"Well, anyhow," said Whistlebinkie, "you've got heaps of things. Every stocking seems to have been filled."
"True," said the Unwiseman. "But almost entirely with old, cast-off toys. I think it's pretty mean that boys and girls who are not orphans should get all the new toys and that those who are orphans get the broken ones."
Which strikes me as a very wise remark for an unwise man to make.
"Anyhow," continued the Unwiseman, "I'm ruined. I can't sell these toys, and so I've got to go back to apples."
And here he fell to weeping so violently that Mollie and Whistlebinkie stole softly out and went home; but on the way Mollie whispered to Whistlebinkie:
"I'm rather sorry for him; but, after all, it was his own fault. He really did try to deceive Santa Claus."
"Yes," said Whistlebinkie. "That's so. But he was right about the meanness of giving only old toys to orphans."
"Yes, he was," said Mollie.
"Yesindeedy!" whistled Whistlebinkie through his hat, gleefully, for he was very happy, as indeed I should be, if I were an old toy, to hear my little master or mistress say it was mean to give me away.
"By the way," said Mollie. "He seems to have got over his anger with us. I was afraid he wouldn't ever speak to us again after his call."