WHAT HAPPENED CHRISTMAS EVE.
: Other Popular Stories For ChildrenIt was Christmas Eve and the frost fairies were busy getting ready
for Christmas Day. First of all they spread the loveliest white snow
carpet over the rough, bare ground; then they hung the bushes and
trees with icicles that flashed like diamonds in the moonlight. Later
on, they planned to draw beautiful frost pictures on the window panes,
to surprise the little children in the morning.
The stars shone b
nook and corner. How could any one think of sleeping when there was
such a glory outside!
Jessie and Fred had gone to bed very early so they might be the first
to shout "Merry Christmas!" but their eyes would not stay shut.
"Oh dear! it must be 'most morning," said Fred; "let us creep softly
down stairs and maybe we'll catch Santa Claus before he rides off."
Hand in hand they tiptoed to the dining-room and peeped out the big
window;--surely, surely, that was something climbing up the roof of
cousin Nellie's house; it must be old Santa. Fred gave a chuckle of
delight; to be sure the reindeer were very queer looking objects, and
the sleigh such a funny shape, but the children were satisfied.
The old fir tree, whose high branches almost touched the roof,
knew all about those shadows, but it was so old no one could ever
understand a word of the many tales it told.
"There's something scratching on the door," whispered Jessie; but
it was only a mouse, who had sniffed the delightful odors of the
Christmas goodies and was trying his best to find a way into the
pantry and test them with his sharp teeth.
"Come," said Jessie, "we'll turn to icicles if we stay here much,
longer"; so up-stairs they quickly scampered.
Papa had been to town on an errand, so it was quite late when he came
home. As he was hunting in his pockets for his key, he heard a pitiful
cry, and looking down he saw a big, white cat carrying a tiny kitten
in her mouth.
"Poor thing," said papa, "you shall come inside till morning."
Santa Claus had been there with the nicest wagon for Fred and a warm,
seal-skin cap that lay right in the middle of it. When papa left the
room, puss and her kitty were curled up comfortably on the rug singing
their sleepy song.
The sun was shining brightly in the dining-room window when Jessie and
Fred made their appearance; then Fred just laughed with delight, for
right in the crown of his new cap lay the cutest white kitten, with
big, blue eyes and wee pink nose, while standins close by as if to
guard her darling from danger, was good old mother puss.
"I never had a live Christmas present before," said Fred, "now I know
Santa Claus read the letter I threw up the chimney because I told him
to bring me a kitten and here it is."
Papa smiled and looked at mamma, and then everybody said "Merry
Christmas" at once.
More
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THE WIND'S TALE
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"Oh come into the dining-room!" Cries Fred, "come, grandma, dear. For something very strange indeed Is going on in here!" And sure enough, when grandma comes, Perhaps at first with fright, She stands quite still, astonished at An unexpected sigh... UPON THE ROAD TO ROCKABOUT
Upon the road to Rockabout I came upon some sheep-- A large and woolly flock about As wide as it was deep. I was about to turn about To ask the man to tell Some things I wished to learn about Both sheep and wool as well, When I beheld a rou... VIOLA ROSEBOROUGH
... WALDO GOES FISHING.
It was with stronger forebodings than he dared acknowledge even to himself, that Professor Featherwit watched the two young men out of sight in the early gloom, and scarcely had his nephew passed beyond hearing than uncle Phaeton would gladly have ... WATER-LILIES
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"Well, Hermod, what did she say?" asked the AEsir from the top of the hill as they saw him coming; "make haste and tell us what she said." And Hermod came up. "Oh! is that all?" they cried, as soon as he had delivered his message. "Nothing can ... WHAT HAPPENED CHRISTMAS EVE.
It was Christmas Eve and the frost fairies were busy getting ready for Christmas Day. First of all they spread the loveliest white snow carpet over the rough, bare ground; then they hung the bushes and trees with icicles that flashed like diamonds... WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SNOW QUEEN'S PALACE AND AFTERWARDS
<table><tr><td><img src="/images/plate08-th.jpg" alt=""></td> <td>The Snow Queen sat in the very middle of it when she sat at home</td></tr></table> The Palace walls were made of drifted snow, and the windows and doors of the biting winds... WHAT IS IT?
What is that ugly thing I see Which follows, follows, follows me, Which ever way I turn or go? What is that thing? I want to know. If I but turn to left or right It does the same with all its might; It looks so ugly and so black When o'er my s... WHAT THE FROST GIANTS DID TO NANNIE'S RUN
... WHAT WAS THE END OF THE HEROES
And now I wish that I could end my story pleasantly; but it is no fault of mine that I cannot. The old songs end it sadly, and I believe that they are right and wise; for though the heroes were purified at Malea, yet sacrifices cannot make bad ... WHICH DEALS WITH A MIRROR AND ITS FRAGMENTS
<table><tr><td><img src="/images/plate02-th.jpg" alt=""></td> <td>One day he was in a high state of delight because he had invented a mirror with this peculiarity, that every good and pretty thing reflected in it shrank away to almost nothing</td>... WHO KILLED THE OTTER'S BABIES?
Once the Otter came to the Mouse-deer and said, "Friend Mouse-deer, will you please take care of my babies while I go to the river, to catch fish?" "Certainly," said the Mouse-deer, "go along." But when the Otter came back from the river, wit... WHY DID MAMMA CHANGE HER MIND?
Mamma Miller told Fay and Lonnie that they might have a party, so they tried to get ready for it. But the party was very different to what they expected. It always happens so about everything, if we pay no regard to one another's wishes. Mrs. Mil... WHY THE EVERGREEN TREES KEEP THEIR LEAVES IN WINTER
One day, a long, long time ago, it was very cold; winter was coming. And all the birds flew away to the warm south, to wait for the spring. But one little bird had a broken wing and could not fly. He did not know what to do. He looked all round, to ... WHY THE MORNING-GLORY CLIMBS
Once the Morning-Glory was flat on the ground. She grew that way, and she had never climbed at all. Up in the top of a tree near her lived Mrs Jennie Wren and her little baby Wren. The little Wren was lame; he had a broken wing and couldn't fly. He ... WHY THE SEA IS SALT
Once there were two brothers. One was rich, and one was poor; the rich one was rather mean. When the Poor Brother used to come to ask for things it annoyed him, and finally one day he said, "There, I'll give it to you this time, but the next time yo... WINDY NIGHTS
Whenever the moon and stars are set, Whenever the wind is high, All night long in the dark and wet, A man goes riding by. Late in the night when the fires are out, Why does he gallop and gallop about? Whenever the trees are crying aloud, ... WOOLLOOMOOLOO
Here's a ridiculous riddle for you: How many o's are there in Woolloomooloo? Two for the W, two for the m, Four for the l's, and that's plenty for them. * * * I wonder what the Jacks have got to laugh and laugh about I'm sure the wor... YOU AND I
They say the eagle is a bird That sees some splendid sights When he soars high into the sky Upon his dizzy flights: He sees the ground for miles around Our house, and Billy Johnson's; But we cannot be eagles, for That would, of course, be nonsen... YOU ARE OLD, FATHER WILLIAM
"You are old, father William," the young man said "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?" "In my youth," father William replied to his son, "I feared it ... YOUNG LOCHINVAR
Sir Walter Scott Oh young Lochinvar is come out of the west, Through all the wide Border his steed was the best; And save his good broadsword he weapon had none; He rode all unarm'd, and he rode all alone. So faithful in love, and so dauntless...