“That’s not much like Christmas, is it, Uncle Joab? Not much ‘good-will’ when you don’t know your neighbors.”
The old darky grunted, then he chuckled.
“’Pears to me it’s de critters dat get on yeah more folksy den de real folks—an’ dat put me in mind of a story my mammy used to tell me when I was your size.”
David beamed.
“Will you tell it, Uncle Joab?”
“Co’se I’ll tell it, honey.” And putting the fiddle down beside his chair he began:
“I reckon you think dat de jolly ole saint wif de red nose an’ de dimple somewhas ’twixt his mouf an’ his ears only ’members de chillun at Chris’mus. An’ dat’s not de trouf. Dere was one Chris’mus long time ago, after Pharoe’s daughter found Moses in de bull-grass an’ ’fo’ Christoper Columbus went a-sailin’ ’round to find dis yeah country, dat ole man Santy gib a Chris’mus to de critters. An’ dis was de way of it.
“In dose days dere warn’t de chilluns dere is now. Dey warn’t so plentiful an’ dey warn’t so perticular; an’ each one warn’t lookin’ fer a whole shed full o’ toys jest fer hisself. No, sir, honey! He was bustin’ wif tickle if he got one gif’ an’ some barley sugar. An’ what’s more, dey wasn’t so pernicity ’bout what dey got. De dolls didn’t have to walk an’ talk an’ act like real folks an’ de trains didn’t have to go by demselves. An’ everything bein’ so comf’able an’ easy, ole Santy could tote de pack o’ toys ’round hisself on his back an’ be home a good two hour ’fo’ daylight, wif nothin’ to do de rest o’ de day but set ’round an’ think.
“Wall, in dose days, honey, de folks doan’t pester de critters wif workin’ dem all de time. No, sir! Dey work dem when dey need dem, an’ de balance o’ de time de critters trope ’round free an’ easy-like. Folks wasn’t cotchin’ de cur’ous ones to put in de menageries an’ de circuses, nor de furry ones to trim up de ladies wif. Times was pleasant an’ comf’able fer every one.
“Now it transmigrate one day when ole Santy was a-settin’ an’ rumminatin’ dat he fotch up his thoughts on de critters, an’ he says to hisself, says he: