SANTA CLAUS' HELPERS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 142, 13 December 1930, Page 20

SANTA CLAUS' HELPERS

: Christmas was speeding aloiig so quickly, and old Santa Claus was afraid that if his workers did not hurry, some of the little mortals on the earth would have to go without toys. He sat pulling his beard and thinking, when a small fiairy-like elf perched near him. , "What is the trouble, Santa Claus?" Old Santa looked up sadly, saying: "1 am afraid that although, my workers are going as fast as they can, we may not be ready for Christmas Eve. There are so many children, and I cannot miss any." The elf thought for a minute, and- then said: "Have you never heard of Fairiel and the Fairy Ring? Why not ask them to help?" . . "What can they do?" asked Santa eagerly. ■ "Why, they can make beautiful scrap-books and soft cuddly

dolls, fust the things for the sick ones in hospital. And I expect if they.knew how much they were helping you they would liud other things to, make, loo," : "Splendid!" said Father Christmas. "How can I get a message to these kind people?" "I will go straight away," said the elf, "and Fairiel will tell all her fairy folk her needs, and I am sure Lhey will' : work their hardest." ''Go at once," said Father Christinas, "and tell them how much old Santa appreciates all the help he can get, especially for his sick children." The message came, and Fairiel and her elves began to be busy. What pasting and cutting of pictures, the prettiest that could be found, what cutting of soft cloth for the stuffing of the dolls! ■'Small "fingers ached, but the tongues worked hard, too, and soon a lovely pile of things were all in Fairiel's office, ready for Old Santa Claus to take to his sick ones. "Well," said one small elf to another, as he finished his work. "I had heard that giving was belter than getting, but I never believed it before. Now I know I" "WINNIE THE POOH" (12). Rosenealh.

LITTLE ELVES: Slip down from your mushrooms, small ones, and gather around lo listen. . . . . A wonderful Christmas Page we are to have—a whole great double one, all Lo ourselves—and you may look- for it 'zactly two clays before Christmas. But it's soon ... so soon! . . . . that all your stories 'n' everything mustn't be a day later than next Tuesday, else there simply won't be enough hours left to make them ready in time And maybe if we had the whole of the grown up "Evening Post", for our Ring, from outside cover to back side, then I could squeeze in every delightful bit you send. But now, even with our special pages, there's just room for the truly best, so try your very hardest. . » . Isn't it wonderful that holidays are tiptoeing all around the edges of next week? And Christmas . and fun! .... Plum-puddings and peeping silver threepences! 0, if I weren't Fairicl, I'd be a threepence in a pudding! Wouldn't you? Sunny hearts and sunny days, little elves.