"Oh, now I see you!" said the Horse. "But what is the matter? Are you so very old?"
"Oh, yes, I am almost five Christmases old," was the answer. "My two legs are broken, and one of my arms, and the spring by which I used to jump is all worn out. So, as I am no longer of any use in this world, I am in the Attic Home. That is the last resting place of broken toys, you know."
"I have heard of it," said the Rocking Horse rather sadly. "I hope I am not kept here."
"Indeed you will not be," said the old Jumping Jack. "You are new, and are going to enjoy your first Christmas! Ah, how well I remember that! But there is no use worrying. I had some good times, I once made a little boy happy, and now I am content to stay here in the dust and darkness. I shall be glad to know that you are going to have a jolly time."
"Thank you," said the White Rocking Horse.
Then he and the old Jumping Jack talked together for some hours in the attic. All the next day they were together, and the White Rocking Horse told how he had once lived in a big department store, and how he had been given a ride in an automobile. And the Jumping Jack told his story, how he used to leap about and cut funny capers.
The next night, after dark, a light was seen gleaming in the attic. The White Rocking Horse and the Jumping Jack had just begun to talk together, and the Horse was showing his friend how fast he could rock, when they had to stop, because the man came up. The lady was with him.
"Dick and Dorothy are asleep now," said the lady. "We can take the
Rocking Horse down, and leave him for Santa Claus to put under the big
Christmas tree."
"Yes, we can do that," the man said. "And here is an old Jumping Jack.
It is broken, but the paint on it is still gay. I'll dust it off and
take it down for the Christmas tree. It will make it look more jolly."
And to his own great surprise the Jack was taken down with the White
Rocking Horse.
As for the Rocking Horse, so many things happened at once that he hardly knew where one began and the other left off. He saw some gleaming lights and red, blue, green and golden-yellow balls that seemed brighter than the sun. He saw a big, green tree. He saw many toys scattered under it. And one, in particular, made him open his eyes in wonder.