The little carpenter elves liked to help Father Santa Claus in his big work-shop, as he sawed the wood brought in by the forest elves and brownies, and, with plane and hammer, he made houses for the dolls, chairs and tables and sleds and all kinds of wooden toys. The mountain dwarfs and goblins from the mines brought in the iron ore which they heated red-hot, and they helped Santa Claus make the engines, trains of cars, the automobiles, fire-engines and boats and all the toys of iron and steel. They also brought him gold and silver and sparkling stones, while the water nymphs gave him pearls and coral and softly tinted shells which Santa Claus and his skillful helpers soon made into beautiful jewelry to give to some of the big, grown-up children on Christmas.
“Everybody is a child at this time,� said Santa Claus to his good wife, “and even if people do feel too large to play with dolls and drums, still they must have their trinkets and things to make them happy.�
“Yes,� answered Mrs. Santa Claus, “but we must have useful presents, too, Father.� So she would knit stockings and mitts and make warm caps, hoods and mufflers, new coats and dresses. Then, when the soft skins of animals were brought in, she would make nice fur collars and muffs for the big Mammas, and little fur sets for the little girlies, and then she would take teeny-weeny scraps of fur that were left over, and make fur sets for the dollies. Oh, Mrs. Santa Claus was a very sensible old lady, you may be sure.
Well, I could not begin to take time to tell you about all the marvelous things that were made in that wonderful work-shop, nor how busily Santa Claus worked at his big desk, writing stories while the artist fairies drew the pictures for him, for I do want to tell you how all these fairy helpers gave Santa Claus his Christmas tree.
When, at last, Christmas Eve came, Mother Santa Claus helped Santa Claus bundle up in his big, red cloak and pack his toys in a magic sleigh. Then she gave him a big kiss, and he gave her a big hug and a kiss and said: “Good-bye, Mother, Merry Christmas! I will be back when all is done. Good-bye!�
“‘When all is done’,� said Mrs. Santa Claus, chuckling to herself, “we shall have it all done when he returns. Come, fairies!� and Mrs. Santa Claus, with all the brownies, elves and fairies, went out to the Christmas-tree forest.
The frost fairies selected a tall fir tree which they hung all over with shining, silvery threads of frost, while icicles, hanging from each branch, glimmered and glistened in the moonlight. “What a beautiful tree, frost fairies!� they all cried in a chorus, “But nothing is too good for our dear Father Santa Claus!� Then each put his present on the tree for Santa Claus.
Mrs. Santa Claus had made him a new, beautiful red coat, with a cap to match, and she had trimmed it with soft, white ermine. Some of the tailor fairies had helped her, and they also had made him a new pair of trousers. The little cobbler elves had made him a new pair of tall boots and the glove-makers brought a pair of warm gloves. “We want his fingers to be warm,� they said. Some of the fairies brought some animal skins and made them into a nice fur robe. The water nymphs brought him a new meerschaum pipe with an amber mouth-piece from out the sea, “For,� they said, “he has smoked that old clay one so long that he ought to have a new pipe.�
The forest fairies placed under the tree a wonderful, new magic sleigh, which was much larger than his old one. “He has to carry so much nowadays,� they said. The mountain dwarfs had made for him some new, metal sleigh-bells which jingled out the merriest Christmas music.
Suddenly they heard the old bells tinkling on Santa’s old sleigh and they all rushed back to the house to welcome him home. “What are you doing out here, Mother?� asked Santa Claus, “and all the brownies, elves, fairies, nymphs and mountain dwarfs out here with you? Why, don’t you know this is the time for rest, before we all go to work for another year?�