THE PHILOSOPHY OF TOYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9117, 24 December 1907, Page 2

THE PHILOSOPHY OF TOYS.

— ♦— AN INTERVIEW WITH SANTA ' CLAUS. (Written for tlie " Star.") At the earnest request of S. Clans, Esquire. I shall not m«ko known to tho world at large the present address of that world-famous saint. It ifi sufficient to state that his address is known to tho writer, and that I called upon him last night. Ho was very busy, and when I tapped at his door ho roared out that I must n^fc disturb him, and that if I didn't chase myself away at once he would come out and throw a rocking-horse at me. He said this in such a jovial merry way, however, that I disregarded the f6arful threat and entered his apartment. I found him kneeling on the floor, rummaging in a gigantic pile of toys, his florid countenance moist with perspiration, for the- night was a warm one. Ho had discarded his fur-trimmed robo and heavy headgear in order that his activities might not be impeded, for with the single exception of Christmas Ev© the twenty-third of December is the most important working day in Santa Claus's calendar. It is the day on which he packs his wonderful sack, and makes a selection of gifts for tho children of the world. He looked up quickly as 1 entered, and a slight shade of annoyance fell upon his beaming visage. " Don't mind, me," I said, . " I'm only a reporter, and 1 just want to ask you a few questions. " "But you are not a child," he objected; "don't you know that I only exist in the minds of children, and that I never allow even them to see me or to speak to me?" " I know that/ I said, A but I come on behalf of thousands of people who are the fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers and uncles -and aunts of children, and who want to know something about the system on which you distribute your Christmas gifts. In this democratic country we cannot understand why such a kindhearted old gentleman as yourself should shower presents of the most costly description upon the children of the rich, while when you visit the moan streets you leave in tho children's stockings only the cheapest and most tawdry articles your bag contains. We demand an explanation, S. Glaus, Esquire, and until we have it your reputation trembles in the balance." Santa Claus laughed, a rich, mellow, gravyish laugh. "Ho, ho, ho," he roared. "That's good. That's very good. Demand an explanation, from, me. After calling me a solar myth and a superstition and a German legend for years and years and years. Tut, tut, likewise Fie, fie. My reputation cannot bo touched by any of the grown-up folk, and the little people will never belie vo anything against me. But I'll tell you a little story which may explain things. Many hundreds of years ago, at the time of my appointment as patron saint in charge of the children's toys department, there were such things in the world as spells and incantations, good fairies and bad fairies, white magics and black magics. There were also such things as jealousy and greed, which I have heard exist to this very. day. As you may imagine, there was a great deal of competition for such an important post as that which I occupy, and my most formidable rival was 'one Hob Goblin Esq. ; the Managing Director of tho Goblin Dwarfs Company Ltd., who make the toys. When he discover^ ed that he had not been appointed, this vile miscreant (excuse my warmth, but he really was) hatched a dastardly and wicked plot. He withdrew the privilege possessed by my predecessor of freely talcing all the toys required from, the G.D. Company's subterranean caverns, and refused to allow so much as a single marble or a single china doll to leave his premises until they we're paid for at the full market price. I appealed. to> the reigning Fairy Monarch, but it appeared that Goblin had a vested interest or a proprietary right or some horrible legality of the kind, and the Queen could not interfere. I made known tho position to the fathers and mothers and other friends of the youngsters, and they said, "That needn't matter a bit; we'll pay for the toys you give our children!" It was the only possible way out of th« difficulty, but my heart was sad, for I saw that th© children who lived in fine houses and wore beautiful clothes would get all the nicest toys, while the poor little urchins who were badly dressed and badly fed would get only the small cheap toys if they got any at all. I plotted with might and main for a long while, and then I made a magic." V What sort of a magic?" I asked. , For answer Santa Claus picked out of the great heap of toys a most ridiculous little boat, painted a gaudy vermilion, with thick clumsy masts, unshapely sails and no keel +o speak of, so that it would bo impossible for it to float upright. "You see that?" ho esked. I nodded. "You think," he continued, "that this is a cheap, ugly and quite unsatisfactory boat, but you are quite wrong. Tho boy for whom it is intended will see in this a beautiful model of that graceful piratical schooner ho read about in ' Tom Cringle's Log.' He will put a neat little iron keel upon it, put in slim, raking masts, re-rig it completely, and sail it up and down a side-channel. He will get ten times more enjoyment out of his present than the boy to whom I must give that large and expensively got-up model of a racing yacht. And look at this" — Santa Clans held up a home-made- rag doll, a mere bolster, with a fatuous face drawn in ink on the upper end, and the "body" enwrapped in the semblance of a frock, made out of a piece of cotton print. "This," ho said, "cost more time and labour and lovo than any doll in my stock. The mother who made it has no money to spend on toys, but sho found time among all her work and worries to make this, and the little girl who will find' it in her stocking on Wednesday morning will lovo this strangelooking object passionately. She will fall asleep on Christmas night, hugging it to her breast, more supremely happy and contented than any of thoso well-to-do little girls who receive- one of these large and finely-dressed wax dolls." " But how about those children who receive no toys at all?" I asked. Santa Claus shook his head Badly. "There are not many," he said, "but Hob Goblin's spell is a powerful ono, and I cannot entirely overcome it. If there be any in your country, you and those whom you represent must help me to make it possible that they shall receive something this Olrristmastide. There are people who think that toys are among the things that don't matter, but they do. Children without toys are never really children at all, and if they ore not children bow can they become men and women?" At this juncture, seeing that Santa -Claus was showing evidences of a desire to interview the interviewer, I told him that I accepted his explanation, and that he left the Court without a stain on his character, following which I wished him a "joyous Yuletide " 'and' gracefully withdrew.