Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-01-20
CHRISTMAS EVE in THE reLoo


10
Well, said Uncle Tan the next eve
ming, when the children flew out of
that steeple that warm morning on
the twenty-fOurth Of December, they
never stopped to examine the little
village. They sailed away to the North
Pole.
In half an hour they had moved out
Of the warm atmosphere Of the vol
canO, and were getting colder and
colder. By ten o'clock they were too
cold to stay up. They spied village
on the rocky coast Of Greenland, and
they dropped down and walked into
town to get some warmer clothes.
This village was a trading-post.
The eskimos came there to sell skins
and buy things. Most of the people in
the town were Eskimos, but about
seven or nine were Germans. The
Eskimos were amazed to see the chill
dren come walking in.
The children had no trouble get
ting each Of them a suit Of Eskimo
clothes that covered them from head
to foot. The warm, soft skins kept
the cold out amazingly well. They
were furry looking pair, I assure
you. AS for Aristotle, they got for
him the skin Of an Eskimo dog.
The children did not offer the Eskl-
mos money for these clothes, because
up there the Eskimos need something
different. They offered them papers
Of needles and pairs of scissors, and
strings Of beads. It was Sister who
thought to bring these things along,
and Brother told her now that she
was a good thinker. Brother admired
Sister very much.
In their new clothes the children
hurried back to their sled, and mount
ing the carpet, they started northward.
Ii was only noon by the watch, but it
was like evening. You see 1t was up
in the region where the night lasts
about half the year.
They ate their lunch as they moved
along, and then discovered that they
had devOured nearly all their provi-
sions. There was plenty Of tea and
pilot bread, and there was a box Of
pepper, but that was all. Even the
dog biscuit was all gone. Aristotle
had munched the last one about FIVE
minutes before.
"Are you wOrriedT' asked Sister.
'NOt a bit" said Brother, unless 1t
turns out that there isn't any Santa
Claus. If we find him, we can surely
get something to eat"
"Have you told the carpet that we
want to go to Santa ClausT'
"Crickey! believe forgot to-"
"Well, you'd better do 1t. Probably
the carpet knows well enough whether
there really is a Santa Claus, or wheth-
or grown folks just make him up. A
carpet like that certainly ought to
know, for it has been associated with
mRgicians all its life"
Brother looked at Sister with ad-
mIratiOn, both because she had such
good sense and because she could say
such big words.
This now is what Brother said to
the carpet: "Carpet, carpet, we wisl
to visit Santa Claus, If there Is any
Santa Claus. If there is one. will you
please go very fast for a few min,
utes, so that we can knOw?"
The words were hardly out of his
mouth when the carpet gave splen,
did flap, like ships sail in a high
wind. Then it doubled up around
the children and the dog and began
to go so fast that their heads fairly
spun around. You could see plainly
that the carpet was tickled very much
It began to gallop up and down and
| whirl round, and once 1t turned 6
somersault and never spilled them.
Then it spread itself out and was
as peaceful as a lamb. 1t was stand
ing still in the air, quivering like &
bird.
The children looked down and saw
q wonderful sight They were so higf
M that they could see the shape o.
the round earth. In the dusk thC
snowy edge Of it curved up slowly llk'
a bali. Oh, the vast dim white earth
rounding up there to the North Pole
II was beautiful beyond words.
They could see the North Pole. /
was Just long, straight imaginary
line, slender as a sunbeam, which
stuck up through the round earth int
the sky. II you watched it closet!
you could see the earth turn round II
Lower away, you darling old car
pet" said Brother, who always CAV
the commands.