Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-01-13


for a little ride"
The carpet seemed to understand the
joke, and instantly rose up before the
grOwn-ups could escape. The chill
dren felt their parents arms tighten
around them to keep them from fall
ing off. But of course you and ]
know that this was quite unneces-
sary. If you only sat reasonably still,
you were perfectly safe on the car
pet. To tell you the truth, the car
pet had grown so fond of the children
that If they had tried to jump Of, l
think 1t would have curled up around
them and tried to stop them.
Mamma said a great many little
"Qh's" and "Ah's," as the carpet went
sailing off with her. But papa never
said a word. The carpet took them as
far as town, where they could look
down and see the little midgets in the
streets-Of course I mean the people
and then it returned and descended
into the grove.
This trip convinced the parents that
their children were reasonably safe
on the carpet. After that they let
them go off frequently.
The family went back to Boston and
the children entered school. It seemed
to be little hard for them to study.
fear their minds were too often busv
with thoughts Of the carpet. But they
knew very well that unless they at
tended to their useful studies, the
magic thing would fly away some
night and never come back. There
fore they studied hard and took no
trips at all until the Christmas vaca-
ton.
The vacation began FIVE days before
Christmas. The children had finished
making their presents to give away,
and now they had nothing to do. 1t
was cold weather, but they longed for
a trip on the carpet.
They leased their parents to let
them go off on a journey and not come
back until Christmas day. The Christ
mas celebration was to be at Grand
fathers in the country, and the chill
dren said that If they were allowed to
go on the journey tAey would appear
on the farm on Christmas morning at
nine o'clock, and maybe earlier. You
see, they always had their presents at
nine o'clock.
At first, papa wouldn't listen to the
asking. "You would freeze to DEATH"
he said.
The children marched upstairs and
put on the. furs that their Cowboy Rel
alive sent them the last Christmas.
They looked like Arctic travellers when
they came down and stood before
their father. They had leggins and
overshoes and everything.
"Well, I had forgotten those things"
said papa. LET me see those nit
tens"
He looked at the warm fur mittens
and gave them back.
"You may try it," he said. "And
just remember that if some policeman
picks you up frozen stiff and dead
and sends you here for a Christmas
present, will spank you SO hard that
you will come to life again."
"Hooray!" said both of the chill
dren, and went and kissed their fond
and foolish father.
Then they went upstairs and talked
about where to go.
They had a long cOnfab, and this
was what they finally decided to do:
To to visit Santa Claus, and to go
by way of Iceland.
I will now tell you of the two nights
they spent in Iceland, and tomorrow
I will tell you of their visit to Santa
Claus.
Tonight's story is called The Smile
of the Wooden Whale, but it was not
until the second night in Iceland that
the Wooden Whale smiled. Why he
smiled 1 will tell you when we come
to 1t.
The children spent all day in get
ting ready to go. Sister made a suit
of warm clothes for Aristotle and
sewed it on him.
Brother went shopping. "What
kind of canned food shall buy?" he
asked. "Shall buy some pemmicanP
"What is pemmican"
at is stuff that Arctic explorers
eat. 1t is made Of ground-up dried
meat and other things. It takes up
very little room and it is very nour-
ishing."
"By all means get some" said Sis
ter. Brother had hard time to find
any pemmican in Boston, but he did
find some.
The very first thing that he bought,
though, was present for Santa Claus.
1t was a pipe. He had read in poem
that Santa Claus carried "the stump
of a pipe" in his teeth, and 1t oc-
Cured to him that so kind an old fairy
If he must smoke-needed new
pipe to smoke with.
Among other things that he got he
bought an alcohol lamp and cunning
little silver dish to boil water in. This
was to make tea in, or boil eggs in.
or do any other little task of cook
ing in.
In the morning they packed up the