The Thin Santa Claus

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The Thin Santa Claus

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Thin Santa Claus, by Ellis Parker Butler This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Thin Santa Claus The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas Stocking
Author: Ellis Parker Butler
Illustrator: May Wilson Preston
Release Date: March 6, 2006 [EBook #17937]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration: "_Mrs. Gratz watched the thin man search the chicken yard for toober-chlosis bugs_"]
THE THIN SANTA CLAUS
The Chicken Yard That Was a Christmas Stocking

By
ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

Illustrated by May Wilson Preston

NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY MCMIX

Copyright, 1909, by DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY Published, November, 1909.
Copyright, 1908, by The Curtis Publishing Company

TO
HARRY S. MOORE

ILLUSTRATIONS
"_Mrs. Gratz watched the thin man search the chicken yard for toober-chlosis bugs_" Frontispiece
"_He looked like a man who had lost nine hundred dollars, but he did not look like Santa Claus_"

THE THIN SANTA CLAUS
Mrs. Gratz opened her eyes and looked out at the drizzle that made the Christmas morning gray. Her bed stood against the window, and it was easy for her to look out; all she had to do was to roll over and pull the shade aside. Having looked at the weather she rolled again on to the broad flat of her back and made herself comfortable for awhile, for there was no reason why she should get up until she felt like it.
"Such a Christmas!" she said good-naturedly to herself. "I guess such weathers is bad for Santy Claus. Mebby it is because of such weathers he don't come by my house. I don't blame him. So muddy!"
She let her eyes close indolently. Not yet was she hungry enough to imagine the tempting odour of fried bacon and eggs, and she idly slipped into sleep again. She was in no hurry. She was never in a hurry. What is the use of being in a hurry when you own a good little house and have money in the bank and are a widow? What is the use of being in a hurry, anyway? Mrs. Gratz was always placid and fat, and she always had been. What is the use of having money in the bank and a good little house if you are not placid and fat? Mrs. Gratz lay on her back and slept, placidly and fatly, with her mouth open, as if she expected Santa Claus to pass by and drop a present into it. Her dreams were pleasant.
It was no disappointment to Mrs. Gratz that Santa Claus had not come to her house. She had not expected him. She did not even believe in him.
"Yes," she had told Mrs. Flannery, next door, as she handed a little parcel of toys over the fence for the little Flannerys, "once I believes in such a Santy Claus myself, yet. I make me purty good times then. But now I'm too old. I don't believe in such things. But I make purty good times, still. I have a good little house, and money in the bank--"
Suddenly Mrs. Gratz closed her mouth and opened her eyes. She smelled imaginary bacon frying. She felt real hunger. She slid out of bed and began to dress herself, and she had just buttoned her red flannel petticoat around her wide waist when she heard a silence, and paused. For a full minute she stood, trying to realize what the silence meant. The English sparrows were chirping as usual and making enough noise, but through their bickerings the silence still annoyed Mrs. Gratz, and then, quite suddenly again, she knew. Her chickens were not making their usual morning racket.
"I bet you I know what it is, sure," she said, and continued to dress as placidly as before. When she went down she found that she had won the bet.
A week before two chickens had been stolen from her coop, and she had had a strong padlock put on the chicken house. Now the padlock was pried open, and the chicken house was empty, and nine hens and a rooster were gone. Mrs. Gratz stooped and entered the low gate and surveyed the vacant chicken yard placidly. If they were gone, they were gone.
"Such a Santy Claus!" she said good-naturedly. "I don't like such a Santy Claus--taking away and not bringing! Purty soon he don't have such a good name any more if he keeps up doing like this. People likes the bringing Santy Claus. I guess they don't think much of the taking-away business. He