by his wonderful magic, changed
them into the most beautiful toys. They became straight little
jumping-jacks, and dolls in bright dresses, and the dearest little
rabbit with white, soft fur. And somewhere in the bottom of the sleigh
one was turned into a cute little Teddy-bear. Then old Kris tucked all
these toys into his roomy sleigh, and shook the reins of his waiting
steed. "Go on!" he said, "For I've many, many a chimney to reach
tonight."

Now this is the tale of "The Goblins' Christmas" that the moonbeams
told, as they heard it from the Fairy-Queen, who declares that every
word of it is perfectly true.

[Illustration: Presented to]

[Illustration]

Illustrations.

"Down the Milky way" 17

"The big black caldron" 21

"As through the air they flew" 25

"They climbed the sleigh" 27

"'Playthings rare,' he said" 31

"For his Christmas treat" 41

Preface 6

Presentation 9

Fairy Queen 12

Sprite and Toadstool 18

Boy and Rabbit 35

Witch with Broom 37

Elf and Spider 38

[Illustration: Fairy Queen]

To EARL and GEORGIA:

The little Man, and tiny Maid,
Who love the Fairies in the glade,
Who see them in the tangled grass
The Gnomes and Brownies, as they pass,
Who hear the Sprites from Elf-land call
Go, frolic with these Brownies small,
And join these merry sporting Elves,
But ever be your own sweet selves.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The GOBLINS' CHRISTMAS

The big bright Moon hung high and round,
In a densely darkened sky;
The tall pines swayed, and mocked, and groaned;
The mountains grew so high
That the Man-in-the-Moon came out and said,
"Ho! Spooks, for a merry dance."
The winds blow hard, the caverns roar,
While o'er the earth they prance.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

A Witch and a Goblin led the sprites;
Out from the sky they sprung;
And down the milky way they slid,
And over a chasm swung.
The streams around ran witches' broth,
The fumes were strong and rank.
These Elfin creatures all were wroth,
While of the stuff they drank.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: