The Story of a Nodding Donkey | Page 2

Donkey took me quite a while to finish. I hope nothing
happens to him until his coat of varnish is hard and dry. My, but he
certainly shines!"
And the Nodding Donkey did shine most wonderfully! Not far away,
on the same shelf on which he stood, was a doll's bureau with a looking
glass on top. In this looking glass the Nodding Donkey caught sight of
himself.
"Not so bad!" he thought. "In fact, I'm quite stylish. I'm almost as gay
as some of the clowns." And his head bobbed slowly up and down, for
it was fastened so that the least jar or jiggle would move it.
"I must be very careful," said the Nodding Donkey to himself. "I must
not move about too much nor let any of the other toys rub against me
until I am quite dry. If they did they would blur or scratch my shiny
varnish coat, and that would be too bad. But after I am dry I'll have
some fun. Just wait until to-night! Then there will be some great times
in this workshop of Santa Claus!"
The reason the Nodding Donkey said this, was because at night, when
Santa Claus and his merry helpers had gone, the toys were allowed to
do as they pleased. They could make believe come to life, and move
about, having all sorts of adventures.
But, presto! the moment daylight came, or any one looked at them, the
toys became as straight and stiff and motionless as any toys that are in

your playroom. For all you know some of your toys may move about
and pretend to come to life when you are asleep. But it is of no use for
you to stay awake, watching to see if they will, for as long as any eyes
are peeping, or ears are listening, the toys will never do anything of
themselves.
The Nodding Donkey knew that when Santa Claus and the workers
were gone he and the other toys could do as they pleased, and he could
hardly wait for that time to come.
"But while I am waiting I will stay here on the shelf and get hard and
dry," said the Nodding Donkey to himself.
Once more he looked in the glass on the doll's bureau, and he was well
pleased with himself, was the Nodding Donkey.
Such a busy place was the workshop of Santa Claus at the North Pole,
where the Nodding Donkey was drying in his coat of varnish!
The place was like a great big greenhouse, all made of glass, only the
glass was sheets of crystal-clear ice. Santa Claus needed plenty of light
in his workshop, for in the dark it is not easy to put red cheeks and blue
eyes on dolls, or paint toy soldiers and wind up the springs of the toys
that move.
The workshop of Santa Claus, then, was like a big greenhouse, only no
flowers grew in it because it is very cold at the North Pole. All about
was snow and ice, but Santa Claus did not mind the cold, nor did his
workmen, for they were dressed in fur, like the polar bears and the
seals.
On each side of the big shop, with its icy glass roof, were work benches.
At these benches sat the funny little men who made the toys.
Some were stuffing sawdust into dolls, others were putting the lids on
the boxes where the Jacks lived, and still others were trying the
Jumping Jacks to see that they jerked their legs and arms properly.

Up and down, between the rows of benches, walked Santa Claus
himself. Now and then some workman would call:
"Please look here, Santa Claus! Shall I make this Tin Soldier with a
sword or a gun?"
And St. Nicholas would answer:
"That Soldier needs a sword. He is going to be a Captain."
Then another little man would call, from the other side of the shop:
"Here is a Calico Clown who doesn't squeak when I press on his
stomach. Something must be wrong with him, Santa Claus."
Then Santa Claus would put on his glasses, stroke his long, white beard
and look at the Calico Clown.
"Humph! I should say he wouldn't squeak!" the old gentleman would
remark. "You have his squeaker in upside down! That would never do
for some little boy or girl to find on Christmas morning! Take the
squeaker out and put it in right."
"How careless of me!" the little workman would exclaim. And then
Santa Claus and the other workmen would laugh, for this workshop
was the jolliest place in the world, and the man would fix the Calico
Clown right.
"I'm glad I was born in this place," said the Nodding Donkey to himself,