go down! Then Peter tried, but he stuck fast too, and so did Chinky. Santa Claus laughed softly.
“Ah! You don't know my trick! I could never get down some of these narrow chimneys if I didn't use some magic oil to make the chimney slippery! In the old days chimneys were very wide and there was no difficulty, but nowadays the chimneys are narrow and small. Stand back, Chinky, and I'll pour a little of my oil down.”
Santa Claus tipped a small bottle up, and a few drops fell down the chimney. “Now try, Mollie,” said Santa.
Santa nodded, so Mollie tried to get into the chimney.
So Mollie tried again, and this time she slid down the chimney quite easily, and crept out of the bottom into George's bedroom! It did seem queer! There was George in bed, and he was snoring very gently, so Mollie knew he must be asleep.
Then Peter slid down, then Chinky, and last of all Santa Claus. “You can fill George's stocking if you like,” he whispered to Peter. “You're a friend of George's, aren't you? I know you like him very much.”
“Yes, he's a fine boy,” said Peter, and he took the books, the fruit, and the box of small motor-cars that Santa gave him. Soon George's stocking was full to the top!
“It's fun playing at being Santa Claus!” said Peter. Then they all crept up the chimney again, but Chinky had a dreadful time trying not to sneeze, because the soot got up his nose and tickled it.
“A-tishoo!” he said, when he stood on the roof again, holding firmly to a chimney. “A-tishoo!”
“Sh!” said Santa in alarm. “Don't do that!”
“A-tishoo!” said poor Chinky. “I can't help it. A-tishoo!”
Santa Claus bundled him into the chair and they all flew off to another house. “Now this must be the last house you visit with me,” said Santa Claus, seeing Mollie yawning and rubbing her eyes. “You must be fresh and lively on Christmas Day, or people will wonder what is the matter with you. You may come down the chimney here, and then I shall fly back to your own house with you, and go on my journey by myself!”
The children and Chinky were disappointed, but they knew Santa was right. They really were beginning to feel very sleepy. They slipped down that chimney with Santa, and Mollie filled Angela's stocking herself with all kinds of exciting things. Mollie wondered what Angela would say if she knew that she, Mollie, had filled her stocking and not Santa Claus. It wouldn't be any use telling her, for she wouldn't believe it!
Then Santa Claus told the wishing-chair to fly back to the playroom, and very soon it was there, standing on the floor.
“Goodbye, dear old Santa!” said Mollie, and she gave the jolly old man a hug. So did Peter. Chinky shook hands with him very solemnly. Then they watched him fly off in their chair to fill hundreds more stockings. He waved to them as he went out of sight.
“Oh, I'm so sleepy!” said Mollie. “Good-night, Chinky dear—see you tomorrow!”
They ran up the garden, crept into the house, and were soon fast asleep. And in the morning, what a wonderful surprise!
Santa Claus had come back at the end of his journey, and his last visit had been to Mollie and Peter. He must have climbed down their chimney whilst they slept, and he had filled their stockings from top to toe! They were almost bursting with good things! The presents had even overflowed on to the floor!
“Oh, here's just what I wanted!” cried Mollie, picking up a book. “Mr. Galliano's Circus! And here's a doll that opens and shuts its eyes—and a toy typewriter—and a doll's bathroom—and, oh look, Peter, you've got six different kinds of aeroplanes!”
Peter had plenty of other things beside those. The two children were very happy indeed. Mother was most astonished when she saw all their toys.
“Why, anyone would think you were great friends of Santa Claus, by the way he has spoilt you with so many presents!” she said.
“We are friends of his!” said Mollie happily.
After
“Ah! You don't know my trick! I could never get down some of these narrow chimneys if I didn't use some magic oil to make the chimney slippery! In the old days chimneys were very wide and there was no difficulty, but nowadays the chimneys are narrow and small. Stand back, Chinky, and I'll pour a little of my oil down.”
Santa Claus tipped a small bottle up, and a few drops fell down the chimney. “Now try, Mollie,” said Santa.
Santa nodded, so Mollie tried to get into the chimney.
So Mollie tried again, and this time she slid down the chimney quite easily, and crept out of the bottom into George's bedroom! It did seem queer! There was George in bed, and he was snoring very gently, so Mollie knew he must be asleep.
Then Peter slid down, then Chinky, and last of all Santa Claus. “You can fill George's stocking if you like,” he whispered to Peter. “You're a friend of George's, aren't you? I know you like him very much.”
“Yes, he's a fine boy,” said Peter, and he took the books, the fruit, and the box of small motor-cars that Santa gave him. Soon George's stocking was full to the top!
“It's fun playing at being Santa Claus!” said Peter. Then they all crept up the chimney again, but Chinky had a dreadful time trying not to sneeze, because the soot got up his nose and tickled it.
“A-tishoo!” he said, when he stood on the roof again, holding firmly to a chimney. “A-tishoo!”
“Sh!” said Santa in alarm. “Don't do that!”
“A-tishoo!” said poor Chinky. “I can't help it. A-tishoo!”
Santa Claus bundled him into the chair and they all flew off to another house. “Now this must be the last house you visit with me,” said Santa Claus, seeing Mollie yawning and rubbing her eyes. “You must be fresh and lively on Christmas Day, or people will wonder what is the matter with you. You may come down the chimney here, and then I shall fly back to your own house with you, and go on my journey by myself!”
The children and Chinky were disappointed, but they knew Santa was right. They really were beginning to feel very sleepy. They slipped down that chimney with Santa, and Mollie filled Angela's stocking herself with all kinds of exciting things. Mollie wondered what Angela would say if she knew that she, Mollie, had filled her stocking and not Santa Claus. It wouldn't be any use telling her, for she wouldn't believe it!
Then Santa Claus told the wishing-chair to fly back to the playroom, and very soon it was there, standing on the floor.
“Goodbye, dear old Santa!” said Mollie, and she gave the jolly old man a hug. So did Peter. Chinky shook hands with him very solemnly. Then they watched him fly off in their chair to fill hundreds more stockings. He waved to them as he went out of sight.
“Oh, I'm so sleepy!” said Mollie. “Good-night, Chinky dear—see you tomorrow!”
They ran up the garden, crept into the house, and were soon fast asleep. And in the morning, what a wonderful surprise!
Santa Claus had come back at the end of his journey, and his last visit had been to Mollie and Peter. He must have climbed down their chimney whilst they slept, and he had filled their stockings from top to toe! They were almost bursting with good things! The presents had even overflowed on to the floor!
“Oh, here's just what I wanted!” cried Mollie, picking up a book. “Mr. Galliano's Circus! And here's a doll that opens and shuts its eyes—and a toy typewriter—and a doll's bathroom—and, oh look, Peter, you've got six different kinds of aeroplanes!”
Peter had plenty of other things beside those. The two children were very happy indeed. Mother was most astonished when she saw all their toys.
“Why, anyone would think you were great friends of Santa Claus, by the way he has spoilt you with so many presents!” she said.
“We are friends of his!” said Mollie happily.
After