Seeing Father Christmas

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 303, 23 December 1933, Page 12

Seeing Father Christmas

Betty ant] I’eter. when all was quiet, decided to try and discover just how Santa Claus finds his way down their chimney. It had always been a great Itystery and they longed to see him, hut he always seemed to (ill their stockings when they were fast asleep.

Mere wp see Bet. ya nd Peter putting away all their old toys. Thinking ihat Betty’s doll’s house would be a safe place, all the toys were placed inside and the doors tightly shut, but Nurse had overheard their plans, and wo shall sec later the joke she played on Bo tty and Peter.

The next thing they did was to han* up their stockings with a list of al the toys they wanted. Such loni lists they wrote out, but Santa ha always been very kind to them ca<d year, and they knew he would brim them all that they had asked for. Be sides they had both been very gout children for weeks.

flow, the great adventure begins. Betty holds Peter’s feet and shoves as hard as she is able to help Peter scramble up the chimney. Pussy looks on and wonders what our two little friends can be up to. Peter does try hard, but eventually has to give up, and all he can see is just the inside of a very black chimney.

It was just as well Peter scrambled down out of the chimney when he did, for as both stepped out of rhe fireplace, looking like two little coalblack niggers, they heard footstep? coming along the passage leading to their bedroom. This gave them such a fright that black an I sooty as ♦hey were, they made one leap into bed, and as fast as they could they pulled the sheets and blankets over their heads, hardly daring :o br. atha,.

Rut Betty and Peter couldn t resist the temptation to take a look at Santa Claus, so they sat up. only to see Nurse, dressed up like Santa, tip a whole, sack full of their old toys on the bed. But it was Nurse who received th** greatest surprise, and when she saw Betty and Peter so black, she scolded them.

“Oh, dear, what naughly children you have been,” she said quite angrily. “I have a good mind to tell Santa not to come.” Poor Betty and Peter didn't Know what to do, because they did want Santa to come very much. However, Nurse, who couldn’t really be angry, especially on Xmas Eve, told them both that if they went and had a bath, and made themselves nice and clean again, she wouldn't tell on them.

Betty and Peter were delighted, and as soon us they had bathed and put on nice clean clothes, scampered back to the. bedroom, but what a surprise they re reived! Gone were, all their old toys, the stockings they had hung up for Santa and the lists, too, had disappeared. “Oh, dear.” cried Betty, "whai (•'•er can have happened?” “Never mind,” said Peter, “wc have been naughty, and perhaps Santa saw us. Let’s hop into bed, go fast asleep, and maybe Santa will come back again/ 4

1 u the morning, when the sun shone brightly through Betty’s and Peter's window, they woke up, and tho first thing they saw was a big heap of lovely tops lying on their bed. “Oh, look!” cried Betty. 44 0 h, look,” shouted Peter, and ever after neither Betty nor Peter ever tried to find out how Ranta Claus came down the chimney.