him tumble headlong down the steps. But Santa Klaus was too knowing for
Two Eyes. Peter saw him go to the door as if expecting to find the
stocking there, and then not finding it, turn about and walk around the
room till he came to where it hung upon the hook.

Peter was now terribly excited, and Kleiner Traum gave the kaleidoscope
another twist. During the process of twisting, Peter's mind was in a
queer jumble, and he thought he saw Two Eyes peeping out of the
stocking, and Santa Klaus sitting on the Pump at the head of the court;
but as soon as the kaleidoscope was still, it was clear again, and he
could see Santa Klaus standing on tip-toe before the stocking and
emptying into it the contents of his pockets.

The first thing he took out was a tin trumpet; just such a one as Peter
had himself seen in a shop-window the day before. This he put into the
stocking, giving a chuckle and trying it to see if it were good; it
sounded splendidly. Then came a sled. It was astonishing how it ever
came out of Santa Klaus' pocket and still more astonishing how it could
get into the stocking. Yet surely Peter saw it enter, and that very
easily. After the sled came a monkey-jack. Before he put it in Santa
Klaus twitched the monkey, and made it turn summersaults over the stick,
till he was nearly ready to fall down with laughing at it. A mask came
next--a leering mask with a long nose, and eyes, frightful enough to
scare all the people in the court. Then followed a warm muffler for the
head; it was a very comfortable looking thing. No sooner was the muffler
safely in than a pint of peanuts rolled into the stocking, and after the
peanuts came some marbles, and after the marbles, a dozen red apples,
and after the apples a pair of skates, and after the skates a bundle of
candy.

It certainly was astonishing to see how much the stocking would hold.
Peter could hardly believe his eyes, yet there it was, and he saw
everything that went into it. But the candy was the last thing; the
stocking was now full and the candy peeped out at the top. Peter saw
Santa Klaus look approvingly at the stocking, give it a pat and
disappear through the fire-place again, looking just as full of presents
as when he came down.

At this point Kleiner Traum turned the kaleidoscope, and Peter was all
in a jumble again. Apparently the stocking was going up the chimney and
Santa Klaus was riding on the toe, while Two Eyes was coming toward
Peter to swallow him u