“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.”
“Quick, quick, Nurse,” said Betty. “Please dress me as quickly as you
can. I must run down with the Christmas boxes.”
[Illustration: PLEASE DRESS ME AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.]
So Nurse hurried, and Betty hurried, and in a little while she was
ready, with a sprig of holly in her dress, and a bit of mistletoe in
her hair.
Percy was ready, too, and they ran down the long staircase into the
wide hall.
The Yule log was still burning,—it had burned all night. The door was
opened, and the little singers came in to warm themselves by the fire.
Betty and Percy gave each of them a “Christmas box.” It wasn’t a box,
it was a gift; but a Christmas gift was called a Christmas box in those
days.
After the singers had looked at their gifts and had eaten a slice of
plum cake, they went home.
I cannot tell you everything that Betty and Percy did that day, but you
may be sure they had a good time.
I must tell you about the Christmas dinner. It was served in the hall,
on the big oak table that stood before the fire.
When dinner was ready they did not ring a bell, but the cook knocked
three times with his rolling-pin on the door.
Two men stood in the hall, and when they heard the three knocks they
sounded their trumpets, the doors were opened, and all the family
marched in to dinner.
I do not know just what they had to eat, but I know they had roast
goose, and a plum pudding just as you do at Christmas time.
After dinner the children played games. And what do you think they
played? First they played “Puss-puss-in-the-corner,” and then
“Blind-man’s-buff.”
Isn’t it strange that Great-Great-Grandma should have played the very
games you play, on that Christmas night more than two hundred years
ago?