Part 26 (1/2)

Busier and busier became everything in the Twistytail house, and for that matter, there were busy times in the homes of Sammie and Susie Littletail, and Johnnie and Billy Bushytail, and the Wibblewobble duck children, and Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow, the puppy dogs. And as for Uncle Wiggily Longears, the old rabbit gentleman, who was quite rich since he found his fortune, he was so busy that he wore out two rheumatism crutches and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy had to gnaw him another from a broom stick, instead of a corn stalk.

Then it began to snow. Oh, how the white flakes did swirl down out of the sky, blowing here and there like feathers. They piled up in drifts, and the animal children raced through them, kicking their feet about, tossing the white flakes up in the air, falling down in the drifts and making s...o...b..a.l.l.s. And the wind came down the chimney like a fairy blowing a blast on a trumpet. Oh, it was the most jolly time of all the year! Uncle Wiggily said to himself, and he ought to know, if anybody does.

”You must go to bed early this night, children,” said Mrs.

Twistytail after supper. ”The sooner you are asleep the sooner will it be Christmas.”

”We will,” said Curly Tail and Flop Ear and Baby Pinky, and off they trotted, after kissing their papa and mamma good-night, their little kinky tails flopping up and down like a lady's earrings when she runs after a trolley car.

Darker and darker it grew, and still the snowflakes kept coming down until all the ground was white and the roofs of houses, too, and the gate posts and the pump in the yard and everything--all white, ready for Christmas.

”Santa Claus' reindeer can easily pull the sleigh tonight,” said Baby Pinky, as she looked from the window.

”Come, get back into bed!” called Curly Tail, ”or Santa Claus won't come.”

It was close to midnight, and still the snow came down. Outside the Twistytail house, just as outside of every other house where the children believe in Santa Claus, there was heard the ringing of bells. Then some one called:

”Whoa, there, reindeer!”

Then there was a noise in the chimney. Maybe it was the wind, or maybe it was a little bird crawling in to get warm. I don't know.

Anyway, there was a noise, but the piggie children never woke up.

And then--and then--and then--in a little while it was Christmas morning. Somewhere a horn blew. Curly Tail heard it first, and, though it was scarcely daylight, he hopped out of bed.

”Wake up!” he cried, ”Wake up everybody! It's Christmas! Merry Christmas!”

”Merry Christmas!” cried Flop Ear.

”Merry Christmas!” echoed Baby Pinky, and they all rushed downstairs.

”Mercy me!” exclaimed Mrs. Twistytail, rubbing her eyes. ”Christmas so soon?”

”Yes, indeed!” shouted the children. ”Oh, come and see what we have!”

Well, if I were to tell you all that happened at the Twistytail house that day, and about all the presents the children got, I'm sure I would be so long finis.h.i.+ng that you would get hungry. But oh!

everything was lovely!