The Story of a Bold Tin Soldier

n such a warm coat, or he might have been frozen stiff. As it was, his wheels and

rkshop after breakfast. There was a hum and a bustle, whis

will soon make a trip to Earth, and I shall need many toys to take with me. I want a big bagful to l

l have them!" cried the merry little men, a

s though in search of something. The little man moved his tools to one

asked Santa Claus, as he p

swered the workman. "I set it over here, but now i

am going soon again. Ha! I know what may have happened," he said suddenly. "The

to raise the sash and poke out his head. He loo

Plush Bear fell out of the window! He isn't hurt a bit! I'll ge

d his men could think of the accident having happened. But we know about th

r and set him on the bench again. "I'm glad to get you back. Only for

after some warm oil had been poured on them that they worked properly again. Then, when th

is ready to take you," said the workman, as he started to make a to

ar brought back into their midst again. But while Saint Nicholas and his helpers were around, not

mended the hole in the ice pane, breathed on by the Eskimo boy, when all was s

at happened? Did yo

e took me to his igloo, but his father would not let him keep me because he

ed the Wax Doll, who was fond of using b

we can have a somersault race. You missed it last n

Bear, and he did, from the time Ski took him aw

id the Wax Doll. "Nothing as strange will happen t

what is going to happen, and the Plush B

ll too soon for the Plush Bear. When he had fi

ve a game

phant. The Elephant was so large and such a slow chap that he was it for a long time. He could hardly tag any one, not even the

hile. "I can't catch any of you! Let's play hide

t was almost morning, and time for Santa Claus and his men t

ed up and down among the ben

aus. "Get ready all the toys you can, and I w

ery much excited, wondering who wo

ll, the Flannel Pig, and the Elephant. I want a lot of other dolls, plenty of drums, some Jumping Jacks, some Jacks in the Box, some toy soldiers, some toy e

h by one of the workmen and put in a b

e been afraid. His last glimpse was of the Wax Doll. She, too, was we

h of Santa Claus. "But some of them are coming with me, that's a comfort. We shall not have room to move around, though, and ha

rry jingle of bells, and Sant

there, Dashaway! Wa

the Wax Doll, through the side of

. "I hope I am not made seasick

h of Santa Claus is not a boa

ndeer shook their heads, making the bells jingle more merrily than

ice! Over the snow! Do

d themselves being swiftly carried through the cold air.

tell you here. Enough to say that, unlike the Nodding Donkey, they suffered no accident. None of them was tossed out into a drift of snow.

a long time, so, at least, it seemed to him, the Plush

that Eskimo boy caught me again, and is he taking me to his

f the Plush Bear came from the electric lights of a large store, where he was being unpacked, together

And it's the kind you wind up! O

whiskered old man, who was helping two women lift the toys out of the big

" said Angelina, laughing. "But he

ld gentleman. "What have you, Gera

But he doesn't wind up. However,

ow windows for the Christmas trade. The Plush Bear must sur

he very place I most wanted to come to," thought t

ad he would have seen in white let

TIO

DE

d this to tell him he was in t

e, I hope, and I shall have more

ed safely on a shelf, and the unpacking of the toys went on. It was evening, and the store wa

have a chance to talk to her and his other friends from the shop of Santa Claus when, all

g noise, then several bumps,

t's that?" exc

whistling, to tell us there i

g to break in to take the n

d started toward the back of the store. As he did so the noise became louder; bum

happening?" thou