The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-12-25
WHAT OLD SANTA CLAUS DID
FOR THE ANIMALS

!
through the streets. There were
many people passing TO and fro, but
no one saw him. Large feathery
snowflakes obscured his seligh, and
his eight reindeer were speeding
along as silently as fell the SHOW
flakes. There were no dolls or skates
or sleds or toys of any kind in his
sleigh, because he had just finished
filling the childrens stockings.
Now he had other work to do. So
he gave a little whistle for his rein
dee~ and guided them down a narrow
street to a stable. The hostlers were
asleep. Santa Claus glided past them
into the stalls and quicly heightened
the halters of the horses so that they
could lie down to rest their tired
legs. Fastening from stable TO sta
Bile he went to the harness rooms and
let out the check-Teins and took away
some of the cruel bits. leaving other
bits in their places. He put sugar
and apples into the hangers, and he
gave a double quantity of apples to
the dOcked horses, at the same time
saying: Poor creature, I'm going
to put a stop to this cruel business of
cutting off your beautiful tails"
Then jumping into his sleigh, he
drove to another part of the city,
where he found lame and sick horses.
Taking off his fur mittens he rubbed
the poor animals stiff and aching legs
with liniment, and filled the empty
managers with hay and oats, and in a
jiffy he mended all the loose blind
ers he could find. In an old tumble
down shed he spied a CALLED mule
shivering with the cold Quick as
flash Santa Claus put a blanket on
the half-frozen animal, gave it a bun
die of hay. and nailed boards over
the holes in the sheds.
As this good hearted friend rode
from place to place he threw blan-
ket over every horse that stood eX-
posed to the snow storm in the
streets, and he threw food to all the
stray cats and dogs.
In every house he gave seed and
water to the neglected canaries and
fresh water to the gold-fshes.
The sparrows rOosting under the
caves Of the buildings. and the pig
cons and doves in the church towers
took their heads from under their
wings and saw this merry old elf fly
ing through the air as he threw
shower Of grain to the birds, and in
the twinlling of an eye was out of
sight
Then on he fed to the country farm
yards where he surprised the sleep
ing horses with apples and sugar, and
the cattle and dsheep with chopped
pumpkins and a supply of rock salt.
To the pigs he gave long ears of yell
low corn and he flung a shower of
grain TO the hens, ducks, turkeys,
geese and guinea-fowls.
Having finished his Christmas
round with the domestic animals. San
IA gave a long, shrill whistle, and
away he sped to the woods, where
he found the owls wide awake, watch
ing for him.
Merry Christmas. my wise
friends," cried Santa, tossing pack
ages of meat up into the trees.
''Tu-whit, tu-whOo, a Merry Christ
mas to you" sang back the owls from
far and near.
Santa had been very shy while in
the city and around the farmyards,
but when he reached the woods he
felt perfectly at home. There many
wild animals were waiting for him.
The woods were all aglare with
bright eyes. watching for the Jolly lit
tie man and his reindeer. There was
rustling of little feet, and suddenly
troop of rabbits and wood chucks
appeared close up to Santa Claus's
sleigh, standing on their hind legs TO
| receive heads of cabbage and celery.
The squirrels and chipmunks were
fast asleep, the weather being too
cold for them to be out of their nests,
but kind old Santa dropped nuts into
the hollow trees, a happy surprise for
the little animals.
All the birds were ready for their
Christmas dinner. nor did Santa Claus
even forget the wild bees.They all
wished Canta Claus a Merry Christ
mas and a Happy New Year
MRS. HOWARD TO ENTERTAIN