ched with a sleepy word;
A little lead soldier answered him,
And a big stuffed elephant stirred.
A quiver flickered the pop-corn strings,
Fluttered the tinsel angel's wings,
Tinkled the silver balls and things,
Till all of the company heard.

"A jack-in-the-box with a frisky eye
Suddenly jumped his lid,
And a white-rag rabbit that hung close by
Squeaked with fright when he did;
A dog from London began to bark;
The animals in the Noah's ark
Struggled and scuffled in the dark,
Back in the branches hid.

"The large French doll (she was very vain)
Settled her silk and lace;
The rocking horse of the tawny mane
Struck up a gentle pace;
And hither and thither the boughs among,
Sampling the goodies, tooth and tongue,
A mechanical monkey slid and swung
With agile monkey grace.

"All was still when the children came
With candle-stars adorning;
Somebody heard and hissed a name,
Whispered a sudden warning.
Now don't get curious, people, please.
It's generally known that things like these
Only happen to Christmas trees
Quite early Christmas morning."

"I like that poem, Amos," said Ann, "though I must say I don't know how
you found out all that." Then she asked the little Christmas girl to
repeat a poem.

"I know one about a different kind of Christmas tree," the little girl
said.

"Not a prettier tree than this one here in the room--surely!" cried Amos
and Ann.

The Christmas child reflected. "Yes," she said, "prettier, in a way, than
this--because it was such a surprise. Listen."

Then she told them about it.

"A little bird told a squirrel,
And a squirrel told a jay,
That a poor child lived in a city
Not very far away,
Who never at any Christmas
Had a Christmas tree in her home;
And the jay bird told a rabbit next,
And the rabbit told a gnome.
The gnome blew thrice on his fingers
For half a dozen elves,
And he told them the sorrowful rumor,
And he said, 'Now stir yourselves!'

"Then Tip and Twinkle and Tony
And Pete and Chipper and Chase
Hurried and scurried the whole day through,
Till they'd put the tree in place.
They trimmed it with moss and holly,
And odd little colored stones,
And seeds and chestnuts and apples,
And feathers and l