CHRISTMAS

THE CHILD WHO SAW SANTA CLAUS

There was, once upon a time, a child who wanted very much to see Santa
Claus; just as every other child has always wanted to see him.

So the Child listened at the chimney for Santa Claus, and watched for
him when sleighs flew by over the snowy streets, and wanted to touch
his rosy cheeks and his red cloak trimmed with white fur.

"I am old enough now to see Santa Claus," the Child said. That was
quite true, because he was seven years old. "Show him to me, mother,"
he begged.

"Oh, I cannot do that," the Child's mother said. "I can tell you about
Santa Claus but I cannot show you his face."

"May I go out and look for Santa Claus, myself, then?" the Child
asked. "This is the day before Christmas and if I do not see him
to-day, you know I shall have to wait a whole year."

"Yes, you may go out and look for Santa Claus," the Child's mother
said, and she brought him his warm coat and cap and his red mittens;
"but do not go too far away from home, for Santa Claus stays very
close to the homes where there are children on Christmas Eve," she
added.

So the Child started out. He was very sure that he would know Santa
Claus when he saw him. Ever since he was a very little boy he had seen
pictures of Santa Claus. He would be a jolly, fat little old man with
twinkling eyes and a nose like a cherry. He would wear a long red
cloak and, perhaps, he would be in his toy shop making toys, of which
he would give the child a great many. Or he would be driving his
sleigh full of toys through the city, and the Child would know that he
was coming by the tinkling sound of his silver bells.

At the gate the Child met his grandfather. He was a very old man with
white hair and spectacles. But he could play horse as well as the
Child, and all the Child's nicest toys, the stone blocks, and the
train with tracks, and all the rest, his grandfather had given him.
Now, his grandfather's arms were full of fat, mysterious parcels. One
parcel bulged as if it were a toy fire engine, and another parcel
bulged as if it were a baseball mask, and a ball, and gloves.

"Where are you going?" the Child's grandfather asked.

"I am going to see Santa Claus," the Child answered.

The grandfather smiled until his blue eyes shone. "Will you know Santa
Claus when you see him?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," the Child said. "Santa Claus is an old man with white hair,
and twinkling eyes, and a nose like a cherry-