voices -began to be heard, saying: - - “Come, awake, measures take, - Out to the fight, out to the fight; - Shield the right, shield the right, - Arm and away, this is the night,” - -and bells began ringing as prettily as you please. - -“Oh, that’s my little peal of bells,” cried Marie, and she went nearer -and looked in. Then she saw that there was a bright light in the -cupboard and everything there was astir. Dolls and little figures of all -kinds were running about together and struggling with their little arms. -All at once Nutcracker rose from his bed, cast off the bed clothes and -sprang with both feet to the floor (of the shelf), calling out: - - “Knack, knack, knack: - Stupid mousey pack.” - -And with this he drew his little sword, waved it in the air, and cried: -“My trusty followers, are you ready to stand by me in the battle?” - -Instantly, three clowns, one pantaloon, four chimney sweeps, and a -drummer cried, “Yes, yes, we follow you, Nutcracker,” and then they -threw themselves down from the upper shelf after the brave Nutcracker. - -“But what is going to happen now?” thought Marie. At this moment -Nutcracker sprang down, and the squeaking and piping commenced again, -worse than ever. Under the big table the mouse army was massed under the -command of the terrible mouse king. What was to be the result? - -“Beat the _generale_, drummer,” called out Nutcracker. Immediately the -drummer began to roll his drum in the most splendid style so that the -windows of the glass cupboard rattled and resounded. Then there began a -cracking and a clattering inside, and Marie saw all the lids of the -boxes in which Fritz’s army was quartered burst open and the soldiers -came out and jumped down to the bottom of the shelf, where they formed -up in good order. Nutcracker hurried up and down the ranks, speaking -words of encouragement. Then turning to Pantaloon, who was looking -rather pale and wobbling his long chin, he said: - -“I know you are a brave and experienced general. I intrust you, -Pantaloon, with the command of the cavalry and artillery. You can do -without a horse; your own legs are long and you can gallop as fast as it -is necessary. Do your duty!” - -Immediately Pantaloon put his long, lean fingers to his mouth and gave a -piercing whistle that rang as if a hundred little trumpets had been -sounding lustily. - -Then there began a tramping and neighing in the cupboard, and Fritz’s -new, glittering hussars marched out and came to a halt on the floor. -They marched past Nutcracker by regiments, with flags flying and bands -playing; then they wheeled into line and formed at right angles to the -march. And now boomed Fritz’s cannon with a pum, pum, pum! shooting -sugarplums constantly under the mice. Poom, poom! again, and a fine fire -of gingerbread nuts went into the enemy’s ranks, scattering the mice in -all directions. Still the mice displayed continually more forces. Their -little silver balls, which they delivered with great precision, went -even inside the glass cupboard. You’ve no idea of the hurly-burly that -went on. It went prr-prr-poof, piff, boom-booroom! Pantaloon had made -several most brilliant cavalry charges and covered himself with glory. -But Fritz’s hussars were pelted by the mice’s silver balls, which made -bad spots on their red waistcoats. This made them hesitate and hang back -for a time. Pantaloon made them take ground to the left, and in the -excitement of the moment they all wheeled round and marched home to -their quarters. - -“The reserves shall come out!” cried Nutcracker, who hoped that more -troops would come out from the glass cupboard. And there did, in fact, -advance some brown gingerbread men and women, with gilt faces, hats, and -helmets, but they fought so clumsily that they never hit any of the mice -and soon knocked off the cap of Nutcracker himself. Poor Nutcracker was -now hard pressed and closely surrounded by enemies. He tried to jump -the bottom ledge of the cupboard, but his legs were not long enough. - -“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” - -At that moment two of the enemies seized him by his wonder cloak, and -the king of the mice went rushing up to him, squeaking in triumph. - -Marie could contain herself no longer. “Oh, my poor Nutcracker!” she -sobbed. She took off her left shoe, without distinctly knowing what she -was about, and threw it as hard as she could into the thick of the -enemy, straight at mouse king. Instantly everything vanished and all was -silence. But there stood Nutcracker, with his sword in his hand. He fell -upon one knee and said, “It was you, and you only, dearest lady, who -inspired me with knightly valor. To you alone I owe my life. If you will -take the trouble to follow me for a few steps, what glorious and -beautiful things I could show you. Oh, do come with me, dearest lady!” - - TOYLAND - -“I will go with you, dear Nutcracker,” said Marie, “but it mustn’t be -far, and must not be for long, because, you know, I haven’t had any -sleep yet.” - -“Then we will go by the shortest way,” said Nutcracker, “although it is -perhaps the most difficult.” - -He went on in front, followed by Marie, till he stopped before the big -old wardrobe which stood in the hall. Marie was surprised to see that, -though it was generally shut, the doors of it were now wide open. Her -father’s fur traveling cloak hung in front. Nutcracker climbed up this -cloak by the edgings and trimmings, and got hold of the big tassel which -was fastened at the back of it by a thick cord. He gave this tassel a -tug, and a pretty little ladder of cedar wood let itself quickly down -through one of the armholes of the cloak. - -“Step up that ladder, if you’ll be so kind,” said Nutcracker. Marie did -so. But as soon as she had gone up through the armhole, and began to -look out at the neck, a dazzling light came streaming on to her, and she -found herself standing on a lovely sweet-scented meadow, from which -millions of sparks were streaming upward like the glitter of beautiful -gems. - -“This is Candy Meadow where we are now,” said Nutcracker. “But we’ll go -in at that gate there.” - -Marie looked up, and saw a beautiful gateway on the meadow, only a few -steps off. It seemed to be made of white, brown, and raisin-colored -marble; but when she came close to it she saw it was all of baked -sugar-almonds and raisins, which--as Nutcracker said when they were -going through it--was the reason it was called Almond and Raisin Gate. - -Presently the sweetest of odors came breathing round her, streaming from -a beautiful little wood on both sides of the way. There was such a -glittering and sparkling among the dark foliage that one could see all -the gold and silver fruits hanging on the many-tinted stems, and these -stems and branches were all ornamented and dressed up in ribbons and -bunches of flowers. - -“Oh, how charming this is!” cried Marie. - -“This is Christmas Wood,” said Nutcracker. - -“Ah,” said Marie, “if I only could stay for a little! Oh, it is so -lovely!” - -Nutcracker clapped his little hands, and immediately there appeared a -number of little shepherds and shepherdesses, and hunters and -huntresses, so white and delicate that you would have thought they were -made of pure sugar, although they had been walking about in the wood. -They brought a beautiful golden easy-chair for Marie, and invited her to -take a seat. As soon as she did so the shepherds and shepherdesses -danced a pretty ballet, for which the hunters and huntresses played the -music on their horns, and then they all disappeared amongst the -thickets. - -“Had we not better go on a little farther?” asked Nutcracker. - -“Oh, I’m sure it was most delightful,” said Marie, as she stood up and -followed Nutcracker, who was going on, leading the way. They walked by -the side of a sweet babbling brook, which seemed to be what was giving -out all the perfume which filled the wood. - -“This is Orange Brook,” said Nutcracker, “but, except for its sweet -scent, it is nothing like as fine a water as the River Lemonade, a -beautiful broad stream which falls--as this one does--into Almond-milk -Sea.” And, indeed, Marie soon heard a louder splashing and rushing, and -came in sight of the River Lemonade, which went rolling along in -swelling waves of yellowish color, between banks covered with herbage -and underwood. A short distance farther, on the banks of this stream, -stood a nice little village. The houses were all dark brown, with gilded -roofs so gay that one might suppose that they were plastered over with -lemon peel and shelled almonds. - -“That is Gingerbread Valley on the Honey River,” said Nutcracker. “It is -known for the good looks of its people, but they are very -short-tempered, because they suffer so much from toothache. So we will -not go there, nor, indeed, visit all the little towns and villages or -country. Let us be off to the capital.” - -He stepped quickly onwards, and Marie followed him until they came to a -great lake which kept broadening and broadening out wider and wider and -on which the loveliest swans, white as silver--with colors of gold--were -floating everywhere. Nutcracker clapped his little hands and the waves -of the lake began to sound louder and splash higher, and at once there -came a large shell barge made of precious stones of every color and -drawn by two dolphins with scales of gold. It carried her and Nutcracker -over the lake. - -Oh, how beautiful it was when Marie went onward there over the waters in -the shell-shaped barge, with the rose perfume breathing around her, and -the rosy waves splashing! But she could not restrain a cry of admiration -and astonishment as she now found herself all of a sudden before a -castle, brightly lighted and splendid with a hundred beautiful towers. -Here and there upon its walls were rich bouquets of violets, narcissus, -tulips, and carnations. The great dome as well as the roofs of the -towers were set all over with thousands of sparkling gold and silver -stars. - -“Aha!” said Nutcracker, “here we are at Marzipan Castle at last.” - -Marie was lost in admiration of this magic palace. The fact did not -escape her that the roof was wanting to one of the tallest towers, and -that little men, upon a scaffold of sticks of cinnamon, were busy -putting it on again. But before she had time to ask Nutcracker about -this, beautiful music was heard and out came twelve little pages with -lighted clove sticks, which they held in their little hands as torches. -After them came four ladies about the size of Marie’s Christmas doll, -but so gorgeously and brilliantly dressed that Marie saw in a moment -they could be nothing but princesses. They embraced Nutcracker most -tenderly, and cried at once, “O dearest prince! Beloved brother!” - -Nutcracker seemed deeply affected. Then he took Marie by the hand and -said, “Here is the noble preserver of my life. Had she not thrown her -slipper in the nick of time, I should have been captured by the enemy.” - -Then they embraced Marie and said, “Ah! Noble preserver of our beloved -royal brother! Come into the castle and rest yourself while we prepare -some food.” - -Marie and Nutcracker were conducted into the castle, and while the -princesses were setting forth a dainty repast, Nutcracker related the -adventures of his fight with the mouse king. He told how everything -would have gone against him if Marie had not come to his rescue. During -all this time it seemed to Marie as if what Nutcracker was saying kept -growing more and more indistinct, and going farther and farther away. -Presently she saw a silver mistiness rising up all about, like clouds in -which the princesses, the pages, Nutcracker, and she herself were -floating. And a curious singing and buzzing and humming began, which -seemed to die away in the distance, and then she seemed to be going -up--up--up, as if in waves constantly rising and swelling higher and -higher, higher and higher and higher. And then came a prr--poof! and all -was gone. - -That was a crash and a tumble! - -However, Marie opened her eyes, and, lo and behold, there she was in her -own bed! - -Of course, you see how it was. Marie, confounded and amazed by all the -wonderful things she had seen, had fallen asleep at last in Marzipan -Castle, and no doubt the princesses themselves had carried her home and -put her to bed. - - - - -A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS - -CLEMENT C. MOORE - - - ’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house - Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; - The stockings were hung by the chimney with care - In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; - The children were nestled all snug in their beds, - While visions of sugarplums danced through their heads; - And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, - Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap, - When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, - I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. - - Away to the window I flew like a flash, - Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. - The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow - Gave a luster of midday to objects below, - When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, - But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, - With a little old driver, so lively and quick, - I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. - - More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, - And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: - “Now, _Dasher_! now, _Dancer_! now, _Prancer_ and _Vixen_! - On, _Comet_! on, _Cupid_! on, _Donder_ and _Blitzen_! - To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! - Now, dash away! dash away! dash away all!” - As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly. - When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; - So up to the housetop the coursers they flew, - With a sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too. - - And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof - The prancing and pawing of each little hoof, - As I drew in my head, and was turning around, - Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. - He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, - And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; - A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, - And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. - His eyes--how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! - His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! - - His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, - And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow; - The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, - And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; - He had a broad face and a little round belly, - That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. - He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, - And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; - A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, - Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; - He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, - And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, - And laying his finger aside of his nose, - And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; - He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, - And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. - But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, - “_Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!_” - - - - -CHRISTMAS IN MANY LANDS - - TIME: Christmas Eve - - PLACE: A living room in a German cottage. A Christmas tree stands - at one side. As the curtain rises, a small boy and girl in German - costume are trimming the tree and singing. - - -HANS and GRETCHEN sing: - - Santa Claus to-morrow comes, - Bringing gifts in plenty; - Drums and trumpets, guns--a score, - Flags and sabers and still more, - Yes, a whole great army corps-- - Would it might be plenty! - - Bring us, dear old Santa Claus-- - Do not pass us blindly-- - Musketeer and grenadier, - Grizzly bear with panther near, - Horse and donkey, sheep and steer-- - Bring us all these kindly. - -HANS: I wish St. Nicholas would hurry up and come! I think he is -dreadfully slow. - -GRETCHEN: He won’t come while we’re here, I’m afraid. Besides, he has so -far to travel! Only think how many places he has to go! - -HANS: Does he visit all the little children all over the world? - -GRETCHEN: Why, of course! (_Slowly._) At least, I suppose so. - -HANS: Do all the children have Christmas trees? - -GRETCHEN: Oh! I hope so. Wouldn’t it be too bad not to have a tree on -Christmas? - -HANS: _I_ think it would be fun to have an airship and go about the -world to-night and see what all the little children are doing. - -GRETCHEN: Where would you like to go? - -HANS: I’d like to fly over the sea and visit Cousin Heinrich in America. - -GRETCHEN: I’d be afraid to fly so far. I’d go to Holland; it’s such a -little way. - -HANS: Oh! I’d fly up in the mountains of Switzerland. - -GRETCHEN (_thoughtfully_): I think I’d rather have the children come and -tell us about their Christmas. I’d be afraid in an airship. - -HANS (_eagerly_): Let’s shut our eyes and wish they would come. They’ll -be sure to if we wish hard on Christmas Eve. We’ll have a Christmas -party! - -(_Both children shut their eyes and are silent. A fairy enters. She is -dressed in white, spangled with gilt. She has a star on her forehead and -carries a wand. She dances about the stage, singing; then stands in -front of the children. She waves her wand over them, and they open -their eyes._) - -GRETCHEN (_rising in surprise_): Who are you, Fairy? - -FAIRY: I am the Christmas fairy, and I have come to answer your wish. I -grant all the wishes that good children make on Christmas Eve. - -HANS (_earnestly_): Oh, dear Fairy, will children really come from -America and from Switzerland and from Holland to tell us about their -Christmas? - -FAIRY: They will come because you wished it, and from other countries as -well. (_She dances around the room once more, and vanishes. Hans and -Gretchen run to the door and look after her. They clap their hands and -dance around the room for joy._) - -HANS: We’re really going to have a Christmas party! Let’s go on trimming -the tree. (_While they are doing this, they finish the song._) - - But, indeed, you know our need, - Know our heart’s desires; - Children, father, and mamma! - You know, too, our grandpapa! - Yes, we all are waiting--ah! - Waiting, you know, tires! - -(_The sound of a bell is heard and a little girl_ e_nters, ringing a -Swiss bell. She is dressed in a Swiss costume._) - -SWISS CHILD: I come from the lofty mountains of Switzerland to give you -greeting. (_The two children run to welcome her._) - -HANS: Did you come in an airship? - -SWISS CHILD: No; the Christmas fairy brought me. What a beautiful tree! - -HANS: Yes; it’s our Christmas tree. Don’t you have one? Doesn’t St. -Nicholas bring you presents? - -SWISS CHILD: No; the Christmas Lady[10] comes to us. She wears a white -gown and a red cap, and she carries a basket of toys on her back. But -only good children get toys. She brings a switch for the bad ones, and -they must keep it all the year and get whipped whenever they are -naughty! - -GRETCHEN: I’m so glad St. Nicholas has a wife to help him. It would be -so hard for him to get along by himself. Let’s sing a little till the -other children come. - -(_They dance slowly around the tree, singing. While they are singing, a -hard clacking of wooden shoes is heard at the door. The children stop to -listen, and a little Dutch girl enters. She carries a wand with a star -on the end and has a basket of sweetmeats on her arm._) - -GRETCHEN (_coming to greet her_): Here is our little neighbor. I’m so -glad you have come. Do the children in Holland have a Christmas Eve like -ours? - -DUTCH CHILD: We don’t have a pretty tree like that, and we don’t hang -our stockings before the fire. Good St. Nicholas comes to visit us in -the evening. He brings toys for the good children and a _big birch rod_ -for the naughty ones. When he comes in, every one joins in this song of -welcome: - - Welcome, good St. Nicholas, welcome, - Bring no rod for us to-night; - While our voices bid thee welcome, - Every heart with joy is light. - -Then we recite verses and play games for a while. As St. Nicholas goes -away he scatters sweetmeats on the floor. We children scramble for them -and try to fill our baskets. Then, after he has gone away, we all go -into another room and put our shoes on a table. We always put a bit of -hay in each shoe for St. Nicholas’s good old horse, Sleipner. - -GRETCHEN: Oh! St. Nicholas comes to us with reindeer. - -DUTCH CHILD: In Holland he goes about on his good horse, Sleipner. Then -we all say “Good-night,” and go to bed. While we are asleep St. -Nicholas comes back and fills all the shoes. Every one in the house gets -presents. - -GRETCHEN: Why do you carry that pretty star? - -DUTCH CHILD: This is the Star of Bethlehem. The children in Holland walk -about the streets early on Christmas Eve and follow one who carries the -star. People give the children gifts of money and other things, and -these are all given to the poor. - -GRETCHEN: I think that is a beautiful Christmas Eve. Will you try to -teach us your song of welcome to St. Nicholas? (_The Dutch child sings -her song again and the other children sing it after her. They join -hands, and dance a simple folk dance in time to the music. As they sing, -a sound of sleigh bells interrupts them. A child runs in, dressed in -Russian coat and furs. She is glistening with snow._) - -RUSSIAN CHILD: Oh! Your fire looks warm and bright! Christmas is cold, -indeed, on the snowy plains of Russia. I am sorry for poor Babouscka -to-night. - -GRETCHEN: Come up to the fire and get warm, and tell us who Babouscka -is. (_All seat themselves around the fire._) - -RUSSIAN CHILD: Babouscka! Don’t you know about her? On Christmas Eve -every little Russian child expects a visit from a little old woman -called Babouscka. Long, long ago, on Christmas Eve, Babouscka was -sweeping her house when Three Wise Men came to the door and asked her to -go with them to bear gifts to a little child. She said she would go when -she had finished sweeping, but they said, “We may not wait. We follow a -star.” So they went their way. Afterwards Babouscka was sorry she hadn’t -gone with them. So she started out alone to find the child, and ever -since, on Christmas Eve, she wanders about to every house where there -are children, seeking the wonderful child the Wise Men talked about. But -always, when she asks for the child, the answer is the same, “Farther -on! Farther on!” - -GRETCHEN: Poor Babouscka! I hope she will find the child sometime. Let’s -go on with the song. Perhaps some one else will come. (_They continue -singing. A French child enters._) - -HANS: Oh! Here comes a little maid of France! I know her by her pretty -cap. Come, tell us what you do on Christmas Eve, and who brings your -gifts. - -FRENCH CHILD: Christmas is a holy time with us. The Christ Child himself -brings the gifts. We call him Le Petit Noël. - -HANS: Do you hang up your stocking for him to fill? - -FRENCH CHILD: No; we put our shoes by the hearth at night and Le Petit -Noël comes down the chimney and fills them. - -HANS: Your shoes? I’m glad we hang up our stockings--they hold so much -more. Wooden shoes won’t stretch! - -GRETCHEN: What a lovely Christmas party we are having! Just think, here -are children from Switzerland, Holland, Russia, and France. I wonder if -any more children will come. Let’s all dance and sing while we wait. -(_They go on with the song. Sound of sleigh bells is heard outside. An -English child enters._) - -ENGLISH CHILD: A Merrie Christmas from Merrie England! - -HANS: Oh! another guest! How lovely of you to come to our party. Do you -have Christmas Eve parties at home? - -ENGLISH CHILD: Oh, yes; Christmas Eve is the merriest night of the year -with us. - -HANS: Tell us all about it. (_The children seat themselves about the -hearth, the English child in the center._) - -ENGLISH CHILD: Early in the morning we go to the woods and gather -evergreens. Then we trim all the rooms with holly, mistletoe, box, and -bay; in the evening we light the great yule log. - -GRETCHEN: What’s the yule log? - -ENGLISH CHILD: Well, it’s a big log that we always burn in the fireplace -on Christmas Eve. All the family meet together on Christmas Eve, and we -have a beautiful tree like yours. Every one gives a present to every one -else, and we sing and tell stories and have a happy time. Then early on -Christmas morning the waits come round and waken us, singing Christmas -carols. At dinner we have a great big plum pudding, and mother puts -brandy on it and sets fire to the brandy, and it makes a pretty blue -flame. - -GRETCHEN: I think that must be a happy Christmas. Who are the waits that -sing the carols? - -ENGLISH CHILD: They are children who go about from house to house, early -on Christmas morning, and sing. - -GRETCHEN: Will you sing one of your carols for us? - -ENGLISH CHILD: Yes, if you will all help. (_English child sings carol._) - - I saw three ships come sailing in; - On Christmas day, on Christmas day; - I saw three ships come sailing in; - On Christmas day in the morning. - - Pray whither sailed those ships all three, - On Christmas day, on Christmas day, - Pray whither sailed those ships all three, - On Christmas day in the morning? - - And all the bells on earth shall ring - On Christmas day, on Christmas day, - And all the bells on earth shall ring - On Christmas day in the morning. - -(_Children join in the refrain. As they finish the carol, a Swedish -child enters._) - -SWEDISH CHILD: What a beautiful Christmas party! I’m so glad the -Christmas fairy brought me. - -HANS: Oh, are you another little maid from France? - -SWEDISH CHILD: Oh, no; I come from the frozen north--from Sweden. - -GRETCHEN: Do you have Christmas ’way up there? And does St. Nicholas go -so far on Christmas Eve? - -SWEDISH CHILD: Of course we have Christmas, but I never heard of St. -Nicholas before. - -HANS (_to Gretchen_): There’s another country he doesn’t go to, -Gretchen. (_To Swedish child._) Doesn’t any one bring the little Swedish -children presents on Christmas Eve? - -SWEDISH CHILD: Oh, yes; the Christmas gnomes do that! They are a little -old man and a little old woman who come to every home in Sweden, -bringing gifts for all in the house. The old man carries a bell and the -old woman a large basket filled with gifts. In Sweden every one is -remembered on Christmas Day, and a sheaf of grain is fastened to a pole -at each house so that not even the birds are forgotten. - -HANS: Oh, Gretchen, let us put up some grain for the birds to-morrow -morning! (_Song is heard outside._) - -GRETCHEN: Hark--some one is singing! (_They all listen. Irish child -sings behind the screen._) - - At Christmas time in Ireland - There is feasting, there is song, - And merrily the fife and fiddle play; - And lightly dance the colleens, - And the boys, the evening long, - At Christmas time in Ireland far away! - - (_Irish child enters, singing._) - - Oh, there’s nothing half so sweet - In any land on earth - As Christmas time in Ireland far away! - -HANS: Christmas time in Ireland! - -IRISH CHILD: Yes, Christmas Day is a day of feasting and merriment. -Where did you get that pretty tree? - -HANS: It’s our Christmas tree. Don’t you have one? - -IRISH CHILD: No; I never saw one before. - -HANS: Doesn’t St. Nicholas come to you? Don’t you get presents? - -IRISH CHILD (_shaking her head thoughtfully_): No. - -HANS: Then how can you have a merry Christmas? - -IRISH CHILD: No; we don’t get gifts at home. We give them to the poor. -On Christmas Eve we light the great yule log in the fireplace. Then, -while it roars and crackles on the hearth, we sit around and hear the -tale that we love so well, of the shepherds who watched their flock by -night, and of the Christ Child in the manger. Before we go to bed we put -the great candle decked with ribbons in the window so that our welcome -may shine out for the Christ Child, should he wander that way. On -Christmas morning, of course, we all go to church, and then we come home -to the best dinner, and all the young people dance and make merry far -into the night. - -HANS (_to Gretchen_): Think of a Christmas Eve without a tree or St. -Nicholas or gifts! - -IRISH CHILD: But we have the yule log and the story-telling, and we -dance and sing. - -HANS: Was that one of your Christmas songs you were singing as you came -in? - -IRISH CHILD: Yes, every one sings that song at Christmas time. - -HANS: Won’t you sing the rest of it for us? - - (_Child finishes the song._) - - At Christmas time in Ireland, - How the holly branches twine, - In stately hall and cabin old and gray! - And red among the leaves - The holly berries twine-- - At Christmas time in Ireland far away! - -(_Just as she finishes the song, the American child runs in. They all -rise to greet her._) - -AMERICAN CHILD: I’m late because I had so far to come. The fairy carried -me high over the seas from America. - -HANS: America! I’m so glad you have come! I wondered what the American -children were doing to-night. - -AMERICAN CHILD (_looking around_): Why, I think you must do just what we -do on Christmas Eve. You have a tree--you put evergreens around--and you -hang your stockings up for Santa Claus to fill. - -HANS: Santa Claus? St. Nicholas comes to us. - -GRETCHEN: He’s the same, Hans, only they call him a little different. - -DUTCH CHILD: Does he come on his horse? - -AMERICAN CHILD: No, he is drawn in a sleigh with eight reindeer. He -comes down the chimney and fills our stockings with toys and candy, when -we are asleep. - -DUTCH CHILD: Doesn’t he bring a switch for the bad ones? - -AMERICAN CHILD: Oh, no; Santa Claus never leaves anything but toys. - -DUTCH CHILD: I wish he wouldn’t bring it when he comes to us! - -GRETCHEN: Isn’t it funny? We all do different things on Christmas Eve. -But we all have a happy time and love it, and I’m sure each one of us -likes her own way the best. (_Sounds of sleigh bells are heard outside, -and children laughing. Gretchen runs to the window and looks out._) Oh, -here are the village children! They have come to our Christmas party. -(_The village children run in. All greet each other and join in -singing._) - - This tree was grown on Christmas Day. - Hail, old Father Christmas! - Old and young together say, - Hail, old Father Christmas! - Bright the colored tapers shine; - Hail, old Father Christmas! - Bright to-day the love divine. - Hail, old Father Christmas! - Bright and light our Christmas tree, - Hail, old Father Christmas! - Bright and light our hearts must be. - Hail, old Father Christmas! - Dance, then, children, dance and sing, - Hail, old Father Christmas! - All the merry chorus ring. - Hail, old Father Christmas! - - - - -PART II - -STORIES TO READ AND TELL TO CHILDREN - - - - -SELECTION FROM THE BIBLE - -LUKE II, 8-20 - - -And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, -keeping watch over their flock by night. - -And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord -shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. - -And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good -tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. - -For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is -Christ the Lord. - -And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in -swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. - -And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host -praising God, and saying, - - Glory to God in the highest, - And on earth peace, - Good will toward men. - -And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, -the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, -and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known -unto us. - -And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying -in a manger. - -And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was -told them concerning this child. - -And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them -by the shepherds. - -But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. - -And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the -things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. - - - - -THE FINDING OF THE TREASURE[11] - -MARY STEWART - - -A bright-faced boy stood in the center of a group of ragged children, -telling them a story. Behind them were the forlorn shacks of a mining -camp, built of odd boards of different colors with tar paper or bits of -tin for the roofs. A fluttering line of untidy wash was the only sign of -life about the place, for the men were away working in the mines and the -women--there were only ten of them in the camp of fifty men--were busy -indoors. - -It was a desolate scene, but the children seemed to have forgotten it. -They were gazing spellbound at the lad in their midst, their minds so -full of the picture he was describing that the snowy fields before them -and the miserable camp behind them seemed miles away. Instead, they saw -what the boy saw as he looked straight before him, gazing into space -with a light upon his face as if he were beholding the radiant scene of -which he spoke. - -“There were angels,” he was saying in a clear, thrilling voice, -“hundreds of them, all with glistening wings and faces as light as the -sunshine. They made the dark night as bright as day, and when the -shepherds saw them they were frightened. But the angels said, ‘Fear -not,’ and told them to go to a stable in the city near by, where, lying -in a manger, they would find a baby King. So the shepherds hurried up -the steep path to the city, carrying the lambs in their arms, and the -sky echoed with the angels’ song. It was the gladdest night in the whole -world.” - -“But that is not all!” cried the children. “Tell us about the wonderful -star and the men on camels.” - -“Listen,” said the story-teller, although every child was already -listening with all his might, “listen to what I am going to tell you -to-day. It is the most marvelous thing you have ever heard. In ten days -Christmas will be here, although the folks at the camp are so busy and -lonesome they have forgotten it. But when I asked my mother how we could -ever have a Christmas tree in this far-away place like we used to at -home, she said that _perhaps_”--here the lad, Carl, paused a moment, and -again he gazed into the distance, his face glowing, “perhaps,” he -continued mysteriously, “the glorious star would shine again _here_ to -guide, not the wise men on camels, but us--the children--to the -birthplace of a little baby!” - -“Shall we see the angels too?” questioned a girl, her voice trembling -with excitement. “Will the dark sky be bright and full of singing like -you said?” demanded another, and “Will the shepherds be there? And the -camels? And the men with precious gifts?” asked others. - -“Perhaps so,” answered Carl; he did not know, he only knew that they -must watch every night now for a new glorious star. Of course that would -be the beginning of it all, the beginning of the most wonderful -Christmas that had happened since the angels sang to the shepherds on -the plains of Bethlehem. - -A shrill whistle blew, the call for supper, and the children ran back -over the snowy path to the big shack where the men met for meals. They -were all seated, talking angrily, when the children entered. One of the -men, a leader among them, had just read aloud a letter from the owner of -the mine. Such a small amount of gold had been found, the letter said, -that unless more was discovered within ten days, the mine would be -closed. Also, as the miners had been working on part shares, their wages -would be very small, barely enough to pay for their trips back to their -homes. A murmur of anger and ugly threats ran around the room. The men -had traveled to this desolate spot with the dream of going back rich for -life and now, after months of hard, dangerous labor, they would return -poorer than when they came. Before the eyes of many of them arose -pictures of bare homes where their families were struggling bravely -against illness and poverty, counting the days until the miners returned -with pockets full of gold. - -“As beggars we will never go back!” cried one man. “Better blow up the -mine with us in it than see our children starve!” cried another, and -then the children, whose fathers were the few who had brought their -families with them, rushed into the room, their faces bright with the -great hope in their hearts. “Ten days from now will be Christmas!” cried -one little lad. “And something wonderful will happen then!” cried -another. The men turned upon them savagely. “If any child talks of -Christmas again, I’ll give him a licking that will make him forget the -day,” exclaimed one man, and another growled, “Ten days from now we’ll -all be beggars. Is that what you call ‘something wonderful’ happening?” - -To the children, Carl’s story began to seem an idle dream. How could a -baby King, a glorious Christ Child, come to this miserable spot, or an -angel’s song ring through a camp where, as the night went on, the noise -of fighting and swearing echoed more and more wildly? - -With a despairing hope of still finding the gold within ten days, the -miners went out to their work morning after morning before dawn, and -evening after evening they returned, utterly discouraged. It was small -wonder that their faces grew rough and fierce and the children crept -fearfully out of their way. Their own fathers were even more wretched -than the others, for the small wages would not pay the return trip of a -whole family and, after ten days were over, they could not live on with -no food in that desolate camp. Starvation stared them in the face, and -the coming of Christmas meant nothing to them. - -Only Carl’s mother thought of it sometimes with a sad little smile, and -when Carl questioned her about the star and the baby of whose coming she -had spoken, she said softly, “When the Christ Child came His mother also -had no clothes in which to dress Him.” Then Carl saw tears shining in -her eyes and he dared not question her further, although the one thought -in his mind day and night was the coming of the young King. - -Late every afternoon the children met beside a group of snow-laden fir -trees behind the shacks, and once there, the gloom and terror of the -camp slipped from them. The snow-covered mountains glittered in the -distance, and Carl told them again and again of the shepherds and the -angels. - -Then late one evening, while the children watched in breathless -excitement, a radiant, glowing star shone forth in the evening sky. It -was the same star, they all firmly believed, which had led the wise men -so many years ago, and at first they thought with Carl that it had come -again to lead them to the cradle of the King. All that night they lay -awake on their hard cots, quivering with excitement as they listened for -the music of the angels’ song. But only the wrangling of the men echoed -through the darkness, and again the children’s bright dreams were -overshadowed by the gloom in the lives around them. Still each day they -had their hour of happiness beside the ice-hung fir trees, while the -star shone forth, and Carl told them of his hopes. Never for a moment -did he doubt that the star would lead them to the blessed birthplace, -and as the days went by he added other thoughts to his picture. - -“When the wise men came they brought presents for Him,” he said one -afternoon, “bags of gold, the kind our fathers are looking for, and for -which they say they have risked and ruined their lives. -Perhaps--perhaps--” his voice was trembling now with the wonder of his -hope, “when the Christ Child comes, He may bring to the miners some of -the gold the wise men brought to Him!” - -The thought was so marvelous that the children planned to tell the men -about it, but when they looked up into those grim, lowering faces their -hearts failed them and they went quietly to bed. - -So nine days slipped by, and the afternoon before Christmas came. The -next day, if no gold had been found, the mine would be closed, and the -miners went to work that morning in deadly silence, hopeless despair -written upon their faces. The snow had fallen heavily all night, and -during the day a few flakes still drifted from the gray, leaden sky. The -shacks were cold and cheerless and the women, as depressed now as the -men, moved heavily about their tasks. Only Carl’s mother was not with -them, and deep in their own misery no one gave her a thought. The -children were huddled in one corner under a ragged bed quilt, while -Carl, by the magic of his faith and words, brought color to their -cheeks and light to their eyes. - -“This is the day He will come,” the lad was whispering. “My mother went -out into the snow this morning and before she went she kissed me and -said, ‘The little baby is coming to-day, my son, and where is the home -ready to receive him?’ I don’t know just what she meant, for of course -the angels will be waiting to take care of the little King.” - -“But if it is snowing, how can we see the star?” asked the children, and -as if in answer to their question the sun came out brilliantly. Like a -fairyland of silver and powdered diamonds the world shone in its mantle -of snow and ice, and into it rushed the children, flying over the -fields, eager, joyous, expectant. Quickly the short afternoon passed, -the sun set in a glory of rose and gold, and then again to the watching -children appeared the splendid evening star upon which all their hopes -and dreams were centered. It was bigger and brighter than ever before, -but it didn’t move as the children had been sure it would, and for a -moment a puzzled silence fell upon the group. Then Carl, who had been as -bewildered as the others, laughed outright. “Look!” he exclaimed -joyously, pointing to the old barn beyond the fir trees, where the few -camp animals were kept. “It doesn’t move because it is here! See, there, -right below the star, is the stable. We thought, just as the wise men -did, that the star would take us to a palace, but perhaps again the -little King is lying in a manger!” - -For a moment it all seemed too wonderful to be true. Could the King be -there already, lying in the old stable, waiting for them? Then suddenly -to the children everything seemed possible. With the glorious star -shining in the glowing sky above them, the glittering mountains behind -them, and Carl’s triumphant voice calling them to follow, faith in the -King’s coming seemed only natural. With hearts as full of joy as the -shepherds’ on the Bethlehem plains, the children climbed up the snowy -path to the little stable, through whose windows there already shone a -golden light. Was it the light from the angels’ wings or was it--could -it be--the glory which shone around the Christ Child Himself? - -Very quietly and reverently the awestruck children opened the door and -stepped inside. What did they see? - -Nothing at first. Their eyes were blinded by the light of a great fire -which burned in the rude stone fireplace, a fire kindled with evergreen -branches so that the room was full of the fragrance of Christmas trees. -“This is the odor of the frankincense and myrrh,” whispered one child. -“He must have brought it with Him for us.” Then, as their eyes grew -accustomed to the brilliant light, they saw in one dim corner the old -donkey which drew heavy loads for the miners. Beside him stood one cow, -a couple of sheep, and on the rafters over their heads perched a pair of -blue pigeons. The children had seen them all before, often, but in the -light of the fire, with the star shining above them, the simple animals, -the same as those which had surrounded the Christ on the first -Christmas, seemed as miraculous as a host of angels. And then, at last, -they saw the One for whom they were seeking! - -The cow’s manger had been pulled out beside the blazing fire and in it, -warm and cozy and wrapped in swaddling bands, lay a tiny, beautiful -baby. With a gasp of wonder the children knelt in the straw before him. -Around his head was no circle of marvelous glory, but his sweet blue -eyes opened, big and shining in his tiny face, and to the children he -seemed indeed the baby King of whom they had dreamed. Beside him on the -straw lay a woman wrapped in a dark cloak. Even Carl did not at first -recognize her as his mother. She had crept off that morning to the one -peaceful spot in the camp, where her husband had built the great fire -for her, and there, with the peaceful animals around him, the little -baby boy had been born. - -“The Christ Child has come to us,” whispered one child blissfully. “The -little King is here!” said others softly. “He has brought the fragrance -the wise men gave Him,” murmured another. “And the joy of Christmas He -has brought to us all to last forever,” said Carl in his sweet voice. -Overwhelmed with the beauty and wonder of the scene, they had forgotten -the longed-for gift of gold, and then the door swung open and the -children saw Carl’s father enter and step across the room to the mother -on the hay. His face shone with the glory in which the whole world -seemed to be bathed. Was it only the light of the sunset and the blazing -fire? Ah, no, his voice rang with gladness as he exclaimed, “Wife, they -have found the gold; the mine will give treasure to us all!” - -The children clasped their hands in blissful content. They had known it -would come with the coming of the little King,--gold for the desperate -men, peace for the tired women, happiness for them all,--and it had come -true even more wonderfully than they had dreamed. - -The star shone through the window in the loft, the last rays of the -sunset turned the snow to gold, and within, in the light of the fire, -the children knelt, gazing rapturously at the little newborn baby in the -manger. So the miners found them. They were returning to the camp -jubilant over the newly discovered gold; it would make them all rich, -and they planned to celebrate by a night of riotous drinking. But on the -way to the shacks they passed the stable. It was strange to see it -lighted at this hour, and one man turned aside to see what was happening -there. As he stood looking silently through the window another joined -him, and another, until the whole crowd stood outside, gazing through -the windows, silent and abashed. The kneeling children, the baby in the -manger, the star above them, what did it all mean? - -“It is Christmas Eve,” murmured one man. “That must be the big Carl’s -kid,” said another, “but even the blessed Lord Jesus Himself couldn’t -have looked any sweeter.” - -“Gifts of gold,” said the man who was the leader of the gang, and his -clear voice reached every miner’s ears, “gifts of gold, if I remember -rightly, were brought once to the Christ on His first birthday. It’s His -birthday to-night, though none of us remembered it, and now the gifts of -gold have come to us. Who knows whether they have not come from Him, -the Lord whom we had forgotten?” - -There was silence again, and then as night fell and the stars shone out -over that peaceful scene, there entered into the heart of every man, -woman, and child there the spirit of the Christ Child. - -Later, when the children understood that the baby was Carl’s little -brother, the wonder was none the less. Possibly they felt the great -truth, that the Christ Child is born in every baby who comes into the -world, or perhaps they simply felt the glory of His presence, as the men -and women around them lost their harsh and gloomy ways and became -joyful, tender, compassionate. For from that Christmas Eve until the -mine had been worked, and the men had scattered happily to their homes, -the camp was a different place. The drinking and fighting ceased, and -the men played with the children, shyly at first and then merrily, -thinking of “those other kids at home.” The women sang over their tasks, -and if the music was not as heavenly as the angels’ song, it was full of -cheer and peace and good will. And so to the children the camp became -truly a place in which, on that marvelous Christmas Eve, the Christ -Child had been born. - - - - -THE MEANING OF THE STAR[12] - -EMMA G. SEBRING - - -Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the -king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, -Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in -the east, and are come to worship him.... And, lo, the star, which they -saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the -young child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding -great joy. - -And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with -Mary, his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him; and when they had -opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, -frankincense, and myrrh.--_Matthew ii, 1-4; 9-11._ - - * * * * * - -In every life there is need of a star, the star of an ideal, which shall -go before, leading the way until it comes and stands where the Christ -is. They who see such a star shall rejoice with exceeding great joy, as -they who look upon a heavenly vision. They who follow such a star to -the goal where it leads, shall there offer the precious gift of an -ennobled and sanctified life. - - - - -WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT - -MARGARET DELAND - - - Like small curled feathers, white and soft, - The little clouds went by, - Across the moon, and past the stars, - And down the western sky: - In upland pastures, where the grass - With frosted dew was white, - Like snowy clouds the young sheep lay - The first best Christmas night. - - The shepherds slept; and, glimmering faint, - With twist of thin, blue smoke, - Only their fire’s crackling flame - The tender silence broke, - Save when a young lamb raised his head, - Or when the night wind blew - A nestling bird would softly stir - Where dusky olives grew. - - With finger on her solemn lip, - Night hushed the shadowy earth, - And only stars and angels saw - The little Saviour’s birth; - Then came such flash of silver light - Across the bending skies, - The wondering shepherds woke and hid - Their frightened, dazzled eyes! - - And all their gentle sleepy flock - Looked up, then slept again, - Nor knew the light that dimmed the stars - Brought endless peace to men, - Nor even heard the gracious words - That down the ages ring-- - “The Christ is born! the Lord has come, - Good will on earth to bring!” - - Then o’er the moonlit misty fields, - Dumb with the world’s great joy, - The shepherds sought the white-walled town - Where lay the Baby Boy-- - And oh, the gladness of the world, - The glory of the skies, - Because the longed-for Christ looked up - In Mary’s happy eyes! - - - - -THE GREAT WALLED COUNTRY[13] - -RAYMOND MACDONALD ALDEN - - -Away at the northern end of the world, farther than men have ever gone -with their ships or their sleds, and where most people suppose that -there is nothing but ice and snow, is a land full of children, called -The Great Walled Country. This name is given because all around the -country is a great wall, hundreds of feet thick and hundreds of feet -high. It is made of ice, and never melts, winter or summer, and of -course it is for this reason that more people have not discovered the -place. - -The land, as I said, is filled with children, for nobody who lives there -ever grows up. The king and the queen, the princes and the courtiers, -may be as old as you please, but they are children for all that. They -play a great deal of the time with dolls and tin soldiers, and every -night at seven o’clock have a bowl of bread and milk and go to bed. But -they make excellent rulers, and the other children are well pleased with -the government. - -There are all sorts of curious things about the way they live in The -Great Walled Country, but this story is only of their Christmas season. -One can imagine what a fine thing their Christmas must be, so near the -North Pole, with ice and snow everywhere; but this is not all. -Grandfather Christmas lives just on the north side of the country, so -that his house leans against the great wall and would tip over if it -were not for its support. Grandfather Christmas is his name in The Great -Walled Country; no doubt we should call him Santa Claus here. At any -rate, he is the same person, and, best of all the children in the world, -he loves the children behind the great wall of ice. - -One very pleasant thing about having Grandfather Christmas for a -neighbor is that in The Great Walled Country they never have to buy -their Christmas presents. Every year, on the day before Christmas, -before he makes up his bundles for the rest of the world Grandfather -Christmas goes into a great forest of Christmas trees, that grows just -back of the palace of the king of The Great Walled Country, and fills -the trees with candy and books and toys and all sorts of good things. So -when night comes, all the children wrap up snugly, while the children in -all other lands are waiting in their beds, and go to the forest to -gather gifts for their friends. Each one goes by himself so that none -of his friends can see what he has gathered; and no one ever thinks of -such a thing as taking a present for himself. The forest is so big that -there is room for every one to wander about without meeting the people -from whom he has secrets, and there are always enough nice things to go -around. - -So Christmas time is a great holiday in that land, as it is in all the -best places in the world. They have been celebrating it in this way for -hundreds of years, and since Grandfather Christmas does not seem to grow -old any faster than the children, they will probably do so for hundreds -of years to come. - -But there was once a time, so many years ago that they would have -forgotten all about it if the story were not written in their Big Book -and read to them every year, when the children in The Great Walled -Country had a very strange Christmas. There came a visitor to the land. -He was an old man, and was the first stranger for very many years that -had succeeded in getting over the wall. He looked so wise, and was so -much interested in what he saw and heard, that the king invited him to -the palace, and he was treated with every possible honor. - -When this old man had inquired about their Christmas celebration, and -was told how they carried it on every year, he listened gravely and -then, looking wiser than ever, he said to the king: - -“That is all very well, but I should think that children who have -Grandfather Christmas for a neighbor could find a better and easier way. -You tell me that you all go out on Christmas Eve to gather presents to -give to one another the next morning. Why take so much trouble, and act -in such a roundabout way? Why not go out together, and every one get his -own presents? That would save the trouble of dividing them again, and -every one would be better satisfied, for he could pick out just what he -wanted for himself. No one can tell what you want as well as you can.” - -This seemed to the king a very wise saying, and he called all his -courtiers and counselors about him to hear it. The wise stranger talked -further about his plan, and when he had finished they all agreed that -they had been very foolish never to have thought of this simple way of -getting their Christmas gifts. - -“If we do this,” they said, “no one can ever complain of what he has, or -wish that some one had taken more pains to find what he wanted. We will -make a proclamation, and always after this follow the new plan.” - -So the proclamation was made, and the plan seemed as wise to the -children of the country as it had to the king and the counselors. Every -one had at some time been a little disappointed with his Christmas -gifts; now there would be no danger of that. - -On Christmas Eve they always had a meeting at the palace, and sang -carols until the time for going to the forest. When the clock struck ten -every one said, “I wish you a Merry Christmas!” to the person nearest -him, and then they separated to go their ways to the forest. On this -particular night it seemed to the king that the music was not quite so -merry as usual, and that when the children spoke to one another their -eyes did not shine as gladly as he had noticed them in other years; but -there could be no good reason for this, since every one was expecting a -better time than usual. So he thought no more of it. - -There was only one person at the palace that night who was not pleased -with the new proclamation about the Christmas gifts. This was a little -boy named Inge, who lived not far from the palace with his sister. Now -his sister was a cripple, and had to sit all day looking out of the -window from her chair; and Inge took care of her, and tried to make her -life happy from morning till night. He had always gone to the forest on -Christmas Eve and returned with his arms and pockets loaded with pretty -things for his sister, which would keep her amused all the coming year. -And although she was not able to go after presents for her brother, he -did not mind that at all, especially as he had other friends who never -forgot to divide their good things with him. - -But now, said Inge to himself, what would his sister do? For the king -had ordered that no one should gather any presents except for himself, -or any more than he could carry away at once. All of Inge’s friends were -busy planning what they would pick for themselves, but the poor crippled -child could not go a step toward the forest. After thinking about it a -long time, Inge decided that it would not be wrong, if, instead of -taking gifts for himself, he took them altogether for his sister. This -he would be very glad to do; for what did a boy who could run about and -play in the snow care for presents, compared with a little girl who -could only sit still and watch others having a good time? Inge did not -ask the advice of any one, for he was a little afraid others would tell -him he must not do it; but he silently made up his mind not to obey the -proclamation. - -And now the chimes had struck ten, and the children were making their -way toward the forest, in starlight that was so bright that it almost -showed their shadows on the sparkling snow. As soon as they came to the -edge of the forest, they separated, each one going by himself in the old -way, though now there was really no reason why they should have secrets -from one another. - -Ten minutes later, if you had been in the forest, you might have seen -the children standing in dismay, with tears on their faces, and -exclaiming that there had never been such a Christmas Eve before. For as -they looked eagerly about them to the low-bending branches of the -evergreen trees, they saw nothing hanging from them that could not be -seen every day in the year. High and low they searched, wandering -farther into the forest than ever before, lest Grandfather Christmas -might have chosen a new place this year for hanging his presents; but -still no presents appeared. The king called his counselors about him, -and asked them if they knew whether anything of this kind had happened -before, but they could tell him nothing. So no one could guess whether -Grandfather Christmas had forgotten them, or whether some dreadful -accident had kept him away. - -As the children were trooping out of the forest, after hours of weary -searching, some of them came upon little Inge, who carried over his -shoulder a bag that seemed to be full to overflowing. When he saw them -looking at him, he cried: - -“Are they not beautiful things? I think Grandfather Christmas was never -so good to us before.” - -“Why, what do you mean?” cried the children. “There are no presents in -the forest!” - -“No presents!” Inge said. “I have my bag full of them.” But he did not -offer to show them, because he did not want the children to see that -they were all for his little sister instead of for himself. - -Then the children begged him to tell them in what part of the forest he -had found his presents, and he turned back and pointed them to the place -where he had been. “I left many more behind than I brought away,” he -said. “There they are! I can see some of the things shining on the trees -even from here.” - -But when the children followed his footprints in the snow to the place -where he had been, they still saw nothing on the trees, and thought -that Inge must be walking in his sleep, and dreaming that he had found -presents. Perhaps he had filled his bag with the cones from the -evergreen trees. - -On Christmas Day there was sadness all through The Great Walled Country. -But those who came to the house of Inge and his sister saw plenty of -books and dolls and beautiful toys piled up about the little cripple’s -chair, and when they asked where these things came from, they were told, -“Why, from the Christmas-tree forest.” And they shook their heads, not -knowing what it could mean. - -The king held a council in the palace, and appointed a committee of his -most faithful courtiers to visit Grandfather Christmas, and see if they -could find what was the matter. In a day or two more the committee set -out on their journey. - -They had very hard work to climb the great wall of ice that lay between -their country and the place where Grandfather Christmas lived, but at -last they reached the top. And when they came to the other side of the -wall they were looking down into the top of his chimney. It was not hard -to go down this chimney into the house, and when they reached the -bottom of it they found themselves in the very room where Grandfather -Christmas lay sound asleep. - -It was hard enough to waken him, for he always slept one hundred days -after his Christmas work was over, and it was only by turning the hands -of the clock around two hundred times that the committee could do -anything. When the clock had struck twelve times two hundred hours, -Grandfather Christmas thought it was time for his nap to be over, and he -sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. - -“Oh, sir!” cried the prince who was in charge of the committee, “we have -come from the king of The Great Walled Country, who has sent us to ask -why you forgot us this Christmas, and left no presents in the forest.” - -“No presents!” said Grandfather Christmas. “I never forgot anything. The -presents were there. You did not see them, that’s all.” - -But the children told him that they had searched long and carefully, and -in the whole forest there had not been found a thing that could be -called a Christmas gift. - -“Indeed!” said Grandfather Christmas. “And did little Inge, the boy with -the crippled sister, find none?” - -Then the committee was silent, for they had heard of the gifts at -Inge’s house, and did not know what to say about them. - -“You had better go home,” said Grandfather Christmas, who now began to -realize that he had been awakened too soon, “and let me finish my nap. -The presents were there, but they were never intended for children who -were looking only for themselves. I am not surprised that you could not -see them. Remember, that not everything that wise travelers tell you is -wise.” And he turned over and went to sleep again. - -The committee returned silently to The Great Walled Country, and told -the king what they had heard. The king did not tell all the children of -the land what Grandfather Christmas had said, but, when the next -December came, he made another proclamation bidding every one to seek -gifts for others, in the old way, in the Christmas-tree forest. So that -is what they have been doing ever since; and in order that they may not -forget what happened, in case any one should ever ask for another change -they have read to them every year from their Big Book the story of the -time when they had no Christmas gifts. - - - - -GOING TO MEET CHRISTMAS[14] - -EDMUND VANCE COOKE - - -“Papa,” said the Man Mite, “can you hear Christmas?” - -“Can you hear Christmas?” repeated his papa. “Why, I suppose so, in a -sort of way. You can hear bells chiming and little boys drumming and -little girls blowing horns and people laughing and everybody saying, -‘Merry Christmas!’ I suppose that’s hearing Christmas, isn’t it?” - -“But I mean can you hear it before it’s here?” asked the Man Mite. - -“No, I think not,” answered papa. - -“Well, if you can’t hear it, how can you tell it’s coming? Can you see -it coming?” - -“Oh,” answered his papa, “I see what you mean now. Well, how can you -tell to-morrow is coming? Can you smell it?” - -The Man Mite laughed. “Such a silly papa! To-morrow _has_ to come so -that to-day can be yesterday. You ’splained that to me once yourself.” - -“Yes? Well, Christmas has to come so that next Christmas can be last -Christmas.” - -“Oh, papa,” cried the Man Mite, “you forgot about _this_ Christmas, but -please don’t tell me when this Christmas is coming, because I want it to -surprise me. I want it to sneak right up and get here when I don’t know -it.” - -“All right,” laughed papa, “I shan’t tell, and you can go to bed every -night _for a week_ hoping that the next day will be Christmas.” - -Which was exactly what the Man Mite did, and for a night or two it was -very exciting, but toward the end of the week he began to grow tired of -it. It was all very well to go to bed hoping that the next day would be -Christmas, but to wake up every morning, and ask, “Where is Christmas?” -only to be answered with “Christmas is coming!” was very disappointing. - -One night his papa and mamma insisted that he go to bed earlier than -usual, so he was very wide awake for a while, and lay there wondering -how he could hurry up Christmas. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine -how Christmas looked dilly-dallying along the way, as (he remembered -with shame) he himself did sometimes when he was sent upon an errand, -instead of hastening, as Christmas and a little boy ought to do. - -“Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!” he repeated to himself, “and -if it doesn’t hurry and hurry up--if it doesn’t hurry and hurry up, -I’ll go to meet it!” - -That was a new idea, and the Man Mite lingered on it lovingly. Go to -meet it! Why not? - -Just how he got himself dressed and out of the house he never distinctly -remembered. He afterwards said that he was in such a hurry he didn’t -have time to remember, but that doesn’t sound quite reasonable, does it? - -He also says, however, that he remembers running for a long time as fast -as he could go. When he stopped to take breath and to look around he -found he was in a strange part of the city and there was nobody in the -street in any direction. He was lost! - -The Man Mite remembered that his papa told him that if ever he was lost -he should ask a policeman, but there wasn’t a policeman or anybody else -in sight. On the corner, though, was a patrol box, and the Man Mite had -seen the policeman telephone to the station from the box, so he thought -he would do the same thing. As he was trying to open the door he was -startled to hear a voice inside exclaim, “Christmas is coming!” - -“Which way is it coming, please?” asked the Man Mite, and off popped the -top and up popped a Jack-in-the-box with his arms extended. - -“Thank you,” said the Man Mite, and hastened away in the direction the -Jack-in-the-box had pointed. Presently he saw a toy trolley car going in -the same direction. “Hello!” he said, “where is that car going?” - -“Going to meet Christmas,” answered the trolley car; “get inside.” - -“Thank you,” answered the Man Mite, “you’re most too small for me to get -inside of, but I can sit on top.” - -He did so, and the car took him to the end of the line, and he was his -own conductor and collected his own fare from himself. When the car -stopped, it was at the end of a street which ran up against a steep -bluff with no elevator or path to help a little boy to get to its top. -The Man Mite wondered how he was ever going to get past that bluff, when -he saw a climbing-monkey-on-a-string. One end of his string was attached -to the top of the bluff and the other was fastened to the ground below. - -“Hello,” said the monkey, “Christmas is coming, and if you want to go to -meet it, you would better crawl up my string. I’ll show you how.” - -“Oh, I can’t,” said the Man Mite. - -“Can’t!” mocked the monkey. “I’m only a tin monkey and I can do it. -It’s easy.” - -He went up the string hand-over-hand and foot-over-foot, and the Man -Mite followed. Much to his surprise, he reached the top without any -difficulty, and there he found a toy train of cars, a toy automobile, -and a wooden wagon. - -“All aboard for the Christmas Limited!” said the little iron brakeman. - -“Automobile Air-Line to Santaclausville!” said the tin chauffeur. - -“Fast express going to meet Christmas!” cried the tongue of the wagon, -and the Man Mite noticed that the wagon _did_ have “Express” printed on -both its sides. - -Now, although the Man Mite would have liked to go on the train or the -auto, there was so much more room in the wooden wagon that he got into -it, and was surprised that it soon left its companions far behind. It -sped along merrily, and its tongue kept up a continuous running talk as -well, until it came to the ocean, where a toy boat was floating. - -“All aboard for Christmas!” said the captain. - -“But your boat is too small, and besides there’s not a board in it; it’s -tin,” answered the Man Mite. - -“Well, throw us a line and we’ll tow you,” said the captain. - -As the Man Mite had no line, he let him take the tongue of the wagon, -and the captain stood at the stern of the boat and hung on. - -Though the boat was so small, it pulled the Man Mite through the water -in a surprising manner, and the wooden wagon floated and kept the Man -Mite dry, but not a word could he get out of it, which was quite a -contrast to its manner when on land. - -The weather kept getting colder and colder; presently the boat was stuck -fast in the ice. Of course the wagon was also frozen tight, and the -captain let go of the “line” as he called it. - -“There!” cried the wagon angrily. “I knew what you’d bring us into.” - -“Well, why didn’t you say so if you knew so much?” said the captain. - -“Say so! Could _you_ say so if somebody was pulling you along by the -tongue?” demanded the wagon. - -The captain replied and the wagon retorted, and the quarrel was becoming -very unpleasant, when along came a pair of skates without anybody on -them. - -“Boat ahoy! Wagon ahoy! Boy ahoy!” cried the skates. “Christmas is -coming!” - -“Take me along to meet it, please?” asked the Man Mite, and in another -moment he was on the skates and skating faster and easier than he had -ever skated in his life before. He skated for a long time, and passed -fields where plum puddings were growing like pumpkins, trees where candy -boys hung like pears, and snowdrifts which upon closer acquaintance -proved to be huge frosted cakes. Curiously enough, fields and trees and -drifts were all moving and cried out, “We’re going to meet Christmas!” - -After what seemed to him a long time, much to his surprise and joy he -met a boy, seemingly of his own age. The Man Mite was almost sure he had -seen his face before, and yet, when he came to look at him again, he was -surer still that he hadn’t, for certainly he had never seen a boy with a -fur cap, fur coat, fur boots, and fur trousers! He noticed, too, that -while the boy’s face was round and chubby, his hair was white; not -merely tow-headed, like Willie Perkins’s, and Pete Judson’s, but pure -white. - -“Hello!” said the stranger. “What’s your name?” - -“They call me Man Mite. What’s yours?” - -“Santy.” - -“Santy? What a funny name. Santy what?” - -“Santy Claus.” - -“Santy Claus?” cried the Man Mite. “You can’t be Santy Claus. He’s a -man, and you’re just a little boy like I am.” - -“Ho! you’re thinkin’ of my father,” answered the boy. - -“Your father!” cried the Man Mite, more astonished than ever. Somehow, -he had never thought of the possibility of Santy Claus being a father. - -“Have you got a mother, too?” he asked, after a moment. - -“Yep. Had one ever since I was born. Ain’t you?” - -“Of _course_,” answered the Man Mite, “but I never heard of Mrs. Santy -Claus.” - -“Never heard of your mother neither,” answered Santy, Jr. - -“Say, now, ain’t you fooling me? Are you honestly Santy Claus’s little -boy?” - -“Say yourself,” answered the other, “doesn’t your father remember when -he was little he had a Santy Claus?” - -“Yes.” - -“Didn’t your father’s father have a Santy Claus?” - -“I s’pose so.” - -“Well, do you suppose it’s the same Santy Claus? Somebody’s got to keep -the business goin’.” - -“And will you be Santy Claus--the real Santy Claus--when you grow up?” -asked the Man Mite. - -“Oh, I s’pose so,” answered the other, carelessly. - -“You s’pose so! Don’t you _want_ to be?” - -“Naw; I want to be the conductor on a dog train. Say, they made the run -this year in three months an’ two days. Wasn’t that flyin’?” - -It really didn’t seem fast to the Man Mite, so he said: “How far is it?” - -“From Arctic C. to Aurora B.” - -“What do you mean by Arctic C. and Aurora B.?” - -“Arctic Circle to Aurora Borealis, of course. That run was an excursion, -too. We always go to the Aurora B. for the Fourth. Fine fireworks -there.” - -“The Fourth? Do you celebrate the Fourth?” - -“O’ course.” - -“But you’re not Americans, are you?” - -“No; that’s the worst of it. We got to celebrate everything, holidays -and saints days and kings’ and queens’ birthdays, and the whole bunch. -That’s because we belong to all nations.” - -“Christmas is the best, isn’t it?” smiled the Man Mite. - -“Worst o’ the lot,” said Santy Jr., shortly. - -“Why, what makes you think so?” cried the Man Mite. - -“‘Cause dad’s always away on Christmas and we’ve cleared everything out -of the house to the last ginger-snap to put in folks’ stockings and it’s -the middle of the night and everybody’s tired, just like I am now, and -wants to go to bed.” - -“Middle of the night? What _do_ you mean?” - -“Middle of the north-pole night. If it wasn’t for Christmas we could go -to bed about half-past October and sleep until a quarter of May, but ma -thinks we ought to help pa and then wait up till he comes home. My, but -I’m sleepy! Ain’t you?” - -“Yes,” owned the Man Mite, “a little.” - -“Well, come on and sleep with me. Your mother won’t mind. You can get up -about a quarter past April and get home early.” - -While they were speaking, Santy, Jr., was leading the way into the house -and to his room. The two boys lay down together on a bed of bearskins, -and the Man Mite said, sleepily: “Say, will you please tell me -something?” - -“Uh-huh,” said Santy. - -“What makes your hair white?” - -“What makes a polar bear’s hair white? What makes an arctic fox’s hair -white? What makes an arctic hare’s hair white? Why, hello! there’s dad -coming back!” - -“Coming back from where?” - -“Why, from Christmas, of course. You do ask the funniest questions. I -believe you’re asleep. Your eyes are shut and you talk so stupid.” - -The Mite Man rubbed his eyes with both hands and strove to open them. -Then he heard a voice cry, “Papa! papa!” but instead of its being the -voice of Santy, Jr., as he expected, it was the voice of his brother -Ben. Then somebody kissed him and called “Merry Christmas!” - -“Oh, papa,” said the Man Mite as he opened his eyes, “is it _this_ -Christmas or _next_ Christmas?” - -He did not stop for an answer to his question. With a shout of joy he -sprang out of bed and darted upon a pair of skates, a toy steamboat, a -wooden wagon marked “Express.” on both sides, and a toy trolley car -which was big enough for him to sit upon the roof. - - - - -A LEGEND OF SAINT BONIFACE - -ELEANOR L. SKINNER - - -On a wild winter night about twelve hundred years ago the great English -missionary Saint Boniface and a score of faithful followers were -traveling through the gloomy forest in a lonely region of Hesse, -Germany. They made their way painfully and slowly, for they were obliged -to cut a path through the tangled thicket and great twisted branches. -The little band had come into the wilderness to share the message of the -Prince of Peace with hordes of barbarous savages who believed in witches -and werewolves, worshiped false idols, and made sacrifices to pagan -gods. In their passionate joy to bring the glad tidings of the gospel, -these apostles willingly endured blinding snowstorms and cruel hunger, -courageously risked death from wild beasts and murderous savages. - -Since noon these faithful Christians had fought their way through the -forest. The morning they had spent at Geismar, where Saint Boniface took -into Christ’s fold almost three hundred pagans. In simplest words the -great apostle urged the rude barbarians to give up their false idols -and bloody sacrifices. He told them the thrilling story of Christ’s -birth, death, and resurrection, and the wonderful promise of the Kingdom -of Peace. The savages stood listening in breathless silence. Slowly they -caught a glimpse of the light of truth, came timidly forward, and knelt -at the rude altar where Saint Boniface stood. - -“Dost thou think the people of the wilderness will hold to the new -faith, father?” asked one of the followers. - -“I hope so, lad,” answered Saint Boniface. “We must try to keep watch -over them. Again and again they must hear the wonderful story. It is -hard, indeed, for these pagans to turn from their false idols and -worship an all-loving, merciful Father. We must watch and pray.” - -“When shall we come again to Geismar, father?” asked the youth. - -“It will be a year before our band can return to this region. In the -meantime, I hope to send other missionaries here,” answered the great -apostle. - -“Dost thou think we are near the monastery, father?” asked the footsore -youth. - -“I believe we are. If we do not reach it in another hour we must light a -fire and lie down under the trees. Courage, lad! This has been a -fruitful journey. May the converts hold fast to the glory of Christ!” - -A year passed quickly. Saint Boniface and his helpers were again working -among the wild children of the forest. Often the great apostle’s heart -sank when he heard that some of the converts were worshiping their false -idols again. A few remained stanch and true to the new faith; others -hopelessly confused the old superstitious ideas with the gospel of love -and service. - -“Thou art not discouraged, father?” whispered the youth, who noticed -that Saint Boniface was lost in thought. - -“Discouraged? Never!” answered the apostle with flashing eyes. “I am -deciding how to strike the next blow at their cruel superstitions.” - -In a few moments Saint Boniface said: “Let us stop here for a little -while. My plan is made. To-night is the pagan yuletide. Several tribes -will gather around the thunder-oak of Geismar to offer sacrifices. The -priests declare that nothing but human blood will appease the wrath of -Thor. Many wavering converts will be there. Come, we will destroy once -for all the sacred monarch of the forest. We will show the poor -benighted people that the worship of Thor is nothing but a shadow. Our -axes are sharp; our arms are strong. God is with us. Come!” - -With new inspiration the Christian band pushed on. An hour’s hard -struggle brought them to the thunder-oak, which stood on a broad low -hill near Geismar. There they saw several hundred pagans standing in a -semicircle around the gigantic oak. Near the sacred tree burned a dull -red fire, and in the light of the flickering blaze the Christians saw an -old priest and a little, fair-haired boy. - -“It is as I feared,” whispered Saint Boniface. “They are ready to make -human sacrifice. Forward!” - -In a moment all eyes were fixed on the little band of Christians that -advanced toward the priest. Some of the pagans recognized the apostle -before whom they had knelt one year ago. - -“Friends,” said Saint Boniface, holding up the cross, “again we come to -bring the message of peace from the All-Father. Thor is dead! With our -axes we will prove to you that the god of thunder is powerless before -the God of Love.” - -Saint Boniface and a helper, with their wood axes in their hands, -stepped up to the great tree. With powerful blows they cut deep gashes -into its sides. Suddenly a mighty whirling wind passed over the forest. -Thor’s oak shuddered, swayed, and fell; it crashed to the ground, and -split into four huge pieces. - -“The God of Love is mightier than the God of thunder!” declared Saint -Boniface with bowed head. “Christ hath conquered Thor.” - -In deepest silence the tribes stood gazing at the ruined oak. By the -side of one of the huge pieces stood a beautiful little fir tree, -unharmed by the storm. Saint Boniface raised his voice and cried, “My -friends of the forest, show your faith in the true God by building a -chapel out of this fallen timber.” In a few moments he added: “And -behold this little fir tree, with its green leaves and beautiful spire -pointing to the stars. It is an emblem of joy and peace, and -life-everlasting. Go no more into the dark forest to make sacrifices of -blood; take this little tree into your homes and on Christ’s blessed -birthday gather around it with joyous songs and loving gifts. Call it -the tree of the Christ Child.” - -They took up the little fir tree and carried it to the village. Once -more, as they circled about the tree of the Christ Child, Saint Boniface -in simple words told them the wonderful story of peace on earth, good -will toward men. - - - - -COSETTE’S CHRISTMAS EVE - -VICTOR HUGO - -(Translated by Alma J. Foster) - -I - - -A long time ago Montfermeil was a peaceful and charming little village -in the woods, away from the main roads, and on the way to nowhere. - -There the people lived frugally and happily their simple peasant life. -Only water was hard to get, because the hill was high. It was necessary -to go a long way for it. Indeed, it was hard for each family to get -enough for use. - -This was the terror of little Cosette. - -Cosette was a little girl who had been left by her mother several years -before in the care of an innkeeper and his wife named Thénardier. She -had proved very useful to these people in two ways. They were regularly -paid by the mother for her care, and they used her as a servant. Thus it -was that it was Cosette’s task to fetch water when needed. As she was -terribly afraid of going at night to the spring, she took good care to -have plenty of water in the house at all times. - -Christmas of the year 1823 had been particularly fine at Montfermeil. -There had been neither hail nor snow. - -This Christmas Eve several men were sitting around a table in the lower -hall of the inn. Cosette was in her usual place on the crosspiece of the -kitchen table near the chimney. She was in rags, she had wooden shoes on -her little bare feet, and she was knitting stockings by the light of the -fire. These stockings were to be worn by the innkeeper’s little -daughters. - -Cosette was dreaming sad dreams; although she was only eight years old -she had suffered so much that she felt like an old woman. She was -thinking that it was night, dark night, and that she had had to fill so -many pitchers that day for the many guests in the inn, that the water -tank was quite empty. She took comfort, however, when she remembered -that people drank very little water at night. There were many thirsty -ones, of course, but they wanted wine. - -From time to time one of the guests would look out into the street and -exclaim, “It’s as black as an oven! Only a cat could find its way -to-night without a lantern.” Then Cosette trembled. - -Suddenly a peddler who was staying at the inn entered, and said in a -hard voice, “My horse has had no water to drink.” - -Cosette came out from under the table. - -“Oh, yes, sir,” she said, “the horse has had water, a whole pailful, for -I gave it to him myself, and I talked to him, too.” - -“Come, now,” said the peddler, “it can’t be true that my horse has had -enough water.” - -Cosette slipped back to her place under the table. - -“Indeed, if that’s so,” said Madame Thénardier, “if the horse has not -had enough water, he must drink.” - -Then looking about the room, she said, “Well, where is Cosette?” - -She stooped, and saw the child hidden at the other end of the table -almost under the men’s feet. - -“Are you going to come, or no?” cried she. - -Cosette crept out of the little hole in which she had hidden herself. - -“Now, get something for the horse to drink.” - -“But there isn’t any water,” said Cosette feebly. - -The woman opened wide the door leading to the street. - -“Very well; go and get some.” - -Then she fumbled in a drawer where were a few coins, and some peppers -and onions. - -“Here, you little toad,” added she, “on your way home get a loaf of -bread. Here is the money.” - -Cosette had a little side pocket in her apron. She took the piece of -silver without a word, and put it into the pocket. Then she stood quite -still, the pail in her hand, and the open door before her. - -“Get along with you!” cried the woman. - -Cosette went out. The door was closed behind her. - -Cosette went along the crooked and deserted streets on that side of the -town. As long as there were houses or even high walls on both sides of -her, she walked bravely enough. From time to time she caught sight of a -lighted candle through a crack in the shutters; there were light, and -life, and people, and this comforted her. However, the farther she went -the more slowly she walked. When she had passed the corner of the last -house, Cosette stopped. To pass the last shop had been hard, but to pass -the last house,--this was impossible. She turned firmly back. Scarcely -had she walked a hundred steps when she stopped again. The thought of -Madame Thénardier stopped her. Before her stood the picture of the angry -woman; behind her all the phantoms of the night and of the wood. -Suddenly she turned again to the path to the spring, and started to -run. Even while running she felt like crying. The chill of the night and -of the forest encompassed her. - -There were only seven or eight minutes from the edge of the woods to the -spring. Cosette knew the path only too well, having been over it many -times every day. She dared not glance either right or left for fear of -seeing things in the branches or the bushes. At last she reached the -spring. - -Cosette did not stop to take breath. It was fearfully dark, but she was -used to this spring. She felt with her left hand in the darkness for a -young oak that hung over it, by which she used to support herself, found -the branch, caught hold of it, and plunged the pail into the water. -While doing this, she could not see that her pocket had emptied itself -into the spring. The silver coin had fallen into the water; Cosette did -not notice it. She drew up the pail almost full, and rested it on the -grass. She shut her eyes, then opened them again, not knowing why. Then -she counted aloud, one, two, three, and up to ten, and when she had -finished she began again. Then she felt the cold in her hands, which she -had wet in dipping the water. Suddenly she saw the pail before her. She -seized the handle with both hands. It was hard to lift. She had to stop -many times to rest, then she walked on with her head bent forward. The -weight of the pail stiffened her little arms. All this was taking place -in the heart of a wood, at night, in winter, far from every human eye, -and this was a child only eight years old. Now and then she would cry -aloud, “Oh, dear me! Oh, dear me!” - -Suddenly she felt that the pail was no longer heavy. A hand which seemed -immense had seized the handle and lifted it with power. She looked up. A -large form, dark and straight, was walking beside her in the gloom. It -was a man who had come behind her, whom she had not heard. This man, -without a word, had taken hold of the pail she was carrying. - -There are instincts for all the meetings of life. The child felt no -fear. - -The man spoke to her. His voice was grave and almost a whisper. - -“Little one, it is very heavy for you, this thing you are carrying.” - -Cosette looked up and said, “Yes, sir.” - -“Give it to me,” replied the man. “I am going to carry it.” - -Cosette let go of the pail. The man walked beside her. - -“It is heavy indeed!” he said between his teeth. Then he asked, “Little -one, how old are you?” - -“Eight years, sir.” - -The man waited a moment before speaking, then said quickly, “You haven’t -then any mother?” - -“I don’t know,” said the child. Before the man could say any more she -added, “I don’t think so. The others have one; but I haven’t any.” After -a silence, she said again, “I don’t believe I ever had one.” - -The man stopped; he placed the pail on the ground, stooped over, and put -his hands on the child’s shoulders, trying to see her face in the -darkness. - -“What is your name?” said he. - -“Cosette.” - -The man seemed to feel an electric shock. He looked at her again, then -he took his hands from her shoulders, raised the pail, and began to walk -again. - -After a moment he asked, “Little one, where do you live?” - -“At Montfermeil, if you know it?” - -Again there was a pause, then he began again: “Who is it, then, who has -sent you at this hour to bring water from this wood?” - -“It’s Madame Thénardier.” - -“What does she do, your Madame Thénardier?” - -“She takes care of me,” said the child. “She keeps the inn.” - -“The inn?” said the man. “Well, I am going to sleep there to-night. Show -me the way.” - -“We are going there now,” said the child. - -The man was walking quite fast. Cosette followed him without any -trouble. She wasn’t tired any more. Every now and then she looked up at -this man with a wonderful peace and trust. - -Several minutes passed thus. Then the man began again. - -“Hasn’t Madame Thénardier any servant?” - -“No, sir.” - -“Are you the only one?” - -“Yes, sir.” - -There was another pause. Then Cosette raised her voice. - -“That is, there are two little girls.” - -“What little girls?” - -“Ponine and Zelma.” - -“Who are Ponine and Zelma?” - -“They are Madame Thénardier’s little girls.” - -“And what do they do, these little ones?” - -“Oh,” said the child, “they have pretty dolls. They play and amuse -themselves.” - -“And you?” - -“I? I work.” - -“All day long?” - -The child raised her large eyes full of tears, that were hidden by the -night, and answered softly, “Yes, sir.” - -Then she went on after a moment of silence, “Sometimes, when I have done -my work, and they are willing, I play a little.” - -“What do you play?” - -“As I can. They leave me alone. But I have not many toys. I have only a -little lead sword not larger than that.” The child showed her little -finger. - -They were now nearing the village; Cosette led the stranger through the -street. They passed the baker’s, but Cosette never even thought of the -bread that she was to buy. - -As they came near the inn, Cosette touched his arm timidly. - -“What is it, little one?” - -“Here we are, very near the house.” - -An instant later they were at the door of the inn. - -Cosette could not resist one last look at a big doll standing in the -window of the toy shop; then she knocked. - -The door opened. Madame Thénardier stood there, a candle in her hand. - -“Ah! it’s you! You have taken time enough! You must have been having a -fine time.” - -“Madame,” said Cosette trembling, “here is a gentleman who has come to -stay.” - -Madame Thénardier changed very quickly her cross looks for her pleasing -grin, and looked eagerly at the newcomer. - -“This is the gentleman?” said she. - -“Yes, Madame,” answered the man as he touched his cap. - -Rich travelers are not so polite. This gesture, and the view of the -clothes and the bundle of the stranger, which the woman took in with a -quick glance, made her change her pleasant grin for her cross looks -again. Then she said dryly, “Come in, fellow.” - -The “fellow” came in. The woman took another glance at him, looked -carefully at his coat, which was very shabby, and at his hat, which was -quite battered, then turned up her nose and winked her eyes at her -husband, who was sitting with the other men. Then he answered with a -movement of his finger on the lips which said as plainly as words, “Very -poor.” - -Then the woman cried at once: “Ah, my good fellow, I am very sorry, but -I have no room for you.” - -“Put me anywhere you like,” said the man, “in the barn or the stable. I -will pay as if I had a room.” - -“Two francs?”[15] - -“Yes, two francs.” - -“Very well.” - -Meanwhile, the man, having left his bundle and stick on a bench, had -taken his seat at a table, where Cosette had hurried to place a bottle -of wine and a glass. The peddler who had asked for the water had gone -himself to take it to the horse. Cosette had taken her place under the -kitchen table with her knitting. - -The stranger, who had hardly touched the wine that he had poured out, -was looking at the child with strange attention. - -Cosette was homely. Happy, she might have been pretty. Now, she was thin -and pale; she was nearly eight years old, but one would have guessed her -hardly six. The whole figure of this child--her manner, her way of -moving, the sound of her voice, the stammering speech, her look, her -silence, her least gesture--expressed one single idea, fear. - -This fear was so great that on reaching the inn, wet as she was, Cosette -had not dared to dry herself at the fire, but had gone quietly to work. - -The stranger did not take his eyes away from Cosette. - -Suddenly Madame Thénardier cried, “Well now, where is the bread?” - -Cosette, as she always did when her mistress raised her voice, came -quickly from under the table. - -She had entirely forgotten the bread. She did, alas! what many children -do when frightened; she lied. - -“Madame, the baker shop was closed.” - -“I will find out to-morrow if this is so,” said the woman, “and if you -are lying I will make you pay for it. Meanwhile, give me the money.” -Cosette put her hand into her apron pocket. The money was not there. - -“Look here! Do you hear me?” said her mistress. - -Cosette turned her pocket out. There was nothing there. What could have -become of the money? - -“Have you lost it, the money,” screamed the woman, “or do you want to -steal it from me?” - -Meanwhile the stranger had fumbled in his vest pocket without being -noticed by any one. Cosette was crouching in the corner of the chimney. - -“Pardon me, Madame,” said the man, “but just a moment ago I saw -something bright roll on the floor. Perhaps it was the money.” - -At the same time, he stooped down and seemed to be searching the floor. - -“Exactly so; here it is,” said he, rising. And he handed the woman a -piece of money. - -“Yes, that is it,” said she. - -It was not the money, for this coin was larger, but the woman thought it -all the better for that. She put it into her pocket, and contented -herself with a fierce look at the child, saying, “See that this does not -happen again!” - -Cosette went back again into what the woman called her “kennel.” - -“By the way, do you wish supper?” said she to the stranger. - -He did not reply. He seemed to be thinking deeply. - -“What sort of man is this?” she said between her teeth. “He is humbly -poor. He has not a cent for supper. I hope he will pay me for his -lodging.” - -Just then a door opened and Eponine and Azelma came in. - -They were really two pretty and charming little girls, one with -golden-brown curls, the other with long black braids falling down her -back. When they entered, their mother said in a scolding tone which -nevertheless was full of adoration: “Ah! here you are, you two!” Then -drawing them on her lap one after the other, smoothing their hair, tying -their ribbons, she at last gave each a little love pat, saying, “Aren’t -they well dressed now?” - -They went and sat down near the corner of the chimney. They had a doll -which they turned and turned again on their knees with all sorts of -happy prattling. From time to time Cosette raised her eyes from her -knitting and looked at them sadly. - -The doll of the two sisters was very faded, and quite old and broken, -but it did not seem any the less lovely to Cosette who, in all her life, -had never owned a doll, _a real doll_, to use a term that all children -will understand. - -Suddenly the woman, who was passing back and forth in the room, noticed -that Cosette was distracted and that instead of working she was -interested in the little ones who were playing. - -“Ah! I have caught you!” cried she. “That’s how you work!” - -The stranger, without leaving his chair, turned to the woman. “Madame,” -said he, smiling almost timidly, “let the little one play a bit.” - -She replied sharply: “She must work if she wants to eat. I don’t feed -her to do nothing.” - -“What is she making then?” said the stranger, with the soft voice which -was such a contrast to his shabby clothes, and his big, broad shoulders. - -“Stockings, if you please, stockings for my little girls, who have none -and who will soon be barefooted.” - -The man looked at Cosette’s poor little red feet and went on: “When will -she finish this pair of stockings?” - -“She will take three or four days more, the idle thing.” - -“And how much will they be worth when they are done?” - -The woman looked at him with scorn. - -“At least thirty sous,” she said. - -“Would you sell them for five francs?” said the man. - -“Mercy on us!” cried out, with a hoarse laugh, one of the guests who was -listening. “Five francs? You bet your life! Five francs!” - -Monsieur Thénardier thought it was time for him to say something. - -“Yes, sir, if this is your fancy, you may have the stockings for five -francs. We never refuse travelers anything.” - -“You must pay it right down,” said the woman, in her short and -commanding way. - -“I buy this pair of stockings,” answered the man, as he drew five francs -from his pocket and laid them on the table, “and I pay for them.” - -Then he turned to Cosette. - -“Now your work belongs to me. Play, my little one.” - -Cosette now laid down her knitting, but she had not left her place. -Cosette always moved as little as possible. She had taken from a box -behind her a few old rags and a little lead sword, and Cosette had made -herself a doll with the sword. - -Meanwhile the guests at the table were singing their songs more and more -loudly. Cosette, under the table, was looking at the fire which was -shining in her fixed eyes; she had begun to rock the sort of doll she -had made, and as she rocked it back and forth she sang. - -All at once Cosette stopped. She had turned and caught sight of the doll -that the children had left for the cat, and which was lying on the -floor near the table. - -Then she let fall her little sword-doll which only half pleased her, and -turned her eyes slowly around the room. The woman was talking to her -husband and counting money, the girls were playing with the cat, the -travelers were eating and singing, and not one of them was looking at -her. She did not have a moment to lose. She crawled out from under the -table on her hands and knees, looked again to see that no one was -watching, then slipped quickly over to the doll, and seized it. An -instant later she was in her place, seated, quiet, and turned so that -the doll was in shadow. This happiness of playing with a doll was so -rare for her that she was wild with joy. - -Not a soul had seen her except the stranger, who was now eating a simple -supper. Her joy lasted almost a quarter of an hour. - -But in spite of all her care, Cosette did not see that one leg of the -doll was sticking out, and that the fire from the chimney lighted it -brightly. This red and shining leg coming out of the shadow suddenly -struck the eye of Azelma, who said to Eponine: “Look there, sister.” - -The two little girls stopped, amazed. Cosette had dared take their -doll! - -Eponine got up, and without leaving the cat, ran over to her mother, and -began to pull her skirt. - -“Let me alone,” said the mother. “What do you want?” - -“Mother,” said the child, “look there.” And she pointed her finger at -Cosette. - -The woman cried in a voice hoarse with anger, “Cosette!” - -Cosette shivered as if the earth had trembled under her. She turned -around. - -“Cosette!” repeated the woman. - -Cosette took the doll and laid it on the floor with a sort of reverence -mingled with despair. Then, without taking her eyes away from it, she -joined her hands and burst into tears. - -In the meantime the stranger had risen. “What is the matter?” said he to -the woman. - -“Don’t you see?” said she, pointing with her finger at the proof of the -crime outstretched at Cosette’s feet. - -“Well, what of that?” replied the man. - -“This little wretch has dared to lay her hands on the children’s doll!” - -“All this noise about that?” said the man. “Why should she not play with -this doll?” - -“She has touched it with her dirty hands!” - -At this Cosette sobbed more than ever. - -“Keep still, won’t you!” cried the woman. - -The man went straight to the street door, opened it, and went out. In a -few minutes the door opened again and the man entered, carrying in his -arms the wonderful doll of which we have spoken. He laid it down before -Cosette, saying, “Take it, little one; this is for you.” - -It seemed that during the hour he had been there, in the midst of his -musing he had noticed the toy shop, so brilliantly lighted that it could -be easily seen through the hall window. - -Cosette raised her eyes. She had looked upon the man coming to her with -this doll as she would have looked upon the sun; she heard the unusual -words, “This is for you”; she looked at him; she looked at the doll; -then she backed slowly away, and went and hid herself on the floor under -the other table in the corner of the wall. - -“Well, now, Cosette,” said the woman in a voice that she tried to make -soft, “why don’t you take your doll?” - -Cosette had not the courage to creep out of her hole. - -“My little Cosette,” said the woman, in a caressing tone, “take it. It -is yours.” - -Cosette looked at the doll almost in terror. Her face was still wet -with tears, but her eyes began to glow, like the skies at early dawn, -with strange rays of joy. What she felt at that moment was a little like -what she would have felt if some one had suddenly said to her: “Little -one, you are queen of France.” It seemed to her that if she touched this -doll, thunder would come out of it. - -At last she came near it, and murmured timidly as she looked at the -woman: “May I take it, then?” - -“Yes, indeed,” said the woman; “it is yours. The gentleman has given it -to you.” - -“Is it true, sir? Is it really true, that this lovely lady is mine?” - -Suddenly she turned and seized the doll with delight. “I’ll call you -Catherine!” she cried. - -That was a queer sight when the rags of little Cosette touched and -covered up the doll’s pink ribbons and silk. - -“Madame,” said she, “may I put her on a chair?” - -“Yes, my dear,” said the woman. - -She placed Catherine on a chair, then seated herself on the floor in -front of her, and kept perfectly quiet, without one word, in an attitude -of devotion. - -“Play now, Cosette,” said the stranger. - -“Yes, I am playing,” said the child. - -The woman now hastened to send her children to bed, then she begged -permission to send Cosette, too. - -Cosette went to bed, taking her Catherine with her. - - - - -THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A WOOD SLED - -WASHINGTON GLADDEN - - -“Keeps coming right down, don’t it, Bill?” - -Bill could not deny it, and did not wish to admit it; therefore, he said -nothing. - -What was coming down was the snow. It had been falling, thicker and -faster, since a little after daylight, and now it was nearly dark. -Stumps of trees and gate posts were capped with great white masses of -it; here and there a path, cleared up to the back door of a farmhouse, -showed on either hand a high bank of it fluted with broom or shovel. - -The boy, whose observation about its coming down I have just recorded, -was Master Winfield Scott Burnham. He was a slender boy, with a pale -face, dark eyes and brown hair, and he sat pressing his face against the -pane of a car window, looking with rather a rueful countenance upon the -fast-falling snow. The young gentleman sitting opposite to him, whom he -made bold to address as Bill, was his big brother, a junior in college, -who had long been Win’s hero; and he was worthy to be the hero of any -small boy, for he was not only strong and swift and expert in all kinds -of muscular sports, but he was too much of a man ever to treat small -boys, even though they might be his own brothers, roughly or -contemptuously. - -Just across the aisle, on the other side of the car, sat Win’s eldest -sister, Grace, who was a sophomore at Smith College; and fronting her on -the reversed seat was Win’s younger brother, Philip Sheridan. - -The reason why these Burnhams happened to be traveling together was -this: The Christmas vacation had come, and William and Grace were on -their way to their home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The two small -boys, whose school at home had closed a week earlier than the colleges, -had been visiting their cousins in Hartford for a few days; and it was -arranged that William should come over from Amherst and join Grace at -Northampton, and that the two should wait at Springfield for the little -boys, who were to be put on the northern train at Hartford by their -uncle. But the trains on all the roads had been greatly delayed by the -snow, and it was four o’clock before the noon express, with the Burnhams -on board, left Springfield for the west. The darkness was closing in, -and the wind was rising, and William had already expressed some fear of -a snow-blockade upon the mountain. This remark had made Win rather -sober, and he had been watching the snow and listening to the wind with -an anxious face. - -“How long shall we be going to Pittsfield?” he asked his brother. - -“There’s no telling,” answered Will. “We ought to get there in two -hours, but at this rate it will be four, at the shortest.” - -“That will make it eight o’clock,” sighed Win. “I’m afraid the Christmas -tree will all be unloaded before that time.” - -“Yes, my boy; I’m sorry, but you might as well make up your mind to -that.” - -Win started across the car. This disappointment was too big for one. He -must share it with Phil. - -“Hold on, General!” said William in a low tone. “What’s the good of -telling him? Let him be easy in his mind as long as he can.” - -Win sat down in silence. Phil was telling his sister great stories of -the Hartford visit, and his gleeful tones resounded through the car. -Grace was laughing at his big talk, and they seemed to be making a merry -time of it. But the train had just stopped at Westfield, and there was -difficulty in starting. The wind howled ominously, and great gusts of -snow came flying down from the roof of the passenger house against the -windows of the car. Presently, the two engines that were drawing the -train backed up a little to get a good start, and then plunged into the -snow. - -“Ch--h! Ch--h! ch--ch! Ch-h-h-h-h-!” - -The wheels were slipping upon the track, and the train suddenly came to -a halt. - -Back again they went, a little farther, for another start; and this time -the two engines, like “two hearts that beat as one,” cleared the course, -and the train went slowly on up the grade. Grace and Phil had stopped -talking, and they now came across, and joined their brothers. - -“Aren’t you afraid there may be trouble on the mountain, Will?” asked -Grace. - -“Shouldn’t wonder,” said that gentleman, shortly. - -“But, Will, what in the world should we do if we should happen to be -blockaded?” - -“Sit still and wait till we were shoveled out, I suppose. You see, we -couldn’t go on afoot very well.” - -“Going to be snowed up! That’s tiptop!” cried Phil. The boy’s love of -adventure had crowded out all thoughts of the festival to which they -were hastening. “I read in the paper about a train that was snowed up -three or four days on the Pacific road, and the passengers had jolly -times; the station wasn’t very far off, and they got enough to eat and -drink, and they had all sorts of shows on the train.” - -“But I’d rather see the show at the Christmas tree to-night,” said Win, -“than any show we’ll see on this old train. Wouldn’t you, Bill?” - -“Perhaps so,” answered Bill. It was evident that he had reasons of his -own for not wishing to be absent from the festival. - -Meantime, the train was plowing along. Now and then it came to a halt in -a cut which the snow had filled, but a small party of shovelers that had -come on board at Westfield usually succeeded, after a short delay, in -clearing the track. Still the progress was very slow. A full hour and a -half was consumed between Springfield and Russell, and it was almost -seven o’clock when the train stopped at Chester. - -The boys were pretty hungry by this time, and the prospect of spending -the night in a snowbank was much less attractive, even to Phil, than it -had been two hours before. At Chester, where there was a long halt, the -passengers--of whom there were not many--nearly all got out and -refreshed themselves. A couple of sandwiches, a piece of custard pie, a -big, round doughnut, and a glass of good milk considerably increased -Phil’s courage and greatly comforted Win, so that they returned to the -car ready to encounter with equal mind the perils of the night. - -The snow had ceased to fall, but the wind was still blowing. Two or -three more shovelers came on board, and, thus reënforced, the train -pushed on. But it was slow work; the grade was getting heavier and the -drifts were deeper every mile. But Middlefield was passed and Becket was -left behind, and at nine o’clock the train was slowly toiling up toward -the summit at Washington, when, suddenly, it came to a halt, and a long -blast was blown by the whistles of both engines. Shortly, a brakeman -came through the train, and, taking one of the red lanterns from the -rear of the last car, hurried down the track with it. - -“Where is he going with that lantern?” asked Phil. - -“He is going back a little way,” said Will. “The lantern is a signal to -keep other trains from running into us. That means that we are to stay -here for some time. I’ll go out and see what’s up.” - -Presently he returned with a sober face, and looking very cold. - -“Well, what is it?” they all asked. - -“Oh, nothing; there’s a freight train in the cut just ahead of us, with -two of its cars off the track, and the cut’s about half full of snow. If -our Christmas goose isn’t cooked already, there’ll be plenty of time to -have it cooked before we get out of this.” - -“Is it that deep cut just below the Washington station?” asked Grace. - -“The same,” answered Will; “and it’s as likely a place to spend -Christmas in as you could find anywhere in western Massachusetts.” - -“Can’t they dig out the snow?” cried Win. - -“Oh, yes,” said the big brother; “but it’s not an easy thing to do; it’s -got to be done with shovels, and it will take a long time.” - -“How long?” asked Grace, ruefully. - -“Nobody knows. But we shall be obliged to wait for more shovelers and -wreckers to come up from Springfield, and I shouldn’t wonder at all if -we stayed here twenty-four hours.” - -“Can’t you telegraph to father?” - -“I’m sorry to say I cannot. I asked about that, but the station man says -the lines are down. No; there’s nothing to do but bunk down for the -night as well as we can, and wait till deliverance comes. We’re in a -regular fix and no mistake, and we’ve just got to make the best of it,” -replied Will. - -Just then the rear door of the car opened and a figure appeared that had -not been seen hitherto upon the train. It was that of a stalwart man, -perhaps fifty-five years old, with long white hair and beard, ruddy -cheeks, and bright gray eyes. He wore a gray fur cap and a long gray -overcoat, and looked enough like--Somebody that we are all thinking of -about Christmas time to have been that Somebody’s twin brother. - -“Good evenin’, friends!” he said, in a very jolly tone, as he shut the -car door behind him. “Pleased to receive a call from so many on ye. -Merry Christmas to ye all! ’T ain’t often that I kin welcome such a big -Christmas party as this to my place!” - -The good nature of the farmer was irresistible. The passengers all -laughed. - -“I believe you,” said a traveling salesman in a sealskin cap; “and the -sooner you bid us good riddance the better we shall like it.” - -“And you needn’t mind about wishing us many happy returns either,” said -a black-whiskered man in a plaid ulster. “If we ever get away from -here, you won’t see us again soon!” - -“What place is this?” inquired a gray-haired lady, who sat just in front -of the Burnhams. - -“Washin’ton’s what they call it,” said the jolly farmer. “Pop’lar name -enough; but the place don’t seem to be over pop’lar jest now with some -on ye.” And he laughed a big, jolly laugh. - -“Is it, like our capital, a ‘city of magnificent distances’?” inquired -the man in the ulster. - -“I reckon it is. It’s consid’able of a distance from everywhere else on -airth. But it’s nigher to heaven ’n any other place hereabouts.” - -“What is raised on this hill?” inquired the traveling salesman. - -“Wind, mostly. Is that article in your line?” - -The laugh was on the salesman, but he enjoyed it as well as any of them. -A bit of a girl about three years old, tugging a flaxen-haired doll -under one arm, here came sidling down the aisle of the car. - -“Ith oo Thanty Kauth?” she said, lifting her great, solemn black eyes to -the farmer’s face. The laugh was on him now; and he joined in it -uproariously. - -“Not jest exackly, my little gal,” he said, as he lifted her up in his -arms; “but you’ve come purty nigh it. Sandy Ross is what they call me.” - -“Has oo dot a thleigh and a waindeer?” persisted the little maiden. - -“No; but I’ve got a first-rate wood sled,--pair o’ bobs, with a wood -rack on ’t--’n’ ez slick a span o’ Canadian ponies ez ever you see!” - -The farmer stroked the dark hair of the little girl with his great, hard -hand, and she snuggled down on his shoulder as if he had been her -grandfather. - -The Burnhams had been joining in the merriment, though they had taken no -part in the conversation. But when the little girl climbed down from the -arms of Sandy Ross, Will arose and beckoned him to a vacant seat. - -“How far from here do you live, Mr. Ross?” - -“Right up the bank thar. That’s my house, with a light in the winder.” - -It was a comfortable looking white farmhouse, with a sloping roof in the -rear and a big chimney in the middle. - -“Now, Mr. Ross, I live in Pittsfield, and I want mightily to get there -before noon to-morrow. I don’t believe this train will get there before -to-morrow night. Could you take my sister and those two little chaps and -me, and carry us all home early to-morrow morning on your wood sled, -providing it isn’t too cold to undertake the journey?” - -“Let’s see. Well, yes; I calc’late I could. I was a-thinkin’ ’bout goin’ -over to Pittsfield t’morrer with a little jag o’ wood, ’n’ I reckon live -critters like you won’t be no more trouble, ho! ho! The snow ain’t no -gret depth; ’t ain’t nigh’s deep on t’ other side o’ the mountain ez ’t -is on this side. There’ll be drifts now ’n’ then, but the fences is -down, so that we kin turn inter the fields ’n’ go round ’em.” - -“How long will it take you to drive over?” - -“Let’s see. ’T ain’t over fifteen or sixteen mile. I reckon I can make -it in three to four hours.” - -“Well, sir, if you’ll get us over there safely before noon, I’ll give -you five dollars.” - -“All right; that’s enough; tew much, I guess. But see here, my friends; -jest bring the young lady ’n’ the little chaps up to my house ’n’ spend -the night there, all on ye. Then we can hev an airly breakfast, ’n’ -start fair when we get good ’n’ ready.” - -In less than five minutes the Burnhams, with bags and bundles, were -following Sandy Ross to the door of the car. - -This was the last that our travelers saw of their fellow passengers on -the Western Express. Late the next afternoon the train rolled into -Pittsfield station, but the Burnhams were busy elsewhere about that -time. - -It was but a few steps from the train to Sandy Ross’s house. William -carried his sister through the deepest snow, and the boys trudged along -with the bundles, highly pleased with the prospect of an adventure in a -farmhouse. Good Mrs. Ross was as blithe and hearty as her husband, and -she soon made the young folks feel quite at home. - -To Miss Grace “the spar’ room,” as Mrs. Ross called it, was assigned, -while Will and the two boys found a sleeping place in the attic. The dim -tallow candle that lighted them to bed disclosed all sorts of curious -things. In one comer, facing each other, were two old, tall clocks that -had long ceased ticking, and now stood with folded hands and silent -pendulums, resting from their labors. An old chest of drawers, that -would have been a prize for hunters of the antique, was near the clocks; -braids of yellow seed-corn hung from the rafters, and at one end of the -great room stood the handloom on which the mother of Mrs. Ross had been -wont to weave cloth for the garments of her household. It was an -heirloom, in the literal sense. The boys thought that this garret would -have been a grand place to ransack; but they were too well bred to go -prying about, and contented themselves with admiring what was before -their eyes. It was not long before they were sound asleep in their snug -nest of feathers; and when they waked the next morning breakfast was -ready, and Farmer Ross and brother Will had made all the preparations -for the journey. To the excellent farmer’s breakfast of juicy ham and -eggs, genuine country sausages, and delicious buckwheat cakes with maple -sirup, they all did full justice. - -“It does me good to see boys eat,” said the kind farmer’s wife; “they do -enjoy it so”; and tears were in her eyes as she thought of the hungry -boys that used to sit around this table. Farmer Ross and his wife were -alone in the world. Two of their sons were sleeping in unmarked graves -at Chancellorsville; the other had died when he was a baby. But they -were not selfish people; they had learned to bear sorrow, and therefore -their sorrow had not made them morose and miserable; it had only made -them more kind and tender hearted. - -Breakfast over, the wood sled came round to the door, and Mr. Ross -looked in a moment to say a last word to his wife. - -“You’d better make two or three pailfuls o’ strong coffee, mother, ’n’ -bile three or four dozen aigs, ’n’ heat up a big batch o’ them air mince -pies. The folks down here on the train ’ll be mighty hungry this -mornin’, ’n’ I’ve been down ’n’ told ’em to come up here in ’bout half -an hour, ’n’ git what they want. Don’t charge ’em nothin’; let ’em pay -what they’ve a min’ ter. P’raps some on ’em hain’t nothin’ to pay with, -’n’ they’ll need it jest as much as the rest. We mustn’t let folks -starve that git storm-stayed right at our front door. And now, all -aboard for Pittsfield!” - -The hearty thanks and farewells to good Mrs. Ross were soon said, and -the Burnhams bundled out of the kitchen into the wood sled. It was a -long rack with upright stakes from a frame and held together by side -rails, through which the ends of the stakes projected a few inches. A -side board, about a foot in width, had been placed within the stakes on -either side, and the space so inclosed had been filled with clean oat -straw. Miss Grace wrapped Mrs. Ross’s heavy blanket shawl round her -sealskin sack, each of the two little boys did himself up in a blanket, -William robed himself in his traveling rug, and they all sat down in -the straw, two fronting forward and two backward, and placed their feet -against four hot flatirons, wound in thick woolen cloth, and laid -together in a nest between them. Over their laps a big buffalo robe was -thrown, and Farmer Ross heaped the straw against their backs. - -Away they went, shouting a merry good-by to the farmer’s wife, secure -against discomfort, and happy in the hope of reaching home in time for -their Christmas dinner. Down in the railroad cut they saw the shovelers -and the wreckers toiling at the disabled freight cars, but not much stir -was visible about the express train that lay a little farther down the -track. The snow did not appear to be very deep, and the ponies skipped -briskly along with their light load. Here and there was a bare spot from -which the snow had been blown, but not many drifts were found, and these -were easily avoided, as Mr. Ross had said, by turning into the open -fields. - -Farmer Ross was as blithe as the morning. From his perch on a crossboard -of the wood rack he kept up a brisk talk with the group in the straw -behind him. - -“Fire ’nough in the stove?” he asked. “‘T ain’t often that ye hev a -stove like that to set ’round when ye go sleigh ridin’.” - -“All right, sir; it’s warm as toast,” said Win. “Genuine base-burner, -isn’t it?” - -“I should think your feet would be cold, sitting up there,” said Grace. - -“Oh, no; not in this weather. ‘Sides, if they do git cold I knock ’em -together a little, or else git off ’n’ run afoot a spell, ’n’ they’re -soon warm again.” - -“Do you often go to Pittsfield?” asked William. - -“Yes, every month or so. Gin’rally du my tradin’ thar. Tek along a -little suthin’ to sell commonly,--a little jag o’ wood, or a little -butter, or a quarter o’ beef, or suthin’. I meant to hev gone down last -week, ’n’ I had a big pile o’ Christmas greens ’t I meant to tek along -to sell, but I was hendered, ’n’ could n’t go. There’s the greens -now--all piled up in the aidge o’ the wood; I’d got ’em all ready. -’Fraid they won’t be worth much next Christmas.” - -“Oh, Mr. Ross,” cried Grace, “would it be very much trouble for you to -put that nearest pile of them on the back part of the sled? I can find -use for them at home, I know, and I should like to take them with me -ever so much!” - -“Sartainly; no trouble at all”; and in two or three great armfuls the -pile of beautiful coral pine was heaped upon the sleigh. - -The morning wore on toward nine o’clock, and as the sun rose higher the -air grew warmer. The roads were steadily improving, and the ponies -trotted along at a nimble pace. The boys began to be tired of sitting -still. - -“I’m not going to burrow up in this straw any longer,” said Win; “I’m -going to get up and stir about a little.” - -“So am I,” said Phil. - -It was easy enough to stand on the sled while it was in motion. In rough -places the boys could take hold of the rail of the wood rack; and even -if they fell it did not hurt them. Pretty soon Win, who had an artist’s -eye, began to pull out long vines of the evergreen and wind them round -the stakes of the wood rack. - -“I say, Phil,” he cried, “if we only had some string, we could fix this -old frame so that it would look nobby!” - -“Well, here’s your string,” said Will, producing a ball of twine from -his overcoat pocket and tossing it to his brother. “I put that in my -pocket by mistake when I tied up my last package yesterday morning, and -have been wishing it in Amherst ever since.” - -“Jolly!” shouted Win. “Now, Mr. Ross, you’ll see what we’ll make of your -wood sled.” - -“Goin’ t’ make a kind o’ Cindereller coach on ’t, hey? Well, go ahead! I -shan’t be ashamed on ’t, no matter how fine ye fix it.” - -The boys’ fingers flew. This was fun! Before long all the stakes were -trimmed, and a spiral wreath of the evergreen had been run all round the -side rail of the rack. It really began to look quite fairy-like. William -and Grace first laughed at the fancy of the boys, and then began to aid -them with suggestions; and presently William was up himself, helping -them in their work. Twine wound with the evergreen was run diagonally -across from the top of each stake to the bottom of the nearest one; and -the wood rack began to look very much like what the poets call a -“wild-wood bower.” All it needed was a roof, and this was soon supplied. -William borrowed Mr. Ross’s big jackknife, leaped from the sleigh, and -cut eight willow rods, and they were speedily wound with the evergreen. -Then the ends were made fast with twine to the railing of the rack on -either side, and, arching overhead, they completed the transformation of -the wood sled into a moving arbor of evergreens. - -The boys danced with merriment. - -“Isn’t it just gay?” cried Phil. “I never dreamed that we could make it -look so pretty!” - -“We couldn’t have done it, either,” said Win, “if Bill and Grace hadn’t -helped us. But what will the fellows say when they see us ridin’ down -the street?” - -“What I am most curious to see,” said Will, “is the faces of Mr. and -Mrs. Burnham and Baby Burnham when this gay chariot drives up to their -door! They’re worrying about us powerfully by this time, and I reckon -we’ve a jolly surprise in store for them.” - -“I hope they will not be as badly frightened,” said Grace, “as Macbeth -was when he saw ‘Birnam wood’ coming.” - -“Pretty good for sis,” laughed William. - -“What’s the joke?” inquired Win. - -“Too classic for small boys; you’ll have to get up your Shakespeare -before you can appreciate it,” answered the big brother. - -“‘Pears to me,” now put in the charioteer from his perch, “that a rig ez -fine ez this oughter have a leetle finer coachman. I ain’t ’shamed o’ -the sled, ez I said; but I dew think I oughter be fixed up a leetle mite -to match!” - -“You shall be!” cried Grace. “Here, boys, help me wind a couple of -wreaths.” - -Very soon, two light, twisted wreaths of evergreen were ready, and Mr. -Ross, with great laughter, threw them over each shoulder and under the -opposite arm, so that they crossed before and behind, like the straps -that support a soldier’s belt. Then his fur cap was quickly trimmed with -sprays of the evergreen, that rose in a bell-crown all round his head. - -Their journey was almost done. How quickly the time had passed! Every -few rods they met sleigh loads of people, happy because Christmas and -the sleighing had come together, and bent on making the most of both. -These merry-makers all looked with wonder upon our travelers as they -drew near, and answered their loud shouts of “Merry Christmas!” with -laughter and cheers. - -They had not gone far through the streets of the village before their -kite had considerable tail. Just what it meant the small boys did not -know; but if this driver was not Santa Claus, he was somebody equally -good natured, for he bowed and laughed right and left, in the jolliest -fashion, to the salutations of the boys, and as many of them as could -get near hitched their hand sleds to his triumphal car. - -Miss Grace was hidden from sight by the evergreens, and she enjoyed the -sport of the boys almost as much as they did. - -Meantime, the hours were passing slowly at Mr. Burnham’s. The father and -mother had been too anxious about their children to sleep much during -the night. They could get no word from the train after it left Chester, -and the delay and uncertainty greatly distressed them. Mr. Burnham had -just returned from the station with the news that the wires were up, and -that the train had been heard from in the cut just beyond the summit, -where it was likely to be kept the greater part of the day. - -“Oh, dear!” cried the mother. “I cannot have it so! Can’t we get at them -in some way? I’m afraid they will suffer with hunger. Then we had -counted so much on this Christmas, and the children’s fun is all -spoiled. Think of them sitting all this blessed holiday, cooped up in -those dreadful cars, waiting to be shoveled out of a snowdrift! It seems -as if I should fly. I wish I could!” - -“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Burnham, soberly, “I am sorry that the holiday -is spoiled, but I see nothing that we can do. We can trust William to -take good care of them and bring them all home safely; and we’ve got to -be patient, and wait.” - -Just then the heads of the ponies were turning in at the gate of the -wide lawn in front of the house. The small boys who were following -unhitched their hand sleds, and the escort remained outside the gate. - -“Drive slowly!” said William. “Give them a good chance to see us -coming!” - -Baby Burnham was at the window. “Thanty Kauth!” she cried. “Look, papa! -Look!” - -“What does the child see?” said Mr. Burnham, going to the window. “Sure -enough, baby. Do come here, my dear. What fantastical establishment is -this coming up our driveway? It’s a bower of evergreens on runners, and -an old man with a white beard and a white coat all trimmed up with -greens sits up there driving. He seems to be shaking with laughter, too. -What can it mean?” - -Just then the wood sled came alongside the porch, and, suddenly, out -from between the garlanded sled stakes four heads were quickly thrust -and four voices shouted: - -“Merry Christmas!” - -“The children! Bless their hearts!” - -In a minute more, father and mother and baby and the jolly travelers -were all very much mixed up on the porch, and there was a deal of -hugging and kissing and laughing and crying, while Farmer Ross on his -own hook, or rather on his own wood sled, was laughing softly, and -crying a little, too. What made him cry I wonder? Presently Mr. Burnham -said: - -“But, Will, you haven’t made us acquainted yet with your charioteer.” - -“It is Mr. Ross, father. He took us into his house on Washington -Mountain last night and treated us like princes, and this morning he has -brought us home, and helped us in the heartiest way to carry out our -fun.” - -“Mr. Ross, we are greatly your debtors,” said Mr. Burnham. “You have -relieved us of a sore anxiety, and brought us a great pleasure.” - -“Wall, I dunno,” said the farmer. “I didn’t like to think o’ these ’ere -children bein’ kep’ away from hum on Christmas Day; ’n’ ef I’ve helped -’em any way to hev a good time, why,--God bless ’em!--I don’t think -there’s any better thing an old man like me could be doin’ on sech a day -as this!” - -Just here Mr. Burnham’s coachman came round the corner in great haste. - -“Well, Patrick, what is it?” said his master. - -“The shafts uv that sleigh--bad look to ’em!--is bruk, yer honor; ’n’ I -don’t see how I’ll iver get thim bashkits carried round at all!” - -“Oh, those baskets!” cried Mr. Burnham in distress. “Our Christmas -baskets haven’t been delivered yet, and it’s almost eleven o’clock. The -storm and our worry about you kept us from delivering them last night, -and we have hardly thought of them this morning. I’m afraid those poor -people will have a late Christmas dinner.” - -“Baskets o’ stuff for poor folks’s dinners?” said Farmer Ross. “Let me -take ’em round.” - -“Oh, yes, father!” shouted Win. “Let Phil and me go with him! The -baskets are marked, aren’t they? It’ll be jolly fun to deliver them out -of this sled.” - -In a minute the baskets--half a dozen of them--were loaded in, and -within half an hour they were all set down at the homes to which they -were addressed. Poor old Uncle Ned and Aunt Dinah hobbled to the door -and took in their basket with eyes full of wonder at the strange vehicle -that was just driving from their doors; the Widow Blanchard’s children, -playing outside, ran into the house when they saw the ponies coming, but -speedily came out after their basket and carried it in, firm in the -faith that they had had a sight of the veritable Santa Claus. To all the -rest of the needy families the gifts, though late, were welcome; and the -bright vision of the evergreen bower on runners brought gladness with it -into all those lowly homes. - -Farmer Ross went back with the boys to their home; his ponies were taken -from the sled and given a good Christmas dinner in Mr. Burnham’s -stable; he himself was constrained to remain and partake of the feast -that would not have been eaten but for him, and that lost none of its -merriment because of him; and at length, about three o’clock in the -afternoon, the Christmas car, stripped of its bravery, but carrying some -goodly gifts to Mrs. Ross, started on its return to Washington Mountain. - -My little friends who read this story will be glad to know that the -Christmas festival at the church had been deferred on account of the -storm from Christmas Eve to Christmas evening; so that the Burnhams had -a chance to assist at the unloading of the Christmas tree. - -They will also guess that Farmer Ross’s house and his barn and his -orchard and his pasture and his woods and his trout brook and his -blackberry bushes and his dog and his ponies and his cows and his oxen -and his hens and pretty nearly everything that was his had a chance to -get very well acquainted with Win and Phil during the next summer -vacation. It will be a long time, I am sure, before the Rosses and the -Burnhams cease to be friends, and before any of them will forget The -Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled. - - - - -KIDNAPPING SANTA CLAUS - -L. FRANK BAUM - - -Santa Claus lives in the Laughing Valley, where stands the big, rambling -castle in which his toys are manufactured. His workmen, selected from -the Ryls, Knooks, Pixies, and Fairies, live with him, and every one is -as busy as can be from one year’s end to another. - -It is called the Laughing Valley because everything there is happy and -gay. The brook chuckles to itself as it leaps rollicking between its -green banks; the wind whistles merrily in the trees; the sunbeams dance -lightly over the soft grass, and the violets and wildflowers look -smilingly up from their green nests. To laugh, one needs to be happy; to -be happy, one needs to be content. And throughout the Laughing Valley of -Santa Claus contentment reigns supreme. - -On one side is the mighty forest of Burzee. At the other side stands the -huge mountain that contains the caves of the Demons. And between them -the valley lies smiling and peaceful. - -One would think that our good old Santa Claus, who devotes his days to -making children happy, would have no enemies on all the earth; and, as a -matter of fact, for a long period of time he encountered nothing but -love wherever he might go. - -But the Demons who live in the mountain caves grew to hate Santa Claus -very much, and all for the simple reason that he made children happy. - -The caves of the Demons are five in number. A broad pathway leads up to -the first cave, which is a finely arched cavern at the foot of the -mountain, the entrance being beautifully carved and decorated. In it -resides the Demon of Selfishness. Back of this is another cavern -inhabited by the Demon of Envy. The cave of the Demon of Hatred is next -in order, and through this one passes to the home of the Demon of -Malice--situated in a dark and fearful cave in the very heart of the -mountain. I do not know what lies beyond this. Some say there are -terrible pitfalls leading to death and destruction, and this may very -well be true. However, from each one of the four caves mentioned there -is a small, narrow tunnel leading to the fifth cave--a cozy little room -occupied by the Demon of Repentance. And as the rocky floors of these -passages are well worn by the track of passing feet, I judge that many -wanderers in the caves of the Demons have escaped through the tunnels to -the abode of the Demon of Repentance, who is said to be a pleasant sort -of fellow who gladly opens for one a little door admitting you into -fresh air and sunshine again. - -Well, these Demons of the caves, thinking they had great cause to -dislike old Santa Claus, held a meeting one day to discuss the matter. - -“I’m really getting lonesome,” said the Demon of Selfishness. “For Santa -Claus distributes so many pretty Christmas gifts to all the children -that they become happy and generous, through his example, and keep away -from my cave.” - -“I am having the same trouble,” rejoined the Demon of Envy. “The little -ones seem quite content with Santa Claus, and there are few, indeed, -that I can coax to become envious.” - -“And that makes it bad for me!” declared the Demon of Hatred. “For if no -children pass through the caves of Selfishness and Envy, none can get to -my cavern.” - -“Or to mine,” added the Demon of Malice. - -“For my part,” said the Demon of Repentance, “it is easily seen that if -children do not visit your caves they have no need to visit mine; so I -am quite as neglected as you are.” - -“And all because of this person they call Santa Claus!” exclaimed the -Demon of Envy. “He is simply ruining our business, and something must be -done at once.” - -To this they readily agreed; but what to do was another and more -difficult matter to settle. They knew that Santa Claus worked all -through the year at his castle in the Laughing Valley, preparing the -gifts he was to distribute on Christmas Eve; and at first they resolved -to try to tempt him into their caves, that they might lead him on to the -terrible pitfalls that ended in destruction. - -So the very next day, while Santa Claus was busily at work, surrounded -by his little band of assistants, the Demon of Selfishness came to him -and said: - -“These toys are wonderfully bright and pretty. Why do you not keep them -for yourself? It’s a pity to give them to those noisy boys and fretful -girls, who break and destroy them so quickly.” - -“Nonsense!” cried the old graybeard, his bright eyes twinkling merrily -as he turned toward the tempting Demon; “the boys and girls are never so -noisy or fretful after receiving my presents, and if I can make them -happy for one day in the year I am quite content.” - -So the Demon went back to the others, who awaited him in their caves, -and said: - -“I have failed, for Santa Claus is not at all selfish.” - -The following day the Demon of Envy visited Santa Claus. Said he: “The -toy shops are full of playthings quite as pretty as these you are -making. What a shame it is that they should interfere with your -business! They make toys by machinery much quicker than you can make -them by hand; and they sell them for money, while you get nothing at all -for your work.” - -But Santa Claus refused to be envious of the toy shops. - -“I can supply the little ones but once a year--on Christmas Eve,” he -answered; “for the children are many, and I am but one. And as my work -is one of love and kindness I would be ashamed to receive money for my -little gifts. But throughout all the year the children must be amused in -some way, and so the toy shops are able to bring much happiness to my -little friends. I like the toy shops, and am glad to see them prosper.” - -In spite of this second rebuff, the Demon of Hatred thought he would try -to influence Santa Claus. So the next day he entered the busy workshop -and said: - -“Good morning, Santa! I have bad news for you.” - -“Then run away, like a good fellow,” answered Santa Claus. “Bad news is -something that should be kept secret and never told.” - -“You cannot escape this, however,” declared the Demon, “for in the world -are a good many who do not believe in Santa Claus, and these you are -bound to hate bitterly, since they have so wronged you.” - -“Stuff and rubbish!” cried Santa. - -“And there are others who resent your making children happy, and who -sneer at you and call you a foolish old rattlepate! You are quite right -to hate such base slanderers, and you ought to be revenged upon them for -their evil words.” - -“But I don’t hate ’em!” exclaimed Santa Claus, positively. “Such people -do me no real harm, but merely render themselves and their children -unhappy. Poor things! I’d much rather help them any day than injure -them.” - -Indeed, the Demons could not tempt old Santa Claus in any way. On the -contrary, he was shrewd enough to see that their object in visiting him -was to make mischief and trouble, and his cheery laughter disconcerted -the evil ones and showed to them the folly of such an undertaking. So -they abandoned honeyed words and determined to use force. - -It is well known that no harm can come to Santa Claus while he is in the -Laughing Valley, for the fairies, and ryls, and knooks all protect him. -But on Christmas Eve he drives his reindeer out into the big world, -carrying a sleigh load of toys and pretty gifts to the children; and -this was the time and the occasion when his enemies had the best chance -to injure him. So the Demons laid their plans and awaited the arrival of -Christmas Eve. - -The moon shone big and white in the sky, and the snow lay crisp and -sparkling on the ground as Santa Claus cracked his whip and sped away -out of the valley into the great world beyond. The roomy sleigh was -packed full with huge sacks of toys, and as the reindeer dashed onward -our jolly old Santa laughed and whistled and sang for very joy. For in -all his merry life this was the one day in the year when he was -happiest--the day he lovingly bestowed the treasures of his workshop -upon the little children. - -It would be a busy night for him, he well knew. As he whistled and -shouted and cracked his whip again, he reviewed in mind all the towns -and cities and farmhouses where he was expected, and figured that he had -just enough presents to go around and make every child happy. The -reindeer knew exactly what was expected of them, and dashed along so -swiftly that their feet scarcely seemed to touch the snow-covered -ground. - -Suddenly a strange thing happened: a rope shot through the moonlight, -and a big noose that was in the end of it settled over the arms and body -of Santa Claus and drew tight. Before he could resist or even cry out he -was jerked from the seat of the sleigh and tumbled headforemost into a -snowbank, while the reindeer rushed onward with the load of toys and -carried it quickly out of sight and sound. - -Such a surprising experience confused old Santa for a moment, and when -he had collected his senses he found that the wicked Demons had pulled -him from the snowdrift and bound him tightly with many coils of the -stout rope. And then they carried the kidnapped Santa Claus away to -their mountain, where they thrust the prisoner into a secret cave and -chained him to the rocky wall so that he could not escape. - -“Ha, ha!” laughed the Demons, rubbing their hands together with cruel -glee. “What will the children do now? How they will cry and scold and -storm when they find there are no toys in their stockings and no gifts -on their Christmas trees! And what a lot of punishment they will receive -from their parents, and how they will flock to our caves of Selfishness, -and Envy, and Hatred, and Malice! We have done a mighty clever thing, we -Demons of the Caves.” - -Now, it so chanced that on this Christmas Eve the good Santa Claus had -taken with him in his sleigh Nuter the Ryl, Peter the Knook, Kilter the -Pixie, and a small fairy named Wisk--his four favorite assistants. These -little people he had often found very useful in helping to distribute -his gifts to the children, and when their master was so suddenly dragged -from the sleigh they were all snugly tucked underneath the seat, where -the sharp wind could not reach them. - -The tiny immortals knew nothing of the capture of Santa Claus until some -time after he had disappeared, but finally they missed his cheery voice, -and as their master always sang or whistled on his journeys, the silence -warned them that something was wrong. - -Little Wisk stuck out his head from underneath the seat and found Santa -Claus gone and no one to direct the flight of the reindeer. - -“Whoa!” he called out, and the deer obediently slackened speed and came -to a halt. - -Peter and Nuter and Kilter all jumped upon the seat and looked back over -the track made by the sleigh. But Santa Claus had been left miles and -miles behind. - -“What shall we do?” asked Wisk, anxiously, all the mirth and mischief -banished from his wee face by this great calamity. - -“We must go back at once and find our master,” said Nuter the Ryl, who -thought and spoke with much deliberation. - -“No, no!” exclaimed Peter the Knook, who, cross and crabbed though he -was, might always be depended upon in an emergency. “If we delay, or go -back, there will not be time to get the toys to the children before -morning; and that would grieve Santa Claus more than anything else.” - -“It is certain that some wicked creatures have captured him,” added -Kilter, thoughtfully; “and their object must be to make the children -unhappy. So our first duty is to get the toys distributed as carefully -as if Santa Claus were himself present. Afterward we can search for our -master and easily secure his freedom.” - -This seemed such good and sensible advice that the others at once -resolved to adopt it. So Peter the Knook called to the reindeer, and the -faithful animals again sprang forward and dashed over hill and valley, -through forest and plain, until they came to the houses wherein children -lay sleeping and dreaming of the pretty gifts they would find on -Christmas morning. - -The little immortals had set themselves a difficult task; for although -they had assisted Santa Claus on many of his journeys, their master had -always directed and guided them and told them exactly what he wished -them to do. But now they had to distribute the toys according to their -own judgment, and they did not understand children as well as did old -Santa. So it is no wonder they made some laughable errors. - -Mamie Brown, who wanted a doll, got a drum instead; and a drum is of no -use to a girl who loves dolls. And Charlie Smith, who delights to romp -and play out of doors, and who wanted some new rubber boots to keep his -feet dry, received a sewing box filled with colored worsted and threads -and needles, which made him so provoked that he thoughtlessly called -our dear Santa Claus a fraud. - -Had there been many such mistakes the Demons would have accomplished -their evil purpose and made the children unhappy. But the little friends -of the absent Santa Claus labored faithfully and intelligently to carry -out their master’s ideas, and they made fewer errors than might be -expected under such unusual circumstances. - -And, although they worked as swiftly as possible, day had begun to break -before the toys and other presents were all distributed; so for the -first time in many years the reindeer trotted into the Laughing Valley, -on their return, in broad daylight, with the brilliant sun peeping over -the edge of the forest to prove they were far behind their accustomed -hour. - -Having put the deer in the stable, the little folk began to wonder how -they might rescue their master; and they realized they must discover, -first of all, what had happened to him, and where he was. - -So Wisk, the fairy, transported himself to the bower of the Fairy Queen, -which was located deep in the heart of the forest of Burzee; and once -there, it did not take him long to find out all about the naughty Demons -and how they had kidnapped the good Santa Claus to prevent his making -children happy. The Fairy Queen also promised her assistance, and then, -fortified by this powerful support, Wisk flew back to where Nuter and -Peter and Kilter awaited him, and the four counseled together and laid -plans to rescue their master from his enemies. - -It is possible that Santa Claus was not as merry as usual during the -night that succeeded his capture. For although he had faith in the -judgment of his little friends, he could not avoid a certain amount of -worry, and an anxious look would creep at times into his kind old eyes -as he thought of the disappointment that might await his dear little -children. And the Demons, who guarded him by turns, one after another, -did not neglect to taunt him with contemptuous words in his helpless -condition. - -When Christmas Day dawned the Demon of Malice was guarding the prisoner, -and his tongue was sharper than that of any of the others. - -“The children are waking up, Santa!” he cried. “They are waking up to -find their stockings empty! Ho, ho! How they will quarrel, and wail, and -stamp their feet in anger! Our caves will be full to-day, old Santa! Our -caves are sure to be full!” - -But to this, as to other like taunts, Santa Claus answered nothing. He -was much grieved by his capture, it is true; but his courage did not -forsake him. And, finding that the prisoner would not reply to his -jeers, the Demon of Malice presently went away, and sent the Demon of -Repentance to take his place. - -This last personage was not so disagreeable as the others. He had gentle -and refined features, and his voice was soft and pleasant in tone. - -“My brother Demons do not trust me over-much,” said he, as he entered -the cavern; “but it is morning, now, and the mischief is done. You -cannot visit the children again for another year.” - -“That is true,” answered Santa Claus, almost cheerfully; “Christmas Eve -is past, and for the first time in centuries I have not visited my -children.” - -“The little ones will be greatly disappointed,” murmured the Demon of -Repentance, almost regretfully; “but that cannot be helped now. Their -grief is likely to make the children selfish and envious and hateful, -and if they come to the caves of the Demons to-day I shall get a chance -to lead some of them to my Cave of Repentance.” - -“Do you never repent yourself?” asked Santa Claus, curiously. - -“Oh, yes, indeed,” answered the Demon. “I am even now repenting that I -assisted in your capture. Of course it is too late to remedy the evil -that has been done; but repentance, you know, can come only after an -evil thought or deed, for in the beginning there is nothing to repent -of.” - -“So I understand,” said Santa Claus. “Those who avoid evil need never -visit your cave.” - -“As a rule, that is true,” replied the Demon; “yet you, who have done no -evil, are about to visit my cave at once; for to prove that I sincerely -regret my share in your capture, I am going to permit you to escape.” - -This speech greatly surprised the prisoner, until he reflected that it -was just what might be expected of the Demon of Repentance. The fellow -at once busied himself untying the knots that bound Santa Claus and -unlocking the chains that fastened him to the wall. Then he led the way -through a long tunnel until they both emerged in the Cave of Repentance. - -“I hope you will forgive me,” said the Demon, pleadingly. “I am not -really a bad person, you know; and I believe I accomplish a great deal -of good in the world.” - -With this he opened a back door that let in a flood of sunshine, and -Santa Claus sniffed the fresh air gratefully. - -“I bear no malice,” said he to the Demon in a gentle voice; “and I am -sure the world would be a dreary place without you. So, good morning, -and a Merry Christmas to you!” - -With these words he stepped out to greet the bright morning, and a -moment later he was trudging along, whistling softly to himself, on his -way to his home in the Laughing Valley. - -Marching over the snow toward the mountain was a vast army, made up of -the most curious creatures imaginable. There were numberless Knooks from -the forest, as rough and crooked in appearance as the gnarled branches -of the trees they ministered to. And there were dainty Ryls from the -fields, each one bearing the emblem of the flower or plant it guarded. -Behind these were many ranks of Pixies, Gnomes, and Nymphs, and in the -rear a thousand beautiful fairies floated along in gorgeous array. - -This wonderful army was led by Wisk, Peter, Nuter, and Kilter, who had -assembled it to rescue Santa Claus from captivity and to punish the -Demons who had dared to take him away from his beloved children. - -And, although they looked so bright and peaceful, the little immortals -were armed with powers that would be very terrible to those who had -incurred their anger. Woe to the Demons of the Caves if this army of -vengeance ever met them! - -But lo! coming to meet his loyal friends appeared the imposing form of -Santa Claus, his white beard floating in the breeze and his bright eyes -sparkling with pleasure at this proof of the love and veneration he had -inspired in the hearts of the most powerful creatures in existence. - -And while they clustered around him and danced with glee at his safe -return, he gave them earnest thanks for their support. But Wisk, and -Nuter, and Peter, and Kilter he embraced affectionately. - -“It is useless to pursue the Demons,” said Santa Claus to the army. -“They have their place in the world, and can never be destroyed. But -that is a great pity, nevertheless,” he continued, musingly. - -So the Fairies, and Knooks, and Pixies, and Ryls all escorted the good -man to his castle, and there left him to talk over the events of the -night with his little assistants. - -Wisk had already rendered himself invisible and flown through the big -world to see how the children were getting along on this bright -Christmas morning; and by the time he returned Peter had finished -telling Santa Claus of how they had distributed the toys. - -“We really did very well,” cried the Fairy, in a pleased voice; “for I -found little unhappiness among the children this morning. Still you must -not get captured again, my dear master; for we might not be so fortunate -another time in carrying out your ideas.” - -He then related the mistakes that had been made, and which he had not -discovered until his tour of inspection. And Santa Claus at once sent -him with rubber boots for Charlie Smith, and a doll for Mamie Brown; so -that even those two disappointed ones became happy. - -As for the wicked Demons of the Caves, they were filled with anger and -chagrin when they found that their clever capture of Santa Claus had -come to naught. Indeed, no one on that Christmas Day appeared to be at -all selfish, or envious, or hateful. And, realizing that while the -children’s saint had so many powerful friends it was folly to oppose -him, the Demons never again attempted to interfere with his journeys on -Christmas Eve. - - - - -CHRISTMASLAND - -HEINRICH SEIDEL - -(Translated by Emma A. Schaub) - - -I. WERNER AND ANNA - -In the last house of the village, just where the big forest begins, -lived a poor widow with her two children, Werner and Anna. The little -that grew in her garden and on her single acre of ground, the milk of -the one goat she owned, and the small sum of money she was able to earn, -were just enough to support the small family. Nor were the children -allowed to be idle, but were obliged to help in every way possible. This -they were glad to do, enjoying their work, which led them in all -directions through the glorious forest. In early spring they gathered -the yellow cowslips and the blue anemones to sell in the city, and later -the fragrant lilies of the valley that grew in the beech wood. Then came -the strawberries glistening red under the leaves, the blueberries and -the coral-tinted bilberries growing in the moor, and beautiful mosses -and lichens--all these the children cheerily gathered and sent to the -city. - -With the coming of the fall came new labor. Day after day the children -went to the woods, picking up dry wood thrown down by the wind. This -they carried home and stacked by the side of the hut. Nuts, too, were -gathered, put in a bag, and hung in the chimney against Christmas time. -Ah, Christmas! That was a magic word, and at its sound the eyes of the -children sparkled. And yet the great day brought them very little. A wee -little tree with a few candles, some apples and nuts, and two -gingerbread men; under the tree for each one a warm article of clothing -for the winter, and if times were very good, a cheap toy or a new -slate--that was all. And yet from those little candles and the golden -star at the top of the tree there came a glorious light that shed its -rays throughout the year, a light that shone in the eyes of the children -whenever the word Christmas was spoken. - -Winter had now come, and one evening as they sat cozily about the stove, -their mother told them a beautiful Christmas story. When she had -finished, Werner, who had been looking very thoughtful, suddenly asked: -“Mother, where does the Christmasman live?” - -The mother answered, letting the fine thread slip through her fingers -while her spinning wheel hummed a merry tune: “The Christmasman? Behind -the forest in the mountains. But no one can find him. Who seeks him -wanders about in vain, and the little birds in the trees hop from branch -to branch and laugh at him. In the mountains the Christmasman has his -gardens, his shops, and his mines. There his busy workmen labor day and -night, making lovely Christmas things. In the gardens grow the silver -and gold apples and nuts, and the most delicious fruits of marzipan, and -in the shops are heaped up thousands and thousands of the most wonderful -toys in the world. There are halls filled with beautiful dolls, clad in -calico, in wool, in silk, and in velvet”--“Ah!” said little Anna, and -her eyes shone--“and others again are filled with drums and swords and -guns, cannon and toy soldiers”--“Oh!” cried little Werner, and his eyes -sparkled. - -This story impressed him greatly; he could not forget it, and he thought -how happy he would be could he but find the way to this wonderland. Once -he got as far as the mountains, and wandered about there a long time, -but could see nothing but valleys and hills and trees. The brooks that -ran by him murmured and babbled as brooks always do, but did not betray -their secret; the wood-peckers hammered and pecked just as they did -elsewhere in the woods and then flew away, and the squirrels that -climbed nimbly up the trees were just like other squirrels that he had -seen. - -He longed for a glimpse of the wonderful Christmasland--if some one -would only tell him how to find it, he would surely go. The people of -whom he inquired the way laughed at him, and when he told his mother she -too laughed, and bade him think no more about it; the story she had told -him had been only a fairy tale. - -But little Werner could not forget the story, though he did not speak of -it again. Only to his little sister Anna did he at times confide his -thoughts, and together they dreamed dreams and saw visions of that -wondrous country--Christmasland. - - -II. THE LITTLE BIRD - -One morning shortly before Christmas, Werner, with his ax on his -shoulder, went alone into the forest, for the forester, who liked the -well-behaved boy, had this year again permitted him to cut down a little -pine tree for their Christmas Eve. The pretty, graceful little tree -which the children had already selected, stood in rather a lonely spot, -far out in the woods, sheltered by a kindly old beech. It was a -beautiful mild winter day, and when Werner at last reached the spot he -sat down on a tree-stump to rest. - -Round about him all was still as in a lonely church; only a brooklet -murmured softly, and from afar came the shrill cry of a jay. Again he -dreamed of the wonderful Christmasland, and the longing to see its -glories grew so strong that he cried aloud: “Oh, if only some one could -show me the way to Christmasland!” - -Then from the waves of the brook came clear sounds like rippling -laughter, a wood mouse peeped from her house and laughed a wee little -laugh, and from the top of the old beech tree came a stirring and a -waving, as though she were shaking her head at such folly. But from the -little pine tree which stood directly before him he suddenly heard a -sweet, clear chirping; it was a blue titmouse, hopping gayly from branch -to branch, incessantly crying: “I know! I know!” - -“What do you know?” asked Werner. - -The little bird threw herself backward from a branch, turning over in -the air in the drollest way, then alighting again, cried: “I know the -way! I know the way!” - -“Then show me the way!” said Werner quickly. - -Again the little bird began to chirp softly, but the boy understood -everything. “You were good to me!” said she. “You protected my little -children, my ten little children! I know the way! I’ll show you the way! -Quick! Quick!” - -And the little thing flew to the nearest bush, then farther, and Werner -followed. At first he had comprehended but half of what the bird had -said, but at last he remembered that it was a titmouse whose frightened -cries had drawn him to the old beech tree last spring. There he saw a -jay sitting before the hollow of the tree where the little bird had -built her nest, about to seize the naked babies and devour them. The -poor little mother was hovering about, trying to defend them, crying -piteously. He picked up a stone and threw it so happily that the jay -fell to the ground dead. - -So now the little titmouse wished to show her gratitude. She kept flying -before him from bush to bush toward the source of the brook, which came -from the mountains. Soon the ground began to rise, and the brook at -Werner’s feet babbled louder; then he came to an ascending valley which -grew narrower and narrower, while the walls on both sides grew steeper, -and at last, when the brook suddenly disappeared behind a projecting -rock, Werner saw before him a smooth wall of stone, towering high and -crowned with mighty pine trees. The little bird suddenly vanished, but -away up in the distance her voice could be faintly heard, crying: “Soon! -Soon!” - -Werner sat down on a rock and examined the stone wall. It was smooth, -had no crevices, and was covered with mosses and gay lichens; he could -see nothing more. So he sat and waited. At last he heard a gentle -fluttering above him and a hazel nut fell at his feet. “Take! Take!” -cried the little bird. “Crack! Crack!” - -Werner took the nut and looked at it. He could discover nothing peculiar -about it, but when he shook it, it rattled as though something hard were -inside. He cracked it and found a dainty golden key. In the meantime the -little bird had flown to the stone wall. Clinging to it with both -delicate little feet, she began pecking away so busily among the -lichens, that the pieces fairly flew. At last she cried: “Here! Here!” - -Werner came near, and noticed a small, silver-bound keyhole. The golden -key fitted exactly into it, and when Werner turned it, a strange, fine, -ringing sound came from the stone wall, and a heavy door, that fitted -as exactly into its frame as though it had been cut into the rock, swung -slowly open. A warm bluish air came from the opening, and an odor of -burning pine needles and of wax candles just blown out, was wafted -toward him. - -“Oh, how this smells of Christmas!” said little Werner. - -But the little bird cried: “Go in! Go in! Quick! Quick!” - -Scarcely had Werner, who was just a little frightened, taken a few steps -into the gloomy passage, when he felt a draft behind him, and suddenly -it grew quite dark, for the door had again silently closed. Now indeed -he began to lose courage, for to return was impossible, yet he saw that -a faint heart would avail him little--so on he went, groping his way -resolutely along the black passage. - - -III. CHRISTMASLAND - -Soon his path grew brighter and he stepped out into the strangest -country he had ever seen. The air was warm, but not with the warmth of -summer, but as it is in heated rooms, and fragrant with many sweet -odors. No sun shone in the sky, yet everywhere was an even, tempered -brightness. Of the country itself he saw but little, for behind him was -the huge wall of rock through which he had entered, and round about him -tall bushes bearing the queerest fruits obstructed the view. As he -walked along, lost in wonder, he came to a broad avenue that led to a -distant building. Bordering this avenue on both sides were great apple -trees, on which grew golden and silver apples. Old men who looked like -gnomes, with their long gray beards, and pretty little children were -busily engaged picking these apples and heaping them up in large -baskets, many of which stood already filled to the brim with their -glittering load. No one paid any attention to little Werner, who, with -growing astonishment, directed his steps toward the building in the -background, which proved to be a large castle, with towering steeples -and gilded domes and roofs. On either side of the avenue lay large -fields on which grew low plants. Here, too, every one was busy gathering -and harvesting, and in the different fields, distinguished by different -colors according to the plants they bore, he could see gay, dainty -figures diligently loading little two-wheeled carts, drawn by -gold-colored, shaggy ponies. - -As Werner approached the castle he noticed a fragrant odor of honey -cake, growing stronger and stronger, and on looking more closely, he -perceived that the entire castle was made of this delectable stuff. The -foundation consisted of large blocks, the walls of smooth cakes -ornamented in the most enticing way with citron and almonds. Everywhere -were exquisite reliefs of marzipan, the balustrades and galleries and -balconies of sugar, the beautiful statues of chocolate standing in -gilded niches, and the glittering, gay windows made of transparent -bon-bons--indeed, here was a castle good enough to eat! At the artistic -entrance the handle of the doorbell was of transparent sugar. Werner -took heart, and pulled with all his might. No bell rang, however, but a -voice from within cried, “Kikeriki!” so loud and shrill that the -frightened boy stepped hastily back. The cry was repeated again and -again, like an echo growing fainter and fainter, losing itself in the -interior of the building. Then there was silence. The door now opened -softly and before him stood so strange a creature that had it not lived -and moved, Werner would undoubtedly have taken it for a large -jumping-jack. - -“By leaf gold and honey cake!” said this merry person. “A visitor? Why, -that is a most remarkable event!” And then, whether from pleasure or -astonishment, he threw his limbs repeatedly up over his head, so that -it was almost dreadful to see. Swinging his arms and legs back and -forth, he asked: “Well, my boy, and what do you want?” - -“Does the Christmasman live here?” asked little Werner. - -“Certainly,” said the jumping-jack, “and his Honor is at home, but very -busy, very busy.” - -Then he asked the little fellow to follow him, moving along in a queer, -sidelong manner, swinging his arms and legs incessantly. He led the way -through an entrance hall whose walls were made of marzipan and whose -ceiling was supported by pillars of polished chocolate, to a door, -before which two gigantic nutcrackers in full uniform stood guard; told -him to wait here, and disappeared. In the meantime the nutcrackers -stared at Werner with their big eyes, then grinned at each other with an -indescribable wooden grin, at which there was a funny sound as though -they were laughing with their stomachs. Presently the jumping-jack -returned, made a most beautiful sidelong bow, and said: “My gracious -master begs you to enter.” Then the nutcrackers, drawing close together, -suddenly presented their swords and with their teeth beat a roll that -was most extraordinary. - -When little Werner stepped into the room he was greatly astonished, for -the Christmasman did not look at all as he had imagined him, nor did he -resemble the pictures he had seen of him. True, he had a beautiful long -white beard, as was proper, but on his head was a blue, gold-embroidered -skullcap, and he wore a dressing gown of yellow silk, and sat before a -large book and wrote. But this dressing gown was covered with such -wonderful embroidery that it was like a picture book. On it you could -see soldiers and dolls and clowns, and all the animals of Noah’s ark, -drums and fifes, violins, trumpets, swords and guns, flowers and cakes, -and sun and moon and stars. - -The Christmasman laid down his pen and said: “How did you get here, my -boy?” - -Werner answered: “The little bird showed me the way.” - -“‘T is a hundred years since any one has been here,” replied the -Christmasman, “and now this little fellow succeeds in coming. Well, your -reward shall be that you may see everything. I myself am too busy just -now, but my daughter shall be your guide. Come, little Goldflame,” he -cried, “we have a guest!” - -Then in the next room there was a fluttering and a rustling, and in ran -a beautiful little girl. She wore a dress of leaf-gold and she -glittered and sparkled all over. On her head was a little crown of gold, -and on its topmost tip was a gleaming flamelet. - -“Why, how nice!” she said, and took little Werner by the hand, crying, -“Come along, strange boy!” and ran with him from the room. - - -IV. THE CHRISTMAS WAREHOUSE - -They came to a large corridor where long rows of wooden horses stood -tied--there were gray horses and brown horses, chestnut horses and black -horses. - -“You may choose one,” said little Goldflame. - -Werner selected a beautiful, shiny, dapple-gray and Goldflame mounted a -coal-black steed. “Hoy!” she cried, and with a whir away rolled the -little horses so fast that Werner’s hair flew, and the flame on the -girl’s crown was wafted like a streamer in the air. When they came to -the door at the end of the corridor, she cried, “Holla!” It opened and -they rushed through into a big hall in the middle of which they halted. -They dismounted and little Goldflame said: “This is the hall of lead.” -Lining the walls to the ceiling were open cupboards filled with shelves -on which stood, packed in boxes, countless armies of soldiers, hunters, -shepherds, sleighing parties, menageries, and everything possible that -could be made of lead. Little black-bearded dwarfs climbed busily up and -down ladders, placing the boxes into carts which they rolled outside, -where larger wagons waited to be loaded with the toys. As soon as the -dwarfs saw Werner and Goldflame they brought them two gold-brocaded -easy-chairs, and Goldflame said: “The big parade is coming very soon.” - -They sat down, and had barely waited half a minute when from under one -of the cupboards came a strange ringing music and the Prussian guard -marched out, and filed by with martial strains. Here indeed were toy -soldiers that delighted one’s heart! How the little fellows strutted and -the dapper lieutenants saluted with their swords! Then came the white -cuirassiers with their glittering armor, the red hussars of Potsdam, the -lancers with their gleaming flags, the blue dragoons, and last of all -the cannon. When these had passed, “Trari, trara!” sounded from under -the cupboard, and deer, rabbits, and foxes burst forth, the yelping pack -behind, and the hunters on horseback with huzza, crack of whip, and -sounding of horns. - -Then all at once something glistened in the air and fine snow began to -fall. When the ground was white a sleighing party with merry bells -ringing came out and rushed by. The fronts of the sleighs were in the -form of swans, lions, tigers, and dragons, and in the sleighs sat ladies -and gentlemen in beautiful furs. In passing, they threw snowballs at -Werner and at little Goldflame. But if you looked closely at one of -these snowballs, you found a tiny bonbon wrapped in tissue paper. - -The snow disappeared, and now with sweet bells ringing came shepherds -and shepherdesses with their flocks, then pretty peasants with fruits -and flowers, then gypsies, musicians, tinkers, rope walkers, horseback -riders, and such vagrant folk. Last came Mr. Hagenbeck of Hamburg with -his African menagerie of giraffes, elephants, rhinoceroses, -hippopotamuses, zebras, and antelopes. The lions and panthers followed -in cages on little wagons, and roared mightily, as though insulted at -the indignities put upon them. - -At the close of this jolly parade both children again mounted their -horses and rode on. What marvels were unfolded before little Werner’s -eyes! The large hall filled with dolls, for which he did not -particularly care and which he only wished Anna might see, the theater -magazine where at Goldflame’s request a thousand theaters opened at the -same time with a thousand different plays, making a terrible din, the -tool-chest warehouse, the storeroom for the musical instruments, the -wooden-animal magazine, the picture department, the paint-box warehouse, -the hall of the wax candles, and so on, until he was quite tired out -when at last they reached the great candy department. - -“Now let us eat,” said little Goldflame. Immediately six little -confectioner’s apprentices brought a table, set it, and served them with -the most delicious dishes. Werner had never tasted such good things! -There were Leipzig larks of marzipan filled with nut cream, sausages of -quinces, ham made of rosy creamy sugar, pastry filled with strawberry -jam, and all sorts of candied fruits. They had pineapple lemonade with -vanilla cream to drink, and behind them stood the six little waiters, -eager to serve, running to fill every order. For dessert they were to -have, as Goldflame remarked, something quite superlatively fine--dry -black bread and cheese. Such ordinary dishes were so rare in this -country, and so difficult to obtain, that they were considered the -greatest delicacies. When they had finished eating, the wooden horses -were again brought out, and Goldflame said, “Now we will visit the -mines.” So mounting their excellent steeds, away they rode. - - -V. THE MINES - -They rode over fields on which grew the most exquisite fruits and -vegetables, all of sugar or chocolate filled with cream; they galloped -along stately avenues bordered with fruit trees, toward the mountains -which lay before them. Some of these gleamed white as chalk; others -looked dull and dark, almost black. But the tops of even the black -mountains were as white as though snow-capped. - -“Perhaps you think you see snow,” said little Goldflame. “But when it -snows here, it only snows powdered sugar.” - -Werner now saw before him a high, shining white rock on which hundreds -of men were working. They rode quite close and dismounted. “This is the -great sugar quarry,” said Goldflame. “This entire rock consists of the -finest white colonial sugar.” - -Quite near them they observed an entrance to a cave, and as they -approached it several miners hurried toward them with torches and led -the way. They penetrated deep into the mountain, whose walls shimmered -and shone in the reflected torchlight. Presently they stepped into a -magnificent chamber whose walls, covered with huge crystals of -transparent rock candy, glittered and sparkled in the light of the -torches. - -“This is the large rock-candy cavern,” said little Goldflame. They went -on and came to a place where the miners were knocking and hammering, and -working new passages into the mountains. - -“These men are looking for melted sugar, and when they find it, they -scoop it out with huge spoons,” she said. - -Suddenly, as they proceeded, they beheld mountains, no longer white and -shining, but dull, dark brown, and smelling of vanilla. “We are now -approaching the chocolate mines,” explained little Goldflame. - -Here many people were at work tunneling into the mountains, for it was -only in the interior that the best vanilla chocolate was found. They -passed through great chambers supported here and there by single pillars -left standing. When at last they again stepped into the open air, Werner -noticed a roaring brook that came from a ravine in the mountains and -rushed toward the valley, where it turned the mills that sawed the -chocolate blocks into cakes. - -“Would you like to have a drink?” said little Goldflame. “It tastes -good; it is pure liqueur.” Little Werner was so very thirsty after all -the sweets he had eaten and seen, and from the brook came so fresh and -enticing an odor, that he seized the cup eagerly which an obliging miner -handed him, and emptied it at a single draft. But scarcely had he -finished when the world began to turn about him in the queerest way--he -saw two Goldflames, four Goldflames, a hundred Goldflames, glittering -and gleaming before him, then flowing together into a shining sea of -light, carrying away his senses--and he knew nothing more. - - -VI. CONCLUSION - -The first sound that Werner heard on awakening was the chirping of a -titmouse. He was astonished to find himself sitting on a stump under the -old beech tree with the little pine tree in front of him. The titmouse -hopped from branch to branch and chirped, but Werner no longer -understood what she said. It suddenly occurred to him that it must be -very late, that his mother had surely been anxiously waiting for him. -But looking up at the sun he was astonished to find that scarcely a -quarter of an hour had passed since he had left this spot. He could not -account for this mystery, but eager to relate his wonderful experiences -to his mother and little Anna, he cut down the pine tree and hurried -home with his burden as fast as he could. When with shining eyes and -breathless haste he had told them his story, his mother grew quite angry -and told him not to dare fall asleep again in the woods in winter--had -the weather been colder it might have been his death. But afterwards she -shook her head, saying to herself, “Where does the boy get all his -strange fancies?” - -Little Werner wept because his mother did not believe him, and went -away, but Anna followed, eager to hear more. She never tired of hearing -about Goldflame and the hall of dolls, and in the days that followed he -had to tell her about them over and over again, until he was quite -comforted. One day they went to the woods together to look for the -entrance to that wonderful country. But though they followed the -brooklet they never found a place resembling in the least the -description Werner had given, and he was so ashamed and embarrassed, he -knew not what to say. - -And so Christmas drew near. A heavy snow had been falling for two whole -days, and the world was beautiful, wrapped in its glistening, white -Christmas robe. Night was falling, and the children sat in their dark -chamber, eagerly waiting, whispering together and listening to their -mother who was walking back and forth in the brightly lighted Christmas -room, arranging their poor little gifts. Suddenly from afar they heard -the jingling of sleighbells coming nearer and nearer, and a whip cracked -merrily. Now the sleigh was quite close, now it stopped before the -house; they could hear the horses stamping and the bells jingling softly -when the animals turned their heads. - -“The Christmasman! The Christmasman!” cried Werner. They heard doors -opening and a man’s voice speaking--then their mother called to them, -“Come in, children; your uncle is here.” - -Wemer and Anna ran into the room and there stood a man in a great fur -coat who held out his hands to them, saying, “Come to me, my dear -children.” He kissed each one and said, “You shall come with me to the -city and live with me in my large house. I will be a father to you and I -will care for you.” In the meantime a gigantic coachman with a fur cap, -a long white beard, and a cloak with seven collars was bringing many -large packages into the room. When these were afterwards opened they -contained so many beautiful gifts that the people in that little house -had a Christmas such as they had never had before! Later, when Werner -and Anna went to bed, he whispered to her very mysteriously, “Do you -know who the coachman was with the fur cap, the long white beard, and -the big cloak? That was the Christmasman. Indeed, I recognized him, and -he looked at me and winked.” - -But what had happened to the rich old uncle who lived alone, an -unsociable miser, and who had never given his poor sister and her -children a thought--what had happened to him to change him so? In the -night following the day on which Werner had visited the Christmasman, -the uncle had had a strange dream. A man with a blue velvet cap and a -long white beard, wrapped in a golden robe, suddenly stood before him, -looked at him with great, blue, penetrating eyes, then spoke slowly and -impressively: “Konrad Borodin, have you a sister?” Thereupon fear -overcame him so that he could not answer. Then the apparition gradually -vanished, the eyes only gazing threateningly upon him. Three successive -nights he had the same dream. In the meantime a restlessness beyond -description drove him from room to room of his dreary, empty house, and -ever in his ear there sounded that deep, reproachful voice of his -dream, saying, “Have you a sister?” On the morning after the third night -he could endure it no longer, but hurried to the city, where to the -astonishment of all the people who had known him as a miser, he bought -the loveliest things, ordered a sleigh, filled it with his purchases, -and drove directly to his poor sister. - -Little Werner received a good education, and grew to be a famous and -highly respected man. He himself told me this story. - - - - -A CHRISTMAS LEGEND - -(A Florentine Legend of the Nativity) - -VERNON LEE - - -Beyond Bethlehem, which is a big village, walled and moated, lies a -hilly country, exceeding wild and covered with dense woods of firs, -pines, larches, beeches, and similar trees. At times the people of -Bethlehem, going in bands, cut down these trees and burn them to -charcoal which they pack on mules and sell in the valley. Sometimes they -tie together whole tree trunks such as would serve for beams, rafters, -and masts, and float them down the rivers, which are many and very -rapid. - -On these mountains in the thickest part of the forests a certain -woodcutter bethought him to build a house wherein to live with his -family, store the timber, and care for his beasts. For this purpose he -employed certain pillars and pieces of masonry that stood in the forest, -being remains of a temple of the heathen, which had long ceased to -exist. He cleared the wood round about, leaving only tree stumps and -bushes. Close by in a ravine between high fir trees ran a river of -greenish waters, exceedingly cold and rapid. It was always full to the -brim even in mid-summer, owing to the melting snows; and around up hill -and down dale stretched the woods of firs, larches, pines, and other -noble and useful trees, emitting a very pleasant and virtuous fragrance. - -The man thought to enjoy his house and came with his family and -servants. Also he brought his horses and mules and oxen which he had -employed to carry down the timber and charcoal. But scarcely were they -settled when an earthquake rent the place, tearing wall from wall, and -pillar from pillar; and a voice was heard in the air crying, “Ecce domus -domini dei,”[16] whereupon they fled, astonished and in terror, and -returned to the town. - -And no one of that man’s family ventured henceforth to return to that -house or to that wood save one called Hilarion, a poor lad and a -servant, but of upright heart and faith. He offered to go back and take -up his abode there and cut down the trees and burn the charcoal for his -master. So he went. He was but a poor lad clothed in leathern tunic and -coarse serge hood. - -And Hilarion took with him an ox and an ass to load with charcoal and -drive down to Bethlehem to his master. - -The first night on which Hilarion slept in that house, which had fallen -to ruin, he heard voices, as of children--both boys and maidens--singing -in the air. But he closed his eyes, repeated a Paternoster, turned over, -and slept. Another night he heard voices which made him tremble, but -being clean of heart he said two Aves and went to sleep. And once more -did he hear the voices, and they were passing sweet. And with them came -a fragrance as of crushed herbs and many kinds of flowers, frankincense, -and orris root. Hilarion feared the voices were those of heathen gods, -but he said his prayers and slept. - -But at length one night as Hilarion heard these songs he opened his -eyes, and behold, the place was light, and a great staircase of light -like golden cobwebs stretched up to heaven and hosts of angels appeared, -coming and going, with locks like honeycomb and robes of rose and green, -azure and white, thickly embroidered with purest pearls. They had wings -as of butterflies and peacock’s tails and a golden glory shone about -their heads. They went to and fro carrying garlands and strewing -flowers, so that, although midwinter, it was like a garden in June, -sweet with roses and lilies and gilliflowers. And the angels sang and, -when they had finished their work they said, “It is well,” and they -departed, holding hands as they flew into the sky above the fir trees. -And Hilarion was astonished and prayed fervently. - -And the next day when he was cutting a fir tree in the wood he met among -the rocks a man old and venerable with a long gray beard and a solemn -air. He was clad in crimson, and under his arm he carried written books -and a scourge. And Hilarion said, “Who art thou? The forest is haunted -by spirits, and I would know whether thou be of them or of men.” - -And the old man made answer, “I am a wise man and a king. I have spent -all my days learning the secrets of things. I know how the trees grow, -how the waters run, and where treasures be. I can teach thee what the -stars sing, and in what manner the ruby and emerald gather their light -in the heart of the earth. I can chain the wind and stop the sun, for I -am wise above all men. But I seek one wiser than myself, and I go -through the woods in search of him, my master.” - -And Hilarion said, “Tarry thou here, and thou shalt see, if I mistake -not, him whom thou seekest.” - -So the old man tarried in the forest and built himself a hut of stones. - -And the day after that as Hilarion went forth to catch fish in the river -he met on the bank a lady, beautiful beyond compare. And Hilarion asked, -“Who art thou? The forest is haunted by spirits; art thou one of them?” - -And she answered, “I am a princess, the fairest of women. Kings and -princes have brought gifts to me. They have hung wreaths on my palace -and strewn flowers in my garden. I am beautiful beyond compare, but I -seek one more beautiful than myself. Day by day I go searching my master -by the lakes and rivers.” - -And Hilarion made answer thus, “Tarry thou here and thou shalt see, if I -mistake not, him whom thou seekest.” - -And the lady tarried by the river and built herself a cabin of reeds and -leaves. - -That night was the coldest and longest winter night. Hilarion made for -himself a bed of fern and hay in the stable of the ox and the ass and he -lay close to them for warmth. And lo! in the middle of the night the ass -brayed and the ox bellowed and Hilarion started up. He saw the heavens -open with a great brightness as of beaten and fretted gold. Angels -wreathed in roses were coming and going, and as they held each other’s -hands they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good -will toward men.” And Hilarion wondered again and prayed fervently. - -And that day toward noon there came through the wood one bearing a staff -and leading a mule on which was seated a woman. They were poor folk, -travel stained. And the man said to Hilarion, “My name is Joseph. I am a -carpenter of the city of Nazareth. My wife is called Mary. Suffer thou -us to rest and my wife to lie on this straw of the stables.” - -And Hilarion said, “You are welcome.” - -Hilarion laid down more fern and hay and gave provender to the mule. - -And Mary brought forth her first-born son and Hilarion took it and laid -it in the manger. And he went forth into the woods, where he found the -wise man and the beautiful woman. - -“Come with me to my stable,” he said, “where the fir trees were cleared -above the river.” - -And they went with him to the ruined house, and they saw the babe lying -in the manger. - -Then the wise man and the beautiful woman knelt down before the child. - -“He is exceeding fair,” said the princess. - -“He is wiser than I am,” said the king. “Surely this is He that is our -Master.” - -And the skies opened and there came forth angels such as Hilarion had -seen before with the glory of radiant gold about their heads and -garlands of roses around their necks. And they sang again, “Glory to God -in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” - - - - -THE STAR IN THE EAST - - - Three Shepherds - Three Kings: GASPAR, MELCHIOR, BALTHAZAR - JOSEPH MARY - - -SCENE I. _Hills outside Jerusalem_ - - _Carol by Children_: - - In the fields with their flocks abiding, - They lay on the dewy ground, - And glimmering under the starlight - The sheep lay white around. - When the light of the Lord streamed o’er them, - And lo! from the heavens above - An angel leaned from the glory, - And sang his song of love; - He sang that first sweet Christmas - The song that shall never cease-- - Glory to God in the highest, - On earth good will and peace. - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - Now must I rest awhile! - For mile on mile, and mile on mile - I’ve trudged on foot since break of day began. - And I’m but an old and ancient man. - I am stiff and my bones are old, - And the night is bitter--bitter cold. - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Aye, ’tis bitter cold, and naught to be seen - But snow and the starry sky. - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - I’ve come a mighty step to-day, - But--is that the town so far away? - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Aye, dost see that great star - That hangs above the town? - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - ’Tis a wondrous star even as ever I saw. - But I am wearied sore; - So wearied I have never been before. - -_Enter Third Shepherd_ - - THIRD SHEPHERD: - - Look ye, here is a lamb, new born. - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Poor little beastie! Lay it down and warm it. - - THIRD SHEPHERD: - - An ill night to be born in! Frost and snow, - Cold heaven above, cold earth below. - I marvel any little creature should be born - On such a night. I found it all forlorn, - Crying beside its mother. - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Warm it in thy cloak. ’Tis but a little lamb. - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - Hark! is that the sky that sings? - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Nay, I hear no sound at all. - You are wearied. Mile and mile you’ve trudged to-day. - - THIRD SHEPHERD: - - Well, as for sleep, I’m ready. What say ye? - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Aye, do. Sleep ye, and I’ll keep watch. - The wolf, maybe, will visit us ere dawn. - Or, if not he, perchance another lamb. - -(_They sleep. The Third Shepherd walks, with the lamb in his cloak. Soft -music is heard._) - - THIRD SHEPHERD: - - Hark! There’s music in the wind! - And what strange light is in the east? - Surely it is not dawn? - -(_Angels appear. The Shepherd arouses the others._) - - ANGEL: - - Gloria in Excelsis! - Fear not, for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy. - For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, - which is Christ the Lord. - And this shall be the sign unto you: - Ye shall find the heavenly babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, - lying in a manger. - Gloria in Excelsis! - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - ’Twas a fine voice--even as ever I heard. - -SECOND SHEPHERD: - - All the hills with a lighting, methought, at his word shone fair. - -THIRD SHEPHERD: - - He spoke of a Babe at Bethlehem, mark you well. That betokens yon - star. Let us seek Him there. - -FIRST SHEPHERD: - - To Bethlehem he bade that we should go. I fear we tarry too long. - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Full glad would I be, - Might I kneel on my knee - Some word to say to that child. - -THIRD SHEPHERD: - - But the angel said in a manger was he laid and poorly clad. - -FIRST SHEPHERD: - -We shall see him I know before it be morn. - -SECOND SHEPHERD: - - The place is near. Let us go even now unto Bethlehem and see this - thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto - us. - -FIRST and THIRD SHEPHERDS: - -Aye, let us go and find Him! - -(_Tableau held while music dies away._) - - -SCENE II. _Manger Scene_ - - _Carol by children_: - - O little town of Bethlehem, - How still we see thee lie, - Above thy deep and dreamless sleep - The silent stars go by. - Yet in thy dark streets shineth - The everlasting light. - The hopes and fears of all the years - Are met in thee to-night. - - _Angel chorus_: - - Away in the manger, - No crib for his bed, - The little Lord Jesus - Lay down his sweet head. - The stars in the bright sky - Looked down where He lay, - The little Lord Jesus - Asleep in the hay. - - The cattle were lowing, - The baby awakes - But little Lord Jesus, - No crying He makes. - I love thee, Lord Jesus! - Look down from the sky, - And stay by my cradle - Till morning is nigh. - -(_Shepherds arrive at the manger. They stand at a little distance, -gazing in awe._) - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - Lo, here is the house, and here is He! - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Forsooth, it is the same. - - THIRD SHEPHERD: - - Look ye, where the Lord is laid, - Between two beasts, and in a manger, - As the angel said. - -(_They advance, and kneel before the manger._) - - FIRST SHEPHERD: - - Hail, hail, young child - Of a maiden, meek and mild. - Lo, he merries, - Lo, he laughs, my sweeting. - I give Thee my greeting! - Have a bob of cherries! - - SECOND SHEPHERD: - - Hail, goodly Babe! - A bird have I brought - To my Bairn. - Hail, little tiny mop, - I would drink in Thy cup, - Little day star! - - THIRD SHEPHERD: - - Hail, darling dear: - Sweet is Thy cheer; - A ball I bring Thee. - Put forth Thy dall,[17] - Keep and play Thee withal, - Little heavenly light. - - _Angel chorus_: - - Holy night, peaceful night, - All is calm, all is bright, - Only one yet wakes and prays, - Looking on with tender gaze - On her heavenly child, - On her heavenly child. - - Holy night, peaceful night, - Son of God, Light of Light, - Pure and gentle in thine eyes - All thy wealth of mercy lies - For a world redeemed, - For a world redeemed. - -(_The Three Kings arrive at the door of the stable. Joseph advances to -meet them._) - - GASPAR: - - We have journeyed from afar - Led by the shining of your splendid star. - We are Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. - - JOSEPH: - - Sirs, whom seek ye? - - GASPAR: - - We seek a newborn King, - Gold, frankincense to Him to bring, - And many a kingly precious thing. - - JOSEPH: - - Good sirs, here lies a newborn child, - Seek ye him and his mother mild? - -(_The Three Kings go toward the manger._) - - BALTHAZAR: - - Behold, the child is clothed in light! - - MELCHIOR: - - Our journey ends; past is the night. - - GASPAR: - - Let us make no more delay - To worship him most worthily. - - GASPAR} - MELCHIOR} Hail, King of Kings! - BALTHAZAR} (_They kneel._) - - GASPAR: - - I bring Thee a crown, - O King of Kings! - And here a scepter full of gems, - For Thou shalt rule the hearts of men. - -(_He gives crown and scepter._) - - MELCHIOR: - - For Thee I bring sweet frankincense. - -(_Swings censor._) - - BALTHAZAR: - - And I bring myrrh to offer Thee! - - GASPAR: - - The greatest gift is yet ungiven-- - Oh, heavenly King, heart’s love we bring. - - MELCHIOR: - - Not gifts of gold nor priceless gems - Is worth the love we offer Thee. - - BALTHAZAR: - - And lowly folk who have no gold - Nor rare and precious thing to give, - May bring the dearest gift of all-- - A loving heart. - - _Golden carol_ (sung by the Three Kings): - - We saw a light shine out afar, - On Christmas in the morning, - And straight we knew Christ’s Star it was, - Bright beaming in the morning. - - Then did we fall on bended knee, - On Christmas in the morning, - And praised the Lord who’d let us see - His glory at its dawning. - -(_Tableau, Kings and Shepherds._) - - _Angel carol_: - - Then let us all with one accord - Sing praises to our heavenly Lord, - That hath made Heaven and Earth of naught, - And with His blood mankind hath bought; - Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël, - Born is the King of Israel! - - _Recessional carol by children_: - - God rest ye merry, gentlemen, - Let nothing you dismay; - For Jesus Christ our Saviour - Was born on Christmas Day, - To save us all from Satan’s power - When we had gone astray. - - Oh! tidings of comfort and joy, - Comfort and joy, - Oh! tidings of comfort and joy! - - - - -A BLESSING - -ABBIE FARWELL BROWN - - - Now may the Holy Christ Child - Who came on Christmas Day, - The gentle Friend and Brother - Who smiles upon your play, - Bless all the little children - However far away. - - -FOOTNOTES: - - [1] By permission. From _The Hollow Tree and Deep Woods Book_, by - Albert Bigelow Paine. Copyright, 1900, by Harper Brothers. - - [2] From the _Kindergarten Review_, 1908. By permission of the author. - - [3] From _Some Great Stories and How to Tell Them_, published by - Newson & Company, New York. - - [4] From _Mother Stories_. By permission of the publishers, Milton - Bradley Company. - - [5] By courtesy of the author. - - [6] By courtesy of Mrs. Richard Watson Gilder. - - [7] By courtesy of the translater. - - [8] From _The City that Never was Reached_. Copyrighted by The Pilgrim - Press. By permission of the publishers. - - [9] By permission of the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Company. - - [10] La Dame de Noël. - - [11] By permission of the author and of the publishers, Fleming H. - Revell Company. - - [12] By courtesy of the author. - - [13] Reprinted by the author’s permission from _Why the Chimes - Rang, and Other Stories_. Copyright by the Bobbs Merrill Company, - Indianapolis. - - [14] From _Told to the Little Tot_. Copyright, 1906, by Dodge - Publishing Co. - - [15] A franc is equal to twenty cents. - - [16] “Behold the house of the Lord God!” - - [17] _Hand_ (old English). - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and -Plays, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS' CHRISTMAS *** - -***** This file should be named 52231-0.txt or 52231-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/2/3/52231/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Little Folks' Christmas Stories and Plays - -Author: Various - -Editor: Ada M. Skinner - -Release Date: June 3, 2016 [EBook #52231] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS' CHRISTMAS *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="324" height="500" alt="" title="" /> -</div> - -<p class="cb">LITTLE FOLKS’ CHRISTMAS<br /> -STORIES AND PLAYS</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_i" id="page_i"></a>{i}</span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ii" id="page_ii"></a>{ii}</span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iii" id="page_iii"></a>{iii}</span> </p> - -<h1>Little Folks’ Christmas<br /> -Stories and Plays</h1> - -<p class="cb"><i>Edited by</i><br /> -<span class="smcap">Ada M. Skinner</span><br /> -<br /><br /> -<img src="images/colophon.png" -width="90" -height="94" -alt="" -/><br /> -<br /> -RAND McNALLY & COMPANY<br /> -CHICAGO NEW YORK<br /> -<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iv" id="page_iv"></a>{iv}</span><br /> -<br /><small> -<i>Copyright, 1915</i>,<br /> -<span class="smcap">By Rand McNally & Company</span><br /> -<br /> -The Rand-McNally Press<br /> -<i>Chicago</i></small> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_v" id="page_v"></a>{v}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHRISTMAS_TIME" id="CHRISTMAS_TIME"></a><i>CHRISTMAS TIME</i></h3> - -<p>“<i>I have always thought of Christmas time ... as a good time; a kind, -forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time ... when men and -women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely ...; and I -say, God bless it!</i>”</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Charles Dickens</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vi" id="page_vi"></a>{vi}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vii" id="page_vii"></a>{vii}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="A_FOREWORD" id="A_FOREWORD"></a>A FOREWORD</h3> - -<p>The selections in <i>Little Folks’ Christmas Stories and Plays</i> emphasize -the joy expressed by “good will toward men” and the abundant life -suggested by “peace on earth.” Some of the stories and legends will -appeal to the child’s interest because they are filled with the spirit -of fun and jollity which is always associated with Christmas -merrymaking; other selections affirm the spiritual blessings which the -birth of the Christ Child brought to the children of men.</p> - -<p>The young reader’s enjoyment is enhanced and his interest quickened if -he can begin to read his book without the aid of an interpreter. -Therefore the stories and poems in this volume are arranged in two -groups: Part I includes those selections which are simple enough in -theme and form to be read by the child; Part II is made up of more -complex stories and poems, which the story-teller may read aloud or -relate to the young listener.</p> - -<p>My thanks are due to the following authors and publishers who have -allowed reprints from their works: Maud Lindsay for permission to use -“The Promise”; Richard Thomas Wyche for “A Boy’s Visit to Santa Claus”; -Ruth Sawyer for “The Christmas Kings”; Mrs. Richard Watson Gilder for -permission to use the poem, “The Christmas Tree in the Nursery,” by -Richard Watson Gilder; Mary Stewart for “The Finding of the Treasure”; -Raymond MacDonald Alden for “In the Great Walled Country”; Edmund Vance -Cooke for “Going to Meet Santa Claus”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_viii" id="page_viii"></a>{viii}</span>; Alma J. Foster for her -translation of “Cosette” by Victor Hugo; L. Frank Baum and <i>The -Delineator</i> for “Kidnaping Santa Claus”; Emma A. Schaub for her -translation of “Christmasland” by Heinrich Seidel; Margaret Deland and -Moffat Yard & Company, publishers, for permission to use the poem, -“While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night”; Milton Bradley Company -for “The Christmas Cake” from <i>Mother Stories</i> by Maud Lindsay; A. -Flanagan Company for the selection, “The Stars and the Child,” from -<i>Child’s Christ Tales</i> by Andrea Hofer Proudfoot; the Pilgrim Press for -“The Visit of the Wishing Man,” from <i>The City that Never was Reached</i> -by J. T. Stocking; The Macmillan Company for a selection from <i>Serapion -Brethren</i> by E. Th. Hoffmann; Dr. Washington Gladden and the Century Co. -for “The Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled”; the <i>Contemporary Review</i> -for “A Florentine Legend of Christmas” by Vernon Lee; the Packer -Institute of Brooklyn for the adaptation of the mystery play, “The Star -in the East,” and to Abbie Farwell Brown and Houghton Mifflin Co. for -the selection, “A Blessing.”</p> - -<p>Grateful acknowledgment is also made to Miss Elizabeth A. Herrick and -Miss Anda G. Morin for valuable suggestions given during the compilation -of these stories.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">Ada M. Skinner</span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind"> -<i>St. Agatha School,<br /> -New York City, N. Y.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ix" id="page_ix"></a>{ix}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h3> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td> </td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td><i><a href="#A_FOREWORD">A Foreword</a></i> </td> -<td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#A_FOREWORD">vii</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#Part_I"><span class="smcap">Part I. Stories Children Can Read</span></a></th></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHRISTMAS_AT_THE_HOLLOW_TREE_INN"><span class="smcap">Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_3">3</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_PROMISE"><span class="smcap">The Promise</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_12">12</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#A_BOYS_VISIT_TO_SANTA_CLAUS"><span class="smcap">A Boy’s Visit to Santa Claus</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_18">18</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_CHRISTMAS_KINGS"><span class="smcap">The Christmas Kings</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_28">28</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_CHRISTMAS_CAKE"><span class="smcap">The Christmas Cake</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_39">39</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_DOLLS_WISH"><span class="smcap">The Doll’s Wish</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_43">43</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_CHRISTMAS_SPRUCE_TREE"><span class="smcap">The Christmas Spruce Tree</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_48">48</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#A_LITTLE_ROMAN_SHEPHERD"><span class="smcap">A Little Roman Shepherd</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_52">52</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_CHRISTMAS_TREE_IN_THE_NURSERY"><span class="smcap">The Christmas Tree in the Nursery</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_57">57</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_STARS_AND_THE_CHILD"><span class="smcap">The Stars and the Child</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_59">59</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_STRANGER_CHILD"><span class="smcap">The Stranger Child</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_61">61</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_STAR_SONG"><span class="smcap">The Star Song</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_63">63</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_VISIT_OF_THE_WISHING_MAN"><span class="smcap">The Visit of the Wishing Man</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_64">64</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#KRISS_KRINGLE"><span class="smcap">Kriss Kringle</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_80">80</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_STAR_OF_BETHLEHEM"><span class="smcap">The Star of Bethlehem</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_81">81</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#NUTCRACKER_AND_MOUSE_KING"><span class="smcap">Nutcracker and Mouse King</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_83">83</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#A_VISIT_FROM_ST_NICHOLAS"><span class="smcap">A Visit from St. Nicholas</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_104">104</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHRISTMAS_IN_MANY_LANDS"><span class="smcap">Christmas in Many Lands</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_108">108</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" class="c"><a href="#Part_II"><span class="smcap">Part II. -Stories to Read and Tell to Children</span></a></th></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#SELECTION_FROM_THE_BIBLE"><span class="smcap">Selection from the Bible: Luke ii, 8-20</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_125">125</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_FINDING_OF_THE_TREASURE"><span class="smcap">The Finding of the Treasure</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_127">127</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_MEANING_OF_THE_STAR"><span class="smcap">The Meaning of the Star</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_140">140</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#WHILE_SHEPHERDS_WATCHED_THEIR_FLOCKS_BY_NIGHT"><span class="smcap">While Shepherds watched their Flocks by Night</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_142">142</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_GREAT_WALLED_COUNTRY"> -<span class="smcap">The Great Walled Country</span></a> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_x" id="page_x"></a>{x}</span></td> -<td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_144">144</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#GOING_TO_MEET_CHRISTMAS"><span class="smcap">Going to Meet Christmas</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_155">155</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#A_LEGEND_OF_SAINT_BONIFACE"><span class="smcap">A Legend of St. Boniface</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_166">166</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#COSETTES_CHRISTMAS_EVE"><span class="smcap">Cosette’s Christmas Eve</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_171">171</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_STRANGE_ADVENTURES_OF_A_WOOD_SLED"><span class="smcap">The Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_192">192</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#KIDNAPPING_SANTA_CLAUS"><span class="smcap">Kidnapping Santa Claus</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_217">217</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHRISTMASLAND"><span class="smcap">Christmasland</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_235">235</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#A_CHRISTMAS_LEGEND"><span class="smcap">A Christmas Legend</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_258">258</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#THE_STAR_IN_THE_EAST"><span class="smcap">The Star in the East</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_265">265</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#A_BLESSING"><span class="smcap">A Blessing</span></a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_276">276</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_1" id="page_1"></a>{1}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="Part_I" id="Part_I"></a><span class="smcap">Part I</span><br /><br /> -STORIES CHILDREN CAN READ</h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_2" id="page_2"></a>{2}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_3" id="page_3"></a>{3}</span></p> - -<h1><a name="LITTLE_FOLKS_CHRISTMAS_STORIES_AND_PLAYS" -id="LITTLE_FOLKS_CHRISTMAS_STORIES_AND_PLAYS"></a>LITTLE FOLKS’ CHRISTMAS<br /> STORIES AND PLAYS</h1> - -<h3><a name="CHRISTMAS_AT_THE_HOLLOW_TREE_INN" id="CHRISTMAS_AT_THE_HOLLOW_TREE_INN"></a>CHRISTMAS AT THE HOLLOW TREE INN<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor1">[1]</a><br /><br /> -<small>ALBERT BIGELOW PAINE</small></h3> - -<p>Once upon a time, when the Robin, and Turtle, and Squirrel, and Jack -Rabbit had all gone home for the winter, nobody was left in the Hollow -Tree except the ’Coon and the ’Possum and the old black Crow. Of course -the others used to come back and visit them pretty often, and Mr. Dog, -too, now that he had got to be good friends with all the Deep Woods -people, and they thought a great deal of him when they got to know him -better. Mr. Dog told them a lot of things they had never heard of -before, things that he’d learned at Mr. Man’s house, and maybe that’s -one reason why they got to liking him so well.</p> - -<p>He told them about Santa Claus, for one thing, and how the old fellow -came down the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_4" id="page_4"></a>{4}</span> chimney on Christmas Eve to bring presents to Mr. Man and -his children, who always hung up their stockings for them, and Mr. Dog -said that once he had hung up his stocking, too, and got a nice bone in -it, that was so good he had buried and dug it up again as much as six -times before spring. He said that Santa Claus always came to Mr. Man’s -house, and that whenever the children hung up their stockings they were -always sure to get something in them.</p> - -<p>Well, the Hollow Tree people had never heard of Santa Claus. They knew -about Christmas, of course, because everybody, even the cows and sheep, -knows about that; but they had never heard of Santa Claus. You see, -Santa Claus only comes to Mr. Man’s house, but they didn’t know that, -either, so they thought if they just hung up their stockings he’d come -there, too, and that’s what they made up their minds to do. They talked -about it a great deal together, and Mr. ’Possum looked over all his -stockings to pick out the biggest one he had, and Mr. Crow he made -himself a new pair on purpose. Mr. ’Coon said he never knew Mr. Crow to -make himself such big stockings before, but Mr. Crow said he was getting -old and needed things bigger, and when he loaned one of his new -stockings to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_5" id="page_5"></a>{5}</span> Mr. ’Coon, Mr. ’Coon said, “That’s so,” and that he -guessed they were about right after all. They didn’t tell anybody about -it at first, but by and by they told Mr. Dog what they were going to do, -and when Mr. Dog heard it he wanted to laugh right out. You see, he knew -Santa Claus never went anywhere except to Mr. Man’s house, and he -thought it would be a great joke on the Hollow Tree people when they -hung up their stockings and didn’t get anything.</p> - -<p>But by and by Mr. Dog thought about something else. He thought it would -be too bad, too, for them to be disappointed that way. You see, Mr. Dog -liked them all now, and when he had thought about that a minute he made -up his mind to do something. And this is what it was—he made up his -mind to play Santa Claus!</p> - -<p>He knew just how Santa Claus looked, ’cause he’d seen lots of his -pictures at Mr. Man’s house, and he thought it would be great fun to -dress up that way and take a bag of presents to the Hollow Tree while -they were all asleep and fill up the stockings of the ’Coon and ’Possum -and the old black Crow. But first he had to be sure of some way of -getting in, so he said to them he didn’t see how they could<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_6" id="page_6"></a>{6}</span> expect -Santa Claus, their chimneys were so small, and Mr. Crow said they could -leave their latchstring out downstairs, which was just what Mr. Dog -wanted. Then they said they were going to have all the folks that had -spent the summer with them over for Christmas dinner and to see the -presents they had got in their stockings. They told Mr. Dog to drop -over, too, if he could get away, and Mr. Dog said he would, and went off -laughing to himself, and ran all the way home because he felt so pleased -at what he was going to do.</p> - -<p>Well, he had to work pretty hard, I tell you, to get things ready. It -wasn’t so hard to get the presents as it was to rig up his Santa Claus -dress. He found some long wool out in Mr. Man’s barn for his white -whiskers, and he put some that wasn’t so long on the edges of his -overcoat and boot tops and around an old hat he had. Then he borrowed a -big sack he found out there, too, and fixed it up to swing over his -back, just as he had seen Santa Claus do in the picture. He had a lot of -nice things to take along. Three tender young chickens he’d borrowed -from Mr. Man, for one thing, and then he bought some new neckties for -the Hollow Tree folks all around, and a big striped candy cane for each -one, because candy canes always<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_7" id="page_7"></a>{7}</span> looked well sticking out of a stocking. -Besides all that, he had a new pipe for each, and a package of tobacco. -You see, Mr. Dog lived with Mr. Man, and didn’t ever have to buy much -for himself, so he had always saved his money. He had even more things -than that, but I can’t remember just now what they were; and when he -started out, all dressed up like Santa Claus, I tell you his bag was -pretty heavy, and he almost wished before he got there that he hadn’t -started with quite so much.</p> - -<p>It got heavier and heavier all the way, and he was glad enough to get -there and find the latchstring out. He set his bag down to rest a minute -before climbing the stairs, and then opened the doors softly and -listened. He didn’t hear a thing except Mr. Crow and Mr. ’Coon and Mr. -’Possum breathing pretty low, and he knew they might wake up any minute, -and he wouldn’t have been caught there in the midst of things for a good -deal. So he slipped up just as easy as anything, and when he got up in -the big parlor room he almost had to laugh right out loud, for there -were the stockings sure enough, all hung up in a row, and a card with a -name on it over each one telling whom it belonged to.</p> - -<p>Then he listened again, and all at once he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_8" id="page_8"></a>{8}</span> jumped and held his breath, -for he heard Mr. ’Possum say something. But Mr. ’Possum was only talking -in his sleep, and saying, “I’ll take another piece, please,” and Mr. Dog -knew he was dreaming about the mince pie he’d had for supper.</p> - -<p>So, then he opened his bag and filled the stockings. He put in mixed -candy and nuts and little things first, and then the pipes and tobacco -and candy canes, so they’d show at the top, and hung a nice dressed -chicken outside. I tell you, they looked fine! It almost made Mr. Dog -wish he had a stocking of his own there to fill, and he forgot all about -them waking up, and sat down in a chair to look at the stockings. It was -a nice rocking chair, and over in a dark corner where they wouldn’t be -apt to see him, even if one of them did wake up and stick his head out -of his room, so Mr. Dog felt pretty safe now, anyway. He rocked softly, -and looked and looked at the nice stockings, and thought how pleased -they’d be in the morning, and how tired he was. You’ve heard about -people being as tired as a dog; and that’s just how Mr. Dog felt. He was -so tired he didn’t feel a bit like starting home, and by and by—he -never did know how it happened—but by and by Mr. Dog went sound asleep -right<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_9" id="page_9"></a>{9}</span> there in his chair, with all his Santa Claus clothes on.</p> - -<p>And there he sat, with his empty bag in his hand and the nice full -stockings in front of him all night long. Even when it came morning and -began to get light Mr. Dog didn’t know it; he just slept right on, he -was that tired. Then pretty soon the door of Mr. ’Possum’s room opened -and he poked out his head. And just then the door of Mr. ’Coon’s room -opened and he poked out his head. Then the door of the old black Crow -opened and out poked his head. They all looked toward the stockings, and -they didn’t see Mr. Dog, or even each other, at all. They saw their -stockings, though, and Mr. ’Coon said all at once:</p> - -<p>“Oh, there’s something in my stocking!”</p> - -<p>And then Mr. Crow says: “Oh, there’s something in my stocking, too!”</p> - -<p>And Mr. ’Possum says: “Oh, there’s something in all our stockings!”</p> - -<p>And with that they gave a great hurrah all together, and rushed out and -grabbed their stockings and turned around just in time to see Mr. Dog -jump right straight up out of his chair, for he did not know where he -was the least bit in the world.</p> - -<p>“Oh, there’s Santa Claus himself!” they all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_10" id="page_10"></a>{10}</span> shouted together, and made -a rush for their rooms, for they were scared almost to death. But it all -dawned on Mr. Dog in a second, and he commenced to laugh and hurrah to -think what a joke it was on everybody. And when they heard Mr. Dog laugh -they knew him right away, and they all came up and looked at him, and he -had to tell just what he’d done and everything; so they emptied out -their stockings on the floor and ate some of the presents and looked at -the others, until they almost forgot about breakfast, just as children -do on Christmas morning.</p> - -<p>Then Mr. Crow said, all at once, that he’d make a little coffee, and -that Mr. Dog must stay and have some, and by and by they made him -promise to spend the day with them and be there when the Robin and the -Squirrel and Mr. Turtle and Jack Rabbit came, which he did.</p> - -<p>And it was snowing hard outside, which made it a nicer Christmas than if -it hadn’t been, and when all the others came they brought presents, too. -And when they saw Mr. Dog dressed up as Santa Claus and heard how he’d -gone to sleep and been caught, they laughed and laughed. And it snowed -so hard that they had to stay all night, and after dinner they sat -around the fire and told stories. And they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_11" id="page_11"></a>{11}</span> had to stay the next night, -too, and all that Christmas week. And I wish I could tell you all that -happened that week, but I can’t, because I haven’t time. But it was the -very nicest Christmas that ever was in the Hollow Tree, or in the Big -Deep Woods anywhere.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_12" id="page_12"></a>{12}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_PROMISE" id="THE_PROMISE"></a>THE PROMISE<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor1">[2]</a><br /><br /> -<small>MAUD LINDSAY</small></h3> - -<p>There was once a harper who played such beautiful music and sang such -beautiful songs that his fame spread throughout the whole land; and at -last the king heard of him and sent messengers to bring him to the -palace.</p> - -<p>“I will neither eat nor sleep till I have seen your face and heard the -sound of your harp.” This was the message the king sent to the harper.</p> - -<p>The messengers said it over and over until they knew it by heart, and -when they reached the harper’s house they called:</p> - -<p>“Hail, harper! Come out and listen, for we have something to tell you -that will make you glad.”</p> - -<p>But when the harper heard the king’s message he was sad, for he had a -wife and a child and a little brown dog; and he was sorry to leave them -and they were sorry to have him go.</p> - -<p>“Stay with us,” they begged; but the harper said:</p> - -<p>“I <i>must</i> go, for it would be discourtesy to disappoint the king; but as -sure as holly berries<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_13" id="page_13"></a>{13}</span> are red and pine is green, I will come back by -Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding, and sing the -Christmas songs by my own fireside.”</p> - -<p>And when he had promised this he hung his harp upon his back and went -away with the messengers to the king’s palace.</p> - -<p>When he got there the king welcomed him with joy, and many things were -done in his honor. He slept on a bed of softest down and ate from a -plate of gold at the king’s own table; and when he sang everybody and -everything, from the king himself to the mouse in the palace pantry, -stood still to listen.</p> - -<p>No matter what he was doing, however, feasting or resting, singing or -listening to praises, he never forgot the promise that he had made to -his wife and his child and his little brown dog, and when the day before -Christmas came, he took his harp in his hand and went to tell the king -good-by.</p> - -<p>Now the king was loath to have the harper leave him, and he said to him: -“I will give you a horse as white as milk, as glossy as satin, and as -fleet as a deer, if you will stay to play and sing before my throne on -Christmas Day.”</p> - -<p>But the harper answered, “I cannot stay, for I have a wife and a child -and a little brown dog;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_14" id="page_14"></a>{14}</span> and I have promised them to be at home by -Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding and sing the -Christmas songs by my own fireside.”</p> - -<p>Then the king said, “If you will stay to play and sing before my throne -on Christmas Day, I will give to you a wonderful tree that summer or -winter is never bare; and silver and gold will fall for you whenever you -shake this little tree.”</p> - -<p>But the harper said, “I must not stay, for my wife and my child and my -little brown dog are waiting for me, and I have promised them to be at -home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding and sing -the Christmas songs by my own fireside.”</p> - -<p>Then the king said, “If you will stay on Christmas Day one tune to play -and one song to sing, I will give you a velvet robe to wear, and you may -sit beside me here with a ring on your finger and a crown on your head.”</p> - -<p>But the harper answered, “I will not stay, for my wife and my child and -my little brown dog are watching for me; and I have promised them to be -at home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding, and -sing the Christmas songs by my own fireside.” And he wrapped his old -cloak about him, and hung his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_15" id="page_15"></a>{15}</span> harp upon his back, and went out from the -king’s palace without another word.</p> - -<p>He had not gone far when the little white snowflakes came fluttering -down from the skies.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Harper, stay,” they seemed to say,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“Do not venture out to-day.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>But the harper said, “The snow may fall, but I must go, for I have a -wife and a child and a little brown dog; and I have promised them to be -at home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding and -sing the Christmas songs by my own fireside.”</p> - -<p>Then the snow fell thick and the snow fell fast. The hills and the -valleys, the hedges and hollows were white. The paths were all hidden, -and there were drifts like mountains on the king’s highway. The harper -stumbled and the harper fell, but he would not turn back; and as he -traveled he met the wind.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Brother Harper, turn, I pray;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Do not journey on to-day,”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">sang the wind, but the harper would not heed.</p> - -<p>“Snows may fall and winds may blow, but I must go on,” he said, “for I -have a wife and a child and a little brown dog; and I have promised them -to be at home by Christmas Day to eat my share of the Christmas pudding -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_16" id="page_16"></a>{16}</span> sing the Christmas songs by my own fireside.”</p> - -<p>Then the wind blew an icy blast. The snow froze on the ground and the -water froze in the rivers. The harper’s breath froze in the air, and -icicles as long as the king’s sword hung from the rocks by the king’s -highway. The harper shivered and the harper shook, but he would not turn -back; and by and by he came to the forest that lay between him and his -home.</p> - -<p>The trees of the forest were creaking and bending in the wind, and every -one of them seemed to say:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Darkness gathers, night is near;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Harper, stop! Don’t venture here.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>But the harper would not stop. “Snows may fall, winds may blow, and -night may come, but I have promised to be at home by Christmas Day to -eat my share of the Christmas pudding and sing the Christmas songs by my -own fireside. I must go on.”</p> - -<p>And on he went till the last glimmer of daylight faded, and there was -darkness everywhere. But the harper was not afraid of the dark.</p> - -<p>“If I cannot see I can sing,” said he, and he sang in the forest -joyously:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Sing glory, glory, glory!<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And bless God’s holy name;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_17" id="page_17"></a>{17}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i1">For’t was on Christmas morning<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The little Jesus came.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“He wore no robes. No crown of gold<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Was on His head that morn;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">But herald angels sang for joy<br /></span> -<span class="i2">To tell a King was born.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The snow ceased its falling, the wind ceased -its blowing, the trees of the forest bowed down -to listen, and lo! dear children, as he sang the -darkness turned to wondrous light, and close -at hand the harper saw the open doorway of -his home.</p> - -<p>The wife and the child and the little brown -dog were watching and waiting, and they welcomed -the harper with great joy. The holly -berries were red in the Christmas wreaths; their -Christmas tree was a young green pine; the -Christmas pudding was full of plums; and the -harper was happier than a king as he sat by -his own fireside to sing:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“O glory, glory, glory!<br /></span> -<span class="i2">We bless God’s holy name;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">For’t was to bring His wondrous love<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The little Jesus came.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“And in His praise our songs we sing,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And in His name we pray:<br /></span> -<span class="i1">God bless us all for Jesus’ sake,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">This happy Christmas Day.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_18" id="page_18"></a>{18}</span><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h3><a name="A_BOYS_VISIT_TO_SANTA_CLAUS" id="A_BOYS_VISIT_TO_SANTA_CLAUS"></a>A BOY’S VISIT TO SANTA CLAUS<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor1">[3]</a><br /><br /> -<small>RICHARD THOMAS WYCHE</small></h3> - -<p>Once upon a time there was a little boy who talked a great deal about -Santa Claus. He talked to his father, his mother, his brother and -sisters, until it was Santa Claus at the breakfast table, Santa Claus at -dinner, and Santa Claus at supper. This little boy had been told that -far away in the Northland lived Santa Claus. He was sitting by the fire -one day, watching the embers glow, and seeing castles in the glowing -embers. “There is Santa Claus’s house,” he said, “the great building -covered with snow. Why can’t I go to see him?”</p> - -<p>The little boy had worked and had saved some money. He took the money -and went down to the depot, bought a ticket, and before his father or -mother knew about it was gone to see Santa Claus. He traveled a long -time on the train, and by and by reached the end of the railroad. He -could go no farther on the train, for there was a great wide ocean, but -people crossed the ocean and so must the little boy, or at least a part -of it, in order to reach Santa<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_19" id="page_19"></a>{19}</span> Claus’s land. There was a great ship -lying in port soon to sail over the seas, and along with many people who -went aboard the ship, went the little boy. Soon every sail was spread -and out from the port went the ship, leaving far behind them the town.</p> - -<p>The ship sailed and sailed a long time, and finally land came in sight. -They had reached an island lying somewhere far out in the Mid seas. Some -of the people went ashore, and so did the little boy. But what a funny -land it was to the little boy! All the people were little people. The -grown men were not taller than the little boy, and they rode little -ponies that were not larger than dogs. Then the little boy asked, “What -land is this? Does Santa Claus live here?” And they said, “No.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“This is the land that lies east of the sun<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And west of the moon.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">You have not come too soon.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Northward you must go,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To the land of ice and snow.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>And so one day the little boy found a ship that was going to sail to the -Northland, and in this ship he went. The ship sailed and sailed a long -time until it finally came to where the sea was all frozen over, to the -land of icebergs and snow fields. The ship could go no farther,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_20" id="page_20"></a>{20}</span> so what -do you suppose the little boy did then? He was in the land of the -reindeer, and over the snow fields he went in search of Santa Claus.</p> - -<p>One day, as he was traveling over the snow fields to find Santa Claus’s -house, he saw not far away what at first seemed to be a hill, but soon -he saw that it was not a hill, but a house covered with ice and snow. -“That must be Santa Claus’s house,” he said. Soon the little boy was -standing in front of the great building whose towers seemed to reach the -sky. Up the shining steps he went and soon he was standing in front of -the door. The little boy saw no doorbell and so he knocked on the door. -No one answered, and then louder he knocked again. Still no one -answered. He began to feel afraid; perhaps this was the house of a -giant. If Santa Claus lived there, he might be angry with him for -coming, but once more he knocked. And then he heard a noise far down at -the other end of the hall. Some one was coming. Then suddenly the latch -went “click,” and the door stood wide open, and who do you suppose was -there? Santa Claus? No; a little boy with blue eyes and a bright, sweet -face. Then the little boy said, “Good morning. Does Santa Claus live -here?” And the other little boy said, “Yes. Come in,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_21" id="page_21"></a>{21}</span> come in. I am -Santa Claus’s little boy.” He took him by the hand and said, “I am very -glad to see you.”</p> - -<p>Then the two little boys walked down the long hallway, doors on this -side and doors on that, until they came to the last door on the -left-hand side. On this door Santa Claus’s little boy knocked, and a -great voice said, “Come in.” He opened the door and walked in, and who -do you suppose was there? Santa Claus? Yes, there was Santa Claus -himself; a great, big, fat man sitting by the fire, with long, white -beard, blue eyes, and the merriest, cheeriest face you ever saw. Then -Santa Claus’s little boy said, “Father, here is a little boy who has -come to see you.” Santa Claus looked down over his spectacles and said, -“Well, how are you? I am mighty glad to see you. Yes, yes, I know him. I -have been to his house on many a night and filled up his stocking. How -are Elizabeth and Louise and Katherine?” Over on the other side of the -fireplace sat Mrs. Santa Claus. She was a grandmother-looking woman, -with white hair and gold-rimmed spectacles. She was sitting by the fire -knitting; she put her arms around the little boy and kissed him.</p> - -<p>Then the two little boys sat down in front of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_22" id="page_22"></a>{22}</span> the fire and talked -together. By and by, Santa Claus’s little boy said to the other little -boy, “Don’t you want to go over the building and see what we have in the -different rooms? This building has a thousand rooms.” And the little boy -said, “Who-o-o-oe.” And Santa Claus’s little boy said, “Yes, and -something different in every room.”</p> - -<p>Then they went into a large room, and what do you suppose was in there? -Nothing but doll babies; some with long dresses and some with short; -some with black eyes and some with blue. Then into another room they -went, and it was full of toys, wagons and horses; another room was full -of story books; another room was a candy kitchen where Santa Claus made -candy; another room was a workshop where Santa Claus made toys for the -children. Then they went into a long, large room, the largest of them -all, and in this room were a great many tables. On these tables were -suits, cloaks and hats, and shoes and stockings for the children.</p> - -<p>The little boy wanted to know what they did with so many clothes, and -Santa Claus’s little boy said, “We take these to the little children who -have no father or mother to make them clothes.” And so they went through -all the rooms of the great building, except one,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_23" id="page_23"></a>{23}</span> which was away -upstairs in the corner. What was in this room no one would tell the -little boy, nor would they take him into the room. And the little boy -wondered what was in the room.</p> - -<p>The little boy stayed at Santa Claus’s house several days, and he had a -splendid time. Some days the two little boys would slide down the hill -on a sled, some days they would hitch up the reindeer and go sleighing, -some days they would go into the candy kitchen and help Santa Claus make -candy, or into the workshop and help him make toys.</p> - -<p>But one day something happened. Santa Claus came to the little boy and -said, “I am going away to-day for a little while; my wife and my little -boy are going with me. Now,” he said, “you can go with us or you can -stay here and keep house for us while we are gone.” The little boy -thought to himself that Santa Claus had been so good to him that he -would stay and keep house while Santa Claus was away. So he said he -would stay, and then Santa Claus gave him a great bunch of keys and -said, “Now you can go into all the rooms and play, but you must not go -into that room upstairs in the corner.” The little boy said, “All -right,” and with that Santa Claus, his wife, and his little boy went -down the steps, got into<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_24" id="page_24"></a>{24}</span> the sleigh, wrapped themselves up in furs, -popped the whip, and away they went! The little boy stood and watched -them until they disappeared behind the snow hills.</p> - -<p>Then he turned and went back into the house. He felt like a little man -in that great house all by himself. From room to room he went. He went -into the game room and rolled the balls. Some of the balls were so large -that they were as high as the little boy’s head. They were of rubber, -and if you would drop one from the top of the house it would bounce -clear back to the top. The little boy went into the candy kitchen and -ate some of the candy. He went into the workshop and worked on some -toys, then into the library and read some of the books, then into the -parlor and banged on the piano.</p> - -<p>But after a while, the little boy was tired, and he said, “I wish Santa -Claus would hurry and come back.” He was lonely. And so he thought he -would go up on the housetop and look out to see if he could see Santa -Claus coming home. Up the steps he went. When he reached the top, there -was another flight. Up these he went and still another flight; up, up, -he went until it seemed he had gone a thousand steps. But, finally, he -came out on top.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_25" id="page_25"></a>{25}</span></p> - -<p>The little boy stood there with his hand on the railing and looked out, -but all he could see were the snow fields, white and glistening. Santa -Claus was not in sight. He could see the track over the snow that the -sleigh had made, but that was all.</p> - -<p>Then down the steps he came, and it just happened that he came by the -room that Santa Claus told him he must not go into. As he passed, he -stopped in front of the door and said to himself, “I wonder what they -have in that room, and why they did not want me to go in?” He took hold -of the knob and gave it a turn, but the door was locked. Then he shut -one eye and peeped through the keyhole, but he could see nothing; it was -all dark. Then he put his mouth at the keyhole and blew through it, but -he could hear nothing. Then he put his nose there and smelled, but he -could smell nothing. “I wonder what they have in the room!” he said. “I -believe I will see just for fun which one of these keys will fit in the -lock.”</p> - -<p>The little boy had in his hand the great bunch of keys. He tried one key -and that would not fit, then he tried another and another and another, -and kept on until he came to the last key. “Now,” he said to himself, -“if this key<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_26" id="page_26"></a>{26}</span> does not fit I am going.” He tried it, and it was the only -key on the bunch that would fit. “Now,” he said, “I shall not go into -the room, but I will just turn the key and see if it will unlock the -lock. It may fit in the lock and then not unlock the lock.” He turned -the key slowly and the latch went “click, click,” and the door flew wide -open. What do you suppose was in the room? It was all dark; the little -boy could see nothing. He had his hand on the knob and it seemed to him -that his hand was caught between the knob and key, and somehow, as the -door opened, it pulled him in. When he stepped into the room, he felt a -breeze blowing and, more than that, as he stepped down he found the room -did not have any bottom; just a dark hole.</p> - -<p>Well, as the little boy stepped over into the room, he felt himself -falling, away down, down, down yonder. He shut his eyes, expecting every -moment to strike something and be killed. But, before he did, some one -caught him by the shoulders and shook him and said, “Wake up! Wake up!” -He opened his eyes, and where do you suppose the little boy was? At -home. It was Christmas morning, and his father was calling him to get -up. The sun was shining across his little bed. He looked toward<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_27" id="page_27"></a>{27}</span> the -fireplace, and there all the stockings were hanging full. The little boy -had been to see Santa Claus, but he went by that wonderful way we call -“Dreamland.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_28" id="page_28"></a>{28}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_CHRISTMAS_KINGS" id="THE_CHRISTMAS_KINGS"></a>THE CHRISTMAS KINGS<br /><br /> -<small>RUTH SAWYER</small></h3> - -<p>When the Christ Child was born in Bethlehem of Judea, long years ago, -three kings rode out of the East on their camels bearing gifts to him. -They followed the Star, until at last they came to the manger where he -lay—a little, newborn baby. Kneeling down, they put their gifts beside -him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh; they kissed the hem of the little, -white mantle that he wore, and blessed him. Then the kings rode away to -the East again; but before ever they went they whispered a promise to -the Christ Child.</p> - -<p>And the promise? You shall hear it as the kings gave it to the Christ -Child, long years ago.</p> - -<p>“As long as there be children on the earth, on every Christmas Eve we -three kings shall ride on camels—even as we rode to thee this night; -and even as we bore thee gifts so shall we bear gifts to every child in -memory of thee, thou holy Babe of Bethlehem.”</p> - -<p>In Spain they have remembered what the Christmas kings promised; and -when Christmas Eve comes, each child puts his <i>sapatico</i>—his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_29" id="page_29"></a>{29}</span> little -shoe—between the gratings of the window that they may know a child is -in that house, and leave a gift.</p> - -<p>Often the shoe is filled with grass for the camels; and a plate of dates -and figs is left beside it; for the children know the kings have far to -go and may be hungry.</p> - -<p>At day’s end bands of children march out of the city gates—going to -meet the kings. But always it grows dark before they come. The children -are afraid upon the lonely road and hurry back to their homes; where the -good <i>madres</i> hear them say one prayer to the Nene Jesu, as they call -the Christ Child, and then put them to bed to dream of the Christmas -kings.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Long, long ago, there lived in Spain, in the crowded part of a great -city, an old woman called Doña Josefa. The street in which she lived was -little and narrow; so narrow that if you leaned out of the window of -Doña Josefa’s house you could touch with your fingertips the house -across the way; and when you looked above your head the sky seemed but a -string of blue—tying the houses all together. The sun never found its -way into this little street.</p> - -<p>The people who lived here were very poor, as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_30" id="page_30"></a>{30}</span> you may guess; Doña Josefa -was poor, likewise. But in one thing she was very rich; she knew more -stories than there were feast days in the year—and that is a great -many. Whenever there came a moment free from work; when Doña Josefa had -no water to fetch from the public well, nor gold to stitch upon the -altar cloth for the Church of Santa Maria del Rosario; then she would -run out of her house into the street and call:</p> - -<p>“<i>Niños</i>, <i>niñas</i>, come quickly! Here is a story waiting for you.”</p> - -<p>And the children would come flying—like the gray <i>palomas</i> when corn is -thrown for them in the Plaza. Ah, how many children there were in that -little street! There were José and Miguel, and the <i>niños</i> of Enrique, -the cobbler,—Alfredito and Juana and Esperanza,—and the little twin -sisters of Pancho, the peddler; and Angela, Maria Teresa, Pedro, Edita, -and many more. Last of all there were Manuel and Rosita. They had no -father; and their mother was a <i>lavandera</i> who stood all day on the -banks of the river outside the city, washing clothes.</p> - -<p>When Doña Josefa had called the children from all the doorways and the -dark corners, she would sit down in the middle of the street and gather -them about her. This was safe, because<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_31" id="page_31"></a>{31}</span> the street was far too narrow to -allow a horse or wagon to pass through. Sometimes a donkey would slowly -pick its way along, or a stupid goat come searching for things to eat; -but that was all.</p> - -<p>It happened on the day before Christmas that Doña Josefa had finished -her work, and sat as usual with the children about her.</p> - -<p>“To-day you shall have a Christmas story,” she said; and then she told -them of the three kings and the promise they had made the Christ Child.</p> - -<p>“And is it so—do the kings bring presents to the children now?” Miguel -asked.</p> - -<p>Doña Josefa nodded her head: “Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Then why have they never left us one? The three kings never pass this -street on Christmas Eve; why is it, Doña?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it is because we have no shoes to hold their gifts,” said -Angela.</p> - -<p>And this is true. The poor children of Spain go barefooted; and often -never have a pair of shoes till they grow up.</p> - -<p>Manuel had listened silently to the others; but now he pulled the sleeve -of Doña Josefa’s gown with coaxing fingers: “I know why it is the kings -bring no gifts to us. See—the street—it is too small, their camels -could not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_32" id="page_32"></a>{32}</span> pass between the doorsteps here. The kings must ride where -the streets are broad and smooth and clean; where their long mantles -will not be soiled and torn, and the camels will not stumble. It is the -children in the great streets—the children of the rich—who find -presents in their <i>sapaticos</i> on Christmas morning. Is it not so, Doña -Josefa?”</p> - -<p>And Miguel cried: “Does Manuel speak true; is it only the children of -the rich?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, <i>chiquito mio</i>, it should not be so! When the promise was given to -the Nene Jesu, there in Bethlehem, they said, ‘to every child,’—yes, -every little child.”</p> - -<p>“But it is not strange they should forget us here,” Manuel insisted. -“The little street is hidden in the shadow of the great ones.”</p> - -<p>Then Rosita spoke, clasping her hands together with great eagerness: “I -know; it is because we have no shoes, that is why the kings never stop. -Perhaps Enrique would lend us the shoes he is mending—just for one -night. If we had shoes the kings would surely see that there are little -children in the street, and leave a gift for each of us. Come, let us -ask Enrique!”</p> - -<p>“Madre de Dios, it is a blessed thought!” cried all; and like the flock -of gray <i>palomas</i> they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_33" id="page_33"></a>{33}</span> swept down the street to the farthest end, where -Enrique hammered and stitched away all day on the shoes of the rich -children.</p> - -<p>Manuel stayed behind with Doña Josefa. When the last pair of little -brown feet had disappeared inside the <i>sapateria</i> he said softly:</p> - -<p>“If some one could go out and meet the kings—to tell them of this -little street, and how the <i>niños</i> here have never had a Christmas gift, -do you not think they might ride hither to-night?”</p> - -<p>Doña Josefa shook her head doubtfully. “If that were possible,—but -never have I heard of any one who met the kings on Christmas Eve.”</p> - -<p>All day in the city people hurried to and fro. In the great streets -flags waved from the housetops; and wreaths of laurel, or garlands of -heliotrope and mariposa hung above the open doorways and in the windows. -Sweetmeat sellers were crying their wares; and the Keeper-of-the-City -lighted flaming torches to hang upon the gates and city walls. -Everywhere was merrymaking and gladness; for not only was this Christmas -Eve, but the King of Spain was coming to keep his holiday within the -city. Some whispered that he was riding from the north, and with him -rode his cousins, the kings<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_34" id="page_34"></a>{34}</span> of France and Lombardy; and with them were -a great following of nobles, knights, and minstrels. Others said, the -kings rode all alone—it was their wish.</p> - -<p>As the sun was turning the cathedral spires to shafts of gold, bands of -children, hand in hand, marched out of the city. They took the road that -led toward the setting sun, thinking it was the East; and said among -themselves: “See, yonder is the way the kings will ride.”</p> - -<p>“I have brought a basket of figs,” cried one.</p> - -<p>“I have dates in a new <i>panuela</i>,” cried another.</p> - -<p>“And I,” cried a third, “I have brought a sack of sweet limes, they are -so cooling.”</p> - -<p>Thus each in turn showed some small gift that he was bringing for the -kings. And while they chatted together, one child began to sing the -sweet Nativity Hymn. In a moment others joined until the still night air -rang with their happy voices.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Unto us a Child is born,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Unto us a Gift is given.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Hail with holiness the morn,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Kneel before the Prince of Heaven.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Blessed be this Day of Birth,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">God hath given his Son to earth.<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Jesu, Jesu, Nene Jesu,<br /></span> -<span class="i4">Hallelujah!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_35" id="page_35"></a>{35}</span><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Behind the little hills the sun went down leaving a million sparks of -light upon the road.</p> - -<p>“Yonder come the kings!” the children cried. “See, the splendor of their -shining crowns and how the jewels sparkle on their mantles! They may be -angry if they find us out so late; come, let us run home before they see -us.”</p> - -<p>The children turned. Back to the city gates they ran; back to their -homes, to the good <i>madres</i> watching for them and their own white beds -ready for them.</p> - -<p>But one they left behind them on the road: a little, bare-limbed boy -whose name was Manuel. He watched until the children had disappeared -within the gates, and then he turned again toward the setting sun.</p> - -<p>“I have no gift for the kings,” he thought, “but there is fresh, green -grass beside the way, that I can gather for the camels.”</p> - -<p>He stopped; pulled his hands full, and stuffed it in the front of the -little blue <i>vestido</i> that he wore. He followed the road for a long way -until heavy sleep came to his eyes.</p> - -<p>“How still it is upon the road! God has blown out his light and soon it -will be dark. I wish I were with the others, safe within the city; for -the dark is full of fearsome things when one is all alone.... Mamita -will be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_36" id="page_36"></a>{36}</span> coming home soon and bringing supper for Rosita and me. -Perhaps, to-night, there will be an almond <i>dulce</i> or <i>pan de -gloria</i>,—perhaps.... I wonder will Rosita not forget the little prayer -I told her to be always saying. My feet hurt with the many stones; the -night wind blows cold; I am weary, and my feet stumble with me.... Oh, -Nene Jesu, listen! I also make the prayer: ‘Send the three kings before -Manuel is too weary and afraid!’ ”</p> - -<p>A few more steps he took upon the road; and then, as a reed is blown -down by the wind, Manuel swayed, unknowingly for a moment, and slowly -sank upon the ground, fast asleep.</p> - -<p>How long he slept, I cannot tell you; but a hand on his shoulder wakened -him. Quickly he opened his eyes, wondering, and saw—yes, he saw the -three kings! Tall and splendid they looked in the starlight; their -mantles shimmered with myriad gems. One stood above Manuel, asking what -he did upon the road at that late hour.</p> - -<p>He rose to his feet—thrusting his hand inside the shirt for the grass -he had gathered: “It is for the camels, <i>señor</i>; I have no other gift. -But you—you ride horses this Christmas Eve!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, we ride horses; what is that to you?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_37" id="page_37"></a>{37}</span></p> - -<p>“Pardon, <i>señores</i>, nothing. The three kings can ride horses if they -wish; only—we were told you rode on camels from the East.”</p> - -<p>“What does the child want?” The voice was kind but it sounded impatient; -as though the one who spoke had work waiting to be done, and was anxious -to be about it.</p> - -<p>Manuel heard and felt all this, wondering, “What if there is not time -for them to come, or gifts enough!” He laid an eager, pleading hand upon -one king’s mantle. “I can hold the horses for you if you will come this -once. It is a little street and hard to find, <i>señores</i>; I thought, -perhaps, you would leave a present—just one little present—for the -children there. You told the Christ Child you would give to every child, -don’t you remember? There are many of us, <i>señores</i>, who have never had -a gift—a Christmas gift.”</p> - -<p>“Do you know who we are?”</p> - -<p>Manuel answered joyfully: “Oh, yes, <i>Excelencias</i>, you are the Three -Christmas Kings, riding from Bethlehem. Will you come with me?”</p> - -<p>The kings spoke with one accord: “Verily, we will.”</p> - -<p>One lifted Manuel on his horse; and silently they rode into the city. -The Keeper slumbered at the gates; the streets were empty. On, past<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_38" id="page_38"></a>{38}</span> the -houses that were garlanded they went unseen, and on through the great -streets; until they came to the little street at last. The kings -dismounted. They gave their bridles into Manuel’s hand; and then, -gathering up their precious mantles of silk and rich brocade, they -passed down the little street. With eyes that scarce believed what they -saw, Manuel watched them go from house to house; saw them stop and feel -for the shoes between the gratings—the shoes loaned by Enrique the -cobbler; and saw them fill each one with shining goldpieces.</p> - -<p>In the morning Manuel told the story to the children as they went to -spend one golden <i>doblón</i> for toys and candy and sugared cakes. And a -gift they bought for Doña Josefa, too: a little figure of the Holy -Mother with the Christ Child in her arms.</p> - -<p>And so, the promise made in Bethlehem was made again, and to a little -child; and it was kept. For many, many years—long after Manuel was -grown and had <i>niños</i> of his own—the kings remembered the little -street, and brought their gifts there every Christmas Eve.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39"></a>{39}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_CHRISTMAS_CAKE" id="THE_CHRISTMAS_CAKE"></a>THE CHRISTMAS CAKE<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor1">[4]</a><br /><br /> -<small>MAUD LINDSAY</small></h3> - -<p>It was a joyful day for the McMulligan children when Mrs. McMulligan -made the Christmas cake. There were raisins to seed and eggs to beat, -and pans to scrape, and every one of the children, from the oldest to -the youngest, helped to stir the batter when the good things were mixed -together.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Oh, mix it, and stir it, and stir it and taste;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">For ev’rything’s in it, and nothing to waste;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And ev’ry one’s helped—even Baby—to make<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The nice, brown, sugary Christmas cake,”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">said Mrs. McMulligan, as she poured the batter into the cake pan.</p> - -<p>The Baker who lived at the corner was to bake the Christmas cake, so -Joseph, the oldest boy, made haste to carry it to him. All the other -children followed him, and together they went, oh, so carefully, out of -the front door, down the sidewalk, straight to the shop where the Baker -was waiting for them.</p> - -<p>The Baker’s face was so round and so jolly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40"></a>{40}</span> that the McMulligan children -thought he must look like Santa Claus. He could bake the whitest bread -and the lightest cake, and as soon as the children spied him they began -to call:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The cake is all ready! ’T is here in the pan;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Now bake it, good Baker, as fast as you can”;<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“No, no,” said the Baker, “ ’T would be a mistake<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To hurry in baking the Christmas cake.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">I’ll not bake it fast, and I’ll not bake it slow;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">My little round clock on the wall there will show<br /></span> -<span class="i1">How long I must watch and how long I must bake<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The nice, brown, sugary Christmas cake.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The little round clock hung on the wall above the oven. Its face was so -bright, and its tick was so merry, and it was busy night and day telling -the Baker when to sleep and when to eat and when to do his baking. When -the McMulligan children looked at it, it was just striking ten, and it -seemed to them very plainly to say:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“ ’T is just the right time for the Baker to bake<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The nice, brown, sugary Christmas cake.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The oven was ready, and the Baker made haste to put the cake in.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Ho, ho,” he cried gayly, “now isn’t this fun?<br /></span> -<span class="i1">’T is ten o’ the clock, and the baking’s begun,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And ‘tickity, tickity,’ when it strikes one,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">If nothing should hinder the cake will be done.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41"></a>{41}</span><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Then the McMulligan children ran home to tell their mother what he had -said, and the Baker went on with his work. It was the day before -Christmas, and a great many people came to his shop to buy pies and -cakes, but no matter how busy he was waiting on them, he never forgot -the McMulligans’ cake, and every time he looked at the clock, it -reminded him to peep into the oven.</p> - -<p>So well did he watch it, and so carefully did he bake it, that the cake -was done on the stroke of one, just as he had promised, and he had -scarcely taken it out of the oven when the shop door flew open; and in -came the McMulligan children, every one of them saying:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The clock has struck one. The clock has struck one.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">We waited to hear it—and is the cake done?”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>When they saw it they thought it was the nicest, brownest, spiciest cake -that was ever baked in a Baker’s oven. The Baker himself said it was a -beautiful cake, and if you had been at the McMulligans’ on Christmas -Day, I am sure you would have thought so too.</p> - -<p>Joseph carried it home, walking very slowly and carefully, and all the -other children followed him, out of the Baker’s shop, down the sidewalk, -straight home where Mrs. McMulligan<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42"></a>{42}</span> was waiting for them. She was -smiling at them from the window, and when they spied her they all began -to call:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Hurrah for our Mamma! She surely can make<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The nicest and spiciest Christmas cake!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Hurrah for the Baker! Hurrah for the fun!<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Hurrah for our Christmas cake! Now it is done!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43"></a>{43}</span><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h3><a name="THE_DOLLS_WISH" id="THE_DOLLS_WISH"></a>THE DOLL’S WISH<br /><br /> -<small>ANNA E. SKINNER</small></h3> - -<p>The children liked the tiny shop around the corner better than any of -the stores on the main street of the town. It was a doll shop! No wonder -the little boys and girls loved to look in the show window. There they -saw all kinds of dolls,—rubber babies, fat kewpies with roguish eyes, -doll soldiers, tiny Japanese ladies dressed in flowered silk kimonos, -little Eskimo boys in pointed hoods and woolly coats, Dutch dolls in -wooden shoes and snow-white caps, brown-eyed dolls with rich dark hair, -blue-eyed dolls with golden curls.</p> - -<p>Nothing could look lovelier than the little shop at Christmas time when -the ground was white with snow. Then many of the dolls wore their gayest -dresses, and when the lights were turned on, the little show window -sparkled like fairyland.</p> - -<p>One night, at about twelve o’clock, a brown-haired doll with bright dark -eyes said, “Oh! how glad I am the lights are turned out at last! I’m -sure at least five hundred people stopped in front of this window -to-day.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44"></a>{44}</span></p> - -<p>“It has been a long day,” said the soldier boy who stood near her. “Even -a soldier gets tired once in a while.”</p> - -<p>“It is only a few days now until Christmas. I do wonder where we shall -all be this time next week,” whispered a wide-eyed kewpie.</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope I shall be in a pleasant, beautiful home,” said a lovely -doll, smoothing out her pale blue silk dress. “A lady who wore a rich -fur coat looked at me a long while this morning.”</p> - -<p>“Some of us are sure to go to rich homes. You and I are worth a good -deal of money. Indeed, there is only one doll in the show window more -expensive than we are,” answered the golden-haired maiden in white lace.</p> - -<p>“I suppose you mean the large doll dressed in pink satin?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; I heard several children call her the most beautiful doll of all.”</p> - -<p>“Did you notice the shabby looking little girl who stood before the -window a long time this morning?” asked the doll in blue.</p> - -<p>“I did!” answered the soldier boy. “She carried a cunning looking little -dog in her arms. If I should go where that silky-haired dog lives my -soldier clothes would be ruined in about ten minutes.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45"></a>{45}</span></p> - -<p>“Well, I should be very unhappy, I’m sure, in that little girl’s home. -She must be very poor.”</p> - -<p>“I liked her sweet face very much,” said the most beautiful doll, who -was dressed in pink satin. “She was very kind to the little dog.”</p> - -<p>“A cozy place is my choice,” said the lass who wore wooden shoes. “I -hope I shall live where everything is kept warm and cheerful.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, that is really where you belong, I suppose,” said the Eskimo boy. -“These clothes will be too warm if I am taken to one of those houses -where the rooms are all as hot as a summer’s day.”</p> - -<p>“Where should you like to go?” asked the little Dutch maiden.</p> - -<p>The Eskimo boy thought for a moment, and then said, “I hope I shall live -with some romping boy who will take me with him when he makes a snow -man. That would be jolly!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, do you think so?” asked the tiny doll dressed in green gauze.</p> - -<p>“That I do,” he answered. “I’m from the north, where there is nothing -but ice and snow.”</p> - -<p>“I would rather stand here in the show window than on a parlor mantel,” -pouted little Kewpie.</p> - -<p>“Never mind, dear,” said the Japanese doll, “I think you are to go to a -lovely little girl.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46"></a>{46}</span> I saw one looking at you this afternoon, and she -clapped her hands with delight when she saw you.”</p> - -<p>“Where do you think you will go?” asked Kewpie.</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid that I shall be chosen for some queer little person. You see -my style is quite different from that of other dolls. I hope I shall be -allowed to wear kimonos. They are very comfortable.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you will be added to some one’s collection of dolls from all -nations,” said the soldier boy.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I hope not,” spoke up the most beautiful doll of all. “If you were -one of a large collection I’m sure you wouldn’t be loved very much, -because collections are kept chiefly for show.”</p> - -<p>“You haven’t told us yet where you would like to go,” said the doll in -white lace. “No doubt some very rich person will buy you. I heard the -shopkeeper say that you are the costliest doll of all. We are all -wondering where you would like to go.”</p> - -<p>“I am longing to go to some little girl who will love me with all her -heart,” said the most beautiful doll. “I don’t care how humble the home -is where I live, but I want to be loved.”</p> - -<p>“How strange!” was the answer.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47"></a>{47}</span></p> - -<p>“I hope we shall all be satisfied,” said Kewpie, yawning.</p> - -<p>“We shall soon know,” sighed the soldier boy. “Good night to all!”</p> - -<p>“Good night! Good night!”</p> - -<p>A hard snowstorm did not keep the people away from the doll shop the -next morning.</p> - -<p>Among those that crowded the store was an old gentleman with a fine, -generous face.</p> - -<p>“Show me a pretty doll,” he said.</p> - -<p>“There are some beauties in the window, sir,” answered the shopkeeper. -“Come and look at them.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll take the large one dressed in pink,” said the gentleman. “I’m -going to send it to a dear little girl who did me a great kindness. My -little dog strayed a long distance from home. She found him, and carried -him to me. I’m sure her kind heart will love a doll.”</p> - -<p>In the afternoon an old gentleman knocked at the door of a very humble -home and said, “I have brought a gift to the little girl who took the -trouble to carry my lost dog home to me. Please give it to her on -Christmas Day.”</p> - -<p>And so the most beautiful doll’s wish came true.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48"></a>{48}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_CHRISTMAS_SPRUCE_TREE" id="THE_CHRISTMAS_SPRUCE_TREE"></a>THE CHRISTMAS SPRUCE TREE<br /><br /> -<small>(Norwegian Legend)</small><br /><br /> -<small>ANNA VON RYDINGSVÄRD</small></h3> - -<p>Among the tall trees in the forest grew a little spruce tree. It was no -taller than a man, and that is very short for a tree.</p> - -<p>The other trees near it grew so tall and had such large branches that -the poor little tree could not grow at all.</p> - -<p>She liked to listen when the other trees were talking, but it often made -her sad.</p> - -<p>“I am king of the forest,” said the oak. “Look at my huge trunk and my -branches. How they reach up toward heaven! I furnish planks for men from -which they build their ships. Then I defy the storm on the ocean as I do -the thunder in the forest.”</p> - -<p>“And I go with you over the foaming waves,” said the tall straight pine. -“I hold up the flapping sails when the ships fly over the ocean.”</p> - -<p>“And we warm the houses when winter comes and the cold north wind drives -the snow before him,” said the birches.</p> - -<p>“We have the same work to do,” said a tall<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49"></a>{49}</span> fir tree, and she bowed -gracefully, drooping her branches toward the ground.</p> - -<p>The little spruce tree heard the other trees talking about their work in -the world. This made her sad, and she thought, “What work can I do? What -will become of me?”</p> - -<p>But she could not think of any way in which she could be useful. She -decided to ask the other trees in the forest.</p> - -<p>So she asked the oak, the pine, and the fir, but they were so proud and -stately they did not even hear her.</p> - -<p>Then she asked the beautiful white birch that stood near by. “You have -no work to do,” said the birch, “because you can never grow large -enough. Perhaps you might be a Christmas tree, but that is all.”</p> - -<p>“What is a Christmas tree?” asked the little spruce.</p> - -<p>“I do not know exactly,” replied the birch. “Sometimes when the days are -short and cold, and the ground is covered with snow, men come out here -into the forest. They look at all the little spruce trees and choose the -prettiest, saying, ‘This will do for a Christmas tree.’ Then they chop -it down and carry it away. What they do with it I cannot tell.”</p> - -<p>The little spruce asked the rabbit that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50"></a>{50}</span> hopped over the snow, and the -owls that slept in the pines, and the squirrels that came to find nuts -and acorns.</p> - -<p>But no one knew more than the birch tree. No one could tell what men did -with the Christmas trees.</p> - -<p>Then the little spruce tree wept because she had no work to do and could -not be of any use in the world.</p> - -<p>The tears hardened into clear, round drops, which we call gum.</p> - -<p>At last a boy came into the forest with an ax in his hand. He looked the -little tree all over. “Perhaps this will do for a Christmas tree,” he -said. So he chopped it down, laid it on a sled, and dragged it home.</p> - -<p>The next day the boy sold the tree, and it was taken into a large room -and dressed up with popcorn and gilded nuts and candles. Packages of all -sizes and shapes, and tiny bags filled with candy, were tied on its -branches.</p> - -<p>The tree was trembling with the excitement, but she stood as still as -she could. “What if I should drop some of this fruit,” she thought.</p> - -<p>When it began to grow dark, every one left the room and the tree was -alone. It began to feel lonely and to think sad thoughts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51"></a>{51}</span></p> - -<p>Soon the door opened and a lady came in. She lighted all the candles.</p> - -<p>How light and glowing it was then!</p> - -<p>The tree had never even dreamed of anything so beautiful!</p> - -<p>Then the children came and danced about the tree, singing a Christmas -song. The father played on his violin, and the baby sat in her mother’s -arms, smiling and cooing.</p> - -<p>“Now I know what I was made for,” thought the spruce tree; “I was -intended to give joy to the little ones, because I, myself, am so small -and humble.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52"></a>{52}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="A_LITTLE_ROMAN_SHEPHERD" id="A_LITTLE_ROMAN_SHEPHERD"></a>A LITTLE ROMAN SHEPHERD<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor1">[5]</a><br /><br /> -<small>CAROLINE SHERWIN BAILEY</small></h3> - -<p>His name was Bruno and he lived a long, long way from here on the Roman -Campagna. His house was a pointed hut thatched with straw, and back of -it was the fold where the sheep lived, and then, for miles and miles, -there was no other living thing for a little boy to see. There was no -one to play with; there was nothing for a little boy to do but tend the -sheep and milk the goats and wish, oh, so hard, that he might go on that -long Appian Way to the gate of St. Sebastian and to Rome, on the other -side.</p> - -<p>Piccola had told him about Rome. Piccola’s father bought wool and sold -it to the traders at Rome. Twice a year Piccola and her father came out -to the Campagna at shearing time. The father haggled over the <i>lira</i> he -must pay Bruno’s father. Piccola and Bruno sat under an olive tree, -their hands tightly clasped, as Piccola told Bruno of Rome.</p> - -<p>“You should see it at the <i>festa</i> of Christmas,” she exclaimed. “Every -shop is full of lights<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53"></a>{53}</span> in the evening and the flower carts stand at all -the corners. There is a manger and Babe in the chapel and,” Piccola’s -voice was rich with wonder, “there is a <i>box that talks</i> in a shop on -the Corso.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe you; how could it talk? What makes it talk?” Bruno -asked; but this Piccola could not tell.</p> - -<p>“It <i>talks</i>—that is all I know,” she said, “and it <i>sings</i>,” and she -might have told more but her father came and she must say good-by to -Bruno. In a moment he could see nothing of Piccola but the flash of her -little scarlet and green skirt and the blue cornflower she wore in her -black braids. Then there was only a cloud of dust to hide the yellow -cart wheels, and Piccola was gone—to Rome where there was a box that -would talk and sing.</p> - -<p>There came long, sweet, all-alike days for Bruno and the sheep. The -wheat grew yellow and heavy to breaking with sweetness and Bruno watched -the harvesters. The olives ripened, and the grapes, and the figs. Then -the sun set earlier, and the nights were chilly with frost, and Bruno -and his father put warm cloaks made of skin over their blue smocks.</p> - -<p>“It is near the <i>festa</i> of Christmas,” said Bruno one day. “I have never -been to Rome. Will<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54"></a>{54}</span> you take me there to hear the talking box on the -Corso, father? It both speaks and sings.”</p> - -<p>“No,” Bruno’s father was quick in his reply, being a hard man after many -lonely years. “The ewe lambs are ailing, and I cannot leave them. And -there are no singing boxes in Rome.”</p> - -<p>So Bruno followed the old sheep and the lambs to their grassy hill and -helped to drive them home at night until it was the eve of the Christmas -<i>festa</i>. On this eve, he locked the gate of the fold and turned to go -into the hut. His father would be dozing, perhaps, for the cold dusk had -crept over the great Campagna and one star shone out in the purple sky. -It hung, pointing, over Rome. As Bruno looked up at it, he heard a sound -of far-away bells. They might be the bells of Rome. Oh, beautiful Rome, -with its gay, bright streets, and its flower carts, and its magic box -that could sing and turn loneliness into music!</p> - -<p>Bruno pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. His bare feet flashed -over the fields of dry grass and wheat stubble. He found the old Appian -Road and raced along it in the path of starlight. He was running away. -He was going to Rome. For an hour he ran.</p> - -<p>He had gone so far and so fast, and his ears<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55"></a>{55}</span> rang so with the singing -Christmas bells that, at first, he did not hear it—the bleating of a -foolish little ewe lamb. Then it came again, and Bruno stopped. The lamb -lay under a bunch of dried brown stalks, its flesh torn by thistles and -its eyes dull with fear because it had lost its mother.</p> - -<p>“Stupid! Why did you run away? I can’t take you home!” Bruno stamped one -little brown foot, “I’m going to Rome for Christmas, do you hear? I -won’t take you home—” but as he spoke, he stooped down and lifted the -trembling, fearful little creature in his arms and turned back toward -the fold.</p> - -<p>The star path stretched at Bruno’s back now. Ahead were black shadows, -and a biting wind whirled small stones that cut his face and made -mocking sounds as it scurried through the ruined arches of the aqueduct. -He lost the road, and stiff cactus thorns cut his slim ankles. The lamb -was heavier with each step. He wouldn’t cry; no Roman lad cries, his -father had told him; but he couldn’t find his way. The little shepherd -boy dropped to the ground. He could hear the Christmas bells; no, it was -a clear, sweet voice coming from a polished wood box that sang him to -sleep.</p> - -<p>When he opened his heavy eyelids, Piccola’s<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56"></a>{56}</span> dancing eyes met his. What -a gay little Christmas sprite she looked in her warm crimson hood and -cloak! Bruno, himself, lay in his father’s arms and Piccola’s father was -lifting the strayed lamb into the two-wheeled yellow cart, a lantern in -one hand.</p> - -<p>“We had to go to Albano with wool, and on the way back I begged father -to stop for you, Bruno, to go back to Rome for Christmas. We couldn’t -find you. Your father came with us to look for you, and the lamb told us -where you were.”</p> - -<p>“My brave little Roman lad!” It was Bruno’s father who stroked his head -with long, thin fingers. “We will return with the lamb to the fold and -find warm milk for you. Then you may go to Rome for the <i>festa</i> with the -little <i>signorina</i>.”</p> - -<p>“And we’re going to <i>buy</i> a box that talks,” added Piccola, happily.</p> - -<p>“And sings!” smiled back Bruno as he looked toward the Christmas star -and the gate of St. Sebastian.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57"></a>{57}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_CHRISTMAS_TREE_IN_THE_NURSERY" -id="THE_CHRISTMAS_TREE_IN_THE_NURSERY"></a>THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE NURSERY<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor1">[6]</a><br /><br /> -<small>RICHARD WATSON GILDER</small></h3> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">With wild surprise<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Four great eyes<br /></span> -<span class="i0">In two small heads<br /></span> -<span class="i0">From neighboring beds<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Looked out—and winkt<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And glittered and blinkt<br /></span> -<span class="i0">At a very queer sight<br /></span> -<span class="i0">In the dim dawn-light.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">As plain as can be<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A fairy tree<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Flashes and glimmers<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And shakes and shimmers.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Red, green, and blue<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Meet their view;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Silver and gold<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sharp eyes behold;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Small moons, big stars;<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">And jams in jars,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And cakes and honey<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58"></a>{58}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">And thimbles and money;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Pink dogs, blue cats,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Little squeaking rats,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And candles and dolls<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And crackers and polls,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A real bird that sings,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And tokens and favors,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And all sorts of things,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For the little shavers.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Four black eyes<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Grow big with surprise,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And then grow bigger,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When a tiny little figure,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Jaunty and airy,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A fairy, a fairy!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">From the treetop cries,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“Open wide, Black Eyes!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Come, children, wake now!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Your joys you may take now.”<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Quick as you can think<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Twenty small toes<br /></span> -<span class="i0">In four pretty rows,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Like little piggies pink,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">All kick in the air—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And before you can wink<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The tree stands bare!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59"></a>{59}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_STARS_AND_THE_CHILD" id="THE_STARS_AND_THE_CHILD"></a>THE STARS AND THE CHILD<br /><br /> -<small>ANDREA HOFER PROUDFOOT</small></h3> - -<p>Long, long ago—so long that even the old gray hills have forgotten—the -beautiful stars in the sky used to sing together very early every -morning, before any of the little people of the world were up. Their -songs were made of light, and were so clear and strong that the whole -heaven would shine when they sang.</p> - -<p>One morning, as the stars sang and listened to each other, they heard -beautiful music coming swiftly toward them. It was so much louder and -sweeter than their own that they all stopped and listened and wondered. -It came from far above them, from out the very deepest blue of the sky. -It was a new star, and it sang an entirely new song that no one had ever -heard before.</p> - -<p>“Hark, hark!” the stars cried. “Let us hear what it is saying.”</p> - -<p>And the beautiful star sang it over and over again, and its song told of -a lovely Babe that had come on earth—a Babe so beautiful that it was -the joy of the whole world. Yes, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60"></a>{60}</span> beautiful that when you looked at -it you saw real light streaming from its face.</p> - -<p>Every little child in the world has light in its face if we but know how -to see it; but this little one had so very much that its mother wondered -as she looked down upon her lap and saw it there. And there were -shepherds there to look at the Babe, and many other people saw it and -could not understand.</p> - -<p>But the one beautiful star knew—yes, it knew all about it; and what do -you think it knew? Why, that this Child was God’s own Child, and was so -good and loving that the whole world when it heard of it would want to -know how to be so, too.</p> - -<p>This one beautiful star traveled on and on, telling all the way what it -knew of the Child, and its light fairly danced through the sky, and hung -over the very place where the little one lay.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61"></a>{61}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_STRANGER_CHILD" id="THE_STRANGER_CHILD"></a>THE STRANGER CHILD<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor1">[7]</a><br /><br /> -<small>FRIEDRICH RÜCKERT</small><br /><br /> -<small>(Translated from the German by Frances Jenkins Olcott)</small></h3> - -<p>’Twas Christmas Eve and, birdlike over the snow, flew a little stranger -child. It ran along the sparkling ground. Its face beamed with gladness. -It listened to the merry chimes of the Christmas bells and clapped its -hands for joy.</p> - -<p>It frolicked in the bright beams of light that fell from a cottage -window, and, peeping in, saw the Christmas tree hung full of shining -light and glittering gifts, and it watched the little children play -about the tree.</p> - -<p>“Oh, where,” cried the little stranger child, “where is my candles’ -light? And why is there no tree for me, nor pretty toys? Once in my -house my dear mother decked my tree! Oh, little children, may I not come -in to see your tree and play with you?”</p> - -<p>Then with frail hand the stranger child knocked on the window and the -door, but no one heard the sound. Then down in the cold, white snow the -little one sat, and wept.</p> - -<p>“O Christ Child, the children’s Friend, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62"></a>{62}</span> have no one to love me! Oh, -why hast thou forgotten to send me a little tree with lights on every -bough?”</p> - -<p>And the little stranger child, with cold hands, drew its white cloak -closer around its silken hair and pretty eyes so clear and blue.</p> - -<p>Then came another pilgrim child. He held in His hand a shining light, -and in a sweet, mild voice, like gentle music, he soothed the little -stranger child.</p> - -<p>“I am the Christmas Friend. Once I was a little child. Just now I heard -your pleadings, and have come to deck a tree for you more beautiful than -any tree ever before seen. Here in the open air is your Christmas tree, -my little flower.” And the little stranger child looked up—far up—into -the deep, deep sky, and saw there a glorious tree. Stars hung among its -branches, and angels sang songs of joy around it.</p> - -<p>And the little child smiled with joy, and troops of radiant beings -descended and lifted the little one in their arms. They bore him to the -Christ Child’s house, which is sweeter far than any home that earth can -give.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63"></a>{63}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_STAR_SONG" id="THE_STAR_SONG"></a>THE STAR SONG<br /><br /> -<small>ROBERT HERRICK</small></h3> - -<h4>I</h4> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Tell us, thou clear and heavenly tongue,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Where is the Babe that lately sprung?<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Lies he the lily banks among?<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h4>II</h4> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Or say, if this new Birth of ours<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sleeps, laid within some ark of flowers,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Spangled with dew-light, thou can’st clear<br /></span> -<span class="i0">All doubts, and manifest the where.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h4>III</h4> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Declare to us, bright star, if we shall seek<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Him in the morning’s blushing cheek,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Or search the beds of spices through,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">To find Him out?<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h4><span class="smcap">Star</span></h4> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i2">No, this ye need not do;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But only come and see Him rest,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A Princely Babe, in’s mother’s breast.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64"></a>{64}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_VISIT_OF_THE_WISHING_MAN" -id="THE_VISIT_OF_THE_WISHING_MAN"></a>THE VISIT OF THE WISHING MAN<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor1">[8]</a><br /><br /> -<small>JAY T. STOCKING</small></h3> - -<p>It was Christmas night at Castle Havenough in the Land of Nothing -Strange. It had been a day of gifts and guests, and now the king and -queen had gone to a great dinner in the banquet hall, and the young -prince and princess were left alone to spend the rest of the day as they -chose. A great fire blazed in the fireplace. It cracked and roared and -chuckled as the young prince and princess threw in pitchy sprays of -evergreen. The Christmas tree across the room, bespangled with tinsel -and tassels and sheen, now glowed in the light of the fireplace and -gleamed and twinkled and sparkled as if every twig were set with rubies -and diamonds. The floor, the chairs, the table—everything—were heaped -high with gifts, for this young prince and princess had received -everything that they had wished for. And it was almost always -so,—whatever they wished for, they received. It seems strange to us, -indeed, that this young prince and princess were not always or -altogether happy. But it was not strange at all in the Land of Nothing -Strange.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65"></a>{65}</span></p> - -<p>Before the king went out to the great banquet, he called the prince and -princess to his side and putting his arms about their slender shoulders, -said, “My children, I hope you have had a happy day and have received -everything that you desire. If not, I promise you that if you can agree -exactly on what you wish, and will tell me, if money can purchase it, it -shall be yours.”</p> - -<p>“But cannot money purchase everything, father?”</p> - -<p>“No, my son, not quite everything.”</p> - -<p>“But if money cannot purchase it, father?”</p> - -<p>“Then, princess, I will try and get it for you in some other way.”</p> - -<p>“And if you cannot?”</p> - -<p>“Well—then I will tell the Wishing Man.”</p> - -<p>And with that he was off. But not until he had told them that since this -was Christmas Day they might stay up just as late as they wished.</p> - -<p>Just as late as they wished! Why, this was the very best Christmas gift -of all! Because not even princes and princesses, you know, can sit up -always, or often, just as late as they wish.</p> - -<p>Just as late as they wished! What in the world would they do? Why, -everything, of course, in all that time. But first of all they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66"></a>{66}</span> must -decide whether there was anything more that they wished and whether they -could agree upon their wish.</p> - -<p>So they threw themselves upon the floor at full length before the fire, -upon the great white bearskin with the head that snarled and showed his -long, gleaming, harmless teeth as if he would eat just one more thing. -With their chins resting upon their hands, and their elbows on the -floor, and the fire throwing lights and shadows on their faces, they lay -and talked.</p> - -<p>“You wish first,” said the prince, who had not quite made up his mind -what he wished, and wanted time to think. “You are the younger, and you -are a girl. What do you wish?”</p> - -<p>“Well, I wish that all the snow were sugar and all the mud were -chocolate. Don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“No, of course not. Why, you couldn’t coast! The runners would stick, -and if you ran and fell upon your sled you would go heels over head, and -like as not you would break your neck. Besides, there wouldn’t be any -sugar in summer, and there would be no chocolate except when it rained.”</p> - -<p>“I never thought of that,” said the princess. “What do <i>you</i> wish?”</p> - -<p>“I wish that—that—my Christmas stocking were as tall as this house and -I had to take a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67"></a>{67}</span> ladder to get up to it and another ladder to get down -into it. Don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Why, no, of course not.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Why, because the Christmas stocking is just the same size as all your -other stockings, and if your Christmas stocking were as big as the -house, all your other stockings would be as big as the house, and you -never could get one on; and if you did get it on it would go clear over -your head.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so,” said the prince; “I never thought of that. Well, what <i>do</i> -you wish?”</p> - -<p>“Well, I wish—that every day was Christmas, and there wasn’t any -school. Don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“No! If there wasn’t any school, you’d be a dunce. And who wants to be a -dunce? I’ll tell you what <i>I</i> wish.”</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“I wish that every day was just as nice as Christmas, but different. -Different, you know, but just as nice. That’s what I wish.”</p> - -<p>“So do I.”</p> - -<p>And so they agreed upon their wish,—that every day should be like -Christmas—different, but just as nice. And they would tell that wish to -their father in the morning.</p> - -<p>“But do you suppose that money can purchase it, prince?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68"></a>{68}</span></p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I—I’m afraid it can’t. But father said he would tell the -Wishing Man. I wonder what he looks like; I should like to see him.”</p> - -<p>“So should I.”</p> - -<p>Just then there was a commotion in the fireplace. It sounded as if the -wood had fallen forward on the andirons. And so it had. But something -else had happened. On the backlog, which was blazing fiercely, there sat -a funnier little man than you would see in going around the world. He -was red from the top of his cap to the tip of his boot; his coat, which -was flung over his little red wings, was red. His face was red, but -perhaps that was just a reflection from the coals of the fire. You would -think that he would have burned up or that he would have jumped out of -the fireplace in a hurry. But he didn’t do anything of the sort. It -seems very strange, but it was not strange at all in the Land of Nothing -Strange. As he sat there upon that blazing backlog, his hands upon his -knees, with the flames leaping around him, and his feet resting down in -the red-hot coals, you would have said that this was the most -comfortable seat that he had ever found in all his life.</p> - -<p>“Well?” the little man drawled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69"></a>{69}</span></p> - -<p>“Well?” drawled the prince and princess, as they drew back on their -elbows and sat up in amazement.</p> - -<p>“Well? I’m here.”</p> - -<p>“Who’s here?” asked the prince.</p> - -<p>“Why, <i>I</i> am here. You said you would like to see what I looked like, -and so I have come. <i>I’m</i> here.”</p> - -<p>“Are you the Wishing Man?” asked the princess.</p> - -<p>“That’s my name.” And then he broke into a snatch of a song:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I have wishbones on my fingers,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">I have myst’ry in my eyes;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">My clothes are lined with four-leaf clovers<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And are stained with magic dyes.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I have pockets full of rabbits’ feet,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And amulets and charms;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Just for luck I pick up horseshoes;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">I have tattoos on my arms.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I know a world of wonders,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And if you would believe,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">I have fortunes in my wallet<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And surprises up my sleeve.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I come from a distant country,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Away up near the sky,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">From the golden palace, Overhead,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In the land of Wonder Why.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70"></a>{70}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I’m the best of friends of children,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And I’ll help <i>you</i> if I can;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Now tell me what your wishes are,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">For I’m the Wishing Man.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>They told him that they had decided to wish that every day should be -just as nice as Christmas—different, but, then, just as nice.</p> - -<p>“That is a good wish,” said the Wishing Man. “I hope that you will get -it, but you never can tell.”</p> - -<p>“You never can tell! Arn’t you the Wishing Man? Don’t you know? Don’t -you give folks their wishes?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no! I am not wise enough for that. The Angel of Blessings does -that. I merely go through the world and carry to him all the wishes that -I hear people make.”</p> - -<p>“How do you carry them?” asked the prince.</p> - -<p>“Oh, right here,” and he pointed to a little jeweled box that he had at -his belt. “Right here. You see I have a padlock on it and I never lose a -wish.”</p> - -<p>“Are you the only wishing man in the world?” asked the princess.</p> - -<p>“Oh, bless my soul, no! If I were, do you think I would have time to sit -here on this nice cool seat and chat with you? There are a great many of -us, but we all look just alike, we<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71"></a>{71}</span> are all dressed just alike, and we -are all twins.”</p> - -<p>That seems strange, but it was not strange at all in the Land of Nothing -Strange.</p> - -<p>“My country is the country of Wonder Why. I come here every morning, and -I stay till I have my little box full of wishes, and then I take it -back. By the way, I see that it is full now, and your wish is right on -top. Would you like to go with me to see the Angel of Blessings? Those -who talk with him are most apt to have their wishes granted. Many folks -do not get their wishes just because they do not seem to understand how -to get them. Would you like to go with me?”</p> - -<p>“Is it very far?” asked the prince. “Could we get back before bedtime?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, with time to spare.”</p> - -<p>“Shouldn’t we be cold?” asked the princess.</p> - -<p>“No, we would fly very fast, and we shouldn’t have time to shiver more -than once before we got there. Come, then, get on my back,” and he -tucked his red coat between his little red wings, which he shook out, -and made ready to fly.</p> - -<p>“Now part your hair in the middle so you won’t be any heavier on one -side than on the other. Step right in here; the fire won’t hurt you. -Now, prince, put your right arm around my neck like this, and hold on to -my left wing<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72"></a>{72}</span> with your left hand,—so, and princess, put your left arm -around my neck and hold on to my right wing with your right hand,—so. -Now, ready.”</p> - -<p>Up they went, and off they went, through the frosty air, faster than the -fastest aëroplane. Below them lay the beautiful white snow; above them -hung the beautiful white stars. They had just shivered once and were -nearly ready to shiver again when the Wishing Man folded his red wings -and they landed upon the doorstep of the golden palace, Overhead, in the -Land of Wonder Why.</p> - -<p>The Wishing Man took them by the hand, one on either side, walked up the -white marble steps, opened the great doors, which swung at a touch, and -stepped inside. This was the palace, Overhead. Anybody could see that -this was the House of Wishes. Why, there was everything here that -anybody had ever wished for or ever could wish for. Down the side here -at the right there were great possessions. There were carloads of gold -heaped up, and carloads of silver heaped up, and there were -houses—every kind of house—and there were farms that reached away just -as far as the sun shone, and there were gardens in which there was every -kind of flower that anybody had ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73"></a>{73}</span> seen grow in any place in the -world. Over on the other side were things to wear and things to eat; -there were gowns and furs and hats and suits, and beyond these there -were bricks of ice cream as big as ice cakes,—just for one! And plum -puddings as big as your head,—just for one! And whole mince pies that -you could eat and never see anything afterward. Before them, across the -room, were the very best things of life, the very best of all, just -plain something to eat, happy days and sleepy nights, and good -friends,—just the things that men like most. These things that I have -mentioned were simply what you could see right in the first rows, but -behind these things at the right and left and over in front,—there is -nobody who ever lived who could tell you all that was there, because, as -I have told you, there was everything that anybody had ever wished for, -and everything that anybody <i>could</i> ever wish for.</p> - -<p>Now, right in the center of the hall, to which a golden carpet ran, -there was a platform, and upon the platform a great white desk, bright -as the moon, and at the desk, clothed in white, sat the Angel of -Blessings. At the right of the Angel of Blessings stood his messengers. -He called them pages. The line was sometimes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74"></a>{74}</span> short and sometimes long. -They wore no uniform. Some were rich and some were poor, some had -beautiful clothes and some had ragged clothes, but the face of every one -shone like a star, and it was their duty to carry blessings and wishes -to people who had got their wish.</p> - -<p>Upon that golden carpet, that ran from the door to the platform, the -little red Wishing Men were continually passing each other as they came -up to the desk to leave their wishes and went out again to listen for -more. All day, all night, they came and went, came and went, and all day -and all night the Angel of Blessings, clad in white, at the great white -desk, opened the wishes and read them. Sometimes he shook his head -sorrowfully, and even frowned; sometimes he smiled and nodded! When he -frowned or looked sorrowful it meant that the wish was lost, and he -dropped it into the huge waste-basket at his left and it fell to the -bottom of the earth. But when he smiled and nodded, it meant that the -wish was granted, and he handed it to one of his pages waiting at the -right, who fell upon one knee, took the wish, and carried it to the -wisher.</p> - -<p>The Wishing Man took the prince and the princess by the hand, walked -along the golden<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75"></a>{75}</span> carpet to the great white desk upon the platform, and -announced the visitors to the Angel of Blessings: “Prince and Princess -Havenough from the Land of Nothing Strange.” Then the prince and -princess, who, of course, had been trained in court, made their most -beautiful bow, but spoke no word until the Angel of Blessings had spoken -to them. The Wishing Man laid upon the desk the wish which they had made -and which he had carried in his little golden casket, and then he -retired with many a bow until the Angel should summon him again.</p> - -<p>“Prince and Princess Havenough,” said the Angel as he read the wish and -smiled, “it is a good wish. It will be granted, on <i>one</i> condition—that -you will be my pages, carry my blessings, and take the wishes which I -send to those who have their wishes granted. Will you be my pages?”</p> - -<p>“Must one go very far, Mr. Angel?” asked the prince, “because we are -small; we have never traveled far; we don’t know where many places are.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, not at all, prince,” said the Angel; “merely to the Land of Nothing -Strange—to your home, to your friends, to your acquaintances. Will you -be my pages?”</p> - -<p>“We will, Mr. Angel,” and they bowed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_76" id="page_76"></a>{76}</span></p> - -<p>“Then stand here at my right. I may have some commissions for you now. -Let me look at these wishes which have just been brought to me. Here is -a wish from a little boy in the Land of Nothing Strange, not far from -Castle Havenough. He wishes that he had a pair of skates; he hasn’t any; -all his friends have some.”</p> - -<p>“He may have a pair of mine,” said the prince. “I will take them to -him.”</p> - -<p>“Good!” said the Angel; “his wish is granted.” And he handed the wish to -the prince with the name and the address of the wisher.</p> - -<p>“Let me see; here is a wish from a little girl in the Land of Nothing -Strange, not far from Castle Havenough. She wishes that she had a doll. -She asked Santa Claus for one last night and he didn’t bring it to-day. -He must have forgotten it. She wants one very much.”</p> - -<p>“She may have one of mine! I have very many,” said the princess.</p> - -<p>“Good!” said the Angel; “it is granted.”</p> - -<p>And he handed the wish to the princess, with the name and the address of -the wisher.</p> - -<p>“Here is another,” said the Angel. “It is from the teachers and the -servants of Castle Havenough. They wish that they were <span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77"></a>{77}</span>happier,—that -the prince and the princess were somewhat more thoughtful and kind. -Shall their wish be granted?”</p> - -<p>“We will try, Mr. Angel.”</p> - -<p>“Good! And here is one from the royal house. I see the seal. Why, it is -from the King and Queen of the Land of Nothing Strange. ‘We wish that -our son and daughter were more dutiful, thoughtful, loving, and kind.’ -Shall the wish be granted, pages?”</p> - -<p>“We will try, Mr. Angel.”</p> - -<p>“Good! That is enough for to-night. To-morrow I shall have some more -blessings for you to carry. Every day I will send you some, so long as -you are in my service. And I promise you that every day will be as happy -as Christmas,—different, but just as nice. Wait a minute.” And then he -wrote something on a card and handed it to them,—he called it their</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i6">COMMISSION<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Be it known to all those who may read this short line,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">That the prince and the princess are pages of mine;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">They carry my blessings, will seek what you wish,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Will be kind and regardful, polite, unselfish.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">For wages, I now and hereafter decree,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Their days shall be happy as happy can be.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Then he pressed a little golden button, and the Wishing Man came and -took the prince and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78"></a>{78}</span> princess by the hand and led them down the golden -carpet to the great door, and in less time than it takes to tell you -they were back again, and down again upon the skin of the great white -bear, which still lay snarling and showing his teeth at the flickering -fire.</p> - -<p>The Wishing Man wanted to be off, but the prince and princess asked him -so eagerly to sing again that he finally consented to sing what he had -sung before,—“Just by way of encore,” he said:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I have wishbones on my fingers,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">I have myst’ry in my eyes;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">My clothes are lined with four-leaf clovers<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And are stained with magic dyes.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I have pockets full of rabbits’ feet,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And amulets and charms;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Just for luck I pick up horseshoes,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">I have tattoos on my arms.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I know a world of wonders,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And if you would believe,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">I have fortunes in my wallet<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And surprises up my sleeve.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I come from a distant country,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Away up near the sky,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">From the golden palace, Overhead,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In the land of Wonder Why.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79"></a>{79}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“I’m the best of friends of children,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And I’ll help <i>you</i> if I can;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Now tell me what your wishes are,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">For I’m the Wishing Man.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>And then he was gone.</p> - -<p>It may be that it was a very long, tiresome journey to the palace; it -may be that the cold had made the prince and princess very sleepy; it -may have been due to something else. At any rate, when the servants came -at ten o’clock and opened the door softly, the prince and princess lay -fast asleep before the fire, which was burning very low, and the clock -was tick-tock, tick-tocking very loud indeed.</p> - -<p>What the prince and princess told the king in the morning, how long they -were pages of the Angel of Blessings, how many people they carried -blessings to, I cannot tell; I never heard. But this I know: that night, -and for many days after, the servants and the teachers said that it -seemed to them the prince and princess were kinder than usual, and the -king and the queen not long after were heard to say they never in their -lives <i>had</i> seen the prince and princess so loving and so happy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80"></a>{80}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="KRISS_KRINGLE" id="KRISS_KRINGLE"></a>KRISS KRINGLE<a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor1">[9]</a><br /><br /> -<small>THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH</small></h3> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Just as the moon was fading<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Amid her misty rings,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And every stocking was stuffed<br /></span> -<span class="i2">With childhood’s precious things,<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Old Kriss Kringle looked around,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And saw on the elm-tree bough,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">High hung, an oriole’s nest,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Silent and empty now.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Quite like a stocking,” he laughed,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">“Pinned up there on the tree!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Little I thought the birds<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Expected a present from me!”<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Then old Kriss Kringle, who loves<br /></span> -<span class="i2">A joke as well as the best,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Dropped a handful of flakes<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In the oriole’s empty nest.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81"></a>{81}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_STAR_OF_BETHLEHEM" id="THE_STAR_OF_BETHLEHEM"></a>THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM<br /><br /> -<small>ELEANOR L. SKINNER</small></h3> - -<p>The radiant star in the East had done its work. It had guided the -shepherds and the Wise Men to the manger where the heavenly Child lay in -Mary’s arms. The people, who had watched its light with solemn wonder, -and had whispered to each other about its beauty and meaning, had gone -to rest. Suddenly in the eastern sky there was a breaking up of the -glorious light into millions of shining points. A shower of silver and -gold fell to the earth.</p> - -<p>An old man with a long white beard saw the wonder. “The star in the East -has gone!” he sighed. “The glory of the skies has vanished!”</p> - -<p>Morning dawned. Happy little children ran to the fields to gather -flowers. The sunny meadows glistened with hundreds of little star-like -blossoms.</p> - -<p>“How beautiful!” cried the children, clapping their little hands for -joy. “Let us gather some flowers, and take a gift to the Mother and -little Babe.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82"></a>{82}</span></p> - -<p>They filled their arms with the starry blossoms and started to the -manger. On their way they met the old man with the long white beard. He -stopped for a moment and looked at the happy children. A strange light -came into his eyes; he bowed his head and whispered, “The star of -Bethlehem has burst into blossoms! The glory of the skies has come to -abide on earth!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83"></a>{83}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="NUTCRACKER_AND_MOUSE_KING" id="NUTCRACKER_AND_MOUSE_KING"></a>NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE KING<br /><br /> -<small>EDWARD THEODOR WILLIAM HOFFMANN</small></h3> - -<p>It was Christmas Eve. Marie and Fritz sat cuddled together in a corner -of the back parlor, for they had not been permitted during the whole day -to go even into the small drawing room, much less into the best drawing -room into which it opened. The deep evening twilight had come and they -began to feel almost afraid. Seeing that no Christmas candles were -brought in, Fritz whispered to his sister Marie, who was just seven, -that he had heard rattlings and rustlings going on all day in the closed -room, as well as distant hammerings, and that not long before, a little -dark looking man with a big box under his arm had gone slipping and -creeping across the floor. He well knew that this little man was no -other than Godpapa Drosselmeier. At this news Marie clapped her little -hands for gladness and cried:</p> - -<p>“Oh, I do wonder what pretty things Godpapa Drosselmeier has been making -for us this time!”</p> - -<p>Godpapa Drosselmeier was anything but a nice looking man. He was little -and lean, with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84"></a>{84}</span> a great many wrinkles on his face, a big patch of black -plaster over his right eye, and not a hair on his head. He wore a fine -white wig, made of glass. But he was a very, very clever man, for he -knew and understood all about clocks and watches, and could make them -himself. So when one of the beautiful clocks in Fritz and Marie’s home -was out of sorts and couldn’t sing, Godpapa Drosselmeier would come, -take off his glass periwig and his little yellow coat, put on a blue -apron, and begin to stick sharp-pointed instruments into the inside of -the clock. Of course, whenever he came he always brought something -delightful in his pockets for Marie and Fritz—perhaps a little man who -could roll his eyes and make bows and scrapes, most comic to behold, or -a box out of which a little bird would jump. But for Christmas time he -had invariably prepared some especially wonderful invention.</p> - -<p>“Oh! what can Godpapa Drosselmeier have been making for us this time!” -Marie said again.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure this time,” said Fritz, “it must be a great castle, a -fortress, where all sorts of pretty soldiers are drilling and marching -about, then other soldiers come to try and get into the fortress, upon -which the soldiers inside fire away<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85"></a>{85}</span> at them with cannon until -everything bangs and thunders like anything.”</p> - -<p>“No, no,” said Marie. “Godpapa Drosselmeier once told me about a -beautiful garden with a lake in it, and beautiful swans swimming about -with great gold collars, singing lovely music. And then a lovely little -girl comes down through the garden to the lake, and calls the swans and -feeds them with shortbread and cake.”</p> - -<p>“Swans don’t eat cake and shortbread,” Fritz cried, “and Godpapa -Drosselmeier couldn’t make a whole garden.”</p> - -<p>The children went on trying to guess what he might have in store for -them this time. Marie told Fritz that her biggest doll had altered very -much. She was more clumsy and awkward than ever, for she tumbled on to -the floor every two or three minutes. Fritz said that a good fox was -lacking in his collection of animals, and that his army of soldiers was -quite without a cavalry, as his papa well knew. But the children knew -that their elders had all sorts of charming things ready for them. They -remembered, too, that the Christ Child at Christmas time took special -care of their wants and knew best what gift would bring them true -happiness.</p> - -<p>Marie sat in thoughtful silence; but Fritz<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86"></a>{86}</span> murmured quietly to himself: -“But for all that, I do want a fox and some hussars.”</p> - -<p>It was now quite dark. Fritz and Marie, sitting close together, did not -dare to utter another word. They felt as if there were a fluttering of -gentle, unseen wings around them, while a very far-away music could be -heard. Then a bright gleam of light passed quickly across the wall and -the children knew that the Christ Child was being borne away on shining -clouds to other happy children. At this moment a silvery bell rang out -“Kling-ling! Kling-ling!” the doors flew open, and a brilliant light -came streaming from the drawing room.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Oh!” cried the children, clapping their hands.</p> - -<p>But papa and mamma came and took their hands, saying, “Come, now, -darlings, and see what the blessed Christ Child has brought for you.”</p> - -<p>The two children stood speechless, with brilliant glances fixed on all -the beautiful things before them. After a while Marie, with a sigh, -cried, “Oh! How lovely! How lovely!” and Fritz gave several jumps of -delight. The children had certainly been very, very good, for never had -so many beautiful and delightful things been provided for them as at -this Christmas.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87"></a>{87}</span> The great Christmas tree on the table bore many apples -of silver and gold, and all its branches were heavy with bud and -blossom, consisting of sugar almonds, many tinted bon-bons, and all -sorts of charming things to eat. In all the recesses of its branches -hundreds of little tapers glittered like stars! How many beautiful -things there were! Marie gazed at the loveliest dolls, and all kinds of -toys, and a little silk dress, with many tinted ribbons, hung from a -projecting branch. “Oh, the lovely, lovely dress,” she cried. Fritz, in -the meantime, had had two or three trials around the table to see how -his new fox could gallop. “I believe it’s a wild beast,” he said, “but -that’s no matter. I can frighten him already.” He set to work to muster -his new hussars, well equipped in red and gold uniforms with real silver -swords and mounted on such shining white horses that you would have -thought them of pure silver.</p> - -<p>When the children had become a little quieter there came another -tinkling of a bell, and they knew that Godpapa Drosselmeier would show -them his Christmas presents, which were on another table, against the -wall, concealed by a curtain. When this curtain was drawn, what did the -children behold?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88"></a>{88}</span></p> - -<p>On a green lawn, bright with flowers, stood a beautiful castle with a -great many shining windows and golden towers. A chime of bells was going -on inside it, doors and windows opened, and you saw very small ladies -and gentlemen with plumed hats and long robes, walking up and down in -the rooms.</p> - -<p>Fritz stood looking at the beautiful castle, his arms leaning upon the -table. In a little while he said, “Godpapa Drosselmeier, let me go into -your castle.”</p> - -<p>“That can’t be done, little Fritz,” was his answer. “The castle is not -as tall as yourself, golden towers and all.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, make the man with the green cloak, who is always looking -from the window, walk about with the others.”</p> - -<p>“And that can’t be done, either,” said his godpapa once more; “it can’t -be altered, you know.”</p> - -<p>“Oh,” said Fritz, “it can’t be done? Very well, if your little creatures -in the castle can only always do the same thing, they’re not very much!” -So he went back to his Christmas table to play with his hussars.</p> - -<p>Marie, too, was soon tired of the little castle people, though she did -not like to show it as her brother did. At last, however, she also<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89"></a>{89}</span> -crept back to the table where the Christmas presents were laid out, for -she had just noticed there among Fritz’s soldiers an excellent little -man, standing still and modest as if he were waiting patiently until -some one should notice him. In regard to his appearance, there was much -that was objectionable, for his body was rather too tall and stout for -his little thin legs, and his head was a great deal too large. But the -elegance of the little gentleman’s costume showed him to be a person of -taste and cultivation. He had on a very pretty violet hussar’s jacket, -and the loveliest little boots ever seen. It was certainly funny that, -dressed in such style as he was, he wore a rather absurd short cloak on -his shoulders which looked as if it were made of wood and on his head he -wore a miner’s cap. Nevertheless, as Marie kept looking at this little -man she saw more and more clearly what a sweet disposition was legible -on his countenance. His green eyes spoke only kindness, and the nicely -curled white cotton beard on his chin drew attention to the sweet smile -which his bright lips always expressed.</p> - -<p>“Oh, papa, dear,” cried Marie at last, “whose is that most darling -little man beside the tree?”</p> - -<p>“That little fellow, my dear, will work hard<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90"></a>{90}</span> for you all; he’s going to -crack nuts for you.” With that, Marie’s father took him from the table, -and when he raised the wooden cloak the little man opened his mouth. -Marie put in a nut, and with a crack the little man bit it in pieces. He -had to crack a great many nuts. Marie picked out the smallest ones, but -Fritz gave him all the biggest and hardest nuts he could find. But all -at once there was a crack! crack! and three little teeth fell out of -Nutcracker’s mouth; and his chin became loose and shaky.</p> - -<p>“Ah! my poor Nutcracker!” Marie cried as she gathered up the lost teeth, -bound a pretty white ribbon about his poor chin, and wrapped the poor -little fellow tenderly in her handkerchief. In this way she held him, -rocking him like a child in her arms, as she looked at her picture -books.</p> - -<p>Marie and Fritz were allowed to keep their playthings in the glass -cupboard in the sitting room. Fritz soon tired of playing with his -hussars and placed them on the upper shelf, and Marie put her dolls in -the beautiful doll’s room on the lower shelf. It had become almost -midnight, and their mother had aroused the children to go to bed. Fritz -obeyed, but Marie begged for just a little while longer, saying<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91"></a>{91}</span> she had -such a number of things to see to and promising that as soon as ever she -had got them all settled she would go to bed at once. Marie was a good -girl and her mother allowed her to remain a little longer with her toys, -but fearing lest Marie should be too much occupied with her new doll and -other playthings to think of the lights, her mother put all of them out, -leaving only the lamp which hung from the ceiling and which shed a soft -light over everything.</p> - -<p>As soon as Marie was alone she carefully unbound the ribbon around -Nutcracker’s head and examined his wounds.</p> - -<p>“Oh, my darling Nutcracker,” she said, “I’ll take the best care of you, -for I am really fond of you. Your teeth shall be put back and your -shoulder made right again.” She took him in her arms again, went to the -cupboard, and said to her new doll:</p> - -<p>“Clara, you will give up your bed to this poor, sick, wounded -Nutcracker, I’m sure.” Miss Clara in her Christmas dress looked very -disdainful, but Marie took the bed and moved it forward, laid Nutcracker -carefully upon it, and placed them on the upper shelf near the village -in which Fritz’s hussars were resting. She was about to close the -cupboard door when—hark! there began a low, soft rustling and rattling<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92"></a>{92}</span> -all around, behind the stove, under the chairs, behind the cupboards. -The clock on the wall warned louder and louder, but it could not strike. -Marie looked at it, and saw that the big gilt owl which was on the top -had drooped its wings so that they covered the whole of the clock. And -the warning of the clock kept growing louder and louder, with distinct -words: “Clocks, stop ticking. Mousey king’s ears are fine. Prr-prr! Only -sing ‘poom, poom.’ Bells go chime! Soon rings out the fated time!”</p> - -<p>Marie grew terribly frightened and was going to rush away as quickly as -she could when she noticed that Godpapa Drosselmeier was up on top of -the clock instead of the owl.</p> - -<p>“Godpapa Drosselmeier,” she called out as soon as she composed herself. -“What are you doing up there, you naughty, naughty godpapa?”</p> - -<p>But then there began a strange scampering and squeaking everywhere, all -about, and presently there was a sound of running and trotting as of -thousands of little feet behind the walls, and at the same time -thousands of little lights began to glitter out between the chinks of -the woodwork. But they were not lights, no, no,—little glittering eyes; -and Marie said that everywhere mice were peeping and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93"></a>{93}</span> squeezing -themselves out through every chink. Presently they were trotting and -galloping in all directions all over the room.</p> - -<p>Marie was not afraid of mice, and she could not help being amused by -this sight. She stood watching the mice come from all directions when -suddenly there came a sharp and terrible piping noise and seven mouse -heads with seven shining crowns upon them, rose through the floor and -behind them wriggled a mouse’s body on which the seven heads had all -grown. Then the whole army of mice shouted in full chorus and went trot, -trot, trot! right up to the cupboard—in fact, to Marie who was standing -beside it.</p> - -<p>Half frightened, Marie leaned back against the cupboard door and there -was a klirr, klirr, klirr! What was happening? Right behind Marie a -movement seemed to commence in the cupboard and small, faint voices -began to be heard, saying:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Come, awake, measures take,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Out to the fight, out to the fight;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Shield the right, shield the right,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Arm and away, this is the night,”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">and bells began ringing as prettily as you please.</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’s my little peal of bells,” cried Marie, and she went nearer -and looked in. Then she saw that there was a bright light in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94"></a>{94}</span> the -cupboard and everything there was astir. Dolls and little figures of all -kinds were running about together and struggling with their little arms. -All at once Nutcracker rose from his bed, cast off the bed clothes and -sprang with both feet to the floor (of the shelf), calling out:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Knack, knack, knack:<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Stupid mousey pack.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>And with this he drew his little sword, waved it in the air, and cried: -“My trusty followers, are you ready to stand by me in the battle?”</p> - -<p>Instantly, three clowns, one pantaloon, four chimney sweeps, and a -drummer cried, “Yes, yes, we follow you, Nutcracker,” and then they -threw themselves down from the upper shelf after the brave Nutcracker.</p> - -<p>“But what is going to happen now?” thought Marie. At this moment -Nutcracker sprang down, and the squeaking and piping commenced again, -worse than ever. Under the big table the mouse army was massed under the -command of the terrible mouse king. What was to be the result?</p> - -<p>“Beat the <i>generale</i>, drummer,” called out Nutcracker. Immediately the -drummer began to roll his drum in the most splendid style so that the -windows of the glass cupboard rattled<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95"></a>{95}</span> and resounded. Then there began a -cracking and a clattering inside, and Marie saw all the lids of the -boxes in which Fritz’s army was quartered burst open and the soldiers -came out and jumped down to the bottom of the shelf, where they formed -up in good order. Nutcracker hurried up and down the ranks, speaking -words of encouragement. Then turning to Pantaloon, who was looking -rather pale and wobbling his long chin, he said:</p> - -<p>“I know you are a brave and experienced general. I intrust you, -Pantaloon, with the command of the cavalry and artillery. You can do -without a horse; your own legs are long and you can gallop as fast as it -is necessary. Do your duty!”</p> - -<p>Immediately Pantaloon put his long, lean fingers to his mouth and gave a -piercing whistle that rang as if a hundred little trumpets had been -sounding lustily.</p> - -<p>Then there began a tramping and neighing in the cupboard, and Fritz’s -new, glittering hussars marched out and came to a halt on the floor. -They marched past Nutcracker by regiments, with flags flying and bands -playing; then they wheeled into line and formed at right angles to the -march. And now boomed Fritz’s cannon with a pum, pum, pum! shooting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96"></a>{96}</span> -sugarplums constantly under the mice. Poom, poom! again, and a fine fire -of gingerbread nuts went into the enemy’s ranks, scattering the mice in -all directions. Still the mice displayed continually more forces. Their -little silver balls, which they delivered with great precision, went -even inside the glass cupboard. You’ve no idea of the hurly-burly that -went on. It went prr-prr-poof, piff, boom-booroom! Pantaloon had made -several most brilliant cavalry charges and covered himself with glory. -But Fritz’s hussars were pelted by the mice’s silver balls, which made -bad spots on their red waistcoats. This made them hesitate and hang back -for a time. Pantaloon made them take ground to the left, and in the -excitement of the moment they all wheeled round and marched home to -their quarters.</p> - -<p>“The reserves shall come out!” cried Nutcracker, who hoped that more -troops would come out from the glass cupboard. And there did, in fact, -advance some brown gingerbread men and women, with gilt faces, hats, and -helmets, but they fought so clumsily that they never hit any of the mice -and soon knocked off the cap of Nutcracker himself. Poor Nutcracker was -now hard pressed and closely surrounded by enemies. He tried to jump -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97"></a>{97}</span> bottom ledge of the cupboard, but his legs were not long enough.</p> - -<p>“A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”</p> - -<p>At that moment two of the enemies seized him by his wonder cloak, and -the king of the mice went rushing up to him, squeaking in triumph.</p> - -<p>Marie could contain herself no longer. “Oh, my poor Nutcracker!” she -sobbed. She took off her left shoe, without distinctly knowing what she -was about, and threw it as hard as she could into the thick of the -enemy, straight at mouse king. Instantly everything vanished and all was -silence. But there stood Nutcracker, with his sword in his hand. He fell -upon one knee and said, “It was you, and you only, dearest lady, who -inspired me with knightly valor. To you alone I owe my life. If you will -take the trouble to follow me for a few steps, what glorious and -beautiful things I could show you. Oh, do come with me, dearest lady!”</p> - -<p class="c"> -<span class="smcap">Toyland</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>“I will go with you, dear Nutcracker,” said Marie, “but it mustn’t be -far, and must not be for long, because, you know, I haven’t had any -sleep yet.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98"></a>{98}</span></p> - -<p>“Then we will go by the shortest way,” said Nutcracker, “although it is -perhaps the most difficult.”</p> - -<p>He went on in front, followed by Marie, till he stopped before the big -old wardrobe which stood in the hall. Marie was surprised to see that, -though it was generally shut, the doors of it were now wide open. Her -father’s fur traveling cloak hung in front. Nutcracker climbed up this -cloak by the edgings and trimmings, and got hold of the big tassel which -was fastened at the back of it by a thick cord. He gave this tassel a -tug, and a pretty little ladder of cedar wood let itself quickly down -through one of the armholes of the cloak.</p> - -<p>“Step up that ladder, if you’ll be so kind,” said Nutcracker. Marie did -so. But as soon as she had gone up through the armhole, and began to -look out at the neck, a dazzling light came streaming on to her, and she -found herself standing on a lovely sweet-scented meadow, from which -millions of sparks were streaming upward like the glitter of beautiful -gems.</p> - -<p>“This is Candy Meadow where we are now,” said Nutcracker. “But we’ll go -in at that gate there.”</p> - -<p>Marie looked up, and saw a beautiful gateway on the meadow, only a few -steps off. It seemed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99"></a>{99}</span> to be made of white, brown, and raisin-colored -marble; but when she came close to it she saw it was all of baked -sugar-almonds and raisins, which—as Nutcracker said when they were -going through it—was the reason it was called Almond and Raisin Gate.</p> - -<p>Presently the sweetest of odors came breathing round her, streaming from -a beautiful little wood on both sides of the way. There was such a -glittering and sparkling among the dark foliage that one could see all -the gold and silver fruits hanging on the many-tinted stems, and these -stems and branches were all ornamented and dressed up in ribbons and -bunches of flowers.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how charming this is!” cried Marie.</p> - -<p>“This is Christmas Wood,” said Nutcracker.</p> - -<p>“Ah,” said Marie, “if I only could stay for a little! Oh, it is so -lovely!”</p> - -<p>Nutcracker clapped his little hands, and immediately there appeared a -number of little shepherds and shepherdesses, and hunters and -huntresses, so white and delicate that you would have thought they were -made of pure sugar, although they had been walking about in the wood. -They brought a beautiful golden easy-chair for Marie, and invited her to -take a seat. As soon as she did so the shepherds and shepherdesses -danced a pretty ballet, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span> which the hunters and huntresses played the -music on their horns, and then they all disappeared amongst the -thickets.</p> - -<p>“Had we not better go on a little farther?” asked Nutcracker.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I’m sure it was most delightful,” said Marie, as she stood up and -followed Nutcracker, who was going on, leading the way. They walked by -the side of a sweet babbling brook, which seemed to be what was giving -out all the perfume which filled the wood.</p> - -<p>“This is Orange Brook,” said Nutcracker, “but, except for its sweet -scent, it is nothing like as fine a water as the River Lemonade, a -beautiful broad stream which falls—as this one does—into Almond-milk -Sea.” And, indeed, Marie soon heard a louder splashing and rushing, and -came in sight of the River Lemonade, which went rolling along in -swelling waves of yellowish color, between banks covered with herbage -and underwood. A short distance farther, on the banks of this stream, -stood a nice little village. The houses were all dark brown, with gilded -roofs so gay that one might suppose that they were plastered over with -lemon peel and shelled almonds.</p> - -<p>“That is Gingerbread Valley on the Honey River,” said Nutcracker. “It is -known for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span> good looks of its people, but they are very -short-tempered, because they suffer so much from toothache. So we will -not go there, nor, indeed, visit all the little towns and villages or -country. Let us be off to the capital.”</p> - -<p>He stepped quickly onwards, and Marie followed him until they came to a -great lake which kept broadening and broadening out wider and wider and -on which the loveliest swans, white as silver—with colors of gold—were -floating everywhere. Nutcracker clapped his little hands and the waves -of the lake began to sound louder and splash higher, and at once there -came a large shell barge made of precious stones of every color and -drawn by two dolphins with scales of gold. It carried her and Nutcracker -over the lake.</p> - -<p>Oh, how beautiful it was when Marie went onward there over the waters in -the shell-shaped barge, with the rose perfume breathing around her, and -the rosy waves splashing! But she could not restrain a cry of admiration -and astonishment as she now found herself all of a sudden before a -castle, brightly lighted and splendid with a hundred beautiful towers. -Here and there upon its walls were rich bouquets of violets, narcissus, -tulips, and carnations. The great dome as well as the roofs of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a>{102}</span> -towers were set all over with thousands of sparkling gold and silver -stars.</p> - -<p>“Aha!” said Nutcracker, “here we are at Marzipan Castle at last.”</p> - -<p>Marie was lost in admiration of this magic palace. The fact did not -escape her that the roof was wanting to one of the tallest towers, and -that little men, upon a scaffold of sticks of cinnamon, were busy -putting it on again. But before she had time to ask Nutcracker about -this, beautiful music was heard and out came twelve little pages with -lighted clove sticks, which they held in their little hands as torches. -After them came four ladies about the size of Marie’s Christmas doll, -but so gorgeously and brilliantly dressed that Marie saw in a moment -they could be nothing but princesses. They embraced Nutcracker most -tenderly, and cried at once, “O dearest prince! Beloved brother!”</p> - -<p>Nutcracker seemed deeply affected. Then he took Marie by the hand and -said, “Here is the noble preserver of my life. Had she not thrown her -slipper in the nick of time, I should have been captured by the enemy.”</p> - -<p>Then they embraced Marie and said, “Ah! Noble preserver of our beloved -royal brother! Come into the castle and rest yourself while we prepare -some food.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span></p> - -<p>Marie and Nutcracker were conducted into the castle, and while the -princesses were setting forth a dainty repast, Nutcracker related the -adventures of his fight with the mouse king. He told how everything -would have gone against him if Marie had not come to his rescue. During -all this time it seemed to Marie as if what Nutcracker was saying kept -growing more and more indistinct, and going farther and farther away. -Presently she saw a silver mistiness rising up all about, like clouds in -which the princesses, the pages, Nutcracker, and she herself were -floating. And a curious singing and buzzing and humming began, which -seemed to die away in the distance, and then she seemed to be going -up—up—up, as if in waves constantly rising and swelling higher and -higher, higher and higher and higher. And then came a prr—poof! and all -was gone.</p> - -<p>That was a crash and a tumble!</p> - -<p>However, Marie opened her eyes, and, lo and behold, there she was in her -own bed!</p> - -<p>Of course, you see how it was. Marie, confounded and amazed by all the -wonderful things she had seen, had fallen asleep at last in Marzipan -Castle, and no doubt the princesses themselves had carried her home and -put her to bed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="A_VISIT_FROM_ST_NICHOLAS" id="A_VISIT_FROM_ST_NICHOLAS"></a>A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS<br /><br /> -<small>CLEMENT C. MOORE</small></h3> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The stockings were hung by the chimney with care<br /></span> -<span class="i0">In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The children were nestled all snug in their beds,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">While visions of sugarplums danced through their heads;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Away to the window I flew like a flash,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">Gave a luster of midday to objects below,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">With a little old driver, so lively and quick,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“Now, <i>Dasher</i>! now, <i>Dancer</i>! now, <i>Prancer</i> and <i>Vixen</i>!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On, <i>Comet</i>! on, <i>Cupid</i>! on, <i>Donder</i> and <i>Blitzen</i>!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Now, dash away! dash away! dash away all!”<br /></span> -<span class="i0">As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">So up to the housetop the coursers they flew,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">With a sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The prancing and pawing of each little hoof,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">As I drew in my head, and was turning around,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He had a broad face and a little round belly,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And laying his finger aside of his nose,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“<i>Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!</i>”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h3><a name="CHRISTMAS_IN_MANY_LANDS" id="CHRISTMAS_IN_MANY_LANDS"></a>CHRISTMAS IN MANY LANDS</h3> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="hang"><span class="smcap">Time</span>: Christmas Eve</p> - -<p class="hang"><span class="smcap">Place</span>: A living room in a German cottage. A Christmas tree stands -at one side. As the curtain rises, a small boy and girl in German -costume are trimming the tree and singing.</p></div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span> and <span class="smcap">Gretchen</span> sing:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Santa Claus to-morrow comes,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bringing gifts in plenty;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Drums and trumpets, guns—a score,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Flags and sabers and still more,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Yes, a whole great army corps—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Would it might be plenty!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Bring us, dear old Santa Claus—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Do not pass us blindly—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Musketeer and grenadier,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Grizzly bear with panther near,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Horse and donkey, sheep and steer—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bring us all these kindly.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: I wish St. Nicholas would hurry up and come! I think he is -dreadfully slow.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: He won’t come while we’re here, I’m afraid. Besides, he has so -far to travel! Only think how many places he has to go!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Does he visit all the little children all over the world?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Why, of course! (<i>Slowly.</i>) At least, I suppose so.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Do all the children have Christmas trees?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Oh! I hope so. Wouldn’t it be too bad not to have a tree on -Christmas?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: <i>I</i> think it would be fun to have an airship and go about the -world to-night and see what all the little children are doing.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Where would you like to go?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: I’d like to fly over the sea and visit Cousin Heinrich in America.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: I’d be afraid to fly so far. I’d go to Holland; it’s such a -little way.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Oh! I’d fly up in the mountains of Switzerland.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span> (<i>thoughtfully</i>): I think I’d rather have the children come and -tell us about their Christmas. I’d be afraid in an airship.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span> (<i>eagerly</i>): Let’s shut our eyes and wish they would come. They’ll -be sure to if we wish hard on Christmas Eve. We’ll have a Christmas -party!</p> - -<p>(<i>Both children shut their eyes and are silent. A fairy enters. She is -dressed in white, spangled with gilt. She has a star on her forehead and -carries a wand. She dances about the stage, singing; then stands in -front of the children. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span> waves her wand over them, and they open -their eyes.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span> (<i>rising in surprise</i>): Who are you, Fairy?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Fairy</span>: I am the Christmas fairy, and I have come to answer your wish. I -grant all the wishes that good children make on Christmas Eve.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span> (<i>earnestly</i>): Oh, dear Fairy, will children really come from -America and from Switzerland and from Holland to tell us about their -Christmas?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Fairy</span>: They will come because you wished it, and from other countries as -well. (<i>She dances around the room once more, and vanishes. Hans and -Gretchen run to the door and look after her. They clap their hands and -dance around the room for joy.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: We’re really going to have a Christmas party! Let’s go on trimming -the tree. (<i>While they are doing this, they finish the song.</i>)</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">But, indeed, you know our need,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Know our heart’s desires;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Children, father, and mamma!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">You know, too, our grandpapa!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Yes, we all are waiting—ah!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Waiting, you know, tires!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>(<i>The sound of a bell is heard and a little girl</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span> e<i>nters, ringing a -Swiss bell. She is dressed in a Swiss costume.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swiss child</span>: I come from the lofty mountains of Switzerland to give you -greeting. (<i>The two children run to welcome her.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Did you come in an airship?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swiss child</span>: No; the Christmas fairy brought me. What a beautiful tree!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Yes; it’s our Christmas tree. Don’t you have one? Doesn’t St. -Nicholas bring you presents?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swiss child</span>: No; the Christmas Lady<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> comes to us. She wears a white -gown and a red cap, and she carries a basket of toys on her back. But -only good children get toys. She brings a switch for the bad ones, and -they must keep it all the year and get whipped whenever they are -naughty!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: I’m so glad St. Nicholas has a wife to help him. It would be -so hard for him to get along by himself. Let’s sing a little till the -other children come.</p> - -<p>(<i>They dance slowly around the tree, singing. While they are singing, a -hard clacking of wooden shoes is heard at the door. The children stop to -listen, and a little Dutch girl enters. She carries a wand with a star -on the end and has a basket of sweetmeats on her arm.</i>)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span> (<i>coming to greet her</i>): Here is our little neighbor. I’m so -glad you have come. Do the children in Holland have a Christmas Eve like -ours?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dutch child</span>: We don’t have a pretty tree like that, and we don’t hang -our stockings before the fire. Good St. Nicholas comes to visit us in -the evening. He brings toys for the good children and a <i>big birch rod</i> -for the naughty ones. When he comes in, every one joins in this song of -welcome:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Welcome, good St. Nicholas, welcome,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Bring no rod for us to-night;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">While our voices bid thee welcome,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Every heart with joy is light.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Then we recite verses and play games for a while. As St. Nicholas goes -away he scatters sweetmeats on the floor. We children scramble for them -and try to fill our baskets. Then, after he has gone away, we all go -into another room and put our shoes on a table. We always put a bit of -hay in each shoe for St. Nicholas’s good old horse, Sleipner.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Oh! St. Nicholas comes to us with reindeer.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dutch child</span>: In Holland he goes about on his good horse, Sleipner. Then -we all say<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span> “Good-night,” and go to bed. While we are asleep St. -Nicholas comes back and fills all the shoes. Every one in the house gets -presents.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Why do you carry that pretty star?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dutch child</span>: This is the Star of Bethlehem. The children in Holland walk -about the streets early on Christmas Eve and follow one who carries the -star. People give the children gifts of money and other things, and -these are all given to the poor.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: I think that is a beautiful Christmas Eve. Will you try to -teach us your song of welcome to St. Nicholas? (<i>The Dutch child sings -her song again and the other children sing it after her. They join -hands, and dance a simple folk dance in time to the music. As they sing, -a sound of sleigh bells interrupts them. A child runs in, dressed in -Russian coat and furs. She is glistening with snow.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Russian child</span>: Oh! Your fire looks warm and bright! Christmas is cold, -indeed, on the snowy plains of Russia. I am sorry for poor Babouscka -to-night.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Come up to the fire and get warm, and tell us who Babouscka -is. (<i>All seat themselves around the fire.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Russian child</span>: Babouscka! Don’t you<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a>{114}</span> know about her? On Christmas Eve -every little Russian child expects a visit from a little old woman -called Babouscka. Long, long ago, on Christmas Eve, Babouscka was -sweeping her house when Three Wise Men came to the door and asked her to -go with them to bear gifts to a little child. She said she would go when -she had finished sweeping, but they said, “We may not wait. We follow a -star.” So they went their way. Afterwards Babouscka was sorry she hadn’t -gone with them. So she started out alone to find the child, and ever -since, on Christmas Eve, she wanders about to every house where there -are children, seeking the wonderful child the Wise Men talked about. But -always, when she asks for the child, the answer is the same, “Farther -on! Farther on!”</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Poor Babouscka! I hope she will find the child sometime. Let’s -go on with the song. Perhaps some one else will come. (<i>They continue -singing. A French child enters.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Oh! Here comes a little maid of France! I know her by her pretty -cap. Come, tell us what you do on Christmas Eve, and who brings your -gifts.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">French child</span>: Christmas is a holy time with us. The Christ Child himself -brings the gifts. We call him Le Petit Noël.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a>{115}</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Do you hang up your stocking for him to fill?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">French child</span>: No; we put our shoes by the hearth at night and Le Petit -Noël comes down the chimney and fills them.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Your shoes? I’m glad we hang up our stockings—they hold so much -more. Wooden shoes won’t stretch!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: What a lovely Christmas party we are having! Just think, here -are children from Switzerland, Holland, Russia, and France. I wonder if -any more children will come. Let’s all dance and sing while we wait. -(<i>They go on with the song. Sound of sleigh bells is heard outside. An -English child enters.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">English child</span>: A Merrie Christmas from Merrie England!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Oh! another guest! How lovely of you to come to our party. Do you -have Christmas Eve parties at home?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">English child</span>: Oh, yes; Christmas Eve is the merriest night of the year -with us.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Tell us all about it. (<i>The children seat themselves about the -hearth, the English child in the center.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">English child</span>: Early in the morning we go to the woods and gather -evergreens. Then we trim all the rooms with holly, mistletoe, box, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span> -bay; in the evening we light the great yule log.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: What’s the yule log?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">English child</span>: Well, it’s a big log that we always burn in the fireplace -on Christmas Eve. All the family meet together on Christmas Eve, and we -have a beautiful tree like yours. Every one gives a present to every one -else, and we sing and tell stories and have a happy time. Then early on -Christmas morning the waits come round and waken us, singing Christmas -carols. At dinner we have a great big plum pudding, and mother puts -brandy on it and sets fire to the brandy, and it makes a pretty blue -flame.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: I think that must be a happy Christmas. Who are the waits that -sing the carols?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">English child</span>: They are children who go about from house to house, early -on Christmas morning, and sing.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Will you sing one of your carols for us?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">English child</span>: Yes, if you will all help. (<i>English child sings carol.</i>)</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">I saw three ships come sailing in;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On Christmas day, on Christmas day;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I saw three ships come sailing in;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On Christmas day in the morning.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Pray whither sailed those ships all three,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On Christmas day, on Christmas day,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Pray whither sailed those ships all three,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On Christmas day in the morning?<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">And all the bells on earth shall ring<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On Christmas day, on Christmas day,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And all the bells on earth shall ring<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On Christmas day in the morning.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>(<i>Children join in the refrain. As they finish the carol, a Swedish -child enters.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swedish child</span>: What a beautiful Christmas party! I’m so glad the -Christmas fairy brought me.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Oh, are you another little maid from France?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swedish child</span>: Oh, no; I come from the frozen north—from Sweden.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Do you have Christmas ’way up there? And does St. Nicholas go -so far on Christmas Eve?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swedish child</span>: Of course we have Christmas, but I never heard of St. -Nicholas before.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span> (<i>to Gretchen</i>): There’s another country he doesn’t go to, -Gretchen. (<i>To Swedish child.</i>) Doesn’t any one bring the little Swedish -children presents on Christmas Eve?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Swedish child</span>: Oh, yes; the Christmas gnomes do that! They are a little -old man and a little old woman who come to every home in Sweden, -bringing gifts for all in the house. The old man carries a bell and the -old woman a large basket filled with gifts. In Sweden every one is -remembered on Christmas Day, and a sheaf of grain is fastened to a pole -at each house so that not even the birds are forgotten.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Oh, Gretchen, let us put up some grain for the birds to-morrow -morning! (<i>Song is heard outside.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Hark—some one is singing! (<i>They all listen. Irish child -sings behind the screen.</i>)</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i2">At Christmas time in Ireland<br /></span> -<span class="i2">There is feasting, there is song,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And merrily the fife and fiddle play;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And lightly dance the colleens,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And the boys, the evening long,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">At Christmas time in Ireland far away!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i3">(<i>Irish child enters, singing.</i>)<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i2">Oh, there’s nothing half so sweet<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In any land on earth<br /></span> -<span class="i0">As Christmas time in Ireland far away!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Christmas time in Ireland!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Irish child</span>: Yes, Christmas Day is a day<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span> of feasting and merriment. -Where did you get that pretty tree?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: It’s our Christmas tree. Don’t you have one?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Irish child</span>: No; I never saw one before.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Doesn’t St. Nicholas come to you? Don’t you get presents?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Irish child</span> (<i>shaking her head thoughtfully</i>): No.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Then how can you have a merry Christmas?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Irish child</span>: No; we don’t get gifts at home. We give them to the poor. -On Christmas Eve we light the great yule log in the fireplace. Then, -while it roars and crackles on the hearth, we sit around and hear the -tale that we love so well, of the shepherds who watched their flock by -night, and of the Christ Child in the manger. Before we go to bed we put -the great candle decked with ribbons in the window so that our welcome -may shine out for the Christ Child, should he wander that way. On -Christmas morning, of course, we all go to church, and then we come home -to the best dinner, and all the young people dance and make merry far -into the night.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span> (<i>to Gretchen</i>): Think of a Christmas Eve without a tree or St. -Nicholas or gifts!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a>{120}</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Irish child</span>: But we have the yule log and the story-telling, and we -dance and sing.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Was that one of your Christmas songs you were singing as you came -in?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Irish child</span>: Yes, every one sings that song at Christmas time.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Won’t you sing the rest of it for us?</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i3">(<i>Child finishes the song.</i>)<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i2">At Christmas time in Ireland,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">How the holly branches twine,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">In stately hall and cabin old and gray!<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And red among the leaves<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The holly berries twine—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">At Christmas time in Ireland far away!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>(<i>Just as she finishes the song, the American child runs in. They all -rise to greet her.</i>)</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">American child</span>: I’m late because I had so far to come. The fairy carried -me high over the seas from America.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: America! I’m so glad you have come! I wondered what the American -children were doing to-night.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">American child</span> (<i>looking around</i>): Why, I think you must do just what we -do on Christmas Eve. You have a tree—you put evergreens around—and you -hang your stockings up for Santa Claus to fill.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a>{121}</span></p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Hans</span>: Santa Claus? St. Nicholas comes to us.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: He’s the same, Hans, only they call him a little different.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dutch child</span>: Does he come on his horse?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">American child</span>: No, he is drawn in a sleigh with eight reindeer. He -comes down the chimney and fills our stockings with toys and candy, when -we are asleep.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dutch child</span>: Doesn’t he bring a switch for the bad ones?</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">American child</span>: Oh, no; Santa Claus never leaves anything but toys.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dutch child</span>: I wish he wouldn’t bring it when he comes to us!</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Gretchen</span>: Isn’t it funny? We all do different things on Christmas Eve. -But we all have a happy time and love it, and I’m sure each one of us -likes her own way the best. (<i>Sounds of sleigh bells are heard outside, -and children laughing. Gretchen runs to the window and looks out.</i>) Oh, -here are the village children! They have come to our Christmas party. -(<i>The village children run in. All greet each other and join in -singing.</i>)</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">This tree was grown on Christmas Day.<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a>{122}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">Old and young together say,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bright the colored tapers shine;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bright to-day the love divine.<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bright and light our Christmas tree,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bright and light our hearts must be.<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Dance, then, children, dance and sing,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">All the merry chorus ring.<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hail, old Father Christmas!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>{123}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="Part_II" id="Part_II"></a><span class="smcap">Part II</span><br /><br /> -<small>STORIES TO READ AND TELL TO CHILDREN</small></h2> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a>{124}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>{125}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="SELECTION_FROM_THE_BIBLE" id="SELECTION_FROM_THE_BIBLE"></a>SELECTION FROM THE BIBLE<br /><br /> -<small>LUKE II, 8-20</small></h3> - -<p>And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, -keeping watch over their flock by night.</p> - -<p>And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord -shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.</p> - -<p>And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good -tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.</p> - -<p>For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is -Christ the Lord.</p> - -<p>And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in -swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.</p> - -<p>And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host -praising God, and saying,</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Glory to God in the highest,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And on earth peace,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Good will toward men.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, -the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a>{126}</span> Bethlehem, -and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known -unto us.</p> - -<p>And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying -in a manger.</p> - -<p>And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was -told them concerning this child.</p> - -<p>And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them -by the shepherds.</p> - -<p>But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.</p> - -<p>And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the -things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a>{127}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_FINDING_OF_THE_TREASURE" id="THE_FINDING_OF_THE_TREASURE"></a>THE FINDING OF THE TREASURE<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor1">[11]</a><br /><br /> -<small>MARY STEWART</small></h3> - -<p>A bright-faced boy stood in the center of a group of ragged children, -telling them a story. Behind them were the forlorn shacks of a mining -camp, built of odd boards of different colors with tar paper or bits of -tin for the roofs. A fluttering line of untidy wash was the only sign of -life about the place, for the men were away working in the mines and the -women—there were only ten of them in the camp of fifty men—were busy -indoors.</p> - -<p>It was a desolate scene, but the children seemed to have forgotten it. -They were gazing spellbound at the lad in their midst, their minds so -full of the picture he was describing that the snowy fields before them -and the miserable camp behind them seemed miles away. Instead, they saw -what the boy saw as he looked straight before him, gazing into space -with a light upon his face as if he were beholding the radiant scene of -which he spoke.</p> - -<p>“There were angels,” he was saying in a clear, thrilling voice, -“hundreds of them, all with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a>{128}</span> glistening wings and faces as light as the -sunshine. They made the dark night as bright as day, and when the -shepherds saw them they were frightened. But the angels said, ‘Fear -not,’ and told them to go to a stable in the city near by, where, lying -in a manger, they would find a baby King. So the shepherds hurried up -the steep path to the city, carrying the lambs in their arms, and the -sky echoed with the angels’ song. It was the gladdest night in the whole -world.”</p> - -<p>“But that is not all!” cried the children. “Tell us about the wonderful -star and the men on camels.”</p> - -<p>“Listen,” said the story-teller, although every child was already -listening with all his might, “listen to what I am going to tell you -to-day. It is the most marvelous thing you have ever heard. In ten days -Christmas will be here, although the folks at the camp are so busy and -lonesome they have forgotten it. But when I asked my mother how we could -ever have a Christmas tree in this far-away place like we used to at -home, she said that <i>perhaps</i>”—here the lad, Carl, paused a moment, and -again he gazed into the distance, his face glowing, “perhaps,” he -continued mysteriously, “the glorious star would shine again <i>here</i> to -guide,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a>{129}</span> not the wise men on camels, but us—the children—to the -birthplace of a little baby!”</p> - -<p>“Shall we see the angels too?” questioned a girl, her voice trembling -with excitement. “Will the dark sky be bright and full of singing like -you said?” demanded another, and “Will the shepherds be there? And the -camels? And the men with precious gifts?” asked others.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so,” answered Carl; he did not know, he only knew that they -must watch every night now for a new glorious star. Of course that would -be the beginning of it all, the beginning of the most wonderful -Christmas that had happened since the angels sang to the shepherds on -the plains of Bethlehem.</p> - -<p>A shrill whistle blew, the call for supper, and the children ran back -over the snowy path to the big shack where the men met for meals. They -were all seated, talking angrily, when the children entered. One of the -men, a leader among them, had just read aloud a letter from the owner of -the mine. Such a small amount of gold had been found, the letter said, -that unless more was discovered within ten days, the mine would be -closed. Also, as the miners had been working on part shares, their wages -would be very small, barely enough to pay for their trips back to their -homes. A murmur of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a>{130}</span> anger and ugly threats ran around the room. The men -had traveled to this desolate spot with the dream of going back rich for -life and now, after months of hard, dangerous labor, they would return -poorer than when they came. Before the eyes of many of them arose -pictures of bare homes where their families were struggling bravely -against illness and poverty, counting the days until the miners returned -with pockets full of gold.</p> - -<p>“As beggars we will never go back!” cried one man. “Better blow up the -mine with us in it than see our children starve!” cried another, and -then the children, whose fathers were the few who had brought their -families with them, rushed into the room, their faces bright with the -great hope in their hearts. “Ten days from now will be Christmas!” cried -one little lad. “And something wonderful will happen then!” cried -another. The men turned upon them savagely. “If any child talks of -Christmas again, I’ll give him a licking that will make him forget the -day,” exclaimed one man, and another growled, “Ten days from now we’ll -all be beggars. Is that what you call ‘something wonderful’ happening?”</p> - -<p>To the children, Carl’s story began to seem an idle dream. How could a -baby King, a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a>{131}</span> glorious Christ Child, come to this miserable spot, or an -angel’s song ring through a camp where, as the night went on, the noise -of fighting and swearing echoed more and more wildly?</p> - -<p>With a despairing hope of still finding the gold within ten days, the -miners went out to their work morning after morning before dawn, and -evening after evening they returned, utterly discouraged. It was small -wonder that their faces grew rough and fierce and the children crept -fearfully out of their way. Their own fathers were even more wretched -than the others, for the small wages would not pay the return trip of a -whole family and, after ten days were over, they could not live on with -no food in that desolate camp. Starvation stared them in the face, and -the coming of Christmas meant nothing to them.</p> - -<p>Only Carl’s mother thought of it sometimes with a sad little smile, and -when Carl questioned her about the star and the baby of whose coming she -had spoken, she said softly, “When the Christ Child came His mother also -had no clothes in which to dress Him.” Then Carl saw tears shining in -her eyes and he dared not question her further, although the one thought -in his mind day and night was the coming of the young King.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a>{132}</span></p> - -<p>Late every afternoon the children met beside a group of snow-laden fir -trees behind the shacks, and once there, the gloom and terror of the -camp slipped from them. The snow-covered mountains glittered in the -distance, and Carl told them again and again of the shepherds and the -angels.</p> - -<p>Then late one evening, while the children watched in breathless -excitement, a radiant, glowing star shone forth in the evening sky. It -was the same star, they all firmly believed, which had led the wise men -so many years ago, and at first they thought with Carl that it had come -again to lead them to the cradle of the King. All that night they lay -awake on their hard cots, quivering with excitement as they listened for -the music of the angels’ song. But only the wrangling of the men echoed -through the darkness, and again the children’s bright dreams were -overshadowed by the gloom in the lives around them. Still each day they -had their hour of happiness beside the ice-hung fir trees, while the -star shone forth, and Carl told them of his hopes. Never for a moment -did he doubt that the star would lead them to the blessed birthplace, -and as the days went by he added other thoughts to his picture.</p> - -<p>“When the wise men came they brought<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a>{133}</span> presents for Him,” he said one -afternoon, “bags of gold, the kind our fathers are looking for, and for -which they say they have risked and ruined their lives. -Perhaps—perhaps—” his voice was trembling now with the wonder of his -hope, “when the Christ Child comes, He may bring to the miners some of -the gold the wise men brought to Him!”</p> - -<p>The thought was so marvelous that the children planned to tell the men -about it, but when they looked up into those grim, lowering faces their -hearts failed them and they went quietly to bed.</p> - -<p>So nine days slipped by, and the afternoon before Christmas came. The -next day, if no gold had been found, the mine would be closed, and the -miners went to work that morning in deadly silence, hopeless despair -written upon their faces. The snow had fallen heavily all night, and -during the day a few flakes still drifted from the gray, leaden sky. The -shacks were cold and cheerless and the women, as depressed now as the -men, moved heavily about their tasks. Only Carl’s mother was not with -them, and deep in their own misery no one gave her a thought. The -children were huddled in one corner under a ragged bed quilt, while -Carl, by the magic of his faith and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a>{134}</span> words, brought color to their -cheeks and light to their eyes.</p> - -<p>“This is the day He will come,” the lad was whispering. “My mother went -out into the snow this morning and before she went she kissed me and -said, ‘The little baby is coming to-day, my son, and where is the home -ready to receive him?’ I don’t know just what she meant, for of course -the angels will be waiting to take care of the little King.”</p> - -<p>“But if it is snowing, how can we see the star?” asked the children, and -as if in answer to their question the sun came out brilliantly. Like a -fairyland of silver and powdered diamonds the world shone in its mantle -of snow and ice, and into it rushed the children, flying over the -fields, eager, joyous, expectant. Quickly the short afternoon passed, -the sun set in a glory of rose and gold, and then again to the watching -children appeared the splendid evening star upon which all their hopes -and dreams were centered. It was bigger and brighter than ever before, -but it didn’t move as the children had been sure it would, and for a -moment a puzzled silence fell upon the group. Then Carl, who had been as -bewildered as the others, laughed outright. “Look!” he exclaimed -joyously, pointing to the old barn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a>{135}</span> beyond the fir trees, where the few -camp animals were kept. “It doesn’t move because it is here! See, there, -right below the star, is the stable. We thought, just as the wise men -did, that the star would take us to a palace, but perhaps again the -little King is lying in a manger!”</p> - -<p>For a moment it all seemed too wonderful to be true. Could the King be -there already, lying in the old stable, waiting for them? Then suddenly -to the children everything seemed possible. With the glorious star -shining in the glowing sky above them, the glittering mountains behind -them, and Carl’s triumphant voice calling them to follow, faith in the -King’s coming seemed only natural. With hearts as full of joy as the -shepherds’ on the Bethlehem plains, the children climbed up the snowy -path to the little stable, through whose windows there already shone a -golden light. Was it the light from the angels’ wings or was it—could -it be—the glory which shone around the Christ Child Himself?</p> - -<p>Very quietly and reverently the awestruck children opened the door and -stepped inside. What did they see?</p> - -<p>Nothing at first. Their eyes were blinded by the light of a great fire -which burned in the rude stone fireplace, a fire kindled with evergreen -branches so that the room was full of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a>{136}</span> fragrance of Christmas trees. -“This is the odor of the frankincense and myrrh,” whispered one child. -“He must have brought it with Him for us.” Then, as their eyes grew -accustomed to the brilliant light, they saw in one dim corner the old -donkey which drew heavy loads for the miners. Beside him stood one cow, -a couple of sheep, and on the rafters over their heads perched a pair of -blue pigeons. The children had seen them all before, often, but in the -light of the fire, with the star shining above them, the simple animals, -the same as those which had surrounded the Christ on the first -Christmas, seemed as miraculous as a host of angels. And then, at last, -they saw the One for whom they were seeking!</p> - -<p>The cow’s manger had been pulled out beside the blazing fire and in it, -warm and cozy and wrapped in swaddling bands, lay a tiny, beautiful -baby. With a gasp of wonder the children knelt in the straw before him. -Around his head was no circle of marvelous glory, but his sweet blue -eyes opened, big and shining in his tiny face, and to the children he -seemed indeed the baby King of whom they had dreamed. Beside him on the -straw lay a woman wrapped in a dark cloak. Even Carl did not at first -recognize her as his mother. She had crept off that morning<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a>{137}</span> to the one -peaceful spot in the camp, where her husband had built the great fire -for her, and there, with the peaceful animals around him, the little -baby boy had been born.</p> - -<p>“The Christ Child has come to us,” whispered one child blissfully. “The -little King is here!” said others softly. “He has brought the fragrance -the wise men gave Him,” murmured another. “And the joy of Christmas He -has brought to us all to last forever,” said Carl in his sweet voice. -Overwhelmed with the beauty and wonder of the scene, they had forgotten -the longed-for gift of gold, and then the door swung open and the -children saw Carl’s father enter and step across the room to the mother -on the hay. His face shone with the glory in which the whole world -seemed to be bathed. Was it only the light of the sunset and the blazing -fire? Ah, no, his voice rang with gladness as he exclaimed, “Wife, they -have found the gold; the mine will give treasure to us all!”</p> - -<p>The children clasped their hands in blissful content. They had known it -would come with the coming of the little King,—gold for the desperate -men, peace for the tired women, happiness for them all,—and it had come -true even more wonderfully than they had dreamed.</p> - -<p>The star shone through the window in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a>{138}</span> loft, the last rays of the -sunset turned the snow to gold, and within, in the light of the fire, -the children knelt, gazing rapturously at the little newborn baby in the -manger. So the miners found them. They were returning to the camp -jubilant over the newly discovered gold; it would make them all rich, -and they planned to celebrate by a night of riotous drinking. But on the -way to the shacks they passed the stable. It was strange to see it -lighted at this hour, and one man turned aside to see what was happening -there. As he stood looking silently through the window another joined -him, and another, until the whole crowd stood outside, gazing through -the windows, silent and abashed. The kneeling children, the baby in the -manger, the star above them, what did it all mean?</p> - -<p>“It is Christmas Eve,” murmured one man. “That must be the big Carl’s -kid,” said another, “but even the blessed Lord Jesus Himself couldn’t -have looked any sweeter.”</p> - -<p>“Gifts of gold,” said the man who was the leader of the gang, and his -clear voice reached every miner’s ears, “gifts of gold, if I remember -rightly, were brought once to the Christ on His first birthday. It’s His -birthday to-night, though none of us remembered it, and now the gifts of -gold have come to us. Who knows<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>{139}</span> whether they have not come from Him, -the Lord whom we had forgotten?”</p> - -<p>There was silence again, and then as night fell and the stars shone out -over that peaceful scene, there entered into the heart of every man, -woman, and child there the spirit of the Christ Child.</p> - -<p>Later, when the children understood that the baby was Carl’s little -brother, the wonder was none the less. Possibly they felt the great -truth, that the Christ Child is born in every baby who comes into the -world, or perhaps they simply felt the glory of His presence, as the men -and women around them lost their harsh and gloomy ways and became -joyful, tender, compassionate. For from that Christmas Eve until the -mine had been worked, and the men had scattered happily to their homes, -the camp was a different place. The drinking and fighting ceased, and -the men played with the children, shyly at first and then merrily, -thinking of “those other kids at home.” The women sang over their tasks, -and if the music was not as heavenly as the angels’ song, it was full of -cheer and peace and good will. And so to the children the camp became -truly a place in which, on that marvelous Christmas Eve, the Christ -Child had been born.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a>{140}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_MEANING_OF_THE_STAR" id="THE_MEANING_OF_THE_STAR"></a>THE MEANING OF THE STAR<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor1">[12]</a><br /><br /> -<small>EMMA G. SEBRING</small></h3> - -<p>Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the -king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, -Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in -the east, and are come to worship him.... And, lo, the star, which they -saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the -young child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding -great joy.</p> - -<p>And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with -Mary, his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him; and when they had -opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, -frankincense, and myrrh.—<i>Matthew ii, 1-4; 9-11.</i></p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In every life there is need of a star, the star of an ideal, which shall -go before, leading the way until it comes and stands where the Christ -is. They who see such a star shall rejoice with exceeding great joy, as -they who look<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a>{141}</span> upon a heavenly vision. They who follow such a star to -the goal where it leads, shall there offer the precious gift of an -ennobled and sanctified life.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a>{142}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="WHILE_SHEPHERDS_WATCHED_THEIR_FLOCKS_BY_NIGHT" id="WHILE_SHEPHERDS_WATCHED_THEIR_FLOCKS_BY_NIGHT"></a>WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR<br /> -FLOCKS BY NIGHT<br /><br /> -<small>MARGARET DELAND</small></h3> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Like small curled feathers, white and soft,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The little clouds went by,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Across the moon, and past the stars,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And down the western sky:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">In upland pastures, where the grass<br /></span> -<span class="i2">With frosted dew was white,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Like snowy clouds the young sheep lay<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The first best Christmas night.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">The shepherds slept; and, glimmering faint,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">With twist of thin, blue smoke,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Only their fire’s crackling flame<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The tender silence broke,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Save when a young lamb raised his head,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Or when the night wind blew<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A nestling bird would softly stir<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Where dusky olives grew.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">With finger on her solemn lip,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Night hushed the shadowy earth,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And only stars and angels saw<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The little Saviour’s birth;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>{143}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">Then came such flash of silver light<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Across the bending skies,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The wondering shepherds woke and hid<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Their frightened, dazzled eyes!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">And all their gentle sleepy flock<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Looked up, then slept again,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Nor knew the light that dimmed the stars<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Brought endless peace to men,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Nor even heard the gracious words<br /></span> -<span class="i2">That down the ages ring—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“The Christ is born! the Lord has come,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Good will on earth to bring!”<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Then o’er the moonlit misty fields,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Dumb with the world’s great joy,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The shepherds sought the white-walled town<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Where lay the Baby Boy—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And oh, the gladness of the world,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The glory of the skies,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Because the longed-for Christ looked up<br /></span> -<span class="i2">In Mary’s happy eyes!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a>{144}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_GREAT_WALLED_COUNTRY" id="THE_GREAT_WALLED_COUNTRY"></a>THE GREAT WALLED COUNTRY<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor1">[13]</a><br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">RAYMOND MacDONALD ALDEN</span></small></h3> - -<p>Away at the northern end of the world, farther than men have ever gone -with their ships or their sleds, and where most people suppose that -there is nothing but ice and snow, is a land full of children, called -The Great Walled Country. This name is given because all around the -country is a great wall, hundreds of feet thick and hundreds of feet -high. It is made of ice, and never melts, winter or summer, and of -course it is for this reason that more people have not discovered the -place.</p> - -<p>The land, as I said, is filled with children, for nobody who lives there -ever grows up. The king and the queen, the princes and the courtiers, -may be as old as you please, but they are children for all that. They -play a great deal of the time with dolls and tin soldiers, and every -night at seven o’clock have a bowl of bread and milk and go to bed. But -they make excellent rulers, and the other children are well pleased with -the government.</p> - -<p>There are all sorts of curious things about the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a>{145}</span> way they live in The -Great Walled Country, but this story is only of their Christmas season. -One can imagine what a fine thing their Christmas must be, so near the -North Pole, with ice and snow everywhere; but this is not all. -Grandfather Christmas lives just on the north side of the country, so -that his house leans against the great wall and would tip over if it -were not for its support. Grandfather Christmas is his name in The Great -Walled Country; no doubt we should call him Santa Claus here. At any -rate, he is the same person, and, best of all the children in the world, -he loves the children behind the great wall of ice.</p> - -<p>One very pleasant thing about having Grandfather Christmas for a -neighbor is that in The Great Walled Country they never have to buy -their Christmas presents. Every year, on the day before Christmas, -before he makes up his bundles for the rest of the world Grandfather -Christmas goes into a great forest of Christmas trees, that grows just -back of the palace of the king of The Great Walled Country, and fills -the trees with candy and books and toys and all sorts of good things. So -when night comes, all the children wrap up snugly, while the children in -all other lands are waiting in their beds, and go to the forest to -gather gifts for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a>{146}</span> their friends. Each one goes by himself so that none -of his friends can see what he has gathered; and no one ever thinks of -such a thing as taking a present for himself. The forest is so big that -there is room for every one to wander about without meeting the people -from whom he has secrets, and there are always enough nice things to go -around.</p> - -<p>So Christmas time is a great holiday in that land, as it is in all the -best places in the world. They have been celebrating it in this way for -hundreds of years, and since Grandfather Christmas does not seem to grow -old any faster than the children, they will probably do so for hundreds -of years to come.</p> - -<p>But there was once a time, so many years ago that they would have -forgotten all about it if the story were not written in their Big Book -and read to them every year, when the children in The Great Walled -Country had a very strange Christmas. There came a visitor to the land. -He was an old man, and was the first stranger for very many years that -had succeeded in getting over the wall. He looked so wise, and was so -much interested in what he saw and heard, that the king invited him to -the palace, and he was treated with every possible honor.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147"></a>{147}</span></p> - -<p>When this old man had inquired about their Christmas celebration, and -was told how they carried it on every year, he listened gravely and -then, looking wiser than ever, he said to the king:</p> - -<p>“That is all very well, but I should think that children who have -Grandfather Christmas for a neighbor could find a better and easier way. -You tell me that you all go out on Christmas Eve to gather presents to -give to one another the next morning. Why take so much trouble, and act -in such a roundabout way? Why not go out together, and every one get his -own presents? That would save the trouble of dividing them again, and -every one would be better satisfied, for he could pick out just what he -wanted for himself. No one can tell what you want as well as you can.”</p> - -<p>This seemed to the king a very wise saying, and he called all his -courtiers and counselors about him to hear it. The wise stranger talked -further about his plan, and when he had finished they all agreed that -they had been very foolish never to have thought of this simple way of -getting their Christmas gifts.</p> - -<p>“If we do this,” they said, “no one can ever complain of what he has, or -wish that some one had taken more pains to find what he wanted.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a>{148}</span> We will -make a proclamation, and always after this follow the new plan.”</p> - -<p>So the proclamation was made, and the plan seemed as wise to the -children of the country as it had to the king and the counselors. Every -one had at some time been a little disappointed with his Christmas -gifts; now there would be no danger of that.</p> - -<p>On Christmas Eve they always had a meeting at the palace, and sang -carols until the time for going to the forest. When the clock struck ten -every one said, “I wish you a Merry Christmas!” to the person nearest -him, and then they separated to go their ways to the forest. On this -particular night it seemed to the king that the music was not quite so -merry as usual, and that when the children spoke to one another their -eyes did not shine as gladly as he had noticed them in other years; but -there could be no good reason for this, since every one was expecting a -better time than usual. So he thought no more of it.</p> - -<p>There was only one person at the palace that night who was not pleased -with the new proclamation about the Christmas gifts. This was a little -boy named Inge, who lived not far from the palace with his sister. Now -his sister was a cripple, and had to sit all day looking out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a>{149}</span> the -window from her chair; and Inge took care of her, and tried to make her -life happy from morning till night. He had always gone to the forest on -Christmas Eve and returned with his arms and pockets loaded with pretty -things for his sister, which would keep her amused all the coming year. -And although she was not able to go after presents for her brother, he -did not mind that at all, especially as he had other friends who never -forgot to divide their good things with him.</p> - -<p>But now, said Inge to himself, what would his sister do? For the king -had ordered that no one should gather any presents except for himself, -or any more than he could carry away at once. All of Inge’s friends were -busy planning what they would pick for themselves, but the poor crippled -child could not go a step toward the forest. After thinking about it a -long time, Inge decided that it would not be wrong, if, instead of -taking gifts for himself, he took them altogether for his sister. This -he would be very glad to do; for what did a boy who could run about and -play in the snow care for presents, compared with a little girl who -could only sit still and watch others having a good time? Inge did not -ask the advice of any one, for he was a little afraid others would<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a>{150}</span> tell -him he must not do it; but he silently made up his mind not to obey the -proclamation.</p> - -<p>And now the chimes had struck ten, and the children were making their -way toward the forest, in starlight that was so bright that it almost -showed their shadows on the sparkling snow. As soon as they came to the -edge of the forest, they separated, each one going by himself in the old -way, though now there was really no reason why they should have secrets -from one another.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later, if you had been in the forest, you might have seen -the children standing in dismay, with tears on their faces, and -exclaiming that there had never been such a Christmas Eve before. For as -they looked eagerly about them to the low-bending branches of the -evergreen trees, they saw nothing hanging from them that could not be -seen every day in the year. High and low they searched, wandering -farther into the forest than ever before, lest Grandfather Christmas -might have chosen a new place this year for hanging his presents; but -still no presents appeared. The king called his counselors about him, -and asked them if they knew whether anything of this kind had happened -before, but they could tell him nothing. So no one could guess whether<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a>{151}</span> -Grandfather Christmas had forgotten them, or whether some dreadful -accident had kept him away.</p> - -<p>As the children were trooping out of the forest, after hours of weary -searching, some of them came upon little Inge, who carried over his -shoulder a bag that seemed to be full to overflowing. When he saw them -looking at him, he cried:</p> - -<p>“Are they not beautiful things? I think Grandfather Christmas was never -so good to us before.”</p> - -<p>“Why, what do you mean?” cried the children. “There are no presents in -the forest!”</p> - -<p>“No presents!” Inge said. “I have my bag full of them.” But he did not -offer to show them, because he did not want the children to see that -they were all for his little sister instead of for himself.</p> - -<p>Then the children begged him to tell them in what part of the forest he -had found his presents, and he turned back and pointed them to the place -where he had been. “I left many more behind than I brought away,” he -said. “There they are! I can see some of the things shining on the trees -even from here.”</p> - -<p>But when the children followed his footprints in the snow to the place -where he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a>{152}</span> been, they still saw nothing on the trees, and thought -that Inge must be walking in his sleep, and dreaming that he had found -presents. Perhaps he had filled his bag with the cones from the -evergreen trees.</p> - -<p>On Christmas Day there was sadness all through The Great Walled Country. -But those who came to the house of Inge and his sister saw plenty of -books and dolls and beautiful toys piled up about the little cripple’s -chair, and when they asked where these things came from, they were told, -“Why, from the Christmas-tree forest.” And they shook their heads, not -knowing what it could mean.</p> - -<p>The king held a council in the palace, and appointed a committee of his -most faithful courtiers to visit Grandfather Christmas, and see if they -could find what was the matter. In a day or two more the committee set -out on their journey.</p> - -<p>They had very hard work to climb the great wall of ice that lay between -their country and the place where Grandfather Christmas lived, but at -last they reached the top. And when they came to the other side of the -wall they were looking down into the top of his chimney. It was not hard -to go down this chimney into the house, and when they reached the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a>{153}</span> -bottom of it they found themselves in the very room where Grandfather -Christmas lay sound asleep.</p> - -<p>It was hard enough to waken him, for he always slept one hundred days -after his Christmas work was over, and it was only by turning the hands -of the clock around two hundred times that the committee could do -anything. When the clock had struck twelve times two hundred hours, -Grandfather Christmas thought it was time for his nap to be over, and he -sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.</p> - -<p>“Oh, sir!” cried the prince who was in charge of the committee, “we have -come from the king of The Great Walled Country, who has sent us to ask -why you forgot us this Christmas, and left no presents in the forest.”</p> - -<p>“No presents!” said Grandfather Christmas. “I never forgot anything. The -presents were there. You did not see them, that’s all.”</p> - -<p>But the children told him that they had searched long and carefully, and -in the whole forest there had not been found a thing that could be -called a Christmas gift.</p> - -<p>“Indeed!” said Grandfather Christmas. “And did little Inge, the boy with -the crippled sister, find none?”</p> - -<p>Then the committee was silent, for they had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a>{154}</span> heard of the gifts at -Inge’s house, and did not know what to say about them.</p> - -<p>“You had better go home,” said Grandfather Christmas, who now began to -realize that he had been awakened too soon, “and let me finish my nap. -The presents were there, but they were never intended for children who -were looking only for themselves. I am not surprised that you could not -see them. Remember, that not everything that wise travelers tell you is -wise.” And he turned over and went to sleep again.</p> - -<p>The committee returned silently to The Great Walled Country, and told -the king what they had heard. The king did not tell all the children of -the land what Grandfather Christmas had said, but, when the next -December came, he made another proclamation bidding every one to seek -gifts for others, in the old way, in the Christmas-tree forest. So that -is what they have been doing ever since; and in order that they may not -forget what happened, in case any one should ever ask for another change -they have read to them every year from their Big Book the story of the -time when they had no Christmas gifts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a>{155}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="GOING_TO_MEET_CHRISTMAS" id="GOING_TO_MEET_CHRISTMAS"></a>GOING TO MEET CHRISTMAS<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor1">[14]</a><br /><br /> -<small>EDMUND VANCE COOKE</small></h3> - -<p>“Papa,” said the Man Mite, “can you hear Christmas?”</p> - -<p>“Can you hear Christmas?” repeated his papa. “Why, I suppose so, in a -sort of way. You can hear bells chiming and little boys drumming and -little girls blowing horns and people laughing and everybody saying, -‘Merry Christmas!’ I suppose that’s hearing Christmas, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“But I mean can you hear it before it’s here?” asked the Man Mite.</p> - -<p>“No, I think not,” answered papa.</p> - -<p>“Well, if you can’t hear it, how can you tell it’s coming? Can you see -it coming?”</p> - -<p>“Oh,” answered his papa, “I see what you mean now. Well, how can you -tell to-morrow is coming? Can you smell it?”</p> - -<p>The Man Mite laughed. “Such a silly papa! To-morrow <i>has</i> to come so -that to-day can be yesterday. You ’splained that to me once yourself.”</p> - -<p>“Yes? Well, Christmas has to come so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a>{156}</span> that next Christmas can be last -Christmas.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, papa,” cried the Man Mite, “you forgot about <i>this</i> Christmas, but -please don’t tell me when this Christmas is coming, because I want it to -surprise me. I want it to sneak right up and get here when I don’t know -it.”</p> - -<p>“All right,” laughed papa, “I shan’t tell, and you can go to bed every -night <i>for a week</i> hoping that the next day will be Christmas.”</p> - -<p>Which was exactly what the Man Mite did, and for a night or two it was -very exciting, but toward the end of the week he began to grow tired of -it. It was all very well to go to bed hoping that the next day would be -Christmas, but to wake up every morning, and ask, “Where is Christmas?” -only to be answered with “Christmas is coming!” was very disappointing.</p> - -<p>One night his papa and mamma insisted that he go to bed earlier than -usual, so he was very wide awake for a while, and lay there wondering -how he could hurry up Christmas. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine -how Christmas looked dilly-dallying along the way, as (he remembered -with shame) he himself did sometimes when he was sent upon an errand, -instead of hastening, as Christmas and a little boy ought to do.</p> - -<p>“Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!” he repeated to himself, “and -if it doesn’t<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a>{157}</span> hurry and hurry up—if it doesn’t hurry and hurry up, -I’ll go to meet it!”</p> - -<p>That was a new idea, and the Man Mite lingered on it lovingly. Go to -meet it! Why not?</p> - -<p>Just how he got himself dressed and out of the house he never distinctly -remembered. He afterwards said that he was in such a hurry he didn’t -have time to remember, but that doesn’t sound quite reasonable, does it?</p> - -<p>He also says, however, that he remembers running for a long time as fast -as he could go. When he stopped to take breath and to look around he -found he was in a strange part of the city and there was nobody in the -street in any direction. He was lost!</p> - -<p>The Man Mite remembered that his papa told him that if ever he was lost -he should ask a policeman, but there wasn’t a policeman or anybody else -in sight. On the corner, though, was a patrol box, and the Man Mite had -seen the policeman telephone to the station from the box, so he thought -he would do the same thing. As he was trying to open the door he was -startled to hear a voice inside exclaim, “Christmas is coming!”</p> - -<p>“Which way is it coming, please?” asked the Man Mite, and off popped the -top and up<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a>{158}</span> popped a Jack-in-the-box with his arms extended.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said the Man Mite, and hastened away in the direction the -Jack-in-the-box had pointed. Presently he saw a toy trolley car going in -the same direction. “Hello!” he said, “where is that car going?”</p> - -<p>“Going to meet Christmas,” answered the trolley car; “get inside.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” answered the Man Mite, “you’re most too small for me to get -inside of, but I can sit on top.”</p> - -<p>He did so, and the car took him to the end of the line, and he was his -own conductor and collected his own fare from himself. When the car -stopped, it was at the end of a street which ran up against a steep -bluff with no elevator or path to help a little boy to get to its top. -The Man Mite wondered how he was ever going to get past that bluff, when -he saw a climbing-monkey-on-a-string. One end of his string was attached -to the top of the bluff and the other was fastened to the ground below.</p> - -<p>“Hello,” said the monkey, “Christmas is coming, and if you want to go to -meet it, you would better crawl up my string. I’ll show you how.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I can’t,” said the Man Mite.</p> - -<p>“Can’t!” mocked the monkey. “I’m only<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a>{159}</span> a tin monkey and I can do it. -It’s easy.”</p> - -<p>He went up the string hand-over-hand and foot-over-foot, and the Man -Mite followed. Much to his surprise, he reached the top without any -difficulty, and there he found a toy train of cars, a toy automobile, -and a wooden wagon.</p> - -<p>“All aboard for the Christmas Limited!” said the little iron brakeman.</p> - -<p>“Automobile Air-Line to Santaclausville!” said the tin chauffeur.</p> - -<p>“Fast express going to meet Christmas!” cried the tongue of the wagon, -and the Man Mite noticed that the wagon <i>did</i> have “Express” printed on -both its sides.</p> - -<p>Now, although the Man Mite would have liked to go on the train or the -auto, there was so much more room in the wooden wagon that he got into -it, and was surprised that it soon left its companions far behind. It -sped along merrily, and its tongue kept up a continuous running talk as -well, until it came to the ocean, where a toy boat was floating.</p> - -<p>“All aboard for Christmas!” said the captain.</p> - -<p>“But your boat is too small, and besides there’s not a board in it; it’s -tin,” answered the Man Mite.</p> - -<p>“Well, throw us a line and we’ll tow you,” said the captain.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a>{160}</span></p> - -<p>As the Man Mite had no line, he let him take the tongue of the wagon, -and the captain stood at the stern of the boat and hung on.</p> - -<p>Though the boat was so small, it pulled the Man Mite through the water -in a surprising manner, and the wooden wagon floated and kept the Man -Mite dry, but not a word could he get out of it, which was quite a -contrast to its manner when on land.</p> - -<p>The weather kept getting colder and colder; presently the boat was stuck -fast in the ice. Of course the wagon was also frozen tight, and the -captain let go of the “line” as he called it.</p> - -<p>“There!” cried the wagon angrily. “I knew what you’d bring us into.”</p> - -<p>“Well, why didn’t you say so if you knew so much?” said the captain.</p> - -<p>“Say so! Could <i>you</i> say so if somebody was pulling you along by the -tongue?” demanded the wagon.</p> - -<p>The captain replied and the wagon retorted, and the quarrel was becoming -very unpleasant, when along came a pair of skates without anybody on -them.</p> - -<p>“Boat ahoy! Wagon ahoy! Boy ahoy!” cried the skates. “Christmas is -coming!”</p> - -<p>“Take me along to meet it, please?” asked the Man Mite, and in another -moment he was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>{161}</span> on the skates and skating faster and easier than he had -ever skated in his life before. He skated for a long time, and passed -fields where plum puddings were growing like pumpkins, trees where candy -boys hung like pears, and snowdrifts which upon closer acquaintance -proved to be huge frosted cakes. Curiously enough, fields and trees and -drifts were all moving and cried out, “We’re going to meet Christmas!”</p> - -<p>After what seemed to him a long time, much to his surprise and joy he -met a boy, seemingly of his own age. The Man Mite was almost sure he had -seen his face before, and yet, when he came to look at him again, he was -surer still that he hadn’t, for certainly he had never seen a boy with a -fur cap, fur coat, fur boots, and fur trousers! He noticed, too, that -while the boy’s face was round and chubby, his hair was white; not -merely tow-headed, like Willie Perkins’s, and Pete Judson’s, but pure -white.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” said the stranger. “What’s your name?”</p> - -<p>“They call me Man Mite. What’s yours?”</p> - -<p>“Santy.”</p> - -<p>“Santy? What a funny name. Santy what?”</p> - -<p>“Santy Claus.”</p> - -<p>“Santy Claus?” cried the Man Mite. “You<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a>{162}</span> can’t be Santy Claus. He’s a -man, and you’re just a little boy like I am.”</p> - -<p>“Ho! you’re thinkin’ of my father,” answered the boy.</p> - -<p>“Your father!” cried the Man Mite, more astonished than ever. Somehow, -he had never thought of the possibility of Santy Claus being a father.</p> - -<p>“Have you got a mother, too?” he asked, after a moment.</p> - -<p>“Yep. Had one ever since I was born. Ain’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Of <i>course</i>,” answered the Man Mite, “but I never heard of Mrs. Santy -Claus.”</p> - -<p>“Never heard of your mother neither,” answered Santy, Jr.</p> - -<p>“Say, now, ain’t you fooling me? Are you honestly Santy Claus’s little -boy?”</p> - -<p>“Say yourself,” answered the other, “doesn’t your father remember when -he was little he had a Santy Claus?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Didn’t your father’s father have a Santy Claus?”</p> - -<p>“I s’pose so.”</p> - -<p>“Well, do you suppose it’s the same Santy Claus? Somebody’s got to keep -the business goin’.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a>{163}</span></p> - -<p>“And will you be Santy Claus—the real Santy Claus—when you grow up?” -asked the Man Mite.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I s’pose so,” answered the other, carelessly.</p> - -<p>“You s’pose so! Don’t you <i>want</i> to be?”</p> - -<p>“Naw; I want to be the conductor on a dog train. Say, they made the run -this year in three months an’ two days. Wasn’t that flyin’?”</p> - -<p>It really didn’t seem fast to the Man Mite, so he said: “How far is it?”</p> - -<p>“From Arctic C. to Aurora B.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by Arctic C. and Aurora B.?”</p> - -<p>“Arctic Circle to Aurora Borealis, of course. That run was an excursion, -too. We always go to the Aurora B. for the Fourth. Fine fireworks -there.”</p> - -<p>“The Fourth? Do you celebrate the Fourth?”</p> - -<p>“O’ course.”</p> - -<p>“But you’re not Americans, are you?”</p> - -<p>“No; that’s the worst of it. We got to celebrate everything, holidays -and saints days and kings’ and queens’ birthdays, and the whole bunch. -That’s because we belong to all nations.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a>{164}</span></p> - -<p>“Christmas is the best, isn’t it?” smiled the Man Mite.</p> - -<p>“Worst o’ the lot,” said Santy Jr., shortly.</p> - -<p>“Why, what makes you think so?” cried the Man Mite.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Cause dad’s always away on Christmas and we’ve cleared everything out -of the house to the last ginger-snap to put in folks’ stockings and it’s -the middle of the night and everybody’s tired, just like I am now, and -wants to go to bed.”</p> - -<p>“Middle of the night? What <i>do</i> you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Middle of the north-pole night. If it wasn’t for Christmas we could go -to bed about half-past October and sleep until a quarter of May, but ma -thinks we ought to help pa and then wait up till he comes home. My, but -I’m sleepy! Ain’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” owned the Man Mite, “a little.”</p> - -<p>“Well, come on and sleep with me. Your mother won’t mind. You can get up -about a quarter past April and get home early.”</p> - -<p>While they were speaking, Santy, Jr., was leading the way into the house -and to his room. The two boys lay down together on a bed of bearskins, -and the Man Mite said, sleepily: “Say, will you please tell me -something?”</p> - -<p>“Uh-huh,” said Santy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>{165}</span></p> - -<p>“What makes your hair white?”</p> - -<p>“What makes a polar bear’s hair white? What makes an arctic fox’s hair -white? What makes an arctic hare’s hair white? Why, hello! there’s dad -coming back!”</p> - -<p>“Coming back from where?”</p> - -<p>“Why, from Christmas, of course. You do ask the funniest questions. I -believe you’re asleep. Your eyes are shut and you talk so stupid.”</p> - -<p>The Mite Man rubbed his eyes with both hands and strove to open them. -Then he heard a voice cry, “Papa! papa!” but instead of its being the -voice of Santy, Jr., as he expected, it was the voice of his brother -Ben. Then somebody kissed him and called “Merry Christmas!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, papa,” said the Man Mite as he opened his eyes, “is it <i>this</i> -Christmas or <i>next</i> Christmas?”</p> - -<p>He did not stop for an answer to his question. With a shout of joy he -sprang out of bed and darted upon a pair of skates, a toy steamboat, a -wooden wagon marked “Express.” on both sides, and a toy trolley car -which was big enough for him to sit upon the roof.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a>{166}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="A_LEGEND_OF_SAINT_BONIFACE" id="A_LEGEND_OF_SAINT_BONIFACE"></a>A LEGEND OF SAINT BONIFACE<br /><br /> -<small>ELEANOR L. SKINNER</small></h3> - -<p>On a wild winter night about twelve hundred years ago the great English -missionary Saint Boniface and a score of faithful followers were -traveling through the gloomy forest in a lonely region of Hesse, -Germany. They made their way painfully and slowly, for they were obliged -to cut a path through the tangled thicket and great twisted branches. -The little band had come into the wilderness to share the message of the -Prince of Peace with hordes of barbarous savages who believed in witches -and werewolves, worshiped false idols, and made sacrifices to pagan -gods. In their passionate joy to bring the glad tidings of the gospel, -these apostles willingly endured blinding snowstorms and cruel hunger, -courageously risked death from wild beasts and murderous savages.</p> - -<p>Since noon these faithful Christians had fought their way through the -forest. The morning they had spent at Geismar, where Saint Boniface took -into Christ’s fold almost three hundred pagans. In simplest words the -great apostle urged the rude barbarians to give<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>{167}</span> up their false idols -and bloody sacrifices. He told them the thrilling story of Christ’s -birth, death, and resurrection, and the wonderful promise of the Kingdom -of Peace. The savages stood listening in breathless silence. Slowly they -caught a glimpse of the light of truth, came timidly forward, and knelt -at the rude altar where Saint Boniface stood.</p> - -<p>“Dost thou think the people of the wilderness will hold to the new -faith, father?” asked one of the followers.</p> - -<p>“I hope so, lad,” answered Saint Boniface. “We must try to keep watch -over them. Again and again they must hear the wonderful story. It is -hard, indeed, for these pagans to turn from their false idols and -worship an all-loving, merciful Father. We must watch and pray.”</p> - -<p>“When shall we come again to Geismar, father?” asked the youth.</p> - -<p>“It will be a year before our band can return to this region. In the -meantime, I hope to send other missionaries here,” answered the great -apostle.</p> - -<p>“Dost thou think we are near the monastery, father?” asked the footsore -youth.</p> - -<p>“I believe we are. If we do not reach it in another hour we must light a -fire and lie down<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a>{168}</span> under the trees. Courage, lad! This has been a -fruitful journey. May the converts hold fast to the glory of Christ!”</p> - -<p>A year passed quickly. Saint Boniface and his helpers were again working -among the wild children of the forest. Often the great apostle’s heart -sank when he heard that some of the converts were worshiping their false -idols again. A few remained stanch and true to the new faith; others -hopelessly confused the old superstitious ideas with the gospel of love -and service.</p> - -<p>“Thou art not discouraged, father?” whispered the youth, who noticed -that Saint Boniface was lost in thought.</p> - -<p>“Discouraged? Never!” answered the apostle with flashing eyes. “I am -deciding how to strike the next blow at their cruel superstitions.”</p> - -<p>In a few moments Saint Boniface said: “Let us stop here for a little -while. My plan is made. To-night is the pagan yuletide. Several tribes -will gather around the thunder-oak of Geismar to offer sacrifices. The -priests declare that nothing but human blood will appease the wrath of -Thor. Many wavering converts will be there. Come, we will destroy once -for all the sacred monarch of the forest. We will show the poor -benighted people that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a>{169}</span> the worship of Thor is nothing but a shadow. Our -axes are sharp; our arms are strong. God is with us. Come!”</p> - -<p>With new inspiration the Christian band pushed on. An hour’s hard -struggle brought them to the thunder-oak, which stood on a broad low -hill near Geismar. There they saw several hundred pagans standing in a -semicircle around the gigantic oak. Near the sacred tree burned a dull -red fire, and in the light of the flickering blaze the Christians saw an -old priest and a little, fair-haired boy.</p> - -<p>“It is as I feared,” whispered Saint Boniface. “They are ready to make -human sacrifice. Forward!”</p> - -<p>In a moment all eyes were fixed on the little band of Christians that -advanced toward the priest. Some of the pagans recognized the apostle -before whom they had knelt one year ago.</p> - -<p>“Friends,” said Saint Boniface, holding up the cross, “again we come to -bring the message of peace from the All-Father. Thor is dead! With our -axes we will prove to you that the god of thunder is powerless before -the God of Love.”</p> - -<p>Saint Boniface and a helper, with their wood axes in their hands, -stepped up to the great tree. With powerful blows they cut deep<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a>{170}</span> gashes -into its sides. Suddenly a mighty whirling wind passed over the forest. -Thor’s oak shuddered, swayed, and fell; it crashed to the ground, and -split into four huge pieces.</p> - -<p>“The God of Love is mightier than the God of thunder!” declared Saint -Boniface with bowed head. “Christ hath conquered Thor.”</p> - -<p>In deepest silence the tribes stood gazing at the ruined oak. By the -side of one of the huge pieces stood a beautiful little fir tree, -unharmed by the storm. Saint Boniface raised his voice and cried, “My -friends of the forest, show your faith in the true God by building a -chapel out of this fallen timber.” In a few moments he added: “And -behold this little fir tree, with its green leaves and beautiful spire -pointing to the stars. It is an emblem of joy and peace, and -life-everlasting. Go no more into the dark forest to make sacrifices of -blood; take this little tree into your homes and on Christ’s blessed -birthday gather around it with joyous songs and loving gifts. Call it -the tree of the Christ Child.”</p> - -<p>They took up the little fir tree and carried it to the village. Once -more, as they circled about the tree of the Christ Child, Saint Boniface -in simple words told them the wonderful story of peace on earth, good -will toward men.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a>{171}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="COSETTES_CHRISTMAS_EVE" id="COSETTES_CHRISTMAS_EVE"></a>COSETTE’S CHRISTMAS EVE<br /><br /> -<small>VICTOR HUGO</small><br /><br /> -<small>(Translated by Alma J. Foster)</small><br /><br /> -<small>I</small></h3> - -<p>A long time ago Montfermeil was a peaceful and charming little village -in the woods, away from the main roads, and on the way to nowhere.</p> - -<p>There the people lived frugally and happily their simple peasant life. -Only water was hard to get, because the hill was high. It was necessary -to go a long way for it. Indeed, it was hard for each family to get -enough for use.</p> - -<p>This was the terror of little Cosette.</p> - -<p>Cosette was a little girl who had been left by her mother several years -before in the care of an innkeeper and his wife named Thénardier. She -had proved very useful to these people in two ways. They were regularly -paid by the mother for her care, and they used her as a servant. Thus it -was that it was Cosette’s task to fetch water when needed. As she was -terribly afraid of going at night to the spring, she took good care to -have plenty of water in the house at all times.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a>{172}</span></p> - -<p>Christmas of the year 1823 had been particularly fine at Montfermeil. -There had been neither hail nor snow.</p> - -<p>This Christmas Eve several men were sitting around a table in the lower -hall of the inn. Cosette was in her usual place on the crosspiece of the -kitchen table near the chimney. She was in rags, she had wooden shoes on -her little bare feet, and she was knitting stockings by the light of the -fire. These stockings were to be worn by the innkeeper’s little -daughters.</p> - -<p>Cosette was dreaming sad dreams; although she was only eight years old -she had suffered so much that she felt like an old woman. She was -thinking that it was night, dark night, and that she had had to fill so -many pitchers that day for the many guests in the inn, that the water -tank was quite empty. She took comfort, however, when she remembered -that people drank very little water at night. There were many thirsty -ones, of course, but they wanted wine.</p> - -<p>From time to time one of the guests would look out into the street and -exclaim, “It’s as black as an oven! Only a cat could find its way -to-night without a lantern.” Then Cosette trembled.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a peddler who was staying at the inn entered, and said in a -hard voice, “My horse has had no water to drink.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>{173}</span></p> - -<p>Cosette came out from under the table.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, sir,” she said, “the horse has had water, a whole pailful, for -I gave it to him myself, and I talked to him, too.”</p> - -<p>“Come, now,” said the peddler, “it can’t be true that my horse has had -enough water.”</p> - -<p>Cosette slipped back to her place under the table.</p> - -<p>“Indeed, if that’s so,” said Madame Thénardier, “if the horse has not -had enough water, he must drink.”</p> - -<p>Then looking about the room, she said, “Well, where is Cosette?”</p> - -<p>She stooped, and saw the child hidden at the other end of the table -almost under the men’s feet.</p> - -<p>“Are you going to come, or no?” cried she.</p> - -<p>Cosette crept out of the little hole in which she had hidden herself.</p> - -<p>“Now, get something for the horse to drink.”</p> - -<p>“But there isn’t any water,” said Cosette feebly.</p> - -<p>The woman opened wide the door leading to the street.</p> - -<p>“Very well; go and get some.”</p> - -<p>Then she fumbled in a drawer where were a few coins, and some peppers -and onions.</p> - -<p>“Here, you little toad,” added she, “on your<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a>{174}</span> way home get a loaf of -bread. Here is the money.”</p> - -<p>Cosette had a little side pocket in her apron. She took the piece of -silver without a word, and put it into the pocket. Then she stood quite -still, the pail in her hand, and the open door before her.</p> - -<p>“Get along with you!” cried the woman.</p> - -<p>Cosette went out. The door was closed behind her.</p> - -<p>Cosette went along the crooked and deserted streets on that side of the -town. As long as there were houses or even high walls on both sides of -her, she walked bravely enough. From time to time she caught sight of a -lighted candle through a crack in the shutters; there were light, and -life, and people, and this comforted her. However, the farther she went -the more slowly she walked. When she had passed the corner of the last -house, Cosette stopped. To pass the last shop had been hard, but to pass -the last house,—this was impossible. She turned firmly back. Scarcely -had she walked a hundred steps when she stopped again. The thought of -Madame Thénardier stopped her. Before her stood the picture of the angry -woman; behind her all the phantoms of the night and of the wood. -Suddenly she turned again to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a>{175}</span> path to the spring, and started to -run. Even while running she felt like crying. The chill of the night and -of the forest encompassed her.</p> - -<p>There were only seven or eight minutes from the edge of the woods to the -spring. Cosette knew the path only too well, having been over it many -times every day. She dared not glance either right or left for fear of -seeing things in the branches or the bushes. At last she reached the -spring.</p> - -<p>Cosette did not stop to take breath. It was fearfully dark, but she was -used to this spring. She felt with her left hand in the darkness for a -young oak that hung over it, by which she used to support herself, found -the branch, caught hold of it, and plunged the pail into the water. -While doing this, she could not see that her pocket had emptied itself -into the spring. The silver coin had fallen into the water; Cosette did -not notice it. She drew up the pail almost full, and rested it on the -grass. She shut her eyes, then opened them again, not knowing why. Then -she counted aloud, one, two, three, and up to ten, and when she had -finished she began again. Then she felt the cold in her hands, which she -had wet in dipping the water. Suddenly she saw the pail before her. She -seized the handle with both<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a>{176}</span> hands. It was hard to lift. She had to stop -many times to rest, then she walked on with her head bent forward. The -weight of the pail stiffened her little arms. All this was taking place -in the heart of a wood, at night, in winter, far from every human eye, -and this was a child only eight years old. Now and then she would cry -aloud, “Oh, dear me! Oh, dear me!”</p> - -<p>Suddenly she felt that the pail was no longer heavy. A hand which seemed -immense had seized the handle and lifted it with power. She looked up. A -large form, dark and straight, was walking beside her in the gloom. It -was a man who had come behind her, whom she had not heard. This man, -without a word, had taken hold of the pail she was carrying.</p> - -<p>There are instincts for all the meetings of life. The child felt no -fear.</p> - -<p>The man spoke to her. His voice was grave and almost a whisper.</p> - -<p>“Little one, it is very heavy for you, this thing you are carrying.”</p> - -<p>Cosette looked up and said, “Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Give it to me,” replied the man. “I am going to carry it.”</p> - -<p>Cosette let go of the pail. The man walked beside her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a>{177}</span></p> - -<p>“It is heavy indeed!” he said between his teeth. Then he asked, “Little -one, how old are you?”</p> - -<p>“Eight years, sir.”</p> - -<p>The man waited a moment before speaking, then said quickly, “You haven’t -then any mother?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said the child. Before the man could say any more she -added, “I don’t think so. The others have one; but I haven’t any.” After -a silence, she said again, “I don’t believe I ever had one.”</p> - -<p>The man stopped; he placed the pail on the ground, stooped over, and put -his hands on the child’s shoulders, trying to see her face in the -darkness.</p> - -<p>“What is your name?” said he.</p> - -<p>“Cosette.”</p> - -<p>The man seemed to feel an electric shock. He looked at her again, then -he took his hands from her shoulders, raised the pail, and began to walk -again.</p> - -<p>After a moment he asked, “Little one, where do you live?”</p> - -<p>“At Montfermeil, if you know it?”</p> - -<p>Again there was a pause, then he began again: “Who is it, then, who has -sent you at this hour to bring water from this wood?”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a>{178}</span></p> - -<p>“It’s Madame Thénardier.”</p> - -<p>“What does she do, your Madame Thénardier?”</p> - -<p>“She takes care of me,” said the child. “She keeps the inn.”</p> - -<p>“The inn?” said the man. “Well, I am going to sleep there to-night. Show -me the way.”</p> - -<p>“We are going there now,” said the child.</p> - -<p>The man was walking quite fast. Cosette followed him without any -trouble. She wasn’t tired any more. Every now and then she looked up at -this man with a wonderful peace and trust.</p> - -<p>Several minutes passed thus. Then the man began again.</p> - -<p>“Hasn’t Madame Thénardier any servant?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Are you the only one?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>There was another pause. Then Cosette raised her voice.</p> - -<p>“That is, there are two little girls.”</p> - -<p>“What little girls?”</p> - -<p>“Ponine and Zelma.”</p> - -<p>“Who are Ponine and Zelma?”</p> - -<p>“They are Madame Thénardier’s little girls.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a>{179}</span></p> - -<p>“And what do they do, these little ones?”</p> - -<p>“Oh,” said the child, “they have pretty dolls. They play and amuse -themselves.”</p> - -<p>“And you?”</p> - -<p>“I? I work.”</p> - -<p>“All day long?”</p> - -<p>The child raised her large eyes full of tears, that were hidden by the -night, and answered softly, “Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>Then she went on after a moment of silence, “Sometimes, when I have done -my work, and they are willing, I play a little.”</p> - -<p>“What do you play?”</p> - -<p>“As I can. They leave me alone. But I have not many toys. I have only a -little lead sword not larger than that.” The child showed her little -finger.</p> - -<p>They were now nearing the village; Cosette led the stranger through the -street. They passed the baker’s, but Cosette never even thought of the -bread that she was to buy.</p> - -<p>As they came near the inn, Cosette touched his arm timidly.</p> - -<p>“What is it, little one?”</p> - -<p>“Here we are, very near the house.”</p> - -<p>An instant later they were at the door of the inn.</p> - -<p>Cosette could not resist one last look at a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a>{180}</span> big doll standing in the -window of the toy shop; then she knocked.</p> - -<p>The door opened. Madame Thénardier stood there, a candle in her hand.</p> - -<p>“Ah! it’s you! You have taken time enough! You must have been having a -fine time.”</p> - -<p>“Madame,” said Cosette trembling, “here is a gentleman who has come to -stay.”</p> - -<p>Madame Thénardier changed very quickly her cross looks for her pleasing -grin, and looked eagerly at the newcomer.</p> - -<p>“This is the gentleman?” said she.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Madame,” answered the man as he touched his cap.</p> - -<p>Rich travelers are not so polite. This gesture, and the view of the -clothes and the bundle of the stranger, which the woman took in with a -quick glance, made her change her pleasant grin for her cross looks -again. Then she said dryly, “Come in, fellow.”</p> - -<p>The “fellow” came in. The woman took another glance at him, looked -carefully at his coat, which was very shabby, and at his hat, which was -quite battered, then turned up her nose and winked her eyes at her -husband, who was sitting with the other men. Then he answered with a -movement of his finger on the lips which said as plainly as words, “Very -poor.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a>{181}</span></p> - -<p>Then the woman cried at once: “Ah, my good fellow, I am very sorry, but -I have no room for you.”</p> - -<p>“Put me anywhere you like,” said the man, “in the barn or the stable. I -will pay as if I had a room.”</p> - -<p>“Two francs?”<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a></p> - -<p>“Yes, two francs.”</p> - -<p>“Very well.”</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the man, having left his bundle and stick on a bench, had -taken his seat at a table, where Cosette had hurried to place a bottle -of wine and a glass. The peddler who had asked for the water had gone -himself to take it to the horse. Cosette had taken her place under the -kitchen table with her knitting.</p> - -<p>The stranger, who had hardly touched the wine that he had poured out, -was looking at the child with strange attention.</p> - -<p>Cosette was homely. Happy, she might have been pretty. Now, she was thin -and pale; she was nearly eight years old, but one would have guessed her -hardly six. The whole figure of this child—her manner, her way of -moving, the sound of her voice, the stammering speech, her look, her -silence, her least gesture—expressed one single idea, fear.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a>{182}</span></p> - -<p>This fear was so great that on reaching the inn, wet as she was, Cosette -had not dared to dry herself at the fire, but had gone quietly to work.</p> - -<p>The stranger did not take his eyes away from Cosette.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Madame Thénardier cried, “Well now, where is the bread?”</p> - -<p>Cosette, as she always did when her mistress raised her voice, came -quickly from under the table.</p> - -<p>She had entirely forgotten the bread. She did, alas! what many children -do when frightened; she lied.</p> - -<p>“Madame, the baker shop was closed.”</p> - -<p>“I will find out to-morrow if this is so,” said the woman, “and if you -are lying I will make you pay for it. Meanwhile, give me the money.” -Cosette put her hand into her apron pocket. The money was not there.</p> - -<p>“Look here! Do you hear me?” said her mistress.</p> - -<p>Cosette turned her pocket out. There was nothing there. What could have -become of the money?</p> - -<p>“Have you lost it, the money,” screamed the woman, “or do you want to -steal it from me?”</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the stranger had fumbled in his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a>{183}</span> vest pocket without being -noticed by any one. Cosette was crouching in the corner of the chimney.</p> - -<p>“Pardon me, Madame,” said the man, “but just a moment ago I saw -something bright roll on the floor. Perhaps it was the money.”</p> - -<p>At the same time, he stooped down and seemed to be searching the floor.</p> - -<p>“Exactly so; here it is,” said he, rising. And he handed the woman a -piece of money.</p> - -<p>“Yes, that is it,” said she.</p> - -<p>It was not the money, for this coin was larger, but the woman thought it -all the better for that. She put it into her pocket, and contented -herself with a fierce look at the child, saying, “See that this does not -happen again!”</p> - -<p>Cosette went back again into what the woman called her “kennel.”</p> - -<p>“By the way, do you wish supper?” said she to the stranger.</p> - -<p>He did not reply. He seemed to be thinking deeply.</p> - -<p>“What sort of man is this?” she said between her teeth. “He is humbly -poor. He has not a cent for supper. I hope he will pay me for his -lodging.”</p> - -<p>Just then a door opened and Eponine and Azelma came in.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a>{184}</span></p> - -<p>They were really two pretty and charming little girls, one with -golden-brown curls, the other with long black braids falling down her -back. When they entered, their mother said in a scolding tone which -nevertheless was full of adoration: “Ah! here you are, you two!” Then -drawing them on her lap one after the other, smoothing their hair, tying -their ribbons, she at last gave each a little love pat, saying, “Aren’t -they well dressed now?”</p> - -<p>They went and sat down near the corner of the chimney. They had a doll -which they turned and turned again on their knees with all sorts of -happy prattling. From time to time Cosette raised her eyes from her -knitting and looked at them sadly.</p> - -<p>The doll of the two sisters was very faded, and quite old and broken, -but it did not seem any the less lovely to Cosette who, in all her life, -had never owned a doll, <i>a real doll</i>, to use a term that all children -will understand.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the woman, who was passing back and forth in the room, noticed -that Cosette was distracted and that instead of working she was -interested in the little ones who were playing.</p> - -<p>“Ah! I have caught you!” cried she. “That’s how you work!”</p> - -<p>The stranger, without leaving his chair,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a>{185}</span> turned to the woman. “Madame,” -said he, smiling almost timidly, “let the little one play a bit.”</p> - -<p>She replied sharply: “She must work if she wants to eat. I don’t feed -her to do nothing.”</p> - -<p>“What is she making then?” said the stranger, with the soft voice which -was such a contrast to his shabby clothes, and his big, broad shoulders.</p> - -<p>“Stockings, if you please, stockings for my little girls, who have none -and who will soon be barefooted.”</p> - -<p>The man looked at Cosette’s poor little red feet and went on: “When will -she finish this pair of stockings?”</p> - -<p>“She will take three or four days more, the idle thing.”</p> - -<p>“And how much will they be worth when they are done?”</p> - -<p>The woman looked at him with scorn.</p> - -<p>“At least thirty sous,” she said.</p> - -<p>“Would you sell them for five francs?” said the man.</p> - -<p>“Mercy on us!” cried out, with a hoarse laugh, one of the guests who was -listening. “Five francs? You bet your life! Five francs!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a>{186}</span></p> - -<p>Monsieur Thénardier thought it was time for him to say something.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir, if this is your fancy, you may have the stockings for five -francs. We never refuse travelers anything.”</p> - -<p>“You must pay it right down,” said the woman, in her short and -commanding way.</p> - -<p>“I buy this pair of stockings,” answered the man, as he drew five francs -from his pocket and laid them on the table, “and I pay for them.”</p> - -<p>Then he turned to Cosette.</p> - -<p>“Now your work belongs to me. Play, my little one.”</p> - -<p>Cosette now laid down her knitting, but she had not left her place. -Cosette always moved as little as possible. She had taken from a box -behind her a few old rags and a little lead sword, and Cosette had made -herself a doll with the sword.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the guests at the table were singing their songs more and more -loudly. Cosette, under the table, was looking at the fire which was -shining in her fixed eyes; she had begun to rock the sort of doll she -had made, and as she rocked it back and forth she sang.</p> - -<p>All at once Cosette stopped. She had turned and caught sight of the doll -that the children<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a>{187}</span> had left for the cat, and which was lying on the -floor near the table.</p> - -<p>Then she let fall her little sword-doll which only half pleased her, and -turned her eyes slowly around the room. The woman was talking to her -husband and counting money, the girls were playing with the cat, the -travelers were eating and singing, and not one of them was looking at -her. She did not have a moment to lose. She crawled out from under the -table on her hands and knees, looked again to see that no one was -watching, then slipped quickly over to the doll, and seized it. An -instant later she was in her place, seated, quiet, and turned so that -the doll was in shadow. This happiness of playing with a doll was so -rare for her that she was wild with joy.</p> - -<p>Not a soul had seen her except the stranger, who was now eating a simple -supper. Her joy lasted almost a quarter of an hour.</p> - -<p>But in spite of all her care, Cosette did not see that one leg of the -doll was sticking out, and that the fire from the chimney lighted it -brightly. This red and shining leg coming out of the shadow suddenly -struck the eye of Azelma, who said to Eponine: “Look there, sister.”</p> - -<p>The two little girls stopped, amazed. Cosette had dared take their -doll!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a>{188}</span></p> - -<p>Eponine got up, and without leaving the cat, ran over to her mother, and -began to pull her skirt.</p> - -<p>“Let me alone,” said the mother. “What do you want?”</p> - -<p>“Mother,” said the child, “look there.” And she pointed her finger at -Cosette.</p> - -<p>The woman cried in a voice hoarse with anger, “Cosette!”</p> - -<p>Cosette shivered as if the earth had trembled under her. She turned -around.</p> - -<p>“Cosette!” repeated the woman.</p> - -<p>Cosette took the doll and laid it on the floor with a sort of reverence -mingled with despair. Then, without taking her eyes away from it, she -joined her hands and burst into tears.</p> - -<p>In the meantime the stranger had risen. “What is the matter?” said he to -the woman.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you see?” said she, pointing with her finger at the proof of the -crime outstretched at Cosette’s feet.</p> - -<p>“Well, what of that?” replied the man.</p> - -<p>“This little wretch has dared to lay her hands on the children’s doll!”</p> - -<p>“All this noise about that?” said the man. “Why should she not play with -this doll?”</p> - -<p>“She has touched it with her dirty hands!”</p> - -<p>At this Cosette sobbed more than ever.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>{189}</span></p> - -<p>“Keep still, won’t you!” cried the woman.</p> - -<p>The man went straight to the street door, opened it, and went out. In a -few minutes the door opened again and the man entered, carrying in his -arms the wonderful doll of which we have spoken. He laid it down before -Cosette, saying, “Take it, little one; this is for you.”</p> - -<p>It seemed that during the hour he had been there, in the midst of his -musing he had noticed the toy shop, so brilliantly lighted that it could -be easily seen through the hall window.</p> - -<p>Cosette raised her eyes. She had looked upon the man coming to her with -this doll as she would have looked upon the sun; she heard the unusual -words, “This is for you”; she looked at him; she looked at the doll; -then she backed slowly away, and went and hid herself on the floor under -the other table in the corner of the wall.</p> - -<p>“Well, now, Cosette,” said the woman in a voice that she tried to make -soft, “why don’t you take your doll?”</p> - -<p>Cosette had not the courage to creep out of her hole.</p> - -<p>“My little Cosette,” said the woman, in a caressing tone, “take it. It -is yours.”</p> - -<p>Cosette looked at the doll almost in terror.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a>{190}</span> Her face was still wet -with tears, but her eyes began to glow, like the skies at early dawn, -with strange rays of joy. What she felt at that moment was a little like -what she would have felt if some one had suddenly said to her: “Little -one, you are queen of France.” It seemed to her that if she touched this -doll, thunder would come out of it.</p> - -<p>At last she came near it, and murmured timidly as she looked at the -woman: “May I take it, then?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed,” said the woman; “it is yours. The gentleman has given it -to you.”</p> - -<p>“Is it true, sir? Is it really true, that this lovely lady is mine?”</p> - -<p>Suddenly she turned and seized the doll with delight. “I’ll call you -Catherine!” she cried.</p> - -<p>That was a queer sight when the rags of little Cosette touched and -covered up the doll’s pink ribbons and silk.</p> - -<p>“Madame,” said she, “may I put her on a chair?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, my dear,” said the woman.</p> - -<p>She placed Catherine on a chair, then seated herself on the floor in -front of her, and kept perfectly quiet, without one word, in an attitude -of devotion.</p> - -<p>“Play now, Cosette,” said the stranger.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a>{191}</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, I am playing,” said the child.</p> - -<p>The woman now hastened to send her children to bed, then she begged -permission to send Cosette, too.</p> - -<p>Cosette went to bed, taking her Catherine with her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a>{192}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_STRANGE_ADVENTURES_OF_A_WOOD_SLED" id="THE_STRANGE_ADVENTURES_OF_A_WOOD_SLED"></a>THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A WOOD SLED<br /><br /> -<small>WASHINGTON GLADDEN</small></h3> - -<p>“Keeps coming right down, don’t it, Bill?”</p> - -<p>Bill could not deny it, and did not wish to admit it; therefore, he said -nothing.</p> - -<p>What was coming down was the snow. It had been falling, thicker and -faster, since a little after daylight, and now it was nearly dark. -Stumps of trees and gate posts were capped with great white masses of -it; here and there a path, cleared up to the back door of a farmhouse, -showed on either hand a high bank of it fluted with broom or shovel.</p> - -<p>The boy, whose observation about its coming down I have just recorded, -was Master Winfield Scott Burnham. He was a slender boy, with a pale -face, dark eyes and brown hair, and he sat pressing his face against the -pane of a car window, looking with rather a rueful countenance upon the -fast-falling snow. The young gentleman sitting opposite to him, whom he -made bold to address as Bill, was his big brother, a junior in college, -who had long been Win’s hero; and he was worthy to be the hero of any<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a>{193}</span> -small boy, for he was not only strong and swift and expert in all kinds -of muscular sports, but he was too much of a man ever to treat small -boys, even though they might be his own brothers, roughly or -contemptuously.</p> - -<p>Just across the aisle, on the other side of the car, sat Win’s eldest -sister, Grace, who was a sophomore at Smith College; and fronting her on -the reversed seat was Win’s younger brother, Philip Sheridan.</p> - -<p>The reason why these Burnhams happened to be traveling together was -this: The Christmas vacation had come, and William and Grace were on -their way to their home in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The two small -boys, whose school at home had closed a week earlier than the colleges, -had been visiting their cousins in Hartford for a few days; and it was -arranged that William should come over from Amherst and join Grace at -Northampton, and that the two should wait at Springfield for the little -boys, who were to be put on the northern train at Hartford by their -uncle. But the trains on all the roads had been greatly delayed by the -snow, and it was four o’clock before the noon express, with the Burnhams -on board, left Springfield for the west. The darkness was closing in, -and the wind was rising, and William<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a>{194}</span> had already expressed some fear of -a snow-blockade upon the mountain. This remark had made Win rather -sober, and he had been watching the snow and listening to the wind with -an anxious face.</p> - -<p>“How long shall we be going to Pittsfield?” he asked his brother.</p> - -<p>“There’s no telling,” answered Will. “We ought to get there in two -hours, but at this rate it will be four, at the shortest.”</p> - -<p>“That will make it eight o’clock,” sighed Win. “I’m afraid the Christmas -tree will all be unloaded before that time.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, my boy; I’m sorry, but you might as well make up your mind to -that.”</p> - -<p>Win started across the car. This disappointment was too big for one. He -must share it with Phil.</p> - -<p>“Hold on, General!” said William in a low tone. “What’s the good of -telling him? Let him be easy in his mind as long as he can.”</p> - -<p>Win sat down in silence. Phil was telling his sister great stories of -the Hartford visit, and his gleeful tones resounded through the car. -Grace was laughing at his big talk, and they seemed to be making a merry -time of it. But the train had just stopped at Westfield, and there was -difficulty in starting. The wind<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>{195}</span> howled ominously, and great gusts of -snow came flying down from the roof of the passenger house against the -windows of the car. Presently, the two engines that were drawing the -train backed up a little to get a good start, and then plunged into the -snow.</p> - -<p>“Ch—h! Ch—h! ch—ch! Ch-h-h-h-h-!”</p> - -<p>The wheels were slipping upon the track, and the train suddenly came to -a halt.</p> - -<p>Back again they went, a little farther, for another start; and this time -the two engines, like “two hearts that beat as one,” cleared the course, -and the train went slowly on up the grade. Grace and Phil had stopped -talking, and they now came across, and joined their brothers.</p> - -<p>“Aren’t you afraid there may be trouble on the mountain, Will?” asked -Grace.</p> - -<p>“Shouldn’t wonder,” said that gentleman, shortly.</p> - -<p>“But, Will, what in the world should we do if we should happen to be -blockaded?”</p> - -<p>“Sit still and wait till we were shoveled out, I suppose. You see, we -couldn’t go on afoot very well.”</p> - -<p>“Going to be snowed up! That’s tiptop!” cried Phil. The boy’s love of -adventure had crowded out all thoughts of the festival to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a>{196}</span> which they -were hastening. “I read in the paper about a train that was snowed up -three or four days on the Pacific road, and the passengers had jolly -times; the station wasn’t very far off, and they got enough to eat and -drink, and they had all sorts of shows on the train.”</p> - -<p>“But I’d rather see the show at the Christmas tree to-night,” said Win, -“than any show we’ll see on this old train. Wouldn’t you, Bill?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so,” answered Bill. It was evident that he had reasons of his -own for not wishing to be absent from the festival.</p> - -<p>Meantime, the train was plowing along. Now and then it came to a halt in -a cut which the snow had filled, but a small party of shovelers that had -come on board at Westfield usually succeeded, after a short delay, in -clearing the track. Still the progress was very slow. A full hour and a -half was consumed between Springfield and Russell, and it was almost -seven o’clock when the train stopped at Chester.</p> - -<p>The boys were pretty hungry by this time, and the prospect of spending -the night in a snowbank was much less attractive, even to Phil, than it -had been two hours before. At Chester, where there was a long halt, the -passengers—of whom there were not many—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a>{197}</span>nearly all got out and -refreshed themselves. A couple of sandwiches, a piece of custard pie, a -big, round doughnut, and a glass of good milk considerably increased -Phil’s courage and greatly comforted Win, so that they returned to the -car ready to encounter with equal mind the perils of the night.</p> - -<p>The snow had ceased to fall, but the wind was still blowing. Two or -three more shovelers came on board, and, thus reënforced, the train -pushed on. But it was slow work; the grade was getting heavier and the -drifts were deeper every mile. But Middlefield was passed and Becket was -left behind, and at nine o’clock the train was slowly toiling up toward -the summit at Washington, when, suddenly, it came to a halt, and a long -blast was blown by the whistles of both engines. Shortly, a brakeman -came through the train, and, taking one of the red lanterns from the -rear of the last car, hurried down the track with it.</p> - -<p>“Where is he going with that lantern?” asked Phil.</p> - -<p>“He is going back a little way,” said Will. “The lantern is a signal to -keep other trains from running into us. That means that we are to stay -here for some time. I’ll go out and see what’s up.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a>{198}</span></p> - -<p>Presently he returned with a sober face, and looking very cold.</p> - -<p>“Well, what is it?” they all asked.</p> - -<p>“Oh, nothing; there’s a freight train in the cut just ahead of us, with -two of its cars off the track, and the cut’s about half full of snow. If -our Christmas goose isn’t cooked already, there’ll be plenty of time to -have it cooked before we get out of this.”</p> - -<p>“Is it that deep cut just below the Washington station?” asked Grace.</p> - -<p>“The same,” answered Will; “and it’s as likely a place to spend -Christmas in as you could find anywhere in western Massachusetts.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t they dig out the snow?” cried Win.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes,” said the big brother; “but it’s not an easy thing to do; it’s -got to be done with shovels, and it will take a long time.”</p> - -<p>“How long?” asked Grace, ruefully.</p> - -<p>“Nobody knows. But we shall be obliged to wait for more shovelers and -wreckers to come up from Springfield, and I shouldn’t wonder at all if -we stayed here twenty-four hours.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t you telegraph to father?”</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry to say I cannot. I asked about that, but the station man says -the lines are down. No; there’s nothing to do but bunk<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a>{199}</span> down for the -night as well as we can, and wait till deliverance comes. We’re in a -regular fix and no mistake, and we’ve just got to make the best of it,” -replied Will.</p> - -<p>Just then the rear door of the car opened and a figure appeared that had -not been seen hitherto upon the train. It was that of a stalwart man, -perhaps fifty-five years old, with long white hair and beard, ruddy -cheeks, and bright gray eyes. He wore a gray fur cap and a long gray -overcoat, and looked enough like—Somebody that we are all thinking of -about Christmas time to have been that Somebody’s twin brother.</p> - -<p>“Good evenin’, friends!” he said, in a very jolly tone, as he shut the -car door behind him. “Pleased to receive a call from so many on ye. -Merry Christmas to ye all! ’T ain’t often that I kin welcome such a big -Christmas party as this to my place!”</p> - -<p>The good nature of the farmer was irresistible. The passengers all -laughed.</p> - -<p>“I believe you,” said a traveling salesman in a sealskin cap; “and the -sooner you bid us good riddance the better we shall like it.”</p> - -<p>“And you needn’t mind about wishing us many happy returns either,” said -a black-whiskered man in a plaid ulster. “If we ever<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a>{200}</span> get away from -here, you won’t see us again soon!”</p> - -<p>“What place is this?” inquired a gray-haired lady, who sat just in front -of the Burnhams.</p> - -<p>“Washin’ton’s what they call it,” said the jolly farmer. “Pop’lar name -enough; but the place don’t seem to be over pop’lar jest now with some -on ye.” And he laughed a big, jolly laugh.</p> - -<p>“Is it, like our capital, a ‘city of magnificent distances’?” inquired -the man in the ulster.</p> - -<p>“I reckon it is. It’s consid’able of a distance from everywhere else on -airth. But it’s nigher to heaven ’n any other place hereabouts.”</p> - -<p>“What is raised on this hill?” inquired the traveling salesman.</p> - -<p>“Wind, mostly. Is that article in your line?”</p> - -<p>The laugh was on the salesman, but he enjoyed it as well as any of them. -A bit of a girl about three years old, tugging a flaxen-haired doll -under one arm, here came sidling down the aisle of the car.</p> - -<p>“Ith oo Thanty Kauth?” she said, lifting her great, solemn black eyes to -the farmer’s face. The laugh was on him now; and he joined in it -uproariously.</p> - -<p>“Not jest exackly, my little gal,” he said, as he lifted her up in his -arms; “but you’ve come<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a>{201}</span> purty nigh it. Sandy Ross is what they call me.”</p> - -<p>“Has oo dot a thleigh and a waindeer?” persisted the little maiden.</p> - -<p>“No; but I’ve got a first-rate wood sled,—pair o’ bobs, with a wood -rack on ’t—’n’ ez slick a span o’ Canadian ponies ez ever you see!”</p> - -<p>The farmer stroked the dark hair of the little girl with his great, hard -hand, and she snuggled down on his shoulder as if he had been her -grandfather.</p> - -<p>The Burnhams had been joining in the merriment, though they had taken no -part in the conversation. But when the little girl climbed down from the -arms of Sandy Ross, Will arose and beckoned him to a vacant seat.</p> - -<p>“How far from here do you live, Mr. Ross?”</p> - -<p>“Right up the bank thar. That’s my house, with a light in the winder.”</p> - -<p>It was a comfortable looking white farmhouse, with a sloping roof in the -rear and a big chimney in the middle.</p> - -<p>“Now, Mr. Ross, I live in Pittsfield, and I want mightily to get there -before noon to-morrow. I don’t believe this train will get there before -to-morrow night. Could you take my sister and those two little chaps and -me, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a>{202}</span> carry us all home early to-morrow morning on your wood sled, -providing it isn’t too cold to undertake the journey?”</p> - -<p>“Let’s see. Well, yes; I calc’late I could. I was a-thinkin’ ’bout goin’ -over to Pittsfield t’morrer with a little jag o’ wood, ’n’ I reckon live -critters like you won’t be no more trouble, ho! ho! The snow ain’t no -gret depth; ’t ain’t nigh’s deep on t’ other side o’ the mountain ez ’t -is on this side. There’ll be drifts now ’n’ then, but the fences is -down, so that we kin turn inter the fields ’n’ go round ’em.”</p> - -<p>“How long will it take you to drive over?”</p> - -<p>“Let’s see. ’T ain’t over fifteen or sixteen mile. I reckon I can make -it in three to four hours.”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir, if you’ll get us over there safely before noon, I’ll give -you five dollars.”</p> - -<p>“All right; that’s enough; tew much, I guess. But see here, my friends; -jest bring the young lady ’n’ the little chaps up to my house ’n’ spend -the night there, all on ye. Then we can hev an airly breakfast, ’n’ -start fair when we get good ’n’ ready.”</p> - -<p>In less than five minutes the Burnhams, with bags and bundles, were -following Sandy Ross to the door of the car.</p> - -<p>This was the last that our travelers saw of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>{203}</span> their fellow passengers on -the Western Express. Late the next afternoon the train rolled into -Pittsfield station, but the Burnhams were busy elsewhere about that -time.</p> - -<p>It was but a few steps from the train to Sandy Ross’s house. William -carried his sister through the deepest snow, and the boys trudged along -with the bundles, highly pleased with the prospect of an adventure in a -farmhouse. Good Mrs. Ross was as blithe and hearty as her husband, and -she soon made the young folks feel quite at home.</p> - -<p>To Miss Grace “the spar’ room,” as Mrs. Ross called it, was assigned, -while Will and the two boys found a sleeping place in the attic. The dim -tallow candle that lighted them to bed disclosed all sorts of curious -things. In one comer, facing each other, were two old, tall clocks that -had long ceased ticking, and now stood with folded hands and silent -pendulums, resting from their labors. An old chest of drawers, that -would have been a prize for hunters of the antique, was near the clocks; -braids of yellow seed-corn hung from the rafters, and at one end of the -great room stood the handloom on which the mother of Mrs. Ross had been -wont to weave cloth for the garments of her household. It was an -heirloom,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a>{204}</span> in the literal sense. The boys thought that this garret would -have been a grand place to ransack; but they were too well bred to go -prying about, and contented themselves with admiring what was before -their eyes. It was not long before they were sound asleep in their snug -nest of feathers; and when they waked the next morning breakfast was -ready, and Farmer Ross and brother Will had made all the preparations -for the journey. To the excellent farmer’s breakfast of juicy ham and -eggs, genuine country sausages, and delicious buckwheat cakes with maple -sirup, they all did full justice.</p> - -<p>“It does me good to see boys eat,” said the kind farmer’s wife; “they do -enjoy it so”; and tears were in her eyes as she thought of the hungry -boys that used to sit around this table. Farmer Ross and his wife were -alone in the world. Two of their sons were sleeping in unmarked graves -at Chancellorsville; the other had died when he was a baby. But they -were not selfish people; they had learned to bear sorrow, and therefore -their sorrow had not made them morose and miserable; it had only made -them more kind and tender hearted.</p> - -<p>Breakfast over, the wood sled came round to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a>{205}</span> the door, and Mr. Ross -looked in a moment to say a last word to his wife.</p> - -<p>“You’d better make two or three pailfuls o’ strong coffee, mother, ’n’ -bile three or four dozen aigs, ’n’ heat up a big batch o’ them air mince -pies. The folks down here on the train ’ll be mighty hungry this -mornin’, ’n’ I’ve been down ’n’ told ’em to come up here in ’bout half -an hour, ’n’ git what they want. Don’t charge ’em nothin’; let ’em pay -what they’ve a min’ ter. P’raps some on ’em hain’t nothin’ to pay with, -’n’ they’ll need it jest as much as the rest. We mustn’t let folks -starve that git storm-stayed right at our front door. And now, all -aboard for Pittsfield!”</p> - -<p>The hearty thanks and farewells to good Mrs. Ross were soon said, and -the Burnhams bundled out of the kitchen into the wood sled. It was a -long rack with upright stakes from a frame and held together by side -rails, through which the ends of the stakes projected a few inches. A -side board, about a foot in width, had been placed within the stakes on -either side, and the space so inclosed had been filled with clean oat -straw. Miss Grace wrapped Mrs. Ross’s heavy blanket shawl round her -sealskin sack, each of the two little boys did himself up in a blanket, -William robed himself in his traveling<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a>{206}</span> rug, and they all sat down in -the straw, two fronting forward and two backward, and placed their feet -against four hot flatirons, wound in thick woolen cloth, and laid -together in a nest between them. Over their laps a big buffalo robe was -thrown, and Farmer Ross heaped the straw against their backs.</p> - -<p>Away they went, shouting a merry good-by to the farmer’s wife, secure -against discomfort, and happy in the hope of reaching home in time for -their Christmas dinner. Down in the railroad cut they saw the shovelers -and the wreckers toiling at the disabled freight cars, but not much stir -was visible about the express train that lay a little farther down the -track. The snow did not appear to be very deep, and the ponies skipped -briskly along with their light load. Here and there was a bare spot from -which the snow had been blown, but not many drifts were found, and these -were easily avoided, as Mr. Ross had said, by turning into the open -fields.</p> - -<p>Farmer Ross was as blithe as the morning. From his perch on a crossboard -of the wood rack he kept up a brisk talk with the group in the straw -behind him.</p> - -<p>“Fire ’nough in the stove?” he asked. “ ’T ain’t often that ye hev a -stove like that to set ’round when ye go sleigh ridin’.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a>{207}</span></p> - -<p>“All right, sir; it’s warm as toast,” said Win. “Genuine base-burner, -isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“I should think your feet would be cold, sitting up there,” said Grace.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no; not in this weather. ‘Sides, if they do git cold I knock ’em -together a little, or else git off ’n’ run afoot a spell, ’n’ they’re -soon warm again.”</p> - -<p>“Do you often go to Pittsfield?” asked William.</p> - -<p>“Yes, every month or so. Gin’rally du my tradin’ thar. Tek along a -little suthin’ to sell commonly,—a little jag o’ wood, or a little -butter, or a quarter o’ beef, or suthin’. I meant to hev gone down last -week, ’n’ I had a big pile o’ Christmas greens ’t I meant to tek along -to sell, but I was hendered, ’n’ could n’t go. There’s the greens -now—all piled up in the aidge o’ the wood; I’d got ’em all ready. -’Fraid they won’t be worth much next Christmas.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, Mr. Ross,” cried Grace, “would it be very much trouble for you to -put that nearest pile of them on the back part of the sled? I can find -use for them at home, I know, and I should like to take them with me -ever so much!”</p> - -<p>“Sartainly; no trouble at all”; and in two or three great armfuls the -pile of beautiful coral pine was heaped upon the sleigh.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a>{208}</span></p> - -<p>The morning wore on toward nine o’clock, and as the sun rose higher the -air grew warmer. The roads were steadily improving, and the ponies -trotted along at a nimble pace. The boys began to be tired of sitting -still.</p> - -<p>“I’m not going to burrow up in this straw any longer,” said Win; “I’m -going to get up and stir about a little.”</p> - -<p>“So am I,” said Phil.</p> - -<p>It was easy enough to stand on the sled while it was in motion. In rough -places the boys could take hold of the rail of the wood rack; and even -if they fell it did not hurt them. Pretty soon Win, who had an artist’s -eye, began to pull out long vines of the evergreen and wind them round -the stakes of the wood rack.</p> - -<p>“I say, Phil,” he cried, “if we only had some string, we could fix this -old frame so that it would look nobby!”</p> - -<p>“Well, here’s your string,” said Will, producing a ball of twine from -his overcoat pocket and tossing it to his brother. “I put that in my -pocket by mistake when I tied up my last package yesterday morning, and -have been wishing it in Amherst ever since.”</p> - -<p>“Jolly!” shouted Win. “Now, Mr. Ross, you’ll see what we’ll make of your -wood sled.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>{209}</span></p> - -<p>“Goin’ t’ make a kind o’ Cindereller coach on ’t, hey? Well, go ahead! I -shan’t be ashamed on ’t, no matter how fine ye fix it.”</p> - -<p>The boys’ fingers flew. This was fun! Before long all the stakes were -trimmed, and a spiral wreath of the evergreen had been run all round the -side rail of the rack. It really began to look quite fairy-like. William -and Grace first laughed at the fancy of the boys, and then began to aid -them with suggestions; and presently William was up himself, helping -them in their work. Twine wound with the evergreen was run diagonally -across from the top of each stake to the bottom of the nearest one; and -the wood rack began to look very much like what the poets call a -“wild-wood bower.” All it needed was a roof, and this was soon supplied. -William borrowed Mr. Ross’s big jackknife, leaped from the sleigh, and -cut eight willow rods, and they were speedily wound with the evergreen. -Then the ends were made fast with twine to the railing of the rack on -either side, and, arching overhead, they completed the transformation of -the wood sled into a moving arbor of evergreens.</p> - -<p>The boys danced with merriment.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it just gay?” cried Phil. “I never dreamed that we could make it -look so pretty!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a>{210}</span></p> - -<p>“We couldn’t have done it, either,” said Win, “if Bill and Grace hadn’t -helped us. But what will the fellows say when they see us ridin’ down -the street?”</p> - -<p>“What I am most curious to see,” said Will, “is the faces of Mr. and -Mrs. Burnham and Baby Burnham when this gay chariot drives up to their -door! They’re worrying about us powerfully by this time, and I reckon -we’ve a jolly surprise in store for them.”</p> - -<p>“I hope they will not be as badly frightened,” said Grace, “as Macbeth -was when he saw ‘Birnam wood’ coming.”</p> - -<p>“Pretty good for sis,” laughed William.</p> - -<p>“What’s the joke?” inquired Win.</p> - -<p>“Too classic for small boys; you’ll have to get up your Shakespeare -before you can appreciate it,” answered the big brother.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Pears to me,” now put in the charioteer from his perch, “that a rig ez -fine ez this oughter have a leetle finer coachman. I ain’t ’shamed o’ -the sled, ez I said; but I dew think I oughter be fixed up a leetle mite -to match!”</p> - -<p>“You shall be!” cried Grace. “Here, boys, help me wind a couple of -wreaths.”</p> - -<p>Very soon, two light, twisted wreaths of evergreen were ready, and Mr. -Ross, with great laughter, threw them over each shoulder and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a>{211}</span> under the -opposite arm, so that they crossed before and behind, like the straps -that support a soldier’s belt. Then his fur cap was quickly trimmed with -sprays of the evergreen, that rose in a bell-crown all round his head.</p> - -<p>Their journey was almost done. How quickly the time had passed! Every -few rods they met sleigh loads of people, happy because Christmas and -the sleighing had come together, and bent on making the most of both. -These merry-makers all looked with wonder upon our travelers as they -drew near, and answered their loud shouts of “Merry Christmas!” with -laughter and cheers.</p> - -<p>They had not gone far through the streets of the village before their -kite had considerable tail. Just what it meant the small boys did not -know; but if this driver was not Santa Claus, he was somebody equally -good natured, for he bowed and laughed right and left, in the jolliest -fashion, to the salutations of the boys, and as many of them as could -get near hitched their hand sleds to his triumphal car.</p> - -<p>Miss Grace was hidden from sight by the evergreens, and she enjoyed the -sport of the boys almost as much as they did.</p> - -<p>Meantime, the hours were passing slowly at Mr. Burnham’s. The father and -mother had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a>{212}</span> been too anxious about their children to sleep much during -the night. They could get no word from the train after it left Chester, -and the delay and uncertainty greatly distressed them. Mr. Burnham had -just returned from the station with the news that the wires were up, and -that the train had been heard from in the cut just beyond the summit, -where it was likely to be kept the greater part of the day.</p> - -<p>“Oh, dear!” cried the mother. “I cannot have it so! Can’t we get at them -in some way? I’m afraid they will suffer with hunger. Then we had -counted so much on this Christmas, and the children’s fun is all -spoiled. Think of them sitting all this blessed holiday, cooped up in -those dreadful cars, waiting to be shoveled out of a snowdrift! It seems -as if I should fly. I wish I could!”</p> - -<p>“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Burnham, soberly, “I am sorry that the holiday -is spoiled, but I see nothing that we can do. We can trust William to -take good care of them and bring them all home safely; and we’ve got to -be patient, and wait.”</p> - -<p>Just then the heads of the ponies were turning in at the gate of the -wide lawn in front of the house. The small boys who were following -unhitched their hand sleds, and the escort remained outside the gate.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a>{213}</span></p> - -<p>“Drive slowly!” said William. “Give them a good chance to see us -coming!”</p> - -<p>Baby Burnham was at the window. “Thanty Kauth!” she cried. “Look, papa! -Look!”</p> - -<p>“What does the child see?” said Mr. Burnham, going to the window. “Sure -enough, baby. Do come here, my dear. What fantastical establishment is -this coming up our driveway? It’s a bower of evergreens on runners, and -an old man with a white beard and a white coat all trimmed up with -greens sits up there driving. He seems to be shaking with laughter, too. -What can it mean?”</p> - -<p>Just then the wood sled came alongside the porch, and, suddenly, out -from between the garlanded sled stakes four heads were quickly thrust -and four voices shouted:</p> - -<p>“Merry Christmas!”</p> - -<p>“The children! Bless their hearts!”</p> - -<p>In a minute more, father and mother and baby and the jolly travelers -were all very much mixed up on the porch, and there was a deal of -hugging and kissing and laughing and crying, while Farmer Ross on his -own hook, or rather on his own wood sled, was laughing softly, and -crying a little, too. What made him cry I wonder? Presently Mr. Burnham -said:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a>{214}</span></p> - -<p>“But, Will, you haven’t made us acquainted yet with your charioteer.”</p> - -<p>“It is Mr. Ross, father. He took us into his house on Washington -Mountain last night and treated us like princes, and this morning he has -brought us home, and helped us in the heartiest way to carry out our -fun.”</p> - -<p>“Mr. Ross, we are greatly your debtors,” said Mr. Burnham. “You have -relieved us of a sore anxiety, and brought us a great pleasure.”</p> - -<p>“Wall, I dunno,” said the farmer. “I didn’t like to think o’ these ’ere -children bein’ kep’ away from hum on Christmas Day; ’n’ ef I’ve helped -’em any way to hev a good time, why,—God bless ’em!—I don’t think -there’s any better thing an old man like me could be doin’ on sech a day -as this!”</p> - -<p>Just here Mr. Burnham’s coachman came round the corner in great haste.</p> - -<p>“Well, Patrick, what is it?” said his master.</p> - -<p>“The shafts uv that sleigh—bad look to ’em!—is bruk, yer honor; ’n’ I -don’t see how I’ll iver get thim bashkits carried round at all!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, those baskets!” cried Mr. Burnham in distress. “Our Christmas -baskets haven’t been delivered yet, and it’s almost eleven o’clock. The -storm and our worry about you kept us from delivering them last night, -and we have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a>{215}</span> hardly thought of them this morning. I’m afraid those poor -people will have a late Christmas dinner.”</p> - -<p>“Baskets o’ stuff for poor folks’s dinners?” said Farmer Ross. “Let me -take ’em round.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, father!” shouted Win. “Let Phil and me go with him! The -baskets are marked, aren’t they? It’ll be jolly fun to deliver them out -of this sled.”</p> - -<p>In a minute the baskets—half a dozen of them—were loaded in, and -within half an hour they were all set down at the homes to which they -were addressed. Poor old Uncle Ned and Aunt Dinah hobbled to the door -and took in their basket with eyes full of wonder at the strange vehicle -that was just driving from their doors; the Widow Blanchard’s children, -playing outside, ran into the house when they saw the ponies coming, but -speedily came out after their basket and carried it in, firm in the -faith that they had had a sight of the veritable Santa Claus. To all the -rest of the needy families the gifts, though late, were welcome; and the -bright vision of the evergreen bower on runners brought gladness with it -into all those lowly homes.</p> - -<p>Farmer Ross went back with the boys to their home; his ponies were taken -from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a>{216}</span> sled and given a good Christmas dinner in Mr. Burnham’s -stable; he himself was constrained to remain and partake of the feast -that would not have been eaten but for him, and that lost none of its -merriment because of him; and at length, about three o’clock in the -afternoon, the Christmas car, stripped of its bravery, but carrying some -goodly gifts to Mrs. Ross, started on its return to Washington Mountain.</p> - -<p>My little friends who read this story will be glad to know that the -Christmas festival at the church had been deferred on account of the -storm from Christmas Eve to Christmas evening; so that the Burnhams had -a chance to assist at the unloading of the Christmas tree.</p> - -<p>They will also guess that Farmer Ross’s house and his barn and his -orchard and his pasture and his woods and his trout brook and his -blackberry bushes and his dog and his ponies and his cows and his oxen -and his hens and pretty nearly everything that was his had a chance to -get very well acquainted with Win and Phil during the next summer -vacation. It will be a long time, I am sure, before the Rosses and the -Burnhams cease to be friends, and before any of them will forget The -Strange Adventures of a Wood Sled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a>{217}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="KIDNAPPING_SANTA_CLAUS" id="KIDNAPPING_SANTA_CLAUS"></a>KIDNAPPING SANTA CLAUS<br /><br /> -<small>L. FRANK BAUM</small></h3> - -<p>Santa Claus lives in the Laughing Valley, where stands the big, rambling -castle in which his toys are manufactured. His workmen, selected from -the Ryls, Knooks, Pixies, and Fairies, live with him, and every one is -as busy as can be from one year’s end to another.</p> - -<p>It is called the Laughing Valley because everything there is happy and -gay. The brook chuckles to itself as it leaps rollicking between its -green banks; the wind whistles merrily in the trees; the sunbeams dance -lightly over the soft grass, and the violets and wildflowers look -smilingly up from their green nests. To laugh, one needs to be happy; to -be happy, one needs to be content. And throughout the Laughing Valley of -Santa Claus contentment reigns supreme.</p> - -<p>On one side is the mighty forest of Burzee. At the other side stands the -huge mountain that contains the caves of the Demons. And between them -the valley lies smiling and peaceful.</p> - -<p>One would think that our good old Santa<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a>{218}</span> Claus, who devotes his days to -making children happy, would have no enemies on all the earth; and, as a -matter of fact, for a long period of time he encountered nothing but -love wherever he might go.</p> - -<p>But the Demons who live in the mountain caves grew to hate Santa Claus -very much, and all for the simple reason that he made children happy.</p> - -<p>The caves of the Demons are five in number. A broad pathway leads up to -the first cave, which is a finely arched cavern at the foot of the -mountain, the entrance being beautifully carved and decorated. In it -resides the Demon of Selfishness. Back of this is another cavern -inhabited by the Demon of Envy. The cave of the Demon of Hatred is next -in order, and through this one passes to the home of the Demon of -Malice—situated in a dark and fearful cave in the very heart of the -mountain. I do not know what lies beyond this. Some say there are -terrible pitfalls leading to death and destruction, and this may very -well be true. However, from each one of the four caves mentioned there -is a small, narrow tunnel leading to the fifth cave—a cozy little room -occupied by the Demon of Repentance. And as the rocky floors of these -passages are well worn by the track of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>{219}</span> passing feet, I judge that many -wanderers in the caves of the Demons have escaped through the tunnels to -the abode of the Demon of Repentance, who is said to be a pleasant sort -of fellow who gladly opens for one a little door admitting you into -fresh air and sunshine again.</p> - -<p>Well, these Demons of the caves, thinking they had great cause to -dislike old Santa Claus, held a meeting one day to discuss the matter.</p> - -<p>“I’m really getting lonesome,” said the Demon of Selfishness. “For Santa -Claus distributes so many pretty Christmas gifts to all the children -that they become happy and generous, through his example, and keep away -from my cave.”</p> - -<p>“I am having the same trouble,” rejoined the Demon of Envy. “The little -ones seem quite content with Santa Claus, and there are few, indeed, -that I can coax to become envious.”</p> - -<p>“And that makes it bad for me!” declared the Demon of Hatred. “For if no -children pass through the caves of Selfishness and Envy, none can get to -my cavern.”</p> - -<p>“Or to mine,” added the Demon of Malice.</p> - -<p>“For my part,” said the Demon of Repentance, “it is easily seen that if -children do not visit your caves they have no need to visit<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a>{220}</span> mine; so I -am quite as neglected as you are.”</p> - -<p>“And all because of this person they call Santa Claus!” exclaimed the -Demon of Envy. “He is simply ruining our business, and something must be -done at once.”</p> - -<p>To this they readily agreed; but what to do was another and more -difficult matter to settle. They knew that Santa Claus worked all -through the year at his castle in the Laughing Valley, preparing the -gifts he was to distribute on Christmas Eve; and at first they resolved -to try to tempt him into their caves, that they might lead him on to the -terrible pitfalls that ended in destruction.</p> - -<p>So the very next day, while Santa Claus was busily at work, surrounded -by his little band of assistants, the Demon of Selfishness came to him -and said:</p> - -<p>“These toys are wonderfully bright and pretty. Why do you not keep them -for yourself? It’s a pity to give them to those noisy boys and fretful -girls, who break and destroy them so quickly.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” cried the old graybeard, his bright eyes twinkling merrily -as he turned toward the tempting Demon; “the boys and girls are never so -noisy or fretful after receiving my presents, and if I can make them -happy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a>{221}</span> for one day in the year I am quite content.”</p> - -<p>So the Demon went back to the others, who awaited him in their caves, -and said:</p> - -<p>“I have failed, for Santa Claus is not at all selfish.”</p> - -<p>The following day the Demon of Envy visited Santa Claus. Said he: “The -toy shops are full of playthings quite as pretty as these you are -making. What a shame it is that they should interfere with your -business! They make toys by machinery much quicker than you can make -them by hand; and they sell them for money, while you get nothing at all -for your work.”</p> - -<p>But Santa Claus refused to be envious of the toy shops.</p> - -<p>“I can supply the little ones but once a year—on Christmas Eve,” he -answered; “for the children are many, and I am but one. And as my work -is one of love and kindness I would be ashamed to receive money for my -little gifts. But throughout all the year the children must be amused in -some way, and so the toy shops are able to bring much happiness to my -little friends. I like the toy shops, and am glad to see them prosper.”</p> - -<p>In spite of this second rebuff, the Demon of Hatred thought he would try -to influence<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a>{222}</span> Santa Claus. So the next day he entered the busy workshop -and said:</p> - -<p>“Good morning, Santa! I have bad news for you.”</p> - -<p>“Then run away, like a good fellow,” answered Santa Claus. “Bad news is -something that should be kept secret and never told.”</p> - -<p>“You cannot escape this, however,” declared the Demon, “for in the world -are a good many who do not believe in Santa Claus, and these you are -bound to hate bitterly, since they have so wronged you.”</p> - -<p>“Stuff and rubbish!” cried Santa.</p> - -<p>“And there are others who resent your making children happy, and who -sneer at you and call you a foolish old rattlepate! You are quite right -to hate such base slanderers, and you ought to be revenged upon them for -their evil words.”</p> - -<p>“But I don’t hate ’em!” exclaimed Santa Claus, positively. “Such people -do me no real harm, but merely render themselves and their children -unhappy. Poor things! I’d much rather help them any day than injure -them.”</p> - -<p>Indeed, the Demons could not tempt old Santa Claus in any way. On the -contrary, he was shrewd enough to see that their object<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>{223}</span> in visiting him -was to make mischief and trouble, and his cheery laughter disconcerted -the evil ones and showed to them the folly of such an undertaking. So -they abandoned honeyed words and determined to use force.</p> - -<p>It is well known that no harm can come to Santa Claus while he is in the -Laughing Valley, for the fairies, and ryls, and knooks all protect him. -But on Christmas Eve he drives his reindeer out into the big world, -carrying a sleigh load of toys and pretty gifts to the children; and -this was the time and the occasion when his enemies had the best chance -to injure him. So the Demons laid their plans and awaited the arrival of -Christmas Eve.</p> - -<p>The moon shone big and white in the sky, and the snow lay crisp and -sparkling on the ground as Santa Claus cracked his whip and sped away -out of the valley into the great world beyond. The roomy sleigh was -packed full with huge sacks of toys, and as the reindeer dashed onward -our jolly old Santa laughed and whistled and sang for very joy. For in -all his merry life this was the one day in the year when he was -happiest—the day he lovingly bestowed the treasures of his workshop -upon the little children.</p> - -<p>It would be a busy night for him, he well<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a>{224}</span> knew. As he whistled and -shouted and cracked his whip again, he reviewed in mind all the towns -and cities and farmhouses where he was expected, and figured that he had -just enough presents to go around and make every child happy. The -reindeer knew exactly what was expected of them, and dashed along so -swiftly that their feet scarcely seemed to touch the snow-covered -ground.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a strange thing happened: a rope shot through the moonlight, -and a big noose that was in the end of it settled over the arms and body -of Santa Claus and drew tight. Before he could resist or even cry out he -was jerked from the seat of the sleigh and tumbled headforemost into a -snowbank, while the reindeer rushed onward with the load of toys and -carried it quickly out of sight and sound.</p> - -<p>Such a surprising experience confused old Santa for a moment, and when -he had collected his senses he found that the wicked Demons had pulled -him from the snowdrift and bound him tightly with many coils of the -stout rope. And then they carried the kidnapped Santa Claus away to -their mountain, where they thrust the prisoner into a secret cave and -chained him to the rocky wall so that he could not escape.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a>{225}</span></p> - -<p>“Ha, ha!” laughed the Demons, rubbing their hands together with cruel -glee. “What will the children do now? How they will cry and scold and -storm when they find there are no toys in their stockings and no gifts -on their Christmas trees! And what a lot of punishment they will receive -from their parents, and how they will flock to our caves of Selfishness, -and Envy, and Hatred, and Malice! We have done a mighty clever thing, we -Demons of the Caves.”</p> - -<p>Now, it so chanced that on this Christmas Eve the good Santa Claus had -taken with him in his sleigh Nuter the Ryl, Peter the Knook, Kilter the -Pixie, and a small fairy named Wisk—his four favorite assistants. These -little people he had often found very useful in helping to distribute -his gifts to the children, and when their master was so suddenly dragged -from the sleigh they were all snugly tucked underneath the seat, where -the sharp wind could not reach them.</p> - -<p>The tiny immortals knew nothing of the capture of Santa Claus until some -time after he had disappeared, but finally they missed his cheery voice, -and as their master always sang or whistled on his journeys, the silence -warned them that something was wrong.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a>{226}</span></p> - -<p>Little Wisk stuck out his head from underneath the seat and found Santa -Claus gone and no one to direct the flight of the reindeer.</p> - -<p>“Whoa!” he called out, and the deer obediently slackened speed and came -to a halt.</p> - -<p>Peter and Nuter and Kilter all jumped upon the seat and looked back over -the track made by the sleigh. But Santa Claus had been left miles and -miles behind.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do?” asked Wisk, anxiously, all the mirth and mischief -banished from his wee face by this great calamity.</p> - -<p>“We must go back at once and find our master,” said Nuter the Ryl, who -thought and spoke with much deliberation.</p> - -<p>“No, no!” exclaimed Peter the Knook, who, cross and crabbed though he -was, might always be depended upon in an emergency. “If we delay, or go -back, there will not be time to get the toys to the children before -morning; and that would grieve Santa Claus more than anything else.”</p> - -<p>“It is certain that some wicked creatures have captured him,” added -Kilter, thoughtfully; “and their object must be to make the children -unhappy. So our first duty is to get the toys distributed as carefully -as if Santa Claus were himself present. Afterward we can<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>{227}</span> search for our -master and easily secure his freedom.”</p> - -<p>This seemed such good and sensible advice that the others at once -resolved to adopt it. So Peter the Knook called to the reindeer, and the -faithful animals again sprang forward and dashed over hill and valley, -through forest and plain, until they came to the houses wherein children -lay sleeping and dreaming of the pretty gifts they would find on -Christmas morning.</p> - -<p>The little immortals had set themselves a difficult task; for although -they had assisted Santa Claus on many of his journeys, their master had -always directed and guided them and told them exactly what he wished -them to do. But now they had to distribute the toys according to their -own judgment, and they did not understand children as well as did old -Santa. So it is no wonder they made some laughable errors.</p> - -<p>Mamie Brown, who wanted a doll, got a drum instead; and a drum is of no -use to a girl who loves dolls. And Charlie Smith, who delights to romp -and play out of doors, and who wanted some new rubber boots to keep his -feet dry, received a sewing box filled with colored worsted and threads -and needles, which made<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a>{228}</span> him so provoked that he thoughtlessly called -our dear Santa Claus a fraud.</p> - -<p>Had there been many such mistakes the Demons would have accomplished -their evil purpose and made the children unhappy. But the little friends -of the absent Santa Claus labored faithfully and intelligently to carry -out their master’s ideas, and they made fewer errors than might be -expected under such unusual circumstances.</p> - -<p>And, although they worked as swiftly as possible, day had begun to break -before the toys and other presents were all distributed; so for the -first time in many years the reindeer trotted into the Laughing Valley, -on their return, in broad daylight, with the brilliant sun peeping over -the edge of the forest to prove they were far behind their accustomed -hour.</p> - -<p>Having put the deer in the stable, the little folk began to wonder how -they might rescue their master; and they realized they must discover, -first of all, what had happened to him, and where he was.</p> - -<p>So Wisk, the fairy, transported himself to the bower of the Fairy Queen, -which was located deep in the heart of the forest of Burzee; and once -there, it did not take him long to find out all about the naughty Demons -and how they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>{229}</span> had kidnapped the good Santa Claus to prevent his making -children happy. The Fairy Queen also promised her assistance, and then, -fortified by this powerful support, Wisk flew back to where Nuter and -Peter and Kilter awaited him, and the four counseled together and laid -plans to rescue their master from his enemies.</p> - -<p>It is possible that Santa Claus was not as merry as usual during the -night that succeeded his capture. For although he had faith in the -judgment of his little friends, he could not avoid a certain amount of -worry, and an anxious look would creep at times into his kind old eyes -as he thought of the disappointment that might await his dear little -children. And the Demons, who guarded him by turns, one after another, -did not neglect to taunt him with contemptuous words in his helpless -condition.</p> - -<p>When Christmas Day dawned the Demon of Malice was guarding the prisoner, -and his tongue was sharper than that of any of the others.</p> - -<p>“The children are waking up, Santa!” he cried. “They are waking up to -find their stockings empty! Ho, ho! How they will quarrel, and wail, and -stamp their feet in anger! Our caves will be full to-day, old Santa! Our -caves are sure to be full!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a>{230}</span></p> - -<p>But to this, as to other like taunts, Santa Claus answered nothing. He -was much grieved by his capture, it is true; but his courage did not -forsake him. And, finding that the prisoner would not reply to his -jeers, the Demon of Malice presently went away, and sent the Demon of -Repentance to take his place.</p> - -<p>This last personage was not so disagreeable as the others. He had gentle -and refined features, and his voice was soft and pleasant in tone.</p> - -<p>“My brother Demons do not trust me over-much,” said he, as he entered -the cavern; “but it is morning, now, and the mischief is done. You -cannot visit the children again for another year.”</p> - -<p>“That is true,” answered Santa Claus, almost cheerfully; “Christmas Eve -is past, and for the first time in centuries I have not visited my -children.”</p> - -<p>“The little ones will be greatly disappointed,” murmured the Demon of -Repentance, almost regretfully; “but that cannot be helped now. Their -grief is likely to make the children selfish and envious and hateful, -and if they come to the caves of the Demons to-day I shall get a chance -to lead some of them to my Cave of Repentance.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a>{231}</span></p> - -<p>“Do you never repent yourself?” asked Santa Claus, curiously.</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, indeed,” answered the Demon. “I am even now repenting that I -assisted in your capture. Of course it is too late to remedy the evil -that has been done; but repentance, you know, can come only after an -evil thought or deed, for in the beginning there is nothing to repent -of.”</p> - -<p>“So I understand,” said Santa Claus. “Those who avoid evil need never -visit your cave.”</p> - -<p>“As a rule, that is true,” replied the Demon; “yet you, who have done no -evil, are about to visit my cave at once; for to prove that I sincerely -regret my share in your capture, I am going to permit you to escape.”</p> - -<p>This speech greatly surprised the prisoner, until he reflected that it -was just what might be expected of the Demon of Repentance. The fellow -at once busied himself untying the knots that bound Santa Claus and -unlocking the chains that fastened him to the wall. Then he led the way -through a long tunnel until they both emerged in the Cave of Repentance.</p> - -<p>“I hope you will forgive me,” said the Demon, pleadingly. “I am not -really a bad person, you know; and I believe I accomplish a great deal -of good in the world.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a>{232}</span></p> - -<p>With this he opened a back door that let in a flood of sunshine, and -Santa Claus sniffed the fresh air gratefully.</p> - -<p>“I bear no malice,” said he to the Demon in a gentle voice; “and I am -sure the world would be a dreary place without you. So, good morning, -and a Merry Christmas to you!”</p> - -<p>With these words he stepped out to greet the bright morning, and a -moment later he was trudging along, whistling softly to himself, on his -way to his home in the Laughing Valley.</p> - -<p>Marching over the snow toward the mountain was a vast army, made up of -the most curious creatures imaginable. There were numberless Knooks from -the forest, as rough and crooked in appearance as the gnarled branches -of the trees they ministered to. And there were dainty Ryls from the -fields, each one bearing the emblem of the flower or plant it guarded. -Behind these were many ranks of Pixies, Gnomes, and Nymphs, and in the -rear a thousand beautiful fairies floated along in gorgeous array.</p> - -<p>This wonderful army was led by Wisk, Peter, Nuter, and Kilter, who had -assembled it to rescue Santa Claus from captivity and to punish the -Demons who had dared to take him away from his beloved children.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a>{233}</span></p> - -<p>And, although they looked so bright and peaceful, the little immortals -were armed with powers that would be very terrible to those who had -incurred their anger. Woe to the Demons of the Caves if this army of -vengeance ever met them!</p> - -<p>But lo! coming to meet his loyal friends appeared the imposing form of -Santa Claus, his white beard floating in the breeze and his bright eyes -sparkling with pleasure at this proof of the love and veneration he had -inspired in the hearts of the most powerful creatures in existence.</p> - -<p>And while they clustered around him and danced with glee at his safe -return, he gave them earnest thanks for their support. But Wisk, and -Nuter, and Peter, and Kilter he embraced affectionately.</p> - -<p>“It is useless to pursue the Demons,” said Santa Claus to the army. -“They have their place in the world, and can never be destroyed. But -that is a great pity, nevertheless,” he continued, musingly.</p> - -<p>So the Fairies, and Knooks, and Pixies, and Ryls all escorted the good -man to his castle, and there left him to talk over the events of the -night with his little assistants.</p> - -<p>Wisk had already rendered himself invisible<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a>{234}</span> and flown through the big -world to see how the children were getting along on this bright -Christmas morning; and by the time he returned Peter had finished -telling Santa Claus of how they had distributed the toys.</p> - -<p>“We really did very well,” cried the Fairy, in a pleased voice; “for I -found little unhappiness among the children this morning. Still you must -not get captured again, my dear master; for we might not be so fortunate -another time in carrying out your ideas.”</p> - -<p>He then related the mistakes that had been made, and which he had not -discovered until his tour of inspection. And Santa Claus at once sent -him with rubber boots for Charlie Smith, and a doll for Mamie Brown; so -that even those two disappointed ones became happy.</p> - -<p>As for the wicked Demons of the Caves, they were filled with anger and -chagrin when they found that their clever capture of Santa Claus had -come to naught. Indeed, no one on that Christmas Day appeared to be at -all selfish, or envious, or hateful. And, realizing that while the -children’s saint had so many powerful friends it was folly to oppose -him, the Demons never again attempted to interfere with his journeys on -Christmas Eve.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a>{235}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="CHRISTMASLAND" id="CHRISTMASLAND"></a>CHRISTMASLAND<br /><br /> -<small>HEINRICH SEIDEL</small><br /> -<small>(Translated by Emma A. Schaub)</small></h3> - -<h4>I. <span class="smcap">Werner and Anna</span></h4> - -<p>In the last house of the village, just where the big forest begins, -lived a poor widow with her two children, Werner and Anna. The little -that grew in her garden and on her single acre of ground, the milk of -the one goat she owned, and the small sum of money she was able to earn, -were just enough to support the small family. Nor were the children -allowed to be idle, but were obliged to help in every way possible. This -they were glad to do, enjoying their work, which led them in all -directions through the glorious forest. In early spring they gathered -the yellow cowslips and the blue anemones to sell in the city, and later -the fragrant lilies of the valley that grew in the beech wood. Then came -the strawberries glistening red under the leaves, the blueberries and -the coral-tinted bilberries growing in the moor, and beautiful mosses -and lichens—all these the children cheerily gathered and sent to the -city.</p> - -<p>With the coming of the fall came new labor.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a>{236}</span> Day after day the children -went to the woods, picking up dry wood thrown down by the wind. This -they carried home and stacked by the side of the hut. Nuts, too, were -gathered, put in a bag, and hung in the chimney against Christmas time. -Ah, Christmas! That was a magic word, and at its sound the eyes of the -children sparkled. And yet the great day brought them very little. A wee -little tree with a few candles, some apples and nuts, and two -gingerbread men; under the tree for each one a warm article of clothing -for the winter, and if times were very good, a cheap toy or a new -slate—that was all. And yet from those little candles and the golden -star at the top of the tree there came a glorious light that shed its -rays throughout the year, a light that shone in the eyes of the children -whenever the word Christmas was spoken.</p> - -<p>Winter had now come, and one evening as they sat cozily about the stove, -their mother told them a beautiful Christmas story. When she had -finished, Werner, who had been looking very thoughtful, suddenly asked: -“Mother, where does the Christmasman live?”</p> - -<p>The mother answered, letting the fine thread slip through her fingers -while her spinning wheel hummed a merry tune: “The Christmasman?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>{237}</span> Behind -the forest in the mountains. But no one can find him. Who seeks him -wanders about in vain, and the little birds in the trees hop from branch -to branch and laugh at him. In the mountains the Christmasman has his -gardens, his shops, and his mines. There his busy workmen labor day and -night, making lovely Christmas things. In the gardens grow the silver -and gold apples and nuts, and the most delicious fruits of marzipan, and -in the shops are heaped up thousands and thousands of the most wonderful -toys in the world. There are halls filled with beautiful dolls, clad in -calico, in wool, in silk, and in velvet”—“Ah!” said little Anna, and -her eyes shone—“and others again are filled with drums and swords and -guns, cannon and toy soldiers”—“Oh!” cried little Werner, and his eyes -sparkled.</p> - -<p>This story impressed him greatly; he could not forget it, and he thought -how happy he would be could he but find the way to this wonderland. Once -he got as far as the mountains, and wandered about there a long time, -but could see nothing but valleys and hills and trees. The brooks that -ran by him murmured and babbled as brooks always do, but did not betray -their secret; the wood-peckers hammered and pecked just as they did<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a>{238}</span> -elsewhere in the woods and then flew away, and the squirrels that -climbed nimbly up the trees were just like other squirrels that he had -seen.</p> - -<p>He longed for a glimpse of the wonderful Christmasland—if some one -would only tell him how to find it, he would surely go. The people of -whom he inquired the way laughed at him, and when he told his mother she -too laughed, and bade him think no more about it; the story she had told -him had been only a fairy tale.</p> - -<p>But little Werner could not forget the story, though he did not speak of -it again. Only to his little sister Anna did he at times confide his -thoughts, and together they dreamed dreams and saw visions of that -wondrous country—Christmasland.</p> - -<h4>II. <span class="smcap">The Little Bird</span></h4> - -<p>One morning shortly before Christmas, Werner, with his ax on his -shoulder, went alone into the forest, for the forester, who liked the -well-behaved boy, had this year again permitted him to cut down a little -pine tree for their Christmas Eve. The pretty, graceful little tree -which the children had already selected, stood in rather a lonely spot, -far out in the woods, sheltered by a kindly old beech. It was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a>{239}</span> a -beautiful mild winter day, and when Werner at last reached the spot he -sat down on a tree-stump to rest.</p> - -<p>Round about him all was still as in a lonely church; only a brooklet -murmured softly, and from afar came the shrill cry of a jay. Again he -dreamed of the wonderful Christmasland, and the longing to see its -glories grew so strong that he cried aloud: “Oh, if only some one could -show me the way to Christmasland!”</p> - -<p>Then from the waves of the brook came clear sounds like rippling -laughter, a wood mouse peeped from her house and laughed a wee little -laugh, and from the top of the old beech tree came a stirring and a -waving, as though she were shaking her head at such folly. But from the -little pine tree which stood directly before him he suddenly heard a -sweet, clear chirping; it was a blue titmouse, hopping gayly from branch -to branch, incessantly crying: “I know! I know!”</p> - -<p>“What do you know?” asked Werner.</p> - -<p>The little bird threw herself backward from a branch, turning over in -the air in the drollest way, then alighting again, cried: “I know the -way! I know the way!”</p> - -<p>“Then show me the way!” said Werner quickly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a>{240}</span></p> - -<p>Again the little bird began to chirp softly, but the boy understood -everything. “You were good to me!” said she. “You protected my little -children, my ten little children! I know the way! I’ll show you the way! -Quick! Quick!”</p> - -<p>And the little thing flew to the nearest bush, then farther, and Werner -followed. At first he had comprehended but half of what the bird had -said, but at last he remembered that it was a titmouse whose frightened -cries had drawn him to the old beech tree last spring. There he saw a -jay sitting before the hollow of the tree where the little bird had -built her nest, about to seize the naked babies and devour them. The -poor little mother was hovering about, trying to defend them, crying -piteously. He picked up a stone and threw it so happily that the jay -fell to the ground dead.</p> - -<p>So now the little titmouse wished to show her gratitude. She kept flying -before him from bush to bush toward the source of the brook, which came -from the mountains. Soon the ground began to rise, and the brook at -Werner’s feet babbled louder; then he came to an ascending valley which -grew narrower and narrower, while the walls on both sides grew steeper, -and at last, when the brook suddenly disappeared<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a>{241}</span> behind a projecting -rock, Werner saw before him a smooth wall of stone, towering high and -crowned with mighty pine trees. The little bird suddenly vanished, but -away up in the distance her voice could be faintly heard, crying: “Soon! -Soon!”</p> - -<p>Werner sat down on a rock and examined the stone wall. It was smooth, -had no crevices, and was covered with mosses and gay lichens; he could -see nothing more. So he sat and waited. At last he heard a gentle -fluttering above him and a hazel nut fell at his feet. “Take! Take!” -cried the little bird. “Crack! Crack!”</p> - -<p>Werner took the nut and looked at it. He could discover nothing peculiar -about it, but when he shook it, it rattled as though something hard were -inside. He cracked it and found a dainty golden key. In the meantime the -little bird had flown to the stone wall. Clinging to it with both -delicate little feet, she began pecking away so busily among the -lichens, that the pieces fairly flew. At last she cried: “Here! Here!”</p> - -<p>Werner came near, and noticed a small, silver-bound keyhole. The golden -key fitted exactly into it, and when Werner turned it, a strange, fine, -ringing sound came from the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a>{242}</span> stone wall, and a heavy door, that fitted -as exactly into its frame as though it had been cut into the rock, swung -slowly open. A warm bluish air came from the opening, and an odor of -burning pine needles and of wax candles just blown out, was wafted -toward him.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how this smells of Christmas!” said little Werner.</p> - -<p>But the little bird cried: “Go in! Go in! Quick! Quick!”</p> - -<p>Scarcely had Werner, who was just a little frightened, taken a few steps -into the gloomy passage, when he felt a draft behind him, and suddenly -it grew quite dark, for the door had again silently closed. Now indeed -he began to lose courage, for to return was impossible, yet he saw that -a faint heart would avail him little—so on he went, groping his way -resolutely along the black passage.</p> - -<h4>III. <span class="smcap">Christmasland</span></h4> - -<p>Soon his path grew brighter and he stepped out into the strangest -country he had ever seen. The air was warm, but not with the warmth of -summer, but as it is in heated rooms, and fragrant with many sweet -odors. No sun shone in the sky, yet everywhere was an even, tempered -brightness. Of the country itself he saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a>{243}</span> but little, for behind him was -the huge wall of rock through which he had entered, and round about him -tall bushes bearing the queerest fruits obstructed the view. As he -walked along, lost in wonder, he came to a broad avenue that led to a -distant building. Bordering this avenue on both sides were great apple -trees, on which grew golden and silver apples. Old men who looked like -gnomes, with their long gray beards, and pretty little children were -busily engaged picking these apples and heaping them up in large -baskets, many of which stood already filled to the brim with their -glittering load. No one paid any attention to little Werner, who, with -growing astonishment, directed his steps toward the building in the -background, which proved to be a large castle, with towering steeples -and gilded domes and roofs. On either side of the avenue lay large -fields on which grew low plants. Here, too, every one was busy gathering -and harvesting, and in the different fields, distinguished by different -colors according to the plants they bore, he could see gay, dainty -figures diligently loading little two-wheeled carts, drawn by -gold-colored, shaggy ponies.</p> - -<p>As Werner approached the castle he noticed a fragrant odor of honey -cake, growing stronger<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a>{244}</span> and stronger, and on looking more closely, he -perceived that the entire castle was made of this delectable stuff. The -foundation consisted of large blocks, the walls of smooth cakes -ornamented in the most enticing way with citron and almonds. Everywhere -were exquisite reliefs of marzipan, the balustrades and galleries and -balconies of sugar, the beautiful statues of chocolate standing in -gilded niches, and the glittering, gay windows made of transparent -bon-bons—indeed, here was a castle good enough to eat! At the artistic -entrance the handle of the doorbell was of transparent sugar. Werner -took heart, and pulled with all his might. No bell rang, however, but a -voice from within cried, “Kikeriki!” so loud and shrill that the -frightened boy stepped hastily back. The cry was repeated again and -again, like an echo growing fainter and fainter, losing itself in the -interior of the building. Then there was silence. The door now opened -softly and before him stood so strange a creature that had it not lived -and moved, Werner would undoubtedly have taken it for a large -jumping-jack.</p> - -<p>“By leaf gold and honey cake!” said this merry person. “A visitor? Why, -that is a most remarkable event!” And then, whether from pleasure or -astonishment, he threw his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>{245}</span> limbs repeatedly up over his head, so that -it was almost dreadful to see. Swinging his arms and legs back and -forth, he asked: “Well, my boy, and what do you want?”</p> - -<p>“Does the Christmasman live here?” asked little Werner.</p> - -<p>“Certainly,” said the jumping-jack, “and his Honor is at home, but very -busy, very busy.”</p> - -<p>Then he asked the little fellow to follow him, moving along in a queer, -sidelong manner, swinging his arms and legs incessantly. He led the way -through an entrance hall whose walls were made of marzipan and whose -ceiling was supported by pillars of polished chocolate, to a door, -before which two gigantic nutcrackers in full uniform stood guard; told -him to wait here, and disappeared. In the meantime the nutcrackers -stared at Werner with their big eyes, then grinned at each other with an -indescribable wooden grin, at which there was a funny sound as though -they were laughing with their stomachs. Presently the jumping-jack -returned, made a most beautiful sidelong bow, and said: “My gracious -master begs you to enter.” Then the nutcrackers, drawing close together, -suddenly presented their swords and with their teeth beat a roll that -was most extraordinary.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a>{246}</span></p> - -<p>When little Werner stepped into the room he was greatly astonished, for -the Christmasman did not look at all as he had imagined him, nor did he -resemble the pictures he had seen of him. True, he had a beautiful long -white beard, as was proper, but on his head was a blue, gold-embroidered -skullcap, and he wore a dressing gown of yellow silk, and sat before a -large book and wrote. But this dressing gown was covered with such -wonderful embroidery that it was like a picture book. On it you could -see soldiers and dolls and clowns, and all the animals of Noah’s ark, -drums and fifes, violins, trumpets, swords and guns, flowers and cakes, -and sun and moon and stars.</p> - -<p>The Christmasman laid down his pen and said: “How did you get here, my -boy?”</p> - -<p>Werner answered: “The little bird showed me the way.”</p> - -<p>“ ’T is a hundred years since any one has been here,” replied the -Christmasman, “and now this little fellow succeeds in coming. Well, your -reward shall be that you may see everything. I myself am too busy just -now, but my daughter shall be your guide. Come, little Goldflame,” he -cried, “we have a guest!”</p> - -<p>Then in the next room there was a fluttering and a rustling, and in ran -a beautiful little girl.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a>{247}</span> She wore a dress of leaf-gold and she -glittered and sparkled all over. On her head was a little crown of gold, -and on its topmost tip was a gleaming flamelet.</p> - -<p>“Why, how nice!” she said, and took little Werner by the hand, crying, -“Come along, strange boy!” and ran with him from the room.</p> - -<h4>IV. <span class="smcap">The Christmas Warehouse</span></h4> - -<p>They came to a large corridor where long rows of wooden horses stood -tied—there were gray horses and brown horses, chestnut horses and black -horses.</p> - -<p>“You may choose one,” said little Goldflame.</p> - -<p>Werner selected a beautiful, shiny, dapple-gray and Goldflame mounted a -coal-black steed. “Hoy!” she cried, and with a whir away rolled the -little horses so fast that Werner’s hair flew, and the flame on the -girl’s crown was wafted like a streamer in the air. When they came to -the door at the end of the corridor, she cried, “Holla!” It opened and -they rushed through into a big hall in the middle of which they halted. -They dismounted and little Goldflame said: “This is the hall of lead.” -Lining the walls to the ceiling were open cupboards filled with shelves -on which stood, packed in boxes, countless armies of soldiers, hunters,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a>{248}</span> -shepherds, sleighing parties, menageries, and everything possible that -could be made of lead. Little black-bearded dwarfs climbed busily up and -down ladders, placing the boxes into carts which they rolled outside, -where larger wagons waited to be loaded with the toys. As soon as the -dwarfs saw Werner and Goldflame they brought them two gold-brocaded -easy-chairs, and Goldflame said: “The big parade is coming very soon.”</p> - -<p>They sat down, and had barely waited half a minute when from under one -of the cupboards came a strange ringing music and the Prussian guard -marched out, and filed by with martial strains. Here indeed were toy -soldiers that delighted one’s heart! How the little fellows strutted and -the dapper lieutenants saluted with their swords! Then came the white -cuirassiers with their glittering armor, the red hussars of Potsdam, the -lancers with their gleaming flags, the blue dragoons, and last of all -the cannon. When these had passed, “Trari, trara!” sounded from under -the cupboard, and deer, rabbits, and foxes burst forth, the yelping pack -behind, and the hunters on horseback with huzza, crack of whip, and -sounding of horns.</p> - -<p>Then all at once something glistened in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a>{249}</span> air and fine snow began to -fall. When the ground was white a sleighing party with merry bells -ringing came out and rushed by. The fronts of the sleighs were in the -form of swans, lions, tigers, and dragons, and in the sleighs sat ladies -and gentlemen in beautiful furs. In passing, they threw snowballs at -Werner and at little Goldflame. But if you looked closely at one of -these snowballs, you found a tiny bonbon wrapped in tissue paper.</p> - -<p>The snow disappeared, and now with sweet bells ringing came shepherds -and shepherdesses with their flocks, then pretty peasants with fruits -and flowers, then gypsies, musicians, tinkers, rope walkers, horseback -riders, and such vagrant folk. Last came Mr. Hagenbeck of Hamburg with -his African menagerie of giraffes, elephants, rhinoceroses, -hippopotamuses, zebras, and antelopes. The lions and panthers followed -in cages on little wagons, and roared mightily, as though insulted at -the indignities put upon them.</p> - -<p>At the close of this jolly parade both children again mounted their -horses and rode on. What marvels were unfolded before little Werner’s -eyes! The large hall filled with dolls, for which he did not -particularly care and which he only wished Anna might see, the theater -magazine<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250"></a>{250}</span> where at Goldflame’s request a thousand theaters opened at the -same time with a thousand different plays, making a terrible din, the -tool-chest warehouse, the storeroom for the musical instruments, the -wooden-animal magazine, the picture department, the paint-box warehouse, -the hall of the wax candles, and so on, until he was quite tired out -when at last they reached the great candy department.</p> - -<p>“Now let us eat,” said little Goldflame. Immediately six little -confectioner’s apprentices brought a table, set it, and served them with -the most delicious dishes. Werner had never tasted such good things! -There were Leipzig larks of marzipan filled with nut cream, sausages of -quinces, ham made of rosy creamy sugar, pastry filled with strawberry -jam, and all sorts of candied fruits. They had pineapple lemonade with -vanilla cream to drink, and behind them stood the six little waiters, -eager to serve, running to fill every order. For dessert they were to -have, as Goldflame remarked, something quite superlatively fine—dry -black bread and cheese. Such ordinary dishes were so rare in this -country, and so difficult to obtain, that they were considered the -greatest delicacies. When they had finished eating, the wooden horses -were again brought out, and Goldflame<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251"></a>{251}</span> said, “Now we will visit the -mines.” So mounting their excellent steeds, away they rode.</p> - -<h4>V. <span class="smcap">The Mines</span></h4> - -<p>They rode over fields on which grew the most exquisite fruits and -vegetables, all of sugar or chocolate filled with cream; they galloped -along stately avenues bordered with fruit trees, toward the mountains -which lay before them. Some of these gleamed white as chalk; others -looked dull and dark, almost black. But the tops of even the black -mountains were as white as though snow-capped.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you think you see snow,” said little Goldflame. “But when it -snows here, it only snows powdered sugar.”</p> - -<p>Werner now saw before him a high, shining white rock on which hundreds -of men were working. They rode quite close and dismounted. “This is the -great sugar quarry,” said Goldflame. “This entire rock consists of the -finest white colonial sugar.”</p> - -<p>Quite near them they observed an entrance to a cave, and as they -approached it several miners hurried toward them with torches and led -the way. They penetrated deep into the mountain, whose walls shimmered -and shone in the reflected torchlight. Presently they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252"></a>{252}</span> stepped into a -magnificent chamber whose walls, covered with huge crystals of -transparent rock candy, glittered and sparkled in the light of the -torches.</p> - -<p>“This is the large rock-candy cavern,” said little Goldflame. They went -on and came to a place where the miners were knocking and hammering, and -working new passages into the mountains.</p> - -<p>“These men are looking for melted sugar, and when they find it, they -scoop it out with huge spoons,” she said.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, as they proceeded, they beheld mountains, no longer white and -shining, but dull, dark brown, and smelling of vanilla. “We are now -approaching the chocolate mines,” explained little Goldflame.</p> - -<p>Here many people were at work tunneling into the mountains, for it was -only in the interior that the best vanilla chocolate was found. They -passed through great chambers supported here and there by single pillars -left standing. When at last they again stepped into the open air, Werner -noticed a roaring brook that came from a ravine in the mountains and -rushed toward the valley, where it turned the mills that sawed the -chocolate blocks into cakes.</p> - -<p>“Would you like to have a drink?” said little<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253"></a>{253}</span> Goldflame. “It tastes -good; it is pure liqueur.” Little Werner was so very thirsty after all -the sweets he had eaten and seen, and from the brook came so fresh and -enticing an odor, that he seized the cup eagerly which an obliging miner -handed him, and emptied it at a single draft. But scarcely had he -finished when the world began to turn about him in the queerest way—he -saw two Goldflames, four Goldflames, a hundred Goldflames, glittering -and gleaming before him, then flowing together into a shining sea of -light, carrying away his senses—and he knew nothing more.</p> - -<h4>VI. <span class="smcap">Conclusion</span></h4> - -<p>The first sound that Werner heard on awakening was the chirping of a -titmouse. He was astonished to find himself sitting on a stump under the -old beech tree with the little pine tree in front of him. The titmouse -hopped from branch to branch and chirped, but Werner no longer -understood what she said. It suddenly occurred to him that it must be -very late, that his mother had surely been anxiously waiting for him. -But looking up at the sun he was astonished to find that scarcely a -quarter of an hour had passed since he had left this spot. He could not -account for this mystery, but eager<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254"></a>{254}</span> to relate his wonderful experiences -to his mother and little Anna, he cut down the pine tree and hurried -home with his burden as fast as he could. When with shining eyes and -breathless haste he had told them his story, his mother grew quite angry -and told him not to dare fall asleep again in the woods in winter—had -the weather been colder it might have been his death. But afterwards she -shook her head, saying to herself, “Where does the boy get all his -strange fancies?”</p> - -<p>Little Werner wept because his mother did not believe him, and went -away, but Anna followed, eager to hear more. She never tired of hearing -about Goldflame and the hall of dolls, and in the days that followed he -had to tell her about them over and over again, until he was quite -comforted. One day they went to the woods together to look for the -entrance to that wonderful country. But though they followed the -brooklet they never found a place resembling in the least the -description Werner had given, and he was so ashamed and embarrassed, he -knew not what to say.</p> - -<p>And so Christmas drew near. A heavy snow had been falling for two whole -days, and the world was beautiful, wrapped in its glistening, white -Christmas robe. Night was falling, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255"></a>{255}</span> the children sat in their dark -chamber, eagerly waiting, whispering together and listening to their -mother who was walking back and forth in the brightly lighted Christmas -room, arranging their poor little gifts. Suddenly from afar they heard -the jingling of sleighbells coming nearer and nearer, and a whip cracked -merrily. Now the sleigh was quite close, now it stopped before the -house; they could hear the horses stamping and the bells jingling softly -when the animals turned their heads.</p> - -<p>“The Christmasman! The Christmasman!” cried Werner. They heard doors -opening and a man’s voice speaking—then their mother called to them, -“Come in, children; your uncle is here.”</p> - -<p>Wemer and Anna ran into the room and there stood a man in a great fur -coat who held out his hands to them, saying, “Come to me, my dear -children.” He kissed each one and said, “You shall come with me to the -city and live with me in my large house. I will be a father to you and I -will care for you.” In the meantime a gigantic coachman with a fur cap, -a long white beard, and a cloak with seven collars was bringing many -large packages into the room. When these were afterwards opened they -contained so many beautiful gifts that the people<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a>{256}</span> in that little house -had a Christmas such as they had never had before! Later, when Werner -and Anna went to bed, he whispered to her very mysteriously, “Do you -know who the coachman was with the fur cap, the long white beard, and -the big cloak? That was the Christmasman. Indeed, I recognized him, and -he looked at me and winked.”</p> - -<p>But what had happened to the rich old uncle who lived alone, an -unsociable miser, and who had never given his poor sister and her -children a thought—what had happened to him to change him so? In the -night following the day on which Werner had visited the Christmasman, -the uncle had had a strange dream. A man with a blue velvet cap and a -long white beard, wrapped in a golden robe, suddenly stood before him, -looked at him with great, blue, penetrating eyes, then spoke slowly and -impressively: “Konrad Borodin, have you a sister?” Thereupon fear -overcame him so that he could not answer. Then the apparition gradually -vanished, the eyes only gazing threateningly upon him. Three successive -nights he had the same dream. In the meantime a restlessness beyond -description drove him from room to room of his dreary, empty house, and -ever in his ear there sounded that deep, reproachful voice of his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257"></a>{257}</span> -dream, saying, “Have you a sister?” On the morning after the third night -he could endure it no longer, but hurried to the city, where to the -astonishment of all the people who had known him as a miser, he bought -the loveliest things, ordered a sleigh, filled it with his purchases, -and drove directly to his poor sister.</p> - -<p>Little Werner received a good education, and grew to be a famous and -highly respected man. He himself told me this story.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258"></a>{258}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="A_CHRISTMAS_LEGEND" id="A_CHRISTMAS_LEGEND"></a>A CHRISTMAS LEGEND<br /> -<small>(A Florentine Legend of the Nativity)</small><br /> -<small>VERNON LEE</small></h3> - -<p>Beyond Bethlehem, which is a big village, walled and moated, lies a -hilly country, exceeding wild and covered with dense woods of firs, -pines, larches, beeches, and similar trees. At times the people of -Bethlehem, going in bands, cut down these trees and burn them to -charcoal which they pack on mules and sell in the valley. Sometimes they -tie together whole tree trunks such as would serve for beams, rafters, -and masts, and float them down the rivers, which are many and very -rapid.</p> - -<p>On these mountains in the thickest part of the forests a certain -woodcutter bethought him to build a house wherein to live with his -family, store the timber, and care for his beasts. For this purpose he -employed certain pillars and pieces of masonry that stood in the forest, -being remains of a temple of the heathen, which had long ceased to -exist. He cleared the wood round about, leaving only tree stumps and -bushes. Close by in a ravine between high fir trees ran a river of -greenish waters, exceedingly cold and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259"></a>{259}</span> rapid. It was always full to the -brim even in mid-summer, owing to the melting snows; and around up hill -and down dale stretched the woods of firs, larches, pines, and other -noble and useful trees, emitting a very pleasant and virtuous fragrance.</p> - -<p>The man thought to enjoy his house and came with his family and -servants. Also he brought his horses and mules and oxen which he had -employed to carry down the timber and charcoal. But scarcely were they -settled when an earthquake rent the place, tearing wall from wall, and -pillar from pillar; and a voice was heard in the air crying, “Ecce domus -domini dei,”<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> whereupon they fled, astonished and in terror, and -returned to the town.</p> - -<p>And no one of that man’s family ventured henceforth to return to that -house or to that wood save one called Hilarion, a poor lad and a -servant, but of upright heart and faith. He offered to go back and take -up his abode there and cut down the trees and burn the charcoal for his -master. So he went. He was but a poor lad clothed in leathern tunic and -coarse serge hood.</p> - -<p>And Hilarion took with him an ox and an ass to load with charcoal and -drive down to Bethlehem to his master.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260"></a>{260}</span></p> - -<p>The first night on which Hilarion slept in that house, which had fallen -to ruin, he heard voices, as of children—both boys and maidens—singing -in the air. But he closed his eyes, repeated a Paternoster, turned over, -and slept. Another night he heard voices which made him tremble, but -being clean of heart he said two Aves and went to sleep. And once more -did he hear the voices, and they were passing sweet. And with them came -a fragrance as of crushed herbs and many kinds of flowers, frankincense, -and orris root. Hilarion feared the voices were those of heathen gods, -but he said his prayers and slept.</p> - -<p>But at length one night as Hilarion heard these songs he opened his -eyes, and behold, the place was light, and a great staircase of light -like golden cobwebs stretched up to heaven and hosts of angels appeared, -coming and going, with locks like honeycomb and robes of rose and green, -azure and white, thickly embroidered with purest pearls. They had wings -as of butterflies and peacock’s tails and a golden glory shone about -their heads. They went to and fro carrying garlands and strewing -flowers, so that, although midwinter, it was like a garden in June, -sweet with roses and lilies and gilliflowers. And the angels sang and, -when they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261"></a>{261}</span> had finished their work they said, “It is well,” and they -departed, holding hands as they flew into the sky above the fir trees. -And Hilarion was astonished and prayed fervently.</p> - -<p>And the next day when he was cutting a fir tree in the wood he met among -the rocks a man old and venerable with a long gray beard and a solemn -air. He was clad in crimson, and under his arm he carried written books -and a scourge. And Hilarion said, “Who art thou? The forest is haunted -by spirits, and I would know whether thou be of them or of men.”</p> - -<p>And the old man made answer, “I am a wise man and a king. I have spent -all my days learning the secrets of things. I know how the trees grow, -how the waters run, and where treasures be. I can teach thee what the -stars sing, and in what manner the ruby and emerald gather their light -in the heart of the earth. I can chain the wind and stop the sun, for I -am wise above all men. But I seek one wiser than myself, and I go -through the woods in search of him, my master.”</p> - -<p>And Hilarion said, “Tarry thou here, and thou shalt see, if I mistake -not, him whom thou seekest.”</p> - -<p>So the old man tarried in the forest and built himself a hut of stones.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262"></a>{262}</span></p> - -<p>And the day after that as Hilarion went forth to catch fish in the river -he met on the bank a lady, beautiful beyond compare. And Hilarion asked, -“Who art thou? The forest is haunted by spirits; art thou one of them?”</p> - -<p>And she answered, “I am a princess, the fairest of women. Kings and -princes have brought gifts to me. They have hung wreaths on my palace -and strewn flowers in my garden. I am beautiful beyond compare, but I -seek one more beautiful than myself. Day by day I go searching my master -by the lakes and rivers.”</p> - -<p>And Hilarion made answer thus, “Tarry thou here and thou shalt see, if I -mistake not, him whom thou seekest.”</p> - -<p>And the lady tarried by the river and built herself a cabin of reeds and -leaves.</p> - -<p>That night was the coldest and longest winter night. Hilarion made for -himself a bed of fern and hay in the stable of the ox and the ass and he -lay close to them for warmth. And lo! in the middle of the night the ass -brayed and the ox bellowed and Hilarion started up. He saw the heavens -open with a great brightness as of beaten and fretted gold. Angels -wreathed in roses were coming and going, and as they held each other’s -hands they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good -will<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263"></a>{263}</span> toward men.” And Hilarion wondered again and prayed fervently.</p> - -<p>And that day toward noon there came through the wood one bearing a staff -and leading a mule on which was seated a woman. They were poor folk, -travel stained. And the man said to Hilarion, “My name is Joseph. I am a -carpenter of the city of Nazareth. My wife is called Mary. Suffer thou -us to rest and my wife to lie on this straw of the stables.”</p> - -<p>And Hilarion said, “You are welcome.”</p> - -<p>Hilarion laid down more fern and hay and gave provender to the mule.</p> - -<p>And Mary brought forth her first-born son and Hilarion took it and laid -it in the manger. And he went forth into the woods, where he found the -wise man and the beautiful woman.</p> - -<p>“Come with me to my stable,” he said, “where the fir trees were cleared -above the river.”</p> - -<p>And they went with him to the ruined house, and they saw the babe lying -in the manger.</p> - -<p>Then the wise man and the beautiful woman knelt down before the child.</p> - -<p>“He is exceeding fair,” said the princess.</p> - -<p>“He is wiser than I am,” said the king. “Surely this is He that is our -Master.”</p> - -<p>And the skies opened and there came forth<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264"></a>{264}</span> angels such as Hilarion had -seen before with the glory of radiant gold about their heads and -garlands of roses around their necks. And they sang again, “Glory to God -in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265"></a>{265}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="THE_STAR_IN_THE_EAST" id="THE_STAR_IN_THE_EAST"></a>THE STAR IN THE EAST</h3> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Three Shepherds<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Three Kings: <span class="smcap">Gaspar</span>, <span class="smcap">Melchior</span>, <span class="smcap">Balthazar</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Joseph</span> <span class="smcap">Mary</span><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<h4><span class="smcap">Scene I.</span> <i>Hills outside Jerusalem</i></h4> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><i>Carol by Children</i>:<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">In the fields with their flocks abiding,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">They lay on the dewy ground,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And glimmering under the starlight<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The sheep lay white around.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When the light of the Lord streamed o’er them,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And lo! from the heavens above<br /></span> -<span class="i0">An angel leaned from the glory,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">And sang his song of love;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He sang that first sweet Christmas<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The song that shall never cease—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Glory to God in the highest,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">On earth good will and peace.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Now must I rest awhile!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For mile on mile, and mile on mile<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I’ve trudged on foot since break of day began.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And I’m but an old and ancient man.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I am stiff and my bones are old,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And the night is bitter—bitter cold.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266"></a>{266}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Aye, ’tis bitter cold, and naught to be seen<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But snow and the starry sky.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I’ve come a mighty step to-day,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But—is that the town so far away?<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Aye, dost see that great star<br /></span> -<span class="i0">That hangs above the town?<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">’Tis a wondrous star even as ever I saw.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But I am wearied sore;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">So wearied I have never been before.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="c"><i>Enter Third Shepherd</i></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Look ye, here is a lamb, new born.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Poor little beastie! Lay it down and warm it.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">An ill night to be born in! Frost and snow,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Cold heaven above, cold earth below.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I marvel any little creature should be born<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On such a night. I found it all forlorn,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Crying beside its mother.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267"></a>{267}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Warm it in thy cloak. ’Tis but a little lamb.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hark! is that the sky that sings?<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Nay, I hear no sound at all.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">You are wearied. Mile and mile you’ve trudged to-day.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Well, as for sleep, I’m ready. What say ye?<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Aye, do. Sleep ye, and I’ll keep watch.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The wolf, maybe, will visit us ere dawn.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Or, if not he, perchance another lamb.<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">(<i>They sleep. The Third Shepherd walks, with<br /> the lamb in his cloak. Soft -music is heard.</i>)<br /></span> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hark! There’s music in the wind!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And what strange light is in the east?<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Surely it is not dawn?<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">(<i>Angels appear. The Shepherd arouses the others.</i>)<br /></span> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Angel</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Gloria in Excelsis!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Fear not, for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268"></a>{268}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">For unto you is born this day in the city of David,<br /> a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And this shall be the sign unto you:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Ye shall find the heavenly<br /> babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Gloria in Excelsis!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">’Twas a fine voice—even as ever I heard.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">All the hills with a lighting, methought, at his word shone fair.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">He spoke of a Babe at Bethlehem, mark you well.<br /> That betokens yon -star. Let us seek Him there.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">To Bethlehem he bade that we should go. I fear we tarry too long.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Full glad would I be,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Might I kneel on my knee<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Some word to say to that child.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">But the angel said in a manger was he laid and poorly clad. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269"></a>{269}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">We shall see him I know before it be morn.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="i0">The place is near. Let us go even now unto<br /> Bethlehem and see this -thing<br /> which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto -us.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First</span> and <span class="smcap">Third Shepherds</span>:<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">Aye, let us go and find Him!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">(<i>Tableau held while music dies away.</i>)<br /></span> -</div></div></div> - -<h4><span class="smcap">Scene II.</span> <i>Manger Scene</i></h4> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><i>Carol by children</i>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">O little town of Bethlehem,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">How still we see thee lie,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Above thy deep and dreamless sleep<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The silent stars go by.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Yet in thy dark streets shineth<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The everlasting light.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The hopes and fears of all the years<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Are met in thee to-night.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><i>Angel chorus</i>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Away in the manger,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">No crib for his bed,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The little Lord Jesus<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Lay down his sweet head.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270"></a>{270}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">The stars in the bright sky<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Looked down where He lay,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The little Lord Jesus<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Asleep in the hay.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">The cattle were lowing,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The baby awakes<br /></span> -<span class="i0">But little Lord Jesus,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">No crying He makes.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I love thee, Lord Jesus!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Look down from the sky,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And stay by my cradle<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Till morning is nigh.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="c">(<i>Shepherds arrive at the manger.<br /> They stand at a little distance, -gazing in awe.</i>)</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Lo, here is the house, and here is He!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Forsooth, it is the same.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Look ye, where the Lord is laid,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Between two beasts, and in a manger,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">As the angel said.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="c">(<i>They advance, and kneel before the manger.</i>)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271"></a>{271}</span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">First Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hail, hail, young child<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Of a maiden, meek and mild.<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Lo, he merries,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Lo, he laughs, my sweeting.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I give Thee my greeting!<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Have a bob of cherries!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Second Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hail, goodly Babe!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A bird have I brought<br /></span> -<span class="i2">To my Bairn.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hail, little tiny mop,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I would drink in Thy cup,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Little day star!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Third Shepherd</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hail, darling dear:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sweet is Thy cheer;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">A ball I bring Thee.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Put forth Thy dall,<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a><br /></span> -<span class="i0">Keep and play Thee withal,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Little heavenly light.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><i>Angel chorus</i>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Holy night, peaceful night,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">All is calm, all is bright,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272"></a>{272}</span><br /></span> -<span class="i0">Only one yet wakes and prays,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Looking on with tender gaze<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On her heavenly child,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">On her heavenly child.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Holy night, peaceful night,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Son of God, Light of Light,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Pure and gentle in thine eyes<br /></span> -<span class="i0">All thy wealth of mercy lies<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For a world redeemed,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For a world redeemed.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="i0"> -(<i>The Three Kings arrive at the door of the stable.<br /> Joseph advances to -meet them.</i>)<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Gaspar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">We have journeyed from afar<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Led by the shining of your splendid star.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">We are Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Joseph</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sirs, whom seek ye?<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Gaspar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">We seek a newborn King,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Gold, frankincense to Him to bring,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And many a kingly precious thing.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Joseph</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Good sirs, here lies a newborn child,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Seek ye him and his mother mild?<br /></span> - -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">(<i>The Three Kings go toward the manger.</i>)<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273"></a>{273}</span><br /></span> - -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Balthazar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Behold, the child is clothed in light!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Melchior</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Our journey ends; past is the night.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Gaspar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Let us make no more delay<br /></span> -<span class="i0">To worship him most worthily.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Gaspar</span> }<br /></span> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Melchior</span> } Hail, King of Kings!<br /></span> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Balthazar</span>} (<i>They kneel.</i>)<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Gaspar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">I bring Thee a crown,<br /></span> -<span class="i4">O King of Kings!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And here a scepter full of gems,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For Thou shalt rule the hearts of men.<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">(<i>He gives crown and scepter.</i>)<br /></span> - -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Melchior</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For Thee I bring sweet frankincense.<br /></span> - -<span class="i0">(<i>Swings censor.</i>)<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Balthazar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And I bring myrrh to offer Thee!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Gaspar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The greatest gift is yet ungiven—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Oh, heavenly King, heart’s love we bring.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274"></a>{274}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Melchior</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Not gifts of gold nor priceless gems<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Is worth the love we offer Thee.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><span class="smcap">Balthazar</span>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And lowly folk who have no gold<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Nor rare and precious thing to give,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">May bring the dearest gift of all—<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A loving heart.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="im"><i>Golden carol</i> (sung by the Three Kings):<br /></span> -<span class="i0">We saw a light shine out afar,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">On Christmas in the morning,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And straight we knew Christ’s Star it was,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Bright beaming in the morning.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Then did we fall on bended knee,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">On Christmas in the morning,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And praised the Lord who’d let us see<br /></span> -<span class="i2">His glory at its dawning.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">(<i>Tableau, Kings and Shepherds.</i>)<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> - -<span class="im"><i>Angel carol</i>:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Then let us all with one accord<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">That hath made Heaven and Earth of naught,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And with His blood mankind hath bought;<br /></span> -<span class="i4">Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël,<br /></span> -<span class="i4">Born is the King of Israel!<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275"></a>{275}</span><br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0"><i>Recessional carol by children</i>:<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">God rest ye merry, gentlemen,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Let nothing you dismay;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">For Jesus Christ our Saviour<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Was born on Christmas Day,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">To save us all from Satan’s power<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When we had gone astray.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Oh! tidings of comfort and joy,<br /></span> -<span class="i6">Comfort and joy,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Oh! tidings of comfort and joy!<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276"></a>{276}</span></p> - -<h3><a name="A_BLESSING" id="A_BLESSING"></a>A BLESSING<br /> -<small>ABBIE FARWELL BROWN</small></h3> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Now may the Holy Christ Child<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Who came on Christmas Day,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The gentle Friend and Brother<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Who smiles upon your play,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Bless all the little children<br /></span> -<span class="i2">However far away.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<div class="footnotes"><p class="cb">FOOTNOTES:</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> By permission. From <i>The Hollow Tree and Deep Woods Book</i>, -by Albert Bigelow Paine. Copyright, 1900, by Harper Brothers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> From the <i>Kindergarten Review</i>, 1908. By permission of the -author.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> From <i>Some Great Stories and How to Tell Them</i>, published -by Newson & Company, New York.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> From <i>Mother Stories</i>. By permission of the publishers, -Milton Bradley Company.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> By courtesy of the author.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> By courtesy of Mrs. Richard Watson Gilder.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> By courtesy of the translater.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> From <i>The City that Never was Reached</i>. Copyrighted by The -Pilgrim Press. By permission of the publishers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> By permission of the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Company.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> La Dame de Noël.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> By permission of the author and of the publishers, Fleming -H. Revell Company.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> By courtesy of the author.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> Reprinted by the author’s permission from <i>Why the Chimes -Rang, and Other Stories</i>. Copyright by the Bobbs Merrill Company, -Indianapolis.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> From <i>Told to the Little Tot</i>. Copyright, 1906, by Dodge -Publishing Co.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> A franc is equal to twenty cents.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> “Behold the house of the Lord God!”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> <i>Hand</i> (old English).</p></div> - -</div> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Folks' Christmas Stories and -Plays, by Various - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS' CHRISTMAS *** - -***** This file should be named 52231-h.htm or 52231-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/2/3/52231/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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