m, got up on the Spinning Wheel and rode with the Rat.
The Elephant wanted to have this fun, but he was too large to get on the
wheel.

"Besides," he said, "something might happen to my trunk." He was very
proud of his trunk and his tusks, was the Stuffed Elephant.

Several days passed, during which the toys had to remain hidden in the
attic, waiting for Christmas. They did not mind it, however, as they
were left to themselves and could have fun.

At last, however, Christmas eve came, and when the house was quiet and
still, when Santa Claus was on his way flying over the chimneys with his
sleigh and eight reindeer, the Stuffed Elephant and the other toys were
carried down to the parlor and placed beneath the Christmas tree.

And when Christmas morning came Archie Dunn came racing downstairs, in
his little pajamas, crying:

"Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas! What did Santa Claus leave for me?"

"Go and look," replied his mother.

When Archie saw all his toys, but especially the Stuffed Elephant, the
little boy shouted and clapped his hands for joy and cried:

"Oh, what a lovely Christmas! Oh, I always wanted a Stuffed Elephant,
and now I have it! Oh, what a fine, big Elephant you are!"

He threw his arms around the stuffed creature's neck and hugged him so
hard that the cotton stuffing almost oozed out of the Elephant's ears.

"I hope he doesn't squeeze me any harder," thought the Elephant, though
he dared not so much as give a trumpet sound, and as for saying
anything or waving his trunk--that was not to be thought of!

For Archie was there, and his sister Elsie, and Mr. and Mrs. Dunn and
the servants--a room full of people--and of course the Elephant had to
remain quiet.

"Look at my new Dollie!" called Elsie to Archie, and it is a good thing
the little boy had something else to look at, or he might have kept on
squeezing the Elephant until he was out of shape.

"Yes, your Dollie is nice, but I like my Elephant better," said Archie.

"Elephants is for boys an' Dollies is for girls; isn't they, Daddy?"
asked Elsie.

"I guess that's right," replied Mr. Dunn. "But get dressed now,
children, and have breakfast. Then you may play with your toys."

Archie and Elsie were so excited over Christmas that they did not want
to stop to dress, or even eat. But they managed to get some clothes on,
eat a little, and then they started again to play with the many presents
Santa Claus had brought them.

About ten o'cl