Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-12-21


'You Had the Toad Brought Here"
the mountain. and then home to Moth
er Gertrude on the heath"
Once more he opened the chest. and
Vigg saw all the wonderful things he
took out. On a big silver platter stood
two thousand warriors On horseback
and on foot, drilling, turning to the
right and left, and the horses were rear
ing and the riders waving their swords.
On another silver platter was the
ocean. with ships upon ii, and guns
pointing from the ships, so thai. when
Santa Claus turned a wheel, they shot
at a castle, which also bristled with
guns. But the third Of the silver
platters was the best Of all. There
sat the king on his throne, and in front
of him stood a wise man and his bu-
glers, and next to them was n mall.
and on the other side OF h mill a
crowd of people, some or whom were
cutting wheat, and there were tailors
and weaverS, and smiths n shoemak-
erS. with tfeir wives and children. Then
Santa Claus pulled n little wheel, n
the king said: Il need some more
warriors" Then he gave a nod TO
the wise man, and he gave n 10 the
buglers. saying, The emperor in the
moon will take our kingdom" When
the people heard that the thrashers
sprang up with their punches OF wheat,
and the smiths with their iron, and
the weavers with their cloth, h tail
ors with their clothes, and the shoe
makers with their shoes-they ran 10
the mill and threw it all in under the
crindStOnes. When. 10! an army OF
warriors sprarg fro / under the stones,
si armed and reauy TO battle for the
king. With these playthings Santa
Clans FASTENED I'D TO the prince, and
back again, Matt and Latt were rearing
| and %nrancing with Impotence.
Santa Claus mounted his sled, and
away they went again through the dark
wood.
Now we are going 10 see the Noun
tain King" said Santa Claus
Vigg was very quiet and
for n while. Then he asked anXlousiy,
is ycur chest empty now
Pretty nearly" said Santa Claus, as
| he put his pipe in his mouth.
You have presents for all the rest
! Haven't you any for me:" asked Nlgs'
p~laintively. hou
oh, you need not be afraid l shall
forget you laughed Santa Claus
Your present is at the bottom or The
oh, please show it to me-" Vigs
Cant YOU wait until you get home
| tomorrow asked Santa Claus. .
No. nc let me see 1t now, salo
yigg.
ion, turning around to his chest anc
pulling from it a pair OF thick wooiel
| stockings.
rs hat allT' asked Vigg.
Aren't you glad to have them !! re
nlied Santa Claus. You ms there
are holes In the ones you have 7.
yes. but Mother Gertrude could have
mended them. You gave the pr1nc'
such fine things. / think you might hav'
something pretty for me. too"
santa Claus did no. say n word, bu
no laid the stockings back in the chest
and blew long whifs of smoke from III
nine. and looked very thoughtful
No n spoke a word for n While
and Wigs thoughts were full OF envy
He was angry that the prince shoul'
have had such beautiful things, an
only the WOODEN stockings were glVei
to him.
Then they came TO a great
with 4 high. straight wall OF rock, an
santa Claus stopped the sled n go
ont and gave an oat cake TO each 0
the four horses, Rapp and Snapp, an
Matt and Latt. Then, taking Nisg ID
the hand. he knocked at the
wall. Ii opened for them, n the
went in.
Tney had taken only a few step
when Vigg became very much l1sn
eneSl. for the inside OF the
seemei 10 nc n dreadfui piace. !
would have been as black as nisht Du
for the light which shone me eye
Of the snakes and toads which Wer
crawling on the walls In the dalh
r~p~eSses among the stones.
II want TO 90 home to MOTHER sal
yigg.
II ,houcht you were a Swedish boy,
rrnlied Santa Glars. And NigS did n'
say a word. -,
How do you ike toads-that on
Cor ,nStanceT' asked Santa Claus art
they had gone on a litGle further. II
nointed TO a green animal which W.
sitting on a stone, with It's round ey'
staring at the boy.
TT Is dreadful" Filtered Nisg.
You had the toad brought here, 7
nlied Santa Claus. do you see no
puffed up he is? That is from eny
You see, you wished you had U
princes gifts, and didn't like n pre-
emit i gave you. A snake or a tos