large/10939/christmas_tales_and_verse_1612_librivox_64kb_mp3/christmas_05_field_64kb_84
large/10939/christmas_tales_and_verse_1612_librivox_64kb_mp3/christmas_05_field_64kb
English
10939
"Ha, ha," chuckled the fat, jolly stranger, emerging from the chimney and standing well to one side of the hearth stone; "ha, ha, they don't have the big, wide chimneys they used to build, but they can't keep Santa Claus out  no, they can't keep Santa Claus out! HO HO CHUCKLED THE FAT JOLLY STRANGER EMERGING FROM THE CHIMNEY AND STANDING WELL TO ONE SIDE OF THE HEARTH STONE HO HO THEY DON'T HAVE THE BIG WHITE CHIMNEY THEY USED TO BUILD BUT THEY CAN KEEP SANTA CLAUS OUT NO THEY CANNOT KEEP SANTA CLAUS OUT
 deal, but that was long ago--fifty years is a long stretch to look back over. There is nothin' in Christmas now, nothin' for _me_ at least; it is so long since Santa Claus remembered me that I venture to say he has forgotten that there ever was such a person as Joel Baker in all the world. It used to be different; Santa Claus _used_ to think a great deal of me when I was a boy. Ah! Christmas nowadays ain't what it was in the good old time--no, not what it used to be." As Joel was absorbed in his distressing thoughts he became aware very suddenly that somebody was entering or trying to enter the room. First came a draught of cold air, then a scraping, grating sound, then a strange shuffling, and then,--yes, then, all at once, Joel saw a pair of fat legs and a still fatter body dangle down the chimney, followed presently by a long white beard, above which appeared a jolly red nose and two bright twinkling eyes, while over the head and forehead was drawn a fur cap, white with snowflakes.  THERE WAS A TIME WHEN IT MEANT A GREAT DEAL BUT THAT WAS LONG AGO FIFTY YEARS IT IS A LONG STRETCH TO LOOK BACK OVER THERE IS NOTHING IN CHRISTMAS NOW NOTHING FOR ME AT LEAST IT IS SO LONG SINCE SANTA CLAUS REMEMBER ME DID I VENTURE TO SAY HAS FORGOTTEN THAT THERE EVER WAS SUCH A PERSON AS JOY BAKER IN ALL THE WORLD IT USED TO BE DIFFERENT SANTA CLAUS USED TO THINK A GREAT DEAL OF ME WHEN I WAS A BOY AH CHRISTMAS NOWADAYS AND WHAT IT WAS IN A GOOD OLD TIME NA NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE AS JOY WAS ABSORBED IN HIS DISTRESSING THOUGHTS HE BECAME AWARE VERY SUDDENLY THAT SOMEBODY WAS ENTERING OR TRYING TO ENTER THE ROOM FIRST CAME A DRAUGHT OF COLD AIR THEN A SCRAPPING GRATTING SOUND THEN A STRANGE SOFTLING AND THEN YES THEN ALL AT ONCE JOY SAW A PAIR OF FAT LEGS AND A STILL FATTER BODY DANGLED DOWN THE CHIMNEY FOLLOWED PRESENTLY BY A LONG WHITE BEARD ABOVE WHICH APPEARED A JOLLY RED NOSE AND TWO BRIGHT TWINKLING EYES WHILE OVER THE HEAD AND FOREHEAD WAS DRAWN A FUR CAP WHITE WITH SNOW FLAKES
large/10939/christmas_tales_and_verse_1612_librivox_64kb_mp3/christmas_05_field_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/10939/christmas_tales_and_verse_1612_librivox_64kb_mp3/christmas_05_field_64kb.flac