"The dear child! The children, I believe, really think their toys are alive, and can move about!"
"Of course we can, only you don't know it, and you never see us!" whispered the Stuffed Elephant to himself.
And then he winked one eye at a China Cat—an eye that neither Angelina nor Geraldine saw blinking. Gracious! how surprised the two ladies would have been to see a Stuffed Elephant winking one eye at a China Cat.
But stranger things than that are going to happen, I promise you!
"Be careful, Geraldine! Be careful!" suddenly cried Angelina, as her sister arose from stooping over the box, and started toward the shelves with an armful of toys.
"What's the matter?"
"Why, you nearly stepped on the Stuffed Elephant!"
"Oh, I'm glad that it didn't really happen! We have only one toy like him, and it would never do to have him crushed all out of shape before he is sold for Christmas. I forgot that we left him standing on the floor. Gracious, but he's a big fellow!" she exclaimed.
"I'll lift him up on the shelf," Angelina said.
She picked up the Stuffed Elephant. Really he was one of the largest toys that had ever come from the workshop of Santa Claus. And he was a very finely made toy, only the best cotton and cloth having been used.