Mr. and Mrs. Percy had seven grandchildren, all very pretty and very good. These children did not all have the same father and mother—that is, Mr. and Mrs. Percy's eldest son had three children, whose names were Mary, and Carry, and Thomas; and one of their daughters was married, and had three children—their names were Willy, and Bella, and Fanny; and their youngest son was married and had one child. Her name was Sarah. She was the youngest of the children, and they all loved her very much, and her Grandma made a great pet of her.
The children and their parents had been invited to eat a Christmas dinner with their Grandma, and they had been promised a little dance in the evening. Even little Sarah was to go, and stay to the ball, as she called it. They were glad, for they liked to go to their dear Grandma's very much.
At last Christmas came. It was a bright, frosty day; the icicles that hung from the iron railing, sparkled as the sun shone upon them, and the little boys in the streets made sliding ponds of the gutters, and did not mind a bit when they came down on their backs, but jumped up and tried it again; and a great many people were hurrying along with large turkeys to cook for their Christmas dinner, and everybody looked very happy indeed.
After these children, about whom I am telling you, came back from church, they were dressed very nicely, and although they lived in three different houses, they all got to their Grandma's very nearly at the same time. The first thing they did was to run up to their Grandma, and wish her a merry Christmas, and kiss her, and say that they hoped she felt quite well. Then they did the same to their Grandpa and Aunties, for they had two dear, kind aunts, who lived with their Grandparents. Then they all hugged and kissed each other, and jumped about so much, that some kissed noses and some kissed chins, and little Sarah was almost crazy with delight, for she had never been to so large a party before.
"Grandma," said Willy, "I hung up my stocking last night, and what do you think I got in it?"
His Grandma guessed that he got a birch-rod.
"No," said Willy, laughing, "I got a doughnut in the shape of a monkey with a long tail; I ate the monkey for my breakfast, and it was very good indeed."
The children all laughed at this, and Bella, Willy's sister, who was the oldest of all the children, said she thought Willy had a monkey-look about him. So he went by the name of the monkey-eater for the rest of the day.
Soon the bell rang for dinner, and they all went down stairs; for the children and grown people were to dine together. It was now quite dark, and the chandelier that hung over the table was lighted, the curtains were drawn close, the fire burnt brightly, and the table-cloth was so white and fine that it looked like satin.
The happy party sat down at a large round table, and the children's eyes looked so bright and their cheeks so rosy, that it was the pleasantest sight in the world to see. Little Sarah could not help having a great many little laughs all to herself. She could not keep them in. She was only four years old, so you may suppose she could not look very grave and stiff on such a delightful occasion.