Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE A NAUGHTY LITTLE GIRL The chair rose off the roof and flew down to a little window. It put two of its legs there and balanced itself most unsafely, flapping its wings all the time so that it wouldn't fall. Binky and the children peered in at the window. Frannie and Tommy always had a night-light, and they could see the room quite clearly. Frannie was asleep in her cot, and Tommy was asleep in his small bed. 'Look! There's Santa's feet coming out of the fireplace!' said Binky excitedly. 'Don't they look funny! And now there's his knees- and his waist- and all of him. It's funny he doesn't get sooty!'

Santa Claus slipped right out of the fireplace and tiptoed to Frannie's bed. There was a stocking hanging at the end. Santa put the oranges, apples, and nuts at the bottom, and then stuffed in the puzzle and the twin dolls. Frannie didn't stir! She was quite sound asleep. Santa Claus went to Tommy next and

filled his stocking too. Then he tiptoed back to the chimney, put his head up, and was soon lost to sight. The wishing-chair flew back to the roof and waited there for Santa. Up he came, puffing and blowing. 'I saw you peeping in at the window!' he said. 'You gave me quite a fright at first. Come along now- to the next house where there are children!'

It was not far off, for Harry and Ronald, two big boys, lived next door! Santa looked them up in his notebook and found that they were good, clever boys. Neither of them had asked for anything in their stockings. They had just left it to Santa Claus to choose for them. 'Now, let me see,' said Santa. 'Clever boys, my notebook says. What about a book on aeroplanes for Harry, and a big meccano set -and a book on ships for Ronald, and a really difficult puzzle? Put your hand in the sack, Peter, and see what you can find! Peter slipped in his hand- and, of course,

he found the books, the meccano, and the puzzle at once! It almost seemed as if the toys arranged themselves just right for Santa Claus! It was part of his magic, Peter supposed. He handed the things out to Santa Claus, and then took apples, nuts, oranges, and a few crackers from the sack too. Santa Claus got off the chair and went down the chimney again. 'Come on, Chair,' said Mollie. 'Let's go and peep in at the window again!' So the chair flew down to the window-sill and tried to balance itself. Harry and Ronald had no night-light, but the moon shone well in at their window, and the children and Binky could easily see what was happening inside.

该页暂无翻译