Part 5

‘But you mustn’t look!’ exclaimed Merrythought. He had remembered how dreadful it would be if any one peeped out of the window and caught even a glimpse of Santa Claus and his sleigh. ‘You mustn’t look, you know. Promise me that not one of you will look.’

‘We will hide our eyes,’ said Belinda. ‘Come, children. Let’s hide our eyes on the side of the bed.’

So down by the side of the bed went the seven children, all in a row, their blankets and bits of shawls huddled round their shoulders and their pink toes and heels showing in the most comical way. They didn’t know what it was all about, to be sure, but it was Christmasy and fun and exciting, and they liked it, every one.

Then Merrythought, his pie in his hand, rushed out of the house to be met by Santa Claus, with both arms full, down at the gate.

‘Yes, yes, I know all about it,’ said Santa Claus, ruddy and smiling, with little icicles hanging from his beard. ‘Here, help me with these toys. This is Danny’s sled, a red one. Put it on the doorstep and pile these blankets on top. Don’t let them fall in the snow.’

‘Blankets?’ said Merrythought in surprise. ‘Nobody wants blankets here.’

‘Oh, yes, they do,’ answered Santa Claus firmly. ‘Their mother does. Didn’t you see how thin their blankets were?’

Merrythought stared at Santa Claus. There was no one in the world quite like him, after all.

‘Here are Bill’s skates and Belinda’s sewing-box with a lock and key,’ went on Santa Claus, reaching down first into one deep pocket and then into the other. ‘Put them on top of the blankets. And here is Ann Mary’s sleepy doll. You made her, Merrythought. She is one of your prettiest. This is Tom’s Jack-in-the-Box. What’s this? Oh, Matilda’s Jumping Jack. How he can jump! And here is Polly’s woolly lamb on green wheels with a bell round his neck. Now, just a little candy,’ finished Santa Claus, packing seven boxes neatly on the edge of the sled, ‘and we are off.’

Into the sleigh, fairly empty now, climbed Merrythought and Santa Claus.

‘Wait! My pie!’ exclaimed Merrythought, pulling it from his pocket. ‘I will break it in two and share with you.’

The pie was so small it could be eaten in two bites, but Santa Claus and Merrythought did not speak of that. They only said how good it was and how well Belinda baked for a girl of her years.

The little pie plate was made of tin, and as the sleigh moved off Merrythought took aim and sent it flying straight at the little front door.

Clatter! Clatter! Rush!

Out on the doorstep tumbled the seven children, head-first, pell-mell. They spied the toys, they seized them, they screamed for joy.

Santa Claus and Merrythought laughed aloud, they were so happy too.

‘My sled! My skates!’

‘A sleepy doll! She really sleeps!’

‘See my Jumping Jack! He jumps so high!’

‘Look! Look! My Jack-in-the-Box!’

‘A real little key and it locks as tight as tight can be!’

‘Tinkle! Tinkle! Tinkle!’ from the woolly lamb.

Merrythought leaned from the sleigh and waved his hand, though of course the children could not see him at all.

‘Too many toys, Merrythought?’ asked Santa Claus, looking down at the Brownie at his side.

Merrythought laughed and shook his head.

‘No, not enough toys,’ answered he. ‘The moment I reach home I am going to begin to make toys for those seven children for next year. But best of all, Santa Claus, I have found Christmas,’ said Merrythought. ‘I have found Christmas again.’

THE END

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.