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