DECEMBER 1: The Toy-Shop
“Why, here we are again,” said the first toy to the second toy as they looked at each other on a counter in the shop, for they had met before in Santa’s workshop.
“Oh!” continued the first toy. “A child is coming to look at us! Oh, there are ever so many children coming into the shop, and there are grown-ups too, and their voices—oh, aren’t their voices nice! They sound so merry and so happy and as if they loved each other and the whole world.
“I’m being bought, I do believe,” the first toy added.
“Oh, so am I,” said the second toy. “I’m going to be wrapped up.”
“We must be going to be presents from the mothers and daddies of the children as Santa will come to get most of these toys just before Christmas.”
“Good-by,” said the second toy; “merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” said the first toy. “Oh see! How the children are standing outside that window looking at the tree with all our friends upon it!
“Wouldn’t you think the window would break? See their faces right against the window pane.”
And as Santa Claus heard the reports of the pleasure of the children over this year’s toys, he smiled to himself and said:
“That is all I want as a reward for my work!”