3.  The Deputies of Santa Claus

  However, there was one evil following in the path of
civilization that caused Santa Claus a vast amount of trouble
before he discovered a way to overcome it.  But, fortunately,
it was the last trial he was forced to undergo.

  One Christmas Eve, when his reindeer had leaped to the top of
a new building, Santa Claus was surprised to find that the
chimney had been built much smaller than usual.  But he had no
time to think about it just then, so he drew in his breath and
made himself as small as possible and slid down the chimney.

  "I ought to be at the bottom by this time," he thought, as he
continued to slip downward; but no fireplace of any sort met
his view, and by and by he reached the very end of the
chimney, which was in the cellar.

  "This is odd!" he reflected, much puzzled by this experience. 
"If there is no fireplace, what on earth is the chimney good
for?"

  Then he began to climb out again, and found it hard work--the
space being so small.  And on his way up he noticed a thin,
round pipe sticking through the side of the chimney, but could
not guess what it was for.

  Finally he reached the roof and said to the reindeer:

  "There was no need of my going down that chimney, for I could
find no fireplace through which to enter the house.  I fear
the children who live there must go without playthings this
Christmas."

  Then he drove on, but soon came to another new house with a
small chimney.  This caused Santa Claus to shake his head
doubtfully, but he tried the chimney, nevertheless, and found
it exactly like the other. Moreover, he nearly stuck fast in
the narrow flue and tore his jacket trying to get out again;
so, although he came to several such chimneys that night, he
did not venture to descend any more of them.

  "What in the world are people thinking of, to build such
useless chimneys?" he exclaimed.  "In all the years I have
traveled with my reindeer I have never seen the like before."

  True enough; but Santa Claus had not then discovered that
stoves had been invented and were fast coming into use.  When
he did find it out he wondered how the builders of those
houses could have so little consideration for him, when they
knew very well it was his custom to climb down chimneys and
enter houses by way of the fireplaces. Perhaps the men who
built those houses had outgrown their own love for toys, and
were indifferent whether Santa Claus called on their children
or not.  Whatever the explanation might be, the poor children
were forced to bear the burden of grief and disappointment.

  The following year Santa Claus found more and more of the
new-fashioned chimneys that had no fireplaces, and the next
year still more.  The third year, so numerous had the narrow
chimneys become, he even had a few toys left in his sledge
that he was unable to give away, because he could not get to
the children.

  The matter had now become so serious that it worried the good
man greatly, and he decided to talk it over with Kilter and
Peter and Nuter and Wisk.

  Kilter already knew something about it, for it had been his
duty to run around to all the houses, just before Christmas,
and gather up the notes and letters to Santa Claus that the
children had written, telling what they wished put in their
stockings or hung on their Christmas trees.  But Kilter was a
silent fellow, and seldom spoke of what he saw in the cities
and villages.  The others were very indignant.

  "Those people act as if they do not wish their children to be
made happy!" said sensible Peter, in a vexed tone.  "The idea
of shutting out such a generous friend to their little ones!"

  "But it is my intention to make children happy whether their
parents wish it or not," returned Santa Claus.  "Years ago,
when I first began making toys, children were even more
neglected by their parents than they are now; so I have
learned to pay no attention to thoughtless or selfish parents,
but to consider only the longings of childhood."

  "You are right, my master," said Nuter, the Ryl; "many
children would lack a friend if you did not consider them, and
try to make them happy."

  "Then," declared the laughing Wisk, "we must abandon any
thought of using these new-fashioned chimneys, but become
burglars, and break into the houses some other way."

  "What way?" asked Santa Claus.

  "Why, walls of brick and wood and plaster are nothing to
Fairies. I can easily pass through them whenever I wish, and
so can Peter and Nuter and Kilter.  Is it not so, comrades?"

  "I often pass through the walls when I gather up the letters,"
said Kilter, and that was a long speech for him, and so
surprised Peter and Nuter that their big round eyes nearly
popped out of their heads.

  "Therefore," continued the Fairy, "you may as well take us
with you on your next journey, and when we come to one of
those houses with stoves instead of fireplaces we will
distribute the toys to the children without the need of using
a chimney."

  "That seems to me a good plan," replied Santa Claus, well
pleased at having solved the problem.  "We will try it next
year."

  That was how the Fairy, the Pixie, the Knook and the Ryl all
rode in the sledge with their master the following Christmas
Eve; and they had no trouble at all in entering the
new-fashioned houses and leaving toys for the children that
lived in them.

  And their deft services not only relieved Santa Claus of much
labor, but enabled him to complete his own work more quickly
than usual, so that the merry party found themselves at home
with an empty sledge a full hour before daybreak.

  The only drawback to the journey was that the mischievous Wisk
persisted in tickling the reindeer with a long feather, to see
them jump; and Santa Claus found it necessary to watch him
every minute and to tweak his long ears once or twice to make
him behave himself.

  But, taken all together, the trip was a great success, and to
this day the four little folk always accompany Santa Claus on
his yearly ride and help him in the distribution of his gifts.

  But the indifference of parents, which had so annoyed the good
Saint, did not continue very long, and Santa Claus soon found
they were really anxious he should visit their homes on
Christmas Eve and leave presents for their children.

  So, to lighten his task, which was fast becoming very
difficult indeed, old Santa decided to ask the parents to
assist him.

  "Get your Christmas trees all ready for my coming," he said to
them; "and then I shall be able to leave the presents without
loss of time, and you can put them on the trees when I am
gone."

  And to others he said: "See that the children's stockings are
hung up in readiness for my coming, and then I can fill them
as quick as a wink."

  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
knownto 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.