The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-23

afternoon, Santa. It's pleasant day,
isn't it,"
"Not for me-" he replied. "Here
I've come way down from the North
on my annual Christmas trip, and ]
surely have had bad luck ever since
started. Before / started, even. You
see my reindeer run loose up there ten
months of the year. Then about
November first / go out and catch
them and break them in again to
draw my sleigh"
ooh, Santa" saidy please do tell
me why you don't use an auto-I've
often wanted to know"
"Well, that's just what Mrs. Santa
wants me to do-says an auto would
be more up-to-date-but l just won't
do it. l like a sleigh. If l got an
auto I'd have to sell my reindeer and
l can't bear to do that. No, it's 8
sleigh for me, style or no style.
"But l was telling you about
breaking in my reindeer. You see
they get so wild during those ten
months that when / do catch them I
have to keep them tied to the North
Pole when I'm not training them 20
draw the sleigh, or they'd run
away. Yes, really, do tie them to
the North Pole. suppose you know
that the Pole sticks right out of the
earth up where live. Well, what Dc
you think? This year a part Of the
Pole happened to crack-it's just
made of ice-and three reindeer got
away. So then l had to go catch
them again-not no easy job.
That was just the beginning OF
my bad luck. Next thing that hap
pened, my wife ran out Of material
for stuffing dolls-oh, yes, she always
helps me get ready for Christmas, I
couldn't do it all alone.
"Well, as l was saying, she ran OUT
of stuffing for the dolls. Said she
thought she had plenty. but it SEEM
ed to disappear, and one day she
found out what the trouble was.
Three of the reindeer-it seems their
ropes were too long-had their
heads in through the window Of the
building where we keep our stock OF
materials, and were chewing up the
very last doll stuffing They thought
it was dried reindeer moss, / suppose.
Reindeer moss is what they live on
under the snow.
"Wel, Mrs. Santa was mad-yes,
she was. She's usually pretty good
natured, but as Christmas draws
near both she and l are apt to be
rather cross-we do get so tired
trying to fill all the last-minutes or
ders.
$50, as l was saying, Mrs. Santa
was mad! She whipped the rein
deer, shortened their ropes, then sent
me hustling right out to dig moss
from in under the snow, so she coui l
get it dried and use it in place Of the
better material she had lost.
"Next thing that happened was af l..
ter got started on my way South
that was two days ago. You see !
happened to start early, so that /
can 60 the rounds before Christmas
Day is over. Sometimes your pres
ents arrive a few days ahead of
time, don't they? Well, that's how
it happens.
"But l started to tell you what
! trouble / had on the day down here.
One Of my reindeer-that big fellow
on the off side-slipped on the slop-
ing side of an iceberg and down he
went, flat as pancake. And it was
quite a while before l could get hin,
up and start on again. You see, I
have to have my reindeer shod-do
it myself, usually. Didn't you ever
know that before? Well, how in the
world did you suppose my reindeer
managed to keep their footing on thu
icebergs Of the North and on these
icy roofs down here? Of course they
have to be shod. Sharp shod, at that.
But this one that slipped-I found
he'd lost shoe, and as I didn't have
an extra one along, I've had to drive
more slowly than usual My reindeer
usually go like the wind
"And now what do you suppose has
happened? One Of my runners has
broken. Guess I'd better get to
work and fix it right now; instead of
talking so much. That's one of my
faults. Mrs. Santa says could talk
a horn off of wooden reindeer"
So Santa went down to his rein.
deer, and l went along with him.
Well, do you know, he cut down one
of our native cedars and made new
runner in less than no time.
But l was so glad that before he
started on, he had another spell OF
talking.
He told me all about Mrs. Santa
Claus and the three little Clauses,
Santa, Jr., Aurora and Borealis, one
boy and two girls. l never had
known before that Santa had FAM
ily-Td always supposed that he was
a bachelor, he's always so jolly. Well,
it seems that Mrs. Santa makes the
dolls and dresses them, while the
three children make such presents as
toy bedroom sets, dishes, drums, etc.
The dishes are made out of ice, and
then the ice is hardened into tin OF
chinaware by a process known only
to the Claus family. Most of tbs
gifts for boys Santa makes himself
And he does get so tired of even see
ing skates, sleds, tobogganS, skis