3. The Deputies of Santa Claus
However, there was one evil following in the path of civilization thatcaused Santa Claus a vast amount of trouble before he discovered a wayto overcome it. But, fortunately, it was the last trial he was forcedto undergo.
One Christmas Eve, when his reindeer had leaped to the top of a newbuilding, Santa Claus was surprised to find that the chimney had beenbuilt much smaller than usual. But he had no time to think about itjust then, so he drew in his breath and made himself as small aspossible and slid down the chimney.
"I ought to be at the bottom by this time," he thought, as he continuedto slip downward; but no fireplace of any sort met his view, and by andby he reached the very end of the chimney, which was in the cellar.
"This is odd!" he reflected, much puzzled by this experience. "Ifthere is no fireplace, what on earth is the chimney good for?"
Then he began to climb out again, and found it hard work--the spacebeing so small. And on his way up he noticed a thin, round pipesticking through the side of the chimney, but could not guess what itwas for.
Finally he reached the roof and said to the reindeer:
"There was no need of my going down that chimney, for I could find nofireplace through which to enter the house. I fear the children wholive there must go without playthings this Christmas."
Then he drove on, but soon came to another new house with a smallchimney. This caused Santa Claus to shake his head doubtfully, but hetried the chimney, nevertheless, and found it exactly like the other.Moreover, he nearly stuck fast in the narrow flue and tore his jackettrying to get out again; so, although he came to several such chimneysthat night, he did not venture to descend any more of them.
"What in the world are people thinking of, to build such uselesschimneys?" he exclaimed. "In all the years I have traveled with myreindeer I have never seen the like before."
True enough; but Santa Claus had not then discovered that stoves hadbeen invented and were fast coming into use. When he did find it outhe wondered how the builders of those houses could have so littleconsideration for him, when they knew very well it was his custom toclimb down chimneys and enter houses by way of the fireplaces. Perhapsthe men who built those houses had outgrown their own love for toys,and were indifferent whether Santa Claus called on their children ornot. Whatever the explanation might be, the poor children were forcedto bear the burden of grief and disappointment.
The following year Santa Claus found more and more of the new-fashionedchimneys that had no fireplaces, and the next year still more. Thethird year, so numerous had the narrow chimneys become, he even had afew toys left in his sledge that he was unable to give away, because hecould not get to the children.
The matter had now become so serious that it worried the good mangreatly, and he decided to talk it over with Kilter and Peter and Nuterand Wisk.
Kilter already knew something about it, for it had been his duty to runaround to all the houses, just before Christmas, and gather up thenotes and letters to Santa Claus that the children had written, tellingwhat they wished put in their stockings or hung on their Christmastrees. But Kilter was a silent fellow, and seldom spoke of what he sawin the cities and villages. The others were very indignant.
"Those people act as if they do not wish their children to be madehappy!" said sensible Peter, in a vexed tone. "The idea of shuttingout such a generous friend to their little ones!"
"But it is my intention to make children happy whether their parentswish it or not," returned Santa Claus. "Years ago, when I first beganmaking toys, children were even more neglected by their parents thanthey are now; so I have learned to pay no attention to thoughtless orselfish parents, but to consider only the longings of childhood."
"You are right, my master," said Nuter, the Ryl; "many children wouldlack a friend if you did not consider them, and try to make them happy."
"Then," declared the laughing Wisk, "we must abandon any thought ofusing these new-fashioned chimneys, but become burglars, and break intothe houses some other way."
"What way?" asked Santa Claus.
"Why, walls of brick and wood and plaster are nothing to Fairies. Ican easily pass through them whenever I wish, and so can Peter andNuter and Kilter. Is it not so, comrades?"
"I often pass through the walls when I gather up the letters," saidKilter, and that was a long speech for him, and so surprised Peter andNuter that their big round eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"Therefore," continued the Fairy, "you may as well take us with you onyour next journey, and when we come to one of those houses with stovesinstead of fireplaces we will distribute the toys to the childrenwithout the need of using a chimney."
"That seems to me a good plan," replied Santa Claus, well pleased athaving solved the problem. "We will try it next year."
That was how the Fairy, the Pixie, the Knook and the Ryl all rode inthe sledge with their master the following Christmas Eve; and they hadno trouble at all in entering the new-fashioned houses and leaving toysfor the children that lived in them.
And their deft services not only relieved Santa Claus of much labor,but enabled him to complete his own work more quickly than usual, sothat the merry party found themselves at home with an empty sledge afull hour before daybreak.
The only drawback to the journey was that the mischievous Wiskpersisted in tickling the reindeer with a long feather, to see themjump; and Santa Claus found it necessary to watch him every minute andto tweak his long ears once or twice to make him behave himself.
But, taken all together, the trip was a great success, and to this daythe four little folk always accompany Santa Claus on his yearly rideand help him in the distribution of his gifts.
But the indifference of parents, which had so annoyed the good Saint,did not continue very long, and Santa Claus soon found they were reallyanxious he should visit their homes on Christmas Eve and leave presentsfor their children.
So, to lighten his task, which was fast becoming very difficult indeed,old Santa decided to ask the parents to assist him.
"Get your Christmas trees all ready for my coming," he said to them;"and then I shall be able to leave the presents without loss of time,and you can put them on the trees when I am gone."
And to others he said: "See that the children's stockings are hung upin readiness for my coming, and then I can fill them as quick as awink."
And often, when parents were kind and good-natured, Santa Claus wouldsimply fling down his package of gifts and leave the fathers andmothers to fill the stockings after he had darted away in his sledge.
"I will make all loving parents my deputies!" cried the jolly oldfellow, "and they shall help me do my work. For in this way I shallsave many precious minutes and few children need be neglected for lackof time to visit them."
Besides carrying around the big packs in his swift-flying sledge oldSanta began to send great heaps of toys to the toy-shops, so that ifparents wanted larger supplies for their children they could easily getthem; and if any children were, by chance, missed by Santa Claus on hisyearly rounds, they could go to the toy-shops and get enough to makethem happy and contented. For the loving friend of the little onesdecided that no child, if he could help it, should long for toys invain. And the toy-shops also proved convenient whenever a child fellill, and needed a new toy to amuse it; and sometimes, on birthdays, thefathers and mothers go to the toy-shops and get pretty gifts for theirchildren in honor of the happy event.
Perhaps you will now understand how, in spite of the bigness of theworld, Santa Claus is able to supply all the children with beautifulgifts. To be sure, the old gentleman is rarely seen in these days; butit is not because he tries to keep out of sight, I assure you. SantaClaus is the same loving friend of children that in the old days usedto play and romp with them by the hour; and I know he would love to dothe same now, if he had the time. But, you see, he is so busy all theyear making toys, and so hurried on that one night when he visits ourhomes with his
packs, that he comes and goes among us like a flash; andit is almost impossible to catch a glimpse of him.
And, although there are millions and millions more children in theworld than there used to be, Santa Claus has never been known tocomplain of their increasing numbers.
"The more the merrier!" he cries, with his jolly laugh; and the onlydifference to him is the fact that his little workmen have to maketheir busy fingers fly faster every year to satisfy the demands of somany little ones.
"In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child,"says good old Santa Claus; and if he had his way the children would allbe beautiful, for all would be happy.
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