seems to me as though I received a larger mail than I ever had before.
“But it can never be too large for Santa Claus.
“And the precious dears! What memories they have. They know just what
they want! They don’t forget!
“They think old Santa remembers too when they have told him one thing and
then just add a little postscript or another letter without explaining to
him just what their last letter was about.
“They think he can remember and keep them all straight, even though he
may get several letters from the same child in many, many cases.
“They think he can remember their names from year to year, and they’re
right. Yes, the blessed little dears are right.” And Santa Claus chuckled
to himself as he stroked his beard and by the burning coals of the great
stove in his workshop he read the letters which had just come.
“Dear Santa Claus,” was the beginning of every one, or at least almost
every one, though some of them began, “Dear, dear Santa Claus,” and “You
precious old Santa Claus,” and a number of other nice beginnings like
that, which made Santa Claus very happy.
But every letter made him happy, for every letter was just a little
different and he liked all the children to be different and not to be
just alike.
“I hope you remember me,” one read, “for I wrote to you last year and
the year before. The year before that I was too young to write, but my
brudder wrote for me? Do you remember my brudder’s letter that he wrote
that year? He said that he guessed the next year I could write you a
letter, for I could then write my name.
“And my brudder was right and the next year I did write you a letter.”
Some of the spelling wasn’t just like this, but this is the way it
sounded as Santa Claus read it aloud. He was all by himself, except that
his collie dog, Boy of the North, was sitting by him on the floor, but he
read it aloud, for he loved to hear the sound of the words the children
had written and picture them as they looked while writing.
And he didn’t care about the spelling.
“Of course,” he said to himself, “they must go to school and learn how to
spell, for they would feel dreadfully when they grew up if they didn’t
know more than they do now!
“But when they’re writing to Santa Claus it doesn’t make so much
difference. They can take a little holiday then. And even when they make
a blot and then write down by it that it is a kiss I know that they do
mean to send a kiss to me, even if the blot itself was accidental!
“Well, I must go on with this letter.”
He went on with the letter and this was what he read:
“My brudder won a gold medal in school the other day. He is getting to be
so smart, dear Santa, and I know you’ll be pleased to hear it. You sent
me a picture once Santa when I was very little of a boy who was very cold
on his way to school with his coat all wrapped up tight around him.
“In school he won the gold medal. It was the day they gave the prizes,
and coming home from school the picture showed the boy with his coat open
wide, and the gold medal pinned on, and he didn’t feel the cold the least
bit!
“Do you ’member, Santa Claus? Brudder was like that the other day.”
Yes, he remembered that picture and how pleased he was to think the boy,
a boy he had always liked so much, had won a gold medal.
And on he read the letters. Some were letters just full of news of what
they all were doing in the different homes, of what they were going to
do, and in some they wrote of the new sisters or brothers who had come
since Santa Claus had last been written to.
Of course they told him what presents they wanted and they all said they
hoped he wouldn’t get too tired, and they all, every single one of them,
told him how they loved him and wished him a Merry Christmas, too.
And that made Santa Claus so very, very happy.
DECEMBER 14: Candy Toys
“We’re all ready for a great day called Christmas,” said the candy cane.
“Yes,” said the candy lion, “and I’m so sweet I couldn’t be cross, yet
I’ve heard real lions often are very wild and angry.”
“When we’re being eaten,” said the candy elephant, “it’s perfectly
glorious, for we’re so much appreciated. Some children say that they love
hard candy better than any other kind. Other children will take bites of
us and will smack their lips joyously. All this I’ve heard from Santa.
Oh, the lives of candy toys are very exciting. We belong to the best time
of the year, and how the children will love us!”
DECEMBER 15: Santa’s Gifts
Santa was sitting in his workshop. He was making a lovely doll with curly
hair and blue eyes, and his dog, Boy of the North, was sitting close to
his chair with his head against Santa’s knee.
“Last Christmas,” said Santa, “I was at a house where there were three
little girls, and oh, Boy of the North, they were such nice little girls!
“They were really lovely, and so good! Of course they were asleep, but
no matter, Boy of the North, you needn’t laugh; they were good children
I can tell you. Even if mothers and daddies may say children are bad at
times I only say, ‘Well, what child isn’t bad sometimes?’ It wouldn’t
upset old Santa for he knows they’re doing their best and trying their
best.
“But, as I said, these children were such nice little girls.
“They were asleep, as I told you, when I saw them. They slept in three
little white beds and each had her hair in two beautiful braids.
“I filled their stockings and I said to myself, ‘You are a nice
collection of youngsters for any mother and any father to be proud of!
Dear me! But I’m proud to be old Santa Claus and to have the honor of
filling your Christmas stockings.’
“Then I went downstairs where there was a tree and I started a-trimming
of the tree. They had left some things for me to use. Some people are
kind that way about leaving many of the nice decorations which can be
used every Christmas. It saves me room in my pack and I like to see the
same old decorations coming out year after year.
“But I saw something else there, too. I saw a present, a gift for me.
“I looked down at it, and saw that it was addressed to me and that it
said, ‘To Santa Claus, with love from Helen.’ And I saw that it had
another little note inside which said, ‘Dear Santa, I made this myself,
so please forgive mistakes.’
“It was a pincushion, Boy of the North, and I have it in my room now. You
may have noticed it.”
Boy of the North wagged his tail.
“Well, I was pleased and I wrote Helen a note thanking her, but really,
Boy of the North, I mean this quite truly, I don’t care about getting
presents. I like to feel I’m one person who gives gifts but who doesn’t
receive gifts, for I have all my thanks in the smiles of children.”
DECEMBER 16: The Gray Rabbit
A little girl was looking in a shop window.
“Mother,” she said, “what I want is that adorable gray felt rabbit with
the big ears, and the blue ribbon around his neck. Oh, I could love him
and love him for—for always!” And her mother wrote a note to Santa and
told him this and Santa said to himself, “She shall have the little gray
felt rabbit to love.”
DECEMBER 17: Santa Claus and Teddy
“One year Santa was very, very busy, and so he sent a note to the mothers
and fathers in a certain town telling them that he was so rushed he
would have to leave his presents some time before Christmas, and that he
would, of course, stop off a little while Christmas Eve to fill all the
stockings and trim the trees.
“In one house lived a little boy named Teddy. His daddy told him that
Santa had left some of his presents ahead of time, but that he had
especially said that he did not wish the little boy to look in any of the
closets and put him on his honor not to, for if he should look Santa had
said he would take away the presents.
“The little boy had asked Santa Claus for a horse and cart, which he
wanted more than anything in the world.
“Several days went by, and the little boy resisted the temptation of
looking to see if the horse and cart had come. But one day he could stand
it no longer, so when every one was out he looked into all the closets,
and in the last one he saw the long wished for horse and cart. Such a
beauty as it was too! The horse had a mane and a tail of real hair, and
the cart was painted a bright red. Oh, how delighted the little boy was,
and he closed the closet door and went back to his play-room very happy.
“As no one had seen him look into the closet, the next day he thought
he would take another look. What was his horror to find that the horse
and cart had disappeared, and no sign of it was anywhere to be found. He
cried himself to sleep, so ashamed did he feel.
“The next morning he decided to write to Santa Claus. So he said,
“‘Dear Santa Claus—I know I was a naughty boy and looked when I was told
not to. Please forgive me and give me back the horse and cart and I will
never be a bad boy again.’
“He put this note up the chimney, and the very next morning he found this
lovely answer:
“‘Dear Teddy—I am sure you are sorry, and am certain you will never do
such a thing again. So on Christmas morning when you get up you will find
the horse and cart awaiting you. Your old friend, Santa Claus.’”
DECEMBER 18: Blue Sky and Sun
“Where are you going—all dressed up?” asked the Blue Sky of Mr. Sun.
“I am going to a coasting party,” he said.
“And pray tell me, how can you go to a coasting party?” asked the Blue
Sky as a smile in the shape of a little silver cloud came over it.
“And why not?” asked Mr. Sun.
“I’d hardly say,” continued the Blue Sky, “that coasting was exactly one
of your talents. No, not exactly. Now confess! You can’t coast. So why do
you go to a coasting party? It would be as funny as if the Blue Sky went
a-skating.”
“Ah, but don’t you see?” said Mr. Sun.
“Just because you’re so extremely bright there is no reason why you need
think you’re the only one who sees. I can see perfectly, thank you, and
on a clear day like this I’m at my best.”
“But you don’t see—truly—” persisted Mr. Sun.
“Then explain to me how you can go to a coasting party,” said the Blue
Sky.
“There! That’s something like! Now that you’ve asked me the necessary
question I can tell you my story.”
“Must you always have the necessary question, Mr. Sun?”
“Always,” replied Mr. Sun.
“Well continue,” said the Blue Sky.
“It’s this way,” said Mr. Sun. “You see there are many children in the
world.”
“That isn’t news to me, Mr. Sun.”
“I’m only telling it to you to begin with.”
“Begin with something I don’t know,” said the Blue Sky.
“How do you suppose I can tell just what you know and what you don’t? I
never went to your school.”
“Oh well,” said the Blue Sky frowning a little, while three small clouds
came over it, “go on with your story any way you please.”
“Thank you,” said Mr. Sun. “Some of these children are giving a coasting
party this afternoon, and what do you suppose they said?”
“I’ve no idea,” said the Blue Sky. “I don’t see how any one could guess.
Children are apt to say so many different things. They seem to know so
many words and games and stories and all sorts of things.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Sun, “they’re bright little things, that’s true.”
“You talk about them, Mr. Sun, as if they were Stars. Bright little
things indeed! How funny you are!”
“Well they are little and they are bright, aren’t they?”
“Very well,” said the Blue Sky. “Do go on with your story.”
“I don’t get half a chance,” said Mr. Sun looking a little dull for a
moment.
“I won’t say another word,” said the Blue Sky.
“And these children said, ‘We do hope Mr. Sun will come to our coasting
party.’ Now then! I was asked to come by the children. A great honor—and
I’m going. Yes, I’m going to shine with might and main over that party.
They’ll keep so warm! They’ll have such a good time, and they’ll be so
glad that they asked me!”
“I don’t think it’s such an honor,” said the Blue Sky, “for they’re just
making use of you.”
“I like to be useful,” said Mr. Sun.
Now just at that moment the children appeared for their coasting party.
“Oh see the bright Sun,” they exclaimed. “We wished for the Sun and here
he is. Such fun as we’ll have now.”
And then one of them added, “And the Sky is all blue—it’s a wonderful
day!”
“Run away, Clouds,” said the Blue Sky. “These children like me too.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Mr. Sun. “So you will do as the children ask, eh?”
And the whole big face of the Blue Sky was without a cloud or a frown!
And the children had a Blue Sky and the Sun for their party.
DECEMBER 19: Christmas Time Joy
“Ba-a-a, Ba-a-a, Ba-a-a,” said the lamb Santa had just finished making,
as he gave it a little squeeze.
“Fine!” exclaimed Santa Claus. “That’s right.”
“Suppose,” whispered the lamb, “the child who gets me wouldn’t know where
to look, or where to press, what then? She’d never know I could make
those sounds.”
“She’ll find out, never fear,” said Santa Claus.
And the lamb smiled its little toy smile for it knew Santa Claus always
spoke the truth. And that night the stars all over the world seemed
brighter as they looked down upon the Earth for they knew of the joy so
soon to come in so many thousands and thousands of homes.
DECEMBER 20: Santa in Eskimo Land
“It was a Christmas morning, and Santa hadn’t come,” said daddy. “The
little Eskimaux who live so far up north had been too excited to sleep.
“Finally one of the daddy Eskimaux said: ‘I’m afraid something must have
happened to Santa Claus. The storm last night was so wild. Let’s get
some of the dogs and sleds.’ So a number of the bigger boys and some of
the men began to get ready. They bundled up so much that all you could
see was their eyes. The storm had let up, but the snowdrifts were like
mountains. They had just started when a tinkling of bells was heard, and
what should they see but eight beautiful reindeer and old Santa Claus
dressed in a red suit with great big furs. On his back was a huge bag
which was almost overflowing, so full was it.
“‘Merry Christmas, Santa Claus!’ shrieked all the little Eskimaux.
“‘Merry Christmas to you all!’ said Santa, and the reindeer shook their
heads and tinkled their bells, which was their way of saying ‘Merry
Christmas.’
“Poor Santa’s mustache and eyebrows were frozen, and his face was very,
very red from the cold. But, oh, it was so jolly for them actually to
have Santa with them! They had never before been awake when he had come
even though his visit to them was always his last.
“As soon as he had warmed his hands and had seen to the feeding of his
reindeer and patted them for their bravery he undid his pack. And such a
Christmas as they all did have!
“‘You know,’ said Santa, ‘I’m glad there was such a storm, for this is my
very first Christmas party!’”
DECEMBER 21: Santa’s Toy-Shop
“I think the children will have a pretty good Christmas this year,”
chuckled Santa Claus to himself, as he looked over his toy-shop, and the
reindeer knew from Santa’s chuckles that soon they would be starting off.
DECEMBER 22: A White Christmas
The snowflakes saw Santa as he was making ready for his journey and some
of them danced on his great red coat and sat for a few minutes on his
white beard and his white eyebrows.
“Hello, snowflakes, glad to see you,” said Santa Claus. “So King Snow has
allowed you to be the honored ones to give us a white Christmas?”
The snowflakes danced about and some of them peeped in windows and saw
great, tall trees ready to be trimmed. And they saw sleeping children.
When the next morning came all the children shouted, “Oh, it snowed
during the night! And we will have a white Christmas.” Then how happy the
snowflakes were.
DECEMBER 23: The Tree and the Stockings
“I am getting so excited I can hardly wait,” said the Christmas tree.
“The daddy of the children brought me to the house because he said it
would be a great help to Santa Claus to have me all ready.
“I know Santa Claus will give me the most beautiful of decorations, for
I’ve often heard my family talk of the wonderful Christmas trees there
have been. Ah, how handsome many of my relations have looked, and I can
hardly wait until Santa Claus comes to see me.”
“You’re not any more excited than we are,” said three stockings which
hung up by the side of the mantel-piece.
“I belong to Dot, age four,” said the white stocking.
“I am hanging up for Jimmie, age eight,” said the tan stocking.
“And I am for Betty, age six,” said the black stocking.
“I’m for all of them,” said the Christmas tree.
“That’s so,” agreed the stockings. “But even if we’re not for all of
them, but each stocking for one child, we’re just as excited as we can
be.”
“Have you ever been here before?” asked the tree.
“Yes, we’re used every Christmas. We’re kept just for Christmas. That’s
all we do all the year. We’re put up the night before, on Christmas Eve,
and down we come on Christmas morning, but between then and Christmas
morning the most wonderful things happen! Ah!” and the stockings waved a
little as they talked of their evening and morning of pleasure.
“It’s far better than being around all the time and getting worn out.
We’re very fortunate stockings!”
“You are indeed,” said the Christmas tree. “But for my part I am willing
to be around for one season of the year and to have a glorious time then.
Oh dear, I am so excited! I can hardly wait!”
“Patience, dear tree,” said the stockings. “Santa Claus will soon be
here.”
“You don’t think he will lose his way,” said the tree. “I never heard of
his losing his way from any of my relations. But perhaps he might forget
about this house.”
“Santa Claus forget a house where there are children! Dear me, tree, but
you don’t know Santa Claus. He never, never forgets! He’s Santa Claus—and
that’s reason enough why we won’t be forgotten.”
DECEMBER 24: The Two Little Mice’s Christmas Eve Party
“A little mouse had heard when he was hiding in holes in the corners of
the rooms that all the little boys and girls in the world once a year had
a Christmas tree full of goodies,” said daddy. “A dear old person named
Santa Claus trimmed the tree for them and filled the stockings which they
hung up by the fireplaces.
“The little mouse didn’t see why he shouldn’t have a Christmas, too, so
he told another little mouse what he had heard. Together they planned
what they would do. They would bore two little holes into the parlor
where they had heard the tree was to be. There they stayed every night,
keeping very quiet. They heard the children talk about what they hoped
Santa Claus would bring them and saw them constantly send notes up the
chimney to him.
[Illustration: “THEY ATE UNTIL THEY COULD EAT NO MORE”—_Page 297_]
“Of course the mice had to keep very quiet, as they didn’t want to let
the children know they were there, and with a great deal of self denial
they stayed out of the pantry, living for their very own Christmas party.
“At last Christmas Eve came. They saw the children in their little
nighties hang up their stockings by the fireplace and then trot off to
bed.
“Before long the mice heard strange noises on the roof, and then a little
soot began to fall down the chimney. Soon they saw a jolly old man
appear, with white hair and a white beard, from the chimney, and they
nudged each other, whispering, ‘That must be Santa Claus.’
“Sure enough, it was Santa Claus, for he had a big bag of presents with
him, and at once he set to work. At first he trimmed the tree. He had
plenty of silver trimming and candles; but, best of all (thought the
mice), he strung popcorn over the tree and made it look as if the snow
had fallen over it. Then he tied candy canes and candy animals of all
sorts on the branches. Next he filled the stockings, and how the mouths
of the two little mice did water as they saw all sorts of nuts, raisins
and big rosy-cheeked apples going in! The toys didn’t interest the mice,
as they were longing to get at the things to eat.
“Before long Santa was through and quickly disappeared up the chimney.
And then—the mice began their feast. And, oh, what a time they did have!
They ate until they could eat no more, and they thought Christmas the
finest time of the year, for never before had they seen food still before
them which they weren’t hungry for!
“The next morning when the children saw so many nutshells and bits of
popcorn lying around they knew that some little mice must have had a
party, but they didn’t set a trap, as they thought it was fine that the
mice had had a Christmas party too.”
DECEMBER 25: Christmas Morning
“Christmas comes but once a year! Christmas comes but once a year!”
shouted the children as they hurried down stairs on Christmas morning.
They sat down on the floor as soon as they reached the library. And each
one took a stocking which had been hanging in front of the mantelpiece.
Every stocking was well filled. And each stocking stuck out queerly so
that no one could guess what was in it. After the stockings had been
looked at and the oranges and apples had rolled out of the toes, the
presents were taken from the tree. Before long they began to feel
hungry, for they hadn’t waited to have breakfast first. They ate Santa’s
wonderful oranges, and the children’s mother said to their daddy:
“Dear me, I wish I could find such big juicy oranges as Santa Claus does.
He’s a better shopper than I am!”
“He’s a wonder,” said Dot and Jimmie and Betty together, and then every
one took his or her orange and paraded into the dining-room, singing once
more,
“Christmas comes but once a year!”
DECEMBER 26: Santa’s Telescope
“Did you ever hear of Santa Claus’ telescope?” asked daddy. The children
shook their heads.
“He has the most wonderful telescope—more wonderful than any other, and
he can see through it miles and miles and miles.
“Every Christmas morning he sits at the window at the extreme end of his
toy-shop and looks through the telescope. He sees into the different
homes and he watches the children as they take their presents and open
them, and empty their stockings.
“‘There,’ he said to himself last Christmas, ‘it is just as I thought;
little girls will never grow tired of dolls and boys will always like
trains.
“‘And they enjoy a good game, too, for the winter evenings. And, ah, I
see that boy at his skates! He asked for a pair in his letter to me—that
is, he asked for them in six different letters he wrote me. He really can
hardly wait to start using them. I do believe he would like it if the
floor were suddenly covered with ice!
“‘And how that little girl is hugging her doll! I thought the one I made
with the golden curls and the eyes that opened and shut would just about
suit her. She told me the kind she wanted in her letter. What a help
those letters are! They tell me what they want, and they tell me so many
more nice things, too. They tell me how much they are looking forward to
my visit, and that they hope I’ll have a Merry Christmas, too. The dear
little people! As if I could help but have a Merry Christmas when I look
through this telescope and see their smiles! How happy they do look! How
their eyes sparkle.
“‘And if ever I see a child scowl or look cross—oh, dear—how sad it does
make me! There! I just saw a little girl look very cross because she
thinks her brother’s set of soldiers are better than her paper dolls. Oh,
that makes me very unhappy!’
“But Santa’s faithful dog, Boy of the North, put his head in Santa’s lap
and licked his hands.
“‘Oh, Boy of the North, you will not see me unhappy! I feel happy again.
The little girl is not scowling now. Something or some one must have
whispered in her ear that it was making me sad!
“‘Now I see a little girl who has been so sick this fall. She has that
nice white lamb with the blue ribbon around its neck that I gave her. And
how she does love him. What joy it is to have this telescope!’ And again
this year Santa will look through his telescope!”
DECEMBER 27: Christmas Letters
Santa Claus was talking to his dog, Boy of the North.
“You see I get so many letters—hundreds and hundreds of letters. I love
them so much and I read them many times. But if I kept them I would have
to build houses and houses to hold them all. So I have a yearly bonfire,
as you know, Boy of the North.
“The ashes from the letters of the children keep me warm all through the
long winter months. And in the summer I have to have a fire to help make
the toys and to keep us warm. For it’s cold here in the summer too.
“Yes, these ashes are used for the bottom of my fire in my big stove
in the toy-shop and in my little house alongside. And I never have any
trouble with my fire because it is started with these wonderful letters
which keep going until next year. When we put fresh wood on the fire it
starts up anew, because at the bottom are these ashes. Only I can have
such a fire, so you see what a lucky old chap I am.”