Now for a game of "Follow my leader," shouts WALTER. I'll be leader; come after me.
Off Walter starts around the room, the others following, first Gertrude, then the brownies and the fairies, then the others, with Santa Claus bringing up the rear. They go over the wood box, onto a chair and down again, and at last Walter dives under the table, in the opposite direction to that in which the magic change was made. The children, the brownies, and the fairies go through without any change, of course, but the other five all come out in their original form. They stand up straightening their clothes, Mother and Grandmother setting their hair to rights. Meantime, while the children are occupied
watching the transformations of their parents and grandparents, the brownies and fairies go back into the box and basket, and pull the lids down after them.
I'm all out of breath, exclaims FATHER, panting.
So am I, says GRANDMOTHER; but what fun it was.
I wouldn't have missed it for a thousand dollars, MOTHER declares.
Nor I, echoes GRANDFATHER. Even now, although I've got my old body back again, I declare I feel as young as a boy inside.
Oh, Santa Claus, cries GERTRUDE, you were the dearest, funniest little boy I ever saw. It just made me laugh to look at you.
Hush! says SANTA CLAUS, looking cautiously over his shoulder, I hope you won't let any one know how foolish I looked and acted. What would people say, if they heard that a man hundreds of years old like me, has been romping around that way?
Why, Santa Claus, says WALTER, everybody would think it was fine.