the life and adventures of santa clause-第21章

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And　often；　when　parents　were　kind　and　good…natured；　Santa　Claus　would　simply　fling　down　his　package　of　gifts　and　leave　the　fathers　and　mothers　to　fill　the　stockings　after　he　had　darted　away　in　his　sledge。

〃I　will　make　all　loving　parents　my　deputies！〃　cried　the　jolly　old　fellow；　〃and　they　shall　help　me　do　my　work。　　For　in　this　way　I　shall　save　many　precious　minutes　and　few　children　need　be　neglected　for　lack　of　time　to　visit　them。〃

Besides　carrying　around　the　big　packs　in　his　swift…flying　sledge　old　Santa　began　to　send　great　heaps　of　toys　to　the　toy…shops；　so　that　if　parents　wanted　larger　supplies　for　their　children　they　could　easily　get　them；　and　if　any　children　were；　by　chance；　missed　by　Santa　Claus　on　his　yearly　rounds；　they　could　go　to　the　toy…shops　and　get　enough　to　make　them　happy　and　contented。　　For　the　loving　friend　of　the　little　ones　decided　that　no　child；　if　he　could　help　it；　should　long　for　toys　in　vain。　　And　the　toy…shops　also　proved　convenient　whenever　a　child　fell　ill；　and　needed　a　new　toy　to　amuse　it；　and　sometimes；　on　birthdays；　the　fathers　and　mothers　go　to　the　toy…shops　and　get　pretty　gifts　for　their　children　in　honor　of　the　happy　event。

Perhaps　you　will　now　understand　how；　in　spite　of　the　bigness　of　the　world；　Santa　Claus　is　able　to　supply　all　the　children　with　beautiful　gifts。　　To　be　sure；　the　old　gentleman　is　rarely　seen　in　these　days；　but　it　is　not　because　he　tries　to　keep　out　of　sight；　I　assure　you。　Santa　Claus　is　the　same　loving　friend　of　children　that　in　the　old　days　used　to　play　and　romp　with　them　by　the　hour；　and　I　know　he　would　love　to　do　the　same　now；　if　he　had　the　time。　　But；　you　see；　he　is　so　busy　all　the　year　making　toys；　and　so　hurried　on　that　one　night　when　he　visits　our　homes　with　his　packs；　that　he　comes　and　goes　among　us　like　a　flash；　and　it　is　almost　impossible　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　him。

And；　although　there　are　millions　and　millions　more　children　in　the　world　than　there　used　to　be；　Santa　Claus　has　never　been　known　to　complain　of　their　increasing　numbers。

〃The　more　the　merrier！〃　he　cries；　with　his　jolly　laugh；　and　the　only　difference　to　him　is　the　fact　that　his　little　workmen　have　to　make　their　busy　fingers　fly　faster　every　year　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　so　many　little　ones。

〃In　all　this　world　there　is　nothing　so　beautiful　as　a　happy　child；〃　says　good　old　Santa　Claus；　and　if　he　had　his　way　the　children　would　all　be　beautiful；　for　all　would　be　happy。




The　End