the dreadful news she let the teapot fall,
And for her Sunday cap and gown impatiently did call.

"Quick! get my steeple hat," quoth she, "my newest high heeled shoes,
And bring my gander to the door; there is no time to lose!
I must away to Santa Claus before the set of sun,
To tell him this alarming tale and see what can be done!"

She wrapped her in her scarlet cloak, she donned her steeple hat;
The gander flapped his lovely wings and circled like a bat,
And then the noble bird away to Christmas Land did soar,
Nor slackened speed till they arrived at Santa Claus's door!

Good Santa Claus was overjoyed his dear old friend to see,
And treated her to cake and nuts from off a Christmas tree.
Just what was said on either side I can't exactly tell,
As nobody was near enough to hear it very well.

But this I've learned: old Santa Claus that very Christmas took
That poor, benighted little child a most enchanting book,
And now she knows old Mother Goose--her children great and small,
And, as good little folks should do, she dearly loves them all!

#SLEEPY-TIME SONGS AND STORIES#

SWEET AND LOW

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Sweet and low, sweet and low,
Wind of the Western Sea.
Low, low, breathe and blow,
Wind of the Western Sea!
Over the rolling waters go,
Come from the dying Moon, and blow,
Blow him again to me;
While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.

Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,
Father will come to thee soon;
Rest, rest on Mother's breast,
Father will come to thee soon;
Father will come to his Babe in the Nest,
Silver sails all out of the West
Under the Silver Moon;
Sleep, my little one, sleep my pretty one, sleep.

THE SLEEPY-TIME STORY[C]

BY GERTRUDE SMITH

One night Arabella and Araminta's mamma was sewing, and their papa was
reading his newspaper. And there was a fire in the grate--a warm, bright
fire in the grate.

And Arabella sat on the rug before the fire, and Araminta sat on the rug
before the fire.

And Arabella was playing with her little white kitty, and Araminta was
playing with her little black kitty.

And Arabella's little white kitty's name was Annabel, and Araminta's
little black kitty's name was Lillabel.

Arabella had a little red ball fastened to a long string,