"goodness me! this is a lot of excitement for one who has just come to life and had his first coat of varnish!" thought the nodding donkey as he saw what seemed to be a sad accident about to happen. "i wonder if i could do anything to help save the spotted giraffe? i must try to do all i can. it will be the first time i have ever moved all by myself."
"stand aside, if you please! i'll save the spotted giraffe!" suddenly called a voice, and from a shelf just underneath the one from which the rolling elephant had pulled the long-necked creature there stepped a jolly fisherman. this toy fisherman had a large net for catching crabs [pg 14]or lobsters, and he held it out for the spotted giraffe to fall into.
down the giraffe fell, but he landed in the net of the jolly fisherman, just as a circus performer falls into a net from a high trapeze, and he was not harmed.
"dear! i'm glad you caught me," said the giraffe, after he had managed to climb out of the net to the top of a work table which ran under all the shelves.
"yes, i got there just in time," replied the jolly fisherman, as he slung his net over his shoulder again.
"and i'm very sorry i pulled you from the shelf," said the rolling elephant. "i didn't mean to do it, mr. giraffe."
"well, as long as no harm is done, we'll forget all about it and have some fun," put in the plush bear. "this doesn't happen every night," the bear went on, speaking to the nodding donkey. "you must not get the idea that it is dangerous here."
"oh, no, i think it's a very nice place,"[pg 15] the nodding donkey answered. "it's my first day here, you see."
"oh, yes, it's easy to see that," said the china cat. "you are so new and shiny any one would know you were just made. well, now what shall we do? who has a game to suggest or a riddle to ask?" and, as she spoke, she put out her paw and began to roll a red rubber ball on the shelf near her. for, though she was very stiff in the daytime, being made of china like a dinner plate, the cat could easily move about at night if no human eyes watched her.
"let's play a guessing game," suggested the rolling elephant, who, by this time had managed to get down to the table without upsetting any more of the toys. "if we play tag or hide and go seek, i'm so big and clumsy i may knock over something and break it."
"that's so—you might," growled the plush bear, but, though he spoke in a growling voice he was not at all cross. it [pg 16]was just his way of talking. "well, what sort of a guessing game do you want to play, mr. elephant?"
"i'll think of something, and you must all see if you can guess what it is."
"that's too hard a game," objected the china cat. "there are so many things you might think of."
"well, i'll give you a little help," returned the rolling elephant. "i'm thinking of something that goes up and down and also sideways."
for a moment none of the toys spoke. then, all of a sudden, the plush bear cried:
"you're thinking of the nodding donkey! his head goes up and down and also sideways."
"that's right!" admitted the rolling elephant. "i didn't imagine you'd guess so soon. now it's your turn to think of something."
"let's have the nodding donkey give [pg 17]the next question," suggested the china cat. "it's his birthday, you know, and we ought to help him remember it."
"go ahead! give us something to guess, nodding donkey!" growled the plush bear.
"let me think," said the new toy, slowly. "ah, i have it! what am i thinking of that is like a snowball and has two eyes?"
"a snowman!" guessed a wax doll.
"no," said the nodding donkey, laughing.
"a polar bear," suggested the rolling elephant.
"no," said the donkey again.
then the toys thought very hard.
"is it a rubber doll?" asked a jack in the box. "no, it couldn't be that," he went on, "for a rubber doll isn't as white as a snowball. i give up!"
"but i don't!" suddenly cried a tin soldier. "you were thinking of our[pg 18] white china cat, weren't you?" he asked.
"yes," answered the nodding donkey, "i was. you have guessed it!"
"now it's the tin soldier's turn to give us something to guess," said the elephant. "oh, we're having lots of fun!"
and so the toys were. all through the night they played about in the north pole workshop of santa claus. when it was nearly morning the nodding donkey spoke to the plush bear, asking:
"where is this earth place, that santa claus said he was going to take some of us?"
"oh, my! don't ask me," said the plush bear. "i've never been down to earth, though i know packs and packs of toys have been taken there. but it must be a real jolly sort of place, for every time santa claus goes there he comes back laughing and seems very happy. then he loads up some more toys to take there."
"i think i should like to go," murmured the nodding donkey. "how does one [pg 19]go—in one of the toy trains of cars i see on the shelves?"
"oh, my, no!" laughed the plush bear. "santa claus takes the toys to earth in his sleigh, drawn by reindeer."
"oh, how wonderful!" brayed the donkey. "i wonder if i shall soon take that wonderful voyage. i hope i may!"
"hush!" suddenly called the rolling elephant. "santa claus and the workmen are coming in and they must not see us at our make-believe play. quick! to your shelves, all of you!"
such a scramble as there was on the part of the toys! some helped the others to climb up, and just as the last of them, including the nodding donkey, were safely in place, the door of the shop opened and in came santa claus and his men.
then such a bustling about as there was! and from outside the shop could be heard the jingle of bells.
"those must be the reindeer," thought the nodding donkey. "oh, what a jolly [pg 20]time i shall have if i ride in the sleigh with santa claus!"
never was there such a busy time in the shop of santa claus! jolly st. nicholas himself hurried here and there, helping his men pick up different toys which were put in a big bag. one of the men stopped in front of the nodding donkey.
"shall i put this chap in, santa claus?" the man inquired.
"is the varnish dry?" asked st. nicholas.
"yes," answered the little man, testing it lightly with his finger.
"then put him in," said santa claus. "i'll take the nodding donkey to earth with me."
"oh, joy! now i shall have some adventures! now i shall see what the earth is like!" thought the nodding donkey.
a moment later he was picked up, wrapped in soft paper, and thrust into a bag.
[pg 21]
"oh, how very dark it is here," said the donkey in a whisper.
"hush!" whispered a jumping jack near him. "don't talk! santa claus might hear you. he has very sharp ears. you'll be all right. it is no darker than night."
more toys, all carefully wrapped, came tumbling into the bag, and the merry jingle of bells grew louder. then the voice of santa claus could be heard shouting:
"hi there, dasher! stand still, prancer! whoa, blitzen! what's the matter, comet? are you anxious to get to earth again? well, we'll soon start. steady there, cupid! whoa!"
"he's talking to his reindeer," whispered the jumping jack.
suddenly the toys in the big sack felt themselves being picked up. santa claus had slung them over his back to carry out to the sleigh. a moment later the nodding donkey felt a breath of cold air strike [pg 22]him, but he did not mind, as he had on a warm coat of varnish.
up and down, and from side to side the toys in the bag felt themselves being jostled, until they were set down in the big sleigh.
"all aboard!" called santa claus, as he took his seat and gathered up the reins. "come, dasher! on, prancer! hi, donner and blitzen! down to earth you go with the christmas toys!"
there was another jolly jingle of bells, and the toys felt themselves being whisked away over the snow. there was a little hole in the bag near the nodding donkey, and also a hole in the paper in which he was wrapped. he could look out, and on every side he saw big piles of snow. snow was also falling from the clouds.
on and on rushed the sleigh of santa claus, drawn by the eight reindeer. over the clouds and drifts of snow, and through the white flakes they rushed, the sleigh-bells playing a merry tune.
[pg 23]
"oh, this is a wonderful voyage!" thought the nodding donkey. "i wonder when i shall reach the earth?"
suddenly there was a hard shock. the sleigh stopped as santa claus shouted, and then, all at once, the nodding donkey felt himself shooting out of the hole in the bag. into a deep snowdrift he fell, and there he stuck, head down and feet up in the air!
[pg 24]
