And the fairy spectacles, says JACK.
And we've brought you some of father's medicine, _continues_ POLLY,
because it made Nurse Mary quite well--her back, you know.
And her joints, _adds_ JACK.
And you have to take it from children, POLLY _goes on._ One of them
holds the spoon--_Here_ POLLY _holds out the spoon._
And the other pours out the medicine, _says_ JACK, _and with that
he pours it out._ It's very bitter, _he adds, as Polly holds it out
for Santa Claus to take._
_Then Santa Claus opens his mouth, and swallows the dose, with a wry
face and a shudder._
Is it horrid? _asks_ POLLY.
Horrid! _says_ SANTA CLAUS.
But it will make you well, you know, _says_ POLLY _encouragingly._
Only you have to wait a little for the medicine to work.
And you came all the way to the North Pole, to bring me this medicine?
_says_ SANTA CLAUS, _looking from Polly to Jack and back to Polly
again_. How did you get here?
First, we went up the chimney, _says_ JACK, I saw the steps with
the fairy spectacles, you know.
And then, _says_ POLLY, I held fast hold of his hand, and wished.
I had the wishing-cap, you see.
But weren't you afraid? _asks_ SANTA CLAUS. When you climbed up the
black chimney, and when you stood on the top, in the black night under
the stars, and when you came flying through the air, weren't you
frightened?
Well, it wasn't much fun, _says_ POLLY, but we didn't know how else
to get here.
And we knew you were sick, _says_ JACK.
But, _asks_ SANTA CLAUS, what difference did it make to you
children whether an old man like me was sick or not?
Why, Santa Claus, _answers_ POLLY, we all just love you, you know.
Well, well, _says_ SANTA CLAUS. _Then he lays down his cane on
the floor, and stretches himself, and stands up, and walks across the
room without hobbling at all._
How do you feel now? _asks_ JACK.
Feel? _answers_ SANTA CLAUS, _moving more and more briskly_. I
feel as young as a snow flake; I feel as strong as a northeast blizzard.
Quick, Mrs. Santa Claus, bring me my fur cap and gloves. There's time
yet to fill the children's stockings.
_While Mrs. Santa Claus is out of the room_, JACK _says_:
Santa, I didn't even know there was a Mrs. Santa Claus.
Have you ever been very sick? _asks_ SANTA CLAUS.
We've had chicken pox, _answers_ JACK.
Oh, that doesn't count, _says_ SANTA CLAUS, but some times, when
children are very sick indeed--or, for days and days--and when they are
very good and patient, and take their medicine, and never kick the bed
clothes off, then Mrs. Santa Claus comes in the night, and brings them
a present, and when they wake up, they find it beside the bed.
Oh, _says_ POLLY, I think she must be almost as good as you, Santa
Claus.
And besides that, _says_ SANTA CLAUS, who do you suppose dresses
all the dolls that I put into the stockings? She does, of course. Look
here at this fine one that she has just finished. To be sure, I make the
doll part myself, and this one here is a very fine one, if I do say it:
it can talk. Would you like to hear it, Polly? Just pull that string
there.
_Polly pulls the string and the_ DOLL, _in a very squeaky voice,
says_, Ma-ma.
And, by the way, SANTA CLAUS _goes on_, I must put this doll and
that soldier into the shrinking-machine.
Why, what is that, Santa Claus? _asks_ JACK.
The shrinking-machine? _says_ SANTA CLAUS. That is it, over there.
_He points to the tall cupboardy thing at the back. Then he goes
on_. You see it's easier to make toys big, but I couldn't carry them
that way, for the sleigh wouldn't hold them, and besides they wouldn't
go into the stockings. So after they are made, I put them into the
machine, and shrink them. Open the doors, Polly, and we will shrink
these two.
_So Polly opens the doors, and at a signal from Santa Claus the doll
and the soldier walk in; but they move in a funny stiff way, because
they haven't any joints at their knees or elbows._
_Then_ SANTA CLAUS _shuts the doors_. Jack, _say he,_ you
may turn the crank, if you want. _So Jack turns the crank._
_After a little_ SANTA CLAUS _says_: Stop! _Then he opens
the door and out walk, in the same funny stiff way, the doll and the
soldier, only now they are about half as big as they were before. They
walk down to the front._ SANTA CLAUS _looks at them, shakes his
head, and says,_ No, you must be much smaller than that. Go back into
the machine.
_So back the doll and soldier go; and Jack again turns the crank and
this time, when_ SANTA CLAUS _cries,_ Stop, _and the doors are
opened, the toys have grown very small indeed, as you can see, when
Santa Claus holds them up. He puts the soldier into a box, and then puts
the box and the doll into his bag._
_And now Mrs. Santa Claus comes in with the cap and gloves; and Santa
Claus puts them on. At the same time sleighbells are heard outside, and
a stamping of hoofs._
We're off! _cries_ SANTA CLAUS, _taking up his pack._ Come,
Polly! Come, Jack! I'll stow you away as warm as toast down under the
buffalo robe.