The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-22
Jin,n,ieboy's Tool Chest
A Tale of Christmas Night
By John Kendrick Bangs (Copyright 1907 by J. K. Bangs)

little hole just below the sash in the south nursery window that don't be- Iieve came there all by itself, but I didn't see him do it, so can't say pos itively whether he did no not--what do know Is that the gimlet and the lit- tie hole were a perfect fit, which, in addition to the fact that there were no mosquitoes around to bore hole like that at that time of year, was very suspicious.
 At any rate. things so happened that when nightfall arrived neither Jimmie boy nor the tool-chest had had fair chance to make a working acquaint- ance with each other, which even the tools themselves realized for strange to relate. just after supper, when their owner was engaged in Q rather fierce contest with the Sandman. Jimmieboy heard the Hammer remark that if all Christmases were as dull as this one he for one would rather be snow-shovel.
 Jimmieboy rubbed his eyes with as- tonishment, and failed to notice a grin on the face of the Sandman. What kind of a Hammer was this, pray, that it could talk?
 You're perfectly right" replied the Saw. q never sawed suqh a day. I'd rather spend my time att the dentists 8 having every one of my teeth filled than just sit around all day doing nothing at all"
 They haven't even fed us." growled the Hatchet. When have to go with out chop it makes me feelSso dull" Such bully day out too'" said the Screw-Driver with sigh. There's nothing I'd have liked better than to hitch up a couple of screws to cutter and drive 'em off into the country for ten n-mile tufn." "Td rather drive a team of nails." put in thee Hammer. They go much straighter. Screws are too twisty for me. They make me dizzy, twirlins around the way they do."
 "Yes-but they're faster in the end, said the Screw Driver. Then you have to keep knocking the nails to make 'em go, and I think that's tiresome, Il makes me shiver when ] see you nit- l ting those poor nails on the head the | way you do, but with well trained screw just a turn of the hand makes | him go just where you want him to "You're too tender hearted, said the | Hammer Nails are naturally lazy | and you have to whack 'em to get then | to do any work at all" l well, I'm just bored to death. sait the Auger T feel like taking the pi' | in by teeth and bolting.'
 That's because you haven't had | chance to bore anybody else. opserVee | the Jack-Plane sarcastically.
 Well" returned the Auger. Il don 1 need a shave the way you do.' Whereupon all the tools burst into l Ioar of laughter in which even th' Jack-Plane himself joined.
 l q move we do something" said th' Hammer. after the merriment had sun | sided. I'm ready for a strike 1 I'm with you" said the Claw-Ha mer "Ill pull up stakes and go in fo anything"
 we might build a house" suggested the Chisel. There's a first class plac'
 for one out there on the lawn wher'
 the snow has been blown off,"
 The tools all clambered out or tn chest and, to Jimmieboy's further de
 light, swarmed up to the window-sil
 and lool, cd out.
 Fine" cried the Hammer. Just tn
 thing. The snow has stopped comih' | down and the moons out"
 "Hooray" shouted the Saw, grinnint
 with joy, so that every tooth in hi had was visible. "It'll be such lark! And then began such merry scram
 ble as Jimmieboy had never seen be
 fore--and oh what awful things the did, too. Tn a minute. with the aid o
 the Chisei, they had pried open tn
 window and one and all disappeare