When one wintry morning,
without any warning,
The little tin soldiers
revolted.
We're refusing to go through
the sleet and the snow
To Kalamazoo or Atlanta!
"My men and myself shall
remain on the shelf.
I know this is strictly
forbidden,
But we don't like our suits or
our helmets or boots
So, on Christmas, we plan to
stay hidden!"
Cried Santa Claus:
"STOP! Who's running this shop?
He sharpened his scrutiny. "This, sir, is mutiny!
What in tarnation's the
matter?"
The captain of tin raised his
little tin chin.
"Our uniforms couldn't be
duller!
We're ashamed to be seen in
this poisonous green!
We think we're a horrible
color!"
Santa replied with a grin hard
to hide,
He loosened his buckle to let
out a chuckle.
"Well, that can be altered
with paint, sir!"
And worked with his paints for
a minute.
Having mixed up a shade
guaranteed not to fade,
He dunked the whole regiment in
it.
The soldiers looked ever so
jolly,
Each with his puny form decked
in a uniform
Brighter and redder than holly!
Tommy's Letter to Santa
Was reading his mail full of
Christmas requests,
When he found Tommy's note
(rather smudgy to see)
Which said, SANTA, PLEASE SEND
A BONNET TO ME!
Said, SANTA, PLEASE BRING ME A
SILK PETTICOAT!
AND PLEASE BRING A DRESS OF A
COLOR NOT GLOOMY
"This Tommy deserves
something special, I think!
Santa's wife reached for a jar
on the table,
She then found a box, sprinkled
magic inside it,
And helped by old Santa, she
carefully tied it.
When Christmas day dawned, very
sparkling and pleasant,
He opened it up and stared for
a minute,
The box was quite empty! Not one thing was in it!
He read, "Merry Christmas,
my lad! Shake the box!"
And rattled the box just the
way he was bid.
Well, I give you my word that
he'd no sooner done it
He shook it again, then he
stared, goggle-eyed,
For out fell a dress that was
seven yards wide.
Next came some rompers and
booties so small,
They seemed to be made for a
real baby doll!
But that wasn't all! Came a jumping-jack toy
And a book and a sweater just
right for a boy!
He with his corncob and she
with her knitting.
Their magical radio brought
them the joys
Of the lad still delightedly
finding his toys.
"He's shaking our box with
the magic inside!"
One bright Christmas
Eve, years ago, I believe,
He was sick in his
bed with a cold in his head,
Mrs. Santa came in with a comforting grin.
"Now, just you
rest cozy, my dear!
Yes, Santy, it's
late, but don't worry your pate.
l'll deliver the presents this year!"
l'll deliver the presents this year!"
The good lady fled to the sled in the shed,
And patting the
shoulder of Blitzen,
She mounted the seat,
well‑polished and neat
That Santa Claus
usually sits in.
Then off and away went the little red sleigh!
Swiftly and surely it
rose,
As above her abode
Mrs. Santa Claus rode,
Cleaving the clouds
with her nose.
Bursting with pride, she continued to ride,
Till carried by sure‑footed hoof,
She at last settled
down in a faraway town,
And nimbly stepped
out on a roof.
Full of Santa's
bright playthings and games,
She found she'd mislaid the list he had made—
His list of addresses
and names.
Well, Christmas, that year, was a mix‑up, I hear.
The folks who liked puppies got kittens.
Babies looked wise
wearing jackets and ties.
While their daddies
got bootees and mittens!
A zoo‑keeper got a geranium pot,
Quite useless, but
charmingly painted.
While his
gift, a bear, was delivered somewhere
To a nervous old lady
who fainted.
But just about dawn when her gifts were all gone
Mrs. Santa flew home
through the sky,
And she thought,
knowing not of the havoc she'd wrought:
"What a blessing
to Santa am I!"
Was belatedly reading his mail,
He discovered with
shame that the gist of the same
Was an angry or sorrowful wail.
"Dear Santy," (I quote from one brief little note),
Thanks for the dress with the frill,
And thanks for the doll and the pink parasol—
But don’t bother with
me next year . . . Bill."
Santa, no dunce, understanding at once
What had happened,
ran out of the house,
Determined to fix up
the terrible mix‑up
Caused by his
blundering spouse.
And never a moment he
rested
Till each girl and
boy had gotten the toy
Which had been so
politely requested.
But the muddle she
made when she offered her aid,
He tactfully kept
from the missus!
Was happy, and quite
satisfied.
She was full of good
cheer that lasted all year,
Because of her
Christmas ride.
Funny
Face
Santa,
it seems, had been working all day,
Weary,
he glanced at the dolls on the shelf,
All
of whose faces he'd painted himself.
Pleased with his work, he consulted the clock
And
began to unbutton his paint spattered smock;
But
he paused as he noticed one doll he'd forgotten.
Her
face was a blank little blob of white cotton.
He chuckled: "'Twould be the unkindest of tricks
Her
cheeks were so pale that he gave her a blush,
Then
painting her face with his talented brush,
He remarked: "You're the prettiest doll of the year.
As Santa departed, a gremlin came in.
And
moved toward the doll with a mischievous grin,
Seizing
a brush, he proceeded with haste
Dear
Mrs. Santa, good-natured and chubby,
Then
entered the room on the heels of her hubby.
Seeing the doll, Santa gasped with a blink:
"I
never painted that comical wink!"
By
jingles! A gremlin has been here, I
think!"
Mrs.
Santa consoled him. "Her smile is
so sweet,
And
her wink's so delightful, she's really a treat.
She'll make people chuckle, she'll
fill them with glee,
And laughter's good medicine, don't
you agree?
She's so funny, my dear, I know just
what to do
Why not give her to kids who have
colds or the flu!"
On Christmas, he did this, I'm happy to tell . . .
And the little sick children all laughed themselves well!
Mrs.
Santa's Surprise
Mrs.
Santa was tiptoeing softly around,
Trying
to cook without making a sound.
Santa,
you see, was asleep in his chair,
Getting
rested, no doubt, for his trip in the air.
He
had kicked off his boots, and she saw to her woe
That
his red woolen socks were each sprouting a toe.
With
her mind on this matter instead of her cooking,
She
stirred up a batter without even looking!
"Holes
in his socks!" said this gentle old soul,
As
she emptied a shaker of salt in her bowl.
"I'll
darn them tonight," was her penitent thought.
And she threw in some pepper, far more than she ought!
"I
wonder," she mused, "if I've yarn of that color?"
She
puzzled a moment, then tossed in a cruller,
A
cupful of ketchup, some leftover pie,
And
a few other things that were standing nearby.
Absentmindedly
adding exactly one clove,
She
then set her batter to bake in the stove.
At
noon when old Santa sat down to his lunch,
He
said to his wife, "I've the happiest hunch
That
this dish you've prepared is a lovely surprise!"
"You're
right!" she replied, looking ever so wise.
"It's
surprising to me! It's a funny receipt,
Which
somehow I think would be hard to repeat."
Chuckled
old Santa: "It must be more fun
When
you don't know what's cooking 'til after it's done!"
Well,
he sampled the dish, then he gave a great cough!
His whiskers flew up and his napkin flew off!
Hearing
his wheezes, the good lady guessed
That
her lovely surprise wasn't one of her best.
So
hastily rising, her cheeks very pink,
She
poured her surprising "surprise" in the sink.
"Never
mind," Santa said in his comforting way,
"I'll
take you to lunch at the Penguin Cafe."
At
midnight strange vapors began to arise
From
the sink where the dear soul had poured her "surprise."
You see, by a chance more amusing than tragic,
She'd
happened to stir up some old-fashioned MAGIC!
Taking
the form of most curious vapors,
That
magic at midnight was starting its capers.
Into
the workroom those vapors went floating,
And all that they touched got a magical coating!
A
doll in the box where she'd lately been put,
Lifted
the lid with one kick of her foot.
(It
startles a person unhardened to shocks
When
a dolly, by golly, sits up in her box!)
Next,
some tin soldiers, all stiffer than starch,
Climbed out of their carton and started to march.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
boomed a drum in the room.
"Boom!"
said a tiny toy cannon. "Boom
boom!"
"What's
that?" Santa asked, sitting up in his bed
With
his nightcap and tassel awry on his head.
"I thought I heard something, a gun or a drum!"
Mrs.
Claus gave a yawn. "You're
dreaming. Ho hum!"
Santa
returned to his slumber once more,
Just
as a doll softly opened his door
The
very same dolly whose feet raised the lid
Of the tissue-filled carton in which she was hid.
Climbing
the bedspread, she sat on his chest,
Smiling
and nodding her prettiest best.
Then,
patting his cheek, she leaned close to his ear
And
whispered a soft, "Merry Christmas, my dear!"
Santa
Claus stirred and he uttered a sigh;
His
rosy nose twitched as if touched by a fly,
And
he smiled in his sleep as, at first flush of day,
The
magical vapors went floating away!
Reindeer
Trouble
Santa
Claus, just a bit late, I believe
Was
taking his usual trip, Christmas Eve,
When
all of a sudden he uttered a shout
As
his little red sled started lurching about.
Something
had happened to startle the reindeer.
Donner,
the leader, a very well-trained deer,
Had
sighted a comet. (He had, on my honor .
. . .)
And
the comet was rapidly heading for Donner!
"Whoa!"
shouted Santa--then grabbed at his cap,
But
he might just as well have commanded: "Giddap!"
For
Donner was dashing away in the sky,
Going
so fast and so far and so high
That
he very soon came to that place far away
Which
angels reserve for small cherubs at play.
Alarmed
at the sight of the runaway sled,
Some
dove into mist-banks, heels over head;
One
of them happily strumming his harp,
Showed
his excitement by striking a sharp!
Another
so hastily fled through the blue
That
he tumbled his little gold halo askew!
"Whoa,
Donner, whoa!" Santa loudly repeated,
Bouncing
so high he was nearly unseated!
But
rolling his eyeballs and snorting aloud,
Panicky
Donner just fled for a cloud,
And
reaching it, tunneled it hopefully through--
Only
to find that the comet had, too!
Santa,
poor fellow, was wearing a frown,
For
by now he was riding along upside-down.
Then
Donner swerved sharply, thus righting the sled,
And
tailed by the comet, went plunging ahead
'Til
he presently met, looming up in his track,
A
rain-swollen cloud of a thunderous black.
Towering
awesomely there in the skies,
This
cloud was so very enormous in size
That
when it uncorked its spectacular spout,
"Glug!"
said the comet--and meekly went out.
Greatly
relieved, Santa straightened his cap,
Slapped
at the reins, and once more cried "Giddap!"
He
waved at the cherubs and winked a bright eye
As
Donner turned 'round and descended the sky.
And
so, just as midnight was starting to chime,
He
arrived at your rooftop exactly on time!
The
Night I Caught Santa Claus
One
Christmas Eve, I stayed up late
And
hid myself because
It
was my plan to lie in wait
And
watch for Santa Claus.
At
twelve o'clock, I heard a noise,
And
peeping out real quick,
I
saw the chimney raining toys
Then
out fell old St. Nick!
I
must have giggled once, I fear;
I
quickly stopped the sound,
But
smart old Santa, sharp of ear,
Suspicious,
swung around.
He
laughed a jolly, "Ho, ho, ho!"
Then
said with twinkling eyes:
"It
isn't every boy I know
Who
takes me by surprise!"
Then
putting me astride his back,
He
bore me to his sled,
And
there he gave his whip a crack,
"Heigh-ho! We're off!" he said.
We
climbed down chimneys all night through,
`Cause
he and I were chums;
He
let me fill some stockings, too.
With
dolls and sugarplums.
And
as I helped arrange the toys
That
magic Christmas Eve,
I
saw such wonders, girls and boys,
As
you would scarce believe!
The
dolls that Santa set in place
Would
lift their arms up high
And
tug his beard and kiss his face,
And
fondly call, "Goodbye!"
Next
morning when I woke in bed
I
heard my mother say:
“For
goodness sake, you sleepy-head!
Wake
up! It's Christmas day!"
Santa's
Leftover Toys
One
Christmas Eve, after Santa got back,
Having
traveled the world with his toy-filled sack,
He
entered his house and he loosened his vest,
Kicked
off his boots and lay down for a rest.
As
soon as his jovial snores could be heard,
A
magical happening quickly occurred.
The
leftover toys on the tables and shelves
Came
to life and began entertaining themselves.
A
doll did a dance that was charming to view,
And
a colorful clown did a tumble or two.
(I
wish I had been there to see them, don't you?)
"What's
that?" muttered Santa, reluctant to waken.
"That
cannot be laughter! I must be
mistaken!"
The
doll who'd been dancing climbed up on a chair
And
soothingly whispered to Santa, "There, there!"
And
then (Could a gesture be sweeter than this?),
She
bent her bright bonnet and gave him a kiss.
Bestowing
on Santa a soft little glance,
She
slid from her chair and returned to the dance.
The
other dolls joined her and frolicked till dawn
While
weary old Santa snored peacefully on.
Santa's
Asleep
Santa,
dear Santa, is having a snooze
Hush,
hush! Don't make any noise.
He
has just gotten home from his holiday cruise
And
sleeps amid leftover toys.
His
elfin assistants, that mischievous pair,
Play
hide-and-seek there in his thistledown hair.
Santa,
unheeding, is slumbering deep
Santa's
asleep!
Santa
is sleeping, his head on his chest;
He's
having a beautiful nap.
A
goblin is sliding the slope of his vest,
While
others are climbing his lap!
They
swing on his whiskers which merrily soar
Lifted
aloft by his hurricane snore!
But
nothing disturbs him, no chuckle or peep
Santa's
asleep!
His
cap is on crooked, he sprawls in his chair;
The
goblins continue their play;
Peeking
in, Mrs. Santa says softly, "Take care!"
Then
quietly tiptoes away.
Santa,
poor darling, is not any shirk,
But
climbing down chimneys is rather hard work!
Let's
all slip away, for we love him a heap
Santa's
asleep!
No comments:
Post a Comment