Fanny's bed. There was a stocking hanging at the end. Santa put the oranges, apples, and nuts at the bottom, and then stuffed in the puzzle and the twin dolls.
Fanny didn't stir! She was quite sound asleep. Santa Claus went to Tommy next and filled his stocking too. Then he tiptoed back to the chimney, put his head up, and was soon lost to sight. The wishing-chair flew back to the roof and waited there for Santa. Up he came, puffing and blowing.
“ I saw you peeping in at the window!” he said. “You gave me quite a fright at first. Come along now—to the next house where there are children!”
It was not far off, for Harry and Ronald, two big boys, lived next door! Santa looked them up in his notebook and found that they were good, clever boys. Neither of them had asked for anything in their stockings. They had just left it to Santa Claus to choose for them.
“Now, let me see,” said Santa. “Clever boys, my notebook says. What about a book on aeroplanes for Harry, and a big Meccano set—and a book on ships for Ronald, and a really difficult puzzle? Put your hand in the sack, Peter, and see what you can find.”
Peter slipped in his hand—and, of course, he found the books, the Meccano , and the puzzle at once! It almost seemed as if the toys arranged themselves just right for Santa Claus! It was part of his magic, Peter supposed.
He handed the things out to Santa Claus, and then took apples, nuts, oranges, and a few crackers from the sack too. Santa Claus got off the chair and went down the chimney again.
“Come on, chair,” said Mollie. “Let's go and peep in at the window again!”
So the chair flew down to the window-sill and tried to balance itself. Harry and Ronald had no night-light, but the moon shone well in at their window, and the children and Chinky could easily see what was happening inside.
They saw Santa creep out of the chimney, and go to Harry's stocking—and then, just as Santa was turning to go to Ronald's bed, the wishing-chair fell off the window-sill! The sill was very narrow indeed, and the chair simply couldn't stay there!
The children gave a small squeal, for they were frightened when the chair fell. Of course, it at once rose up again to the roof, flapping its strong wings. But the noise had awakened Ronald, and he sat up!
The children didn't see what happened, but Santa Claus told them when he at last came up the chimney once more.
“You shouldn't have made such a noise,” he said. “You woke Ronald, and I had to hide behind a chair till he lay-down and went to sleep again! I might have had to wait for an hour!”
“We're very sorry,” said Chinky. “The chair slipped and we thought we were falling! Perhaps we'd better not peep in at the windows anymore.”
“I suppose we couldn't come down a chimney with you, could we?” asked Mollie longingly. “I've always wanted to do that.”
“Yes, you can if you like,” said Santa; “but you mustn't make any noise. Now who's next on the list.'' Oh, Joy Brown, seven years old.”
Nobody said anything, but Mollie and Peter thought a lot. Joy was not a bit like her name—she was a spiteful, unkind child, who didn't bring joy to anyone. Mollie was surprised that Santa Claus should take presents to Joy.
But he wasn't going to! He read a few lines out loud and then pursed up his mouth. “Dear, dear! Joy seems to be a bad girl. Listen to this! ‘Joy Brown—unkind, selfish, and never gives any happiness to anyone. Does not deserve any toys this Christmas.’ Well, well, well—we must miss her out, I'm afraid.”
So the wishing-chair flew past Joy's house. There was nothing in that naughty little girl's stocking the next morning!
“This is George's house,” said Peter eagerly, as the chair flew down on to a sloping roof. It was so sloping that they all had to hold on to the nearest chimney. “Can't we go down with you, Santa?”
Santa nodded, so Mollie tried to get into the chimney. But she stuck fast and couldn't
Fanny didn't stir! She was quite sound asleep. Santa Claus went to Tommy next and filled his stocking too. Then he tiptoed back to the chimney, put his head up, and was soon lost to sight. The wishing-chair flew back to the roof and waited there for Santa. Up he came, puffing and blowing.
“ I saw you peeping in at the window!” he said. “You gave me quite a fright at first. Come along now—to the next house where there are children!”
It was not far off, for Harry and Ronald, two big boys, lived next door! Santa looked them up in his notebook and found that they were good, clever boys. Neither of them had asked for anything in their stockings. They had just left it to Santa Claus to choose for them.
“Now, let me see,” said Santa. “Clever boys, my notebook says. What about a book on aeroplanes for Harry, and a big Meccano set—and a book on ships for Ronald, and a really difficult puzzle? Put your hand in the sack, Peter, and see what you can find.”
Peter slipped in his hand—and, of course, he found the books, the Meccano , and the puzzle at once! It almost seemed as if the toys arranged themselves just right for Santa Claus! It was part of his magic, Peter supposed.
He handed the things out to Santa Claus, and then took apples, nuts, oranges, and a few crackers from the sack too. Santa Claus got off the chair and went down the chimney again.
“Come on, chair,” said Mollie. “Let's go and peep in at the window again!”
So the chair flew down to the window-sill and tried to balance itself. Harry and Ronald had no night-light, but the moon shone well in at their window, and the children and Chinky could easily see what was happening inside.
They saw Santa creep out of the chimney, and go to Harry's stocking—and then, just as Santa was turning to go to Ronald's bed, the wishing-chair fell off the window-sill! The sill was very narrow indeed, and the chair simply couldn't stay there!
The children gave a small squeal, for they were frightened when the chair fell. Of course, it at once rose up again to the roof, flapping its strong wings. But the noise had awakened Ronald, and he sat up!
The children didn't see what happened, but Santa Claus told them when he at last came up the chimney once more.
“You shouldn't have made such a noise,” he said. “You woke Ronald, and I had to hide behind a chair till he lay-down and went to sleep again! I might have had to wait for an hour!”
“We're very sorry,” said Chinky. “The chair slipped and we thought we were falling! Perhaps we'd better not peep in at the windows anymore.”
“I suppose we couldn't come down a chimney with you, could we?” asked Mollie longingly. “I've always wanted to do that.”
“Yes, you can if you like,” said Santa; “but you mustn't make any noise. Now who's next on the list.'' Oh, Joy Brown, seven years old.”
Nobody said anything, but Mollie and Peter thought a lot. Joy was not a bit like her name—she was a spiteful, unkind child, who didn't bring joy to anyone. Mollie was surprised that Santa Claus should take presents to Joy.
But he wasn't going to! He read a few lines out loud and then pursed up his mouth. “Dear, dear! Joy seems to be a bad girl. Listen to this! ‘Joy Brown—unkind, selfish, and never gives any happiness to anyone. Does not deserve any toys this Christmas.’ Well, well, well—we must miss her out, I'm afraid.”
So the wishing-chair flew past Joy's house. There was nothing in that naughty little girl's stocking the next morning!
“This is George's house,” said Peter eagerly, as the chair flew down on to a sloping roof. It was so sloping that they all had to hold on to the nearest chimney. “Can't we go down with you, Santa?”
Santa nodded, so Mollie tried to get into the chimney. But she stuck fast and couldn't
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