A Page for Little People

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 51, 23 December 1925, Page 37

A Page for Little People

Concluded by ANNE u

; My very own dear Little People, Did you get my URGENT TELEGRAM last week, I do hope you did for the most J wonderful thing happened, and the only way I could let you know anything had happened, was to WIRE you. Listen while I explain. -The other day, while I was busy about my work, the dearest wee bird ever, came chirp-chirp-chirping round me, and it whispered a wonderful secret. What do you think has happened in Christmas Land, I'm sure you'd never guess in a hundred years ? —FATHER CHRISTMAS is in trouble! He is very short of Fairies to help him with his Stocking Parcels because so many of his Fairies have grown up this year. And he asked the birds if they could tell him how ever he was going to manage. Away flew this dear little messenger to find out if "Anne's" Little People would like the day in Christ-mas-Land, for a change. There was no time to send word asking how many would like to come, so I just said YES for all of us, and we must be quite ready at Peep of Day on Christmas Eve Morning. Get into your warm wollies and pull your snug hats right down round your ears, because Father Christmas is sending his biggest Reindeer Sleigh, with six big Deer harnessed into it, for us. You can't think how very fast those Deer will travel, as I asked if we might take time to call round at the Lighthouses to pick up our Little People there, also over at Chathams and in Australia, and the wee bird said "Sure." Some of you may read this just a few hours before it will be time to get ready, but mind you are all ready at your gates, listening for the Jingle Bells as the Reindeer come hurrying along. !* i Anne. CHRISTMAS EVE AT PEEP OF DAY. Dear Little People, are you ready, and did you lie listening all night for the Jingle Bells? And did you hear the Birds waking up, calling to each other with their beautiful voices? Isn't this a wonderful Sleigh, all made of white and silver "fluff which looks like real snow but isn't half as cold? And have you ever seen real Christmas Reindeer before, with their pretty brown bodies and eyes, and their outspread horns? Jump in then, and let's get away before the dear Grown-Ups miss us, I know they're wondering how they're going to get through all their important business to-day and get our meals ready as well. When we're safely out of sight, our little Bird is going to tell them where we've gone for the day and won't they be surprised? Isn't this Christmas Sleigh just the thing for Little People—it stretches and makes room for everyone, but never looks any bigger or takes up any more room ? See how many are tucked into it already, think of all the towns and villages, houses and streets we've been to and have picked up Little People there. We've done all the far away Little People and all the near one?, and now we're on our way through the Clouds to Father Christmas and Christmas Laud. Did you feel a little bump then? I think that was a puncture in one of the tyres, will some of the big boys hop out and ste if they can patch the hole with a bit of cloud! That's right, now we're off again,

can you see those big White and Silver Gates right at the end of this road? Those are the Gav- s of Christmas Land we'll be there in a couple of minutes now. Here we air, the Deer are slowing down, fancy them bringing us safely like this without a Driver. Be very very careful now, sit quiet and \ keep close to each other, there's a nasty little bit of road just before we go through the gates, and I don't want to have any of you bumped off when we have come so far safely. This bit here is called "The Fall of the Inquisitive," and only those who are special friends of Father Christmas can get over it safely. Others always make the great mistake, of looking all round them to • see what they can see, instead of sitting quietly and cuddling up tight together, and THEY ARE ALWAYS BUMPED OUT TO LET THEM GET A BETTER VIEW! Careful now (Bump ! Bump ! Bump !) MY ! But that was a bad bit (Bump Bump!) this is the last bump (Bump!) Are we all here, we haven't lost, anyone have we? That's all right then, away we go up to the door of Father Christmas's Happy Home. Mind you are all as good as little Angels—never mind how bad you can be sometimes on earth —or you'll find yourselves wrapped up into a parcel and put into someone's stocking! That would be a nice finish wouldn't it, especially if you were given to some of those dreadful Little People who sit down and smash up their toys the first day they have them? Anyhow, don't for any sake let such a thing happen to us, or I shall feel inclined to curl up and die of shame, right away from home and friends! We'll get into line now, the very Littlest Little People right . in front, then the next size, then the next and so on, right, up to the biggest. The door is wide open, let us go in nicely and follow this sign which says, "THIS WAY TO THE PACKING ROOM." Will the 'Little Person •in front please knock, just loudly enough for Father Christmas to hear. (The Littlest Person knocks, Rat-Tat-Tat—-and steps are heard coming to the door. The door is opened, and : dear old ' Father Christmas himself, says): . "Hullo! Hullo! Welcome every one of you, how pleased I am that my clever little bird thought of you dear Little People. He was most anxious for you to come, because he • said ho had been wanting to give ever so many of you a TREAT for a long time. It appears, "Anne's" Little People are always kind to Grown-Ups, Beasts, and Birds! You should just have seen the joy of those Reindeer when I asked them to bring you up here to-day. They were in such a hurry, they went off without any : breakfast! So, it's no wonder Father Christmas is. pleased to see you, when his dear friends love you so much! Come along then quickly, and while you get your hats and coats off "I'll get some Sunbeam Squash for you" to drink and a big slice each of Christmas-Land loaf. I hope you'll all ..like it—tlie loaf I meanit's the only thing we ever .eat up here. Just hang your coats on those Star Stalks over there —-(Brrrr, Brrrr, Brrrr.) "Please will • someone answer that telephone, or it'll wake the Mian in the Moon

who is trying to.have forty winks so as to be fresh and bright for to-night." ~ ; One of the Little People answers the telephone and says Father Christmas is wanted. The message is VERY PRIVATE, and Father Christmas hurries over to a big GOLDEN BOOK and writes something down on the page. Then he goes away to get something for the Little People to eat and drink. Soon he is back again bringing the most wonderful looking ORANGE you ever saw—it's a bit like an Orange and a bit: like the Sun—,and the very Biggest BROWN LOAF that the Christmas-Land Baker could make. He goes over to a little cupboard • and brings out of it, dear little Glasses that look like Silver Bells, and Plates that must surely have been made out of Blue Sky. Also a Bread Saw which is so sharp that it could cut Dreams, and he says— ■ i "Please sit down Little -People, at least will the Littlest Little Ones sit, and will the Bigger and Biggest Little People wait on the others. While you're having your Twinkle Lunch, I'll just have a last look to see if there are plenty of Toys and Other Things for everyone, and also plenty of paper and string. Don't hurry too much, you'll find that the Christmas Land food is no trouble to eat, and it swallows itself I Come right through into the next Room when you're ready, and I'll give you exactly FIVE MINUTES to be ready!"' . Tlie Little People disappeared the Sunbeam Squash and Christmas-Land Loaf, and indeed it took them only about four minutes and a half. So, they thought they would like to wash the glasses and plates, and the big bread saw, and put them away in the cupboard. But would you believe it Dears, those Silver Bell glasses and Made-of-Sky plates, took to their heels, washed and dried themselves— as th-3 Little People do—and put themselves into the cupboard. Then they blew kisses to the Little People, and called out gleefully to the Bread Saw which had been picking up the few crumbs which no one can- help, to come and finish;the story he had been telling them about the Oan't-Cut-Butter Knife, he met one Christmas when Father Christmas bought it to try and cut Holly Berries Of course, it took quite half a minute for the Little People to Believe Their Eyes, and then they went in to the Next Room. What a wonderful Room it was. I could never, never, tell you one Half the things they saw there. And I think the very best way for you to imagine what it might have been like, is to shut your eyes tight, think hard, think of everybody you love, and think of everything you would like Father Christmas to bring them. Think too of the things that make them happy for Christmas Day. Think of the Little People who have no dear Grown-Ups and of the dear Grown-Ups who have no Little People, and try to think what would make them very happy on Christmas Day. And when you've thought of all of these, just open your eyes, think you're in Christmas Land, and you'll see EVERYTHING anyone has ever thought of since the World began I - ;-V-*ff Well, that's what the Little People saw, and Father Christmas who , was watching

their-astonished -eyes- -nearly popping outof their heads, said; 4, Yes;.deariLittleTPecK; pie, you can understand - now; .what a fix - I in.^-i.when you see -what has to be sorted * A and inackftd -before tea-time _ tp-hightV And tnat%l<feti^^ going to help me "to do. Y I've arranged all the REQUESTSsent tome * jff from E^^^n|o.Lists>— twenty-four of them" to ma'tch the ? Letters of . the Alphab^etr!_'*!. n 'only, made:twenty-four;instead; of twenty-six^ '" ;1 because X, Y, and Z can go together ~ into 1 ;.;-;, : one List. Now, what I would like you to do, is to take up your places in front of ■ the List which is the Letter Initial of your name. _ Not .your Christian name K but your 1 surname, because that will make a better i: division. You'll find the Lists in the Third - Room, where I've hung them on. to COMET I TAILS, so that they would be safe. By the wayV did you know that's what Comet's . Tails are for ? On those Lists you'll see 11 what each parcel is to contain, but you WILL NOT FIND THERE THE NAME OF ANY 11' PERSON, because that is a Christmas-Land ; Secret, known only to me. I think if the Biggest Little People will make up the par- . cels they will be made as safely as if I - : made them myself. Then, if they will ask the '■;■- Middle Size Little People to bring the dif- •' ferent things to them for the parcels, the Littlest Little People can bring the finished parcels to me and f help me pack them into -1 my SACKS. That will give everyone something :to do, and "Anne" can check the parcels - off as each - one is done. But I want .; you all to be most careful, or else someone . who asked for an Electric Train will find a --Tin Whistle in his stocking. I know you : : won't make any mistakes. Please get ready > now, and see how well you can do this most wonderfully important work. We won't chat IV," while we work, or we'll make mistakes. In- : 1 deed, we won't have time to talk, there's so ;i much to be done. I'm going over to my 1 Desk now, and we'll start right-away." 1 What a busy room that was for the next 1 few hours, and how those Little People worked—the A's, the B's, the C's and all ;.the other Letters of the Alphabet. The Tiny Tots were kept busy running with the ; finished parcels, and Father Christmas had ;to .atop . several times to wipe his forehead. 1 They; worked, on WITHOUT SPEAKING A i WORD until 5 o'clock, the Christmas-Land I whistle was just blowing when the-M ? s finish- . ed their .last parcel. There are always more :: M's than any other letter, in names, and at >:: the finish everyone had to help with this ■ s -mighty long list which was a terrible length. ,; It took Father Christmas a minute or two 1 longer to tie up his Sacks and put them : out on the porch for the Reindeer to pick up 1- on their horns and load into the Sleigh, and • - while that was being done Father Christmas r told the Little People to get themselves ready ; for home. 1. : - , > ; • ."I'm going to take you home myself," he' • said, "we'll put all these Sacks into the big II Trailer, and there'll be plenty of room for :l'. : you all with :: me. Before we start we're P.: all going to have a cup of steaming hot \ Star Dust Coffee and another slice of Christmas _ Land Loaf, and this time you wont stop to wash the cups and saucers will you?" . I was watching through the Peep - Chink when you wanted to wash the Glasses, ; and I did laugh/although I loved you for

■---a.xUlig.jli .u l "iHW'. i i.wuC..'j' 'i tii I*l i i- - being- tidy—llJLsei~4l»X!offee-nowJl~™... , FatherOhVistmas nrake^hy Coffee and * s%emecr*6i3y gi^%nj^-winTc^#i timef%hew ; i>?"o^f ' 'Here- ybtr arfe 1 *T# my very ■ best : cups, I -d^%'^believe" ™jmj&fi.%4 % butr ! ' r TaMe^ : li^e T ■ this wry j night.-1 t&ei# my ;^Angels '- Whispe^l^pSf^^dseJ^ "Very •■* tired, th^dear'lMti^i^s^^ always f. use -my : c^ to me. " I believe, ; your ■ dear., n ,: about the same thing ofjlhejr;. dupsof Tea, But they thini.. .it's, refreshes, them ! Drink then r and eat your we'll ' be off in a few minutes.'f..,/ '".,,"" ,v^h/T' The Little People drank .their Star Dust " Coffee, and ate their slice of Brown Bread. They . put . their cups .down .on:, the table ? only to see the. funny little things twirling themselves away to. the corner, of the room where they washed themselves, dried themselves till they shone, and ! then twirled, off into, .the cupboard. Then a .Horn Blast was heard, and the Little People hurrying out, saw Father Christmas already in. his place with the Trailer tied on to his Sleigh. . "Climb in Little People, and, on second thoughts I , have decided to ask the Boys if they'll be good enough to ride in the Trailer with If. the Gifts. ; We'll have to travel so fast that I'm half afraid some of the Sacks may bump off, and- what i. a disappointment that would be, wouldn't it ? . ' Before Father Christmas had finished speaking, all the. Boys lined up beside the Trailer, and you should have seen his happy face. "That's the way, Boys. ' Never shirk a rough trip if you can be helpful by taking" it. You make me "wish I could ride withyou. Now, we*re off. If you'don't grow up altogether, . we,may ' have another Christmas eve in Christmas Land, packing parcels." : ,:,. ; ,.,'; 'l. r^v, '" ■ /;'"" /:i ■.,.'"' ■" ; What a fin e r , ridel they had back to Homeland. It.was. even more .-fun than in the' morning because " the Stars were beginning to twinkle, and The Man in the Moon was smiling. About half way, Father Christmas changed over to the Trailer, saying, he* must really go and be a Boy for a" little while again:.: -On"they sped,-never thinking, what was in store for them when they finished their trip back to Earth. Once they saw a very bright light, a big lot of lights in fact. "What's that, Father Christmas" they asked? "That's the Dunedin Exhibition" Father Christmas, answered. "A number of you will be going there during "the holidays. Will you tell -all about it afterwards, and I'll give a Prize to the- one who has taken most notice of that wonderfulplace ?.'..' The Little. People ; promised, they would, but ever sol many said they., would,;, not be going to the Exhibition, A ~l /.11. "Very well," said Father .Christmas, n l think we'll get "' round "that trouble quite nicely.l'l think ; we'll have -a choice-of two subjects for our next Competition, We'll have -a; Garden ; Competition for those who do not go to the Exhibition, and the Gar-, den may be REAL or IMAGINERY, but it ', must be what is known as a COTTAGE GARDEN. I'll explain to Anne just 'what ZVl mean .and she'll. tell you next week all about--it.- That will be something for you to thinkabout..; And ; now, Little People, I'm " going ■s.

Ji?-)et;yon;Kalplmft deliver, all these parcels. ~_ ■What do you think of that, isn't it a great 'Wo. surprise? : This ? would never have happened if youicln&a't;^such" wonderfully lwip«.B ful Little .ißesple; Indeed/1 I 'don't what ilwould,have done-without you. -Wraths** ' er CSrostihas would have disappointed though Little People." And the tears toP led ,hi*;poor old;face, ami right into* his long white whiskers; .~. . *- f J.. : *"fS| " "But, ; first;of all," said Father Christ ? mas,; "we'll go make -la Visit to Crib of Nazareth- in the church. 1 The Ups are : going (to Midnight ; Mass but .they don't have Little People -at : 'Mi&#i ; , night ; Mass because, of course, someone vhaß to be left to go : to ; the other Christmas Day!" . - j - *?ss& And Father Christmas, followed by "Anne" ~-- and all the Little People, went quietly into I - the church, which was all : dark excepting, for the bright Star shining above the mffS the Crib, and gathering tit* Little People round him, Father:" yoke to the dear Little Infant Jesus." Sweef Little Lord of the World," he said. ; "IwM M .: bring, so many gifts to the people ofHhj& ?f Earth, have, nothing (beautiful enough in any* I of-my sacks to offer Thee. : Not oiie-ffifnf 1 among all those things which are valued-fof M Beauty, -their Brightness, and the?P Usefulness, can I lay at' thy Feet; But - dear Little Infant, I can and do offer-% Thee, these Little People, who are more precious-than anything else on Earth. Take* them . dear Jesus, love them and help them for they love Thee very much. Not as the* 1 great Saints have loved Thee and suffer^ tor Thee perhaps, but just as little children with little children's goodness and badness] with little ; children's happiness^ and sorrow" '- do they love Thee, Sweet Baby of the Crib'; : Some them have already offered Thee their '" hearts, and the rest will do so hereiniine ? quiet of the Crib. -Help our sick EitW" People who cannot be with us this Christmas - Eve, our little Paula about whom we have - just heard; v And help too all our flea* K l Grown-Ups who have taught u s .about Thee - and done'so much for us. - Good-bye deft ,■ Little Jesus, as long as they leave Thee- nel* in the Crib we'll visit Thee otten^anf' lW 1: "' Thee how; much we want to please Thi^ ?JM - And Father Christmas put a silverspence into the Offering-Box': beside the Crlfc ' because that i s for the poor. ' Quietly 1 they* . all, went bat of the church, and: in & second were gone, and; the i fun *"^i-oß#|i 1 who; were there know what ' happened, as Father Christmas made usipromis^aiiof^S > tell anyone we can't speak about it^^B#» when we remember that joyous night,Hfo , have to laugh out loud. The". stop and look at us, wondering what can be ' the matter, but they'lf never guess wkT we went, what we saw, and what we did on '* Christmas Eve. .But the mosVwbfiMl ful thing of all was that, altnMgh we didn'? . see Father Christmas filling our own stockings, they ? were r CHOKKER BLOKKER FULL when we got home. How he got away from us, and : when, we will never know. But we had watched Wm^verf^lu^S of the time! We weren't a bit tired when, and to <bedf and yet; we never worked so hard before! Good-byejDears, till, next;week,.. f ~■, ; - ; ' ANNk