The Story of a Nodding Donkey | Page 3

as his head swayed to and fro. "This is really the first day of my life. I
wish night would come, so I could move about and talk to the other
toys. I wonder how long I shall have to wait?"
Not far from the doll's bureau, which held the looking glass, was a toy
house, and in it was a toy clock. The Donkey looked in through the
window of the toy house and saw the toy clock. The hands pointed to
four o'clock.
"The men stop work at five," thought the Donkey. "After that it will be

dark and I can move about--that is if my varnish is dry."
Santa Claus was walking up and down between the rows of work
benches. The dear old gentleman was pulling his beard and smiling.
"Come, my merry men!" he called in his jolly voice, "you must work a
little faster. It is nearly five, when it will be time to stop for the day,
and it is so near Christmas that I fear we shall never get enough toys
made. So hurry all you can!"
"We will, Santa Claus," the men answered. And the one who had made
the Nodding Donkey asked:
"When are you going to take a load of toys down to Earth?"
"The first thing in the morning," was the answer. "Many of the stores
have written me, asking me to hurry some toys to them. I shall hitch up
my reindeer to the sleigh and take a big bag of toys down to Earth
to-morrow. So get ready for me as many as you can.
"Yes," went on Santa Claus, and he looked right at the Nodding
Donkey, "I must take a big bag of toys to Earth to-morrow, as soon as it
is daylight. So hurry, my merry men!"
And the workmen hurried as fast as they could.
Ting! suddenly struck the big clock in the workshop. And ting! went
the little toy clock in the toy house.
"Time to stop for supper!" called Santa Claus, and all the little men laid
aside the toys on which they were working. Then such a bustle and
hustle there was to get out of the shop; for the day had come to an end.
Night settled down over North Pole Land. It was dark, but in the house
where Santa Claus lived with his men some Japanese lanterns, hung
from icicles, gave them light to see to eat their supper.
In the toy shop it was just dimly light, for one lantern had been left
burning there, in case Santa Claus might want to go in after hours to

see if everything was all right.
And by the light of this one lamp the Nodding Donkey saw a curious
sight. Over on his left the Plush Bear raised one paw and scratched his
nose. On the Donkey's right the China Cat opened her china mouth and
softly said:
"Mew!"
And then, on the next shelf, a Rolling Elephant, who could wheel about,
spoke through his trunk, and said:
"The time has come for us to have some fun, my friends!"
"Right you are!" mewed the China Cat.
"And we have a new toy with us," said the Plush Bear. "Would you like
to play with us?" he asked the Nodding Donkey.
The Nodding Donkey moved his head up and down to say "yes," for he
was afraid of speaking aloud, lest he might wrinkle his new varnish.
"All right, now for some jolly times!" said the Rolling Elephant, and he
began to climb down from the shelf, using his trunk as well as his legs.
"Ouch! Look out there! You're stretching my neck!" suddenly cried a
Spotted Wooden Giraffe, and the Nodding Donkey, looking up, saw
that the Elephant had wound his trunk around the long neck of the
Giraffe.
"Oh, I'm going to fall! Catch me, somebody!" cried the Spotted Giraffe.
"Oh, if I fall off the shelf I'll be broken to bits! Will no one save me?"
CHAPTER II
A WONDERFUL VOYAGE
"Goodness me! this is a lot of excitement for one who has just come to
life and had his first coat of varnish!" thought the Nodding Donkey as

he saw what seemed to be a sad accident about to happen. "I wonder if
I could do anything to help save the Spotted Giraffe? I must try to do
all I can. It will be the first time I have ever moved all by myself."
"Stand aside, if you please! I'll save the Spotted Giraffe!" suddenly
called a voice, and from a shelf just underneath the one from which the
Rolling Elephant had pulled the long-necked creature there stepped a
Jolly Fisherman. This toy fisherman had a large net for catching crabs
or lobsters, and he held