S—­S—­S—­s—­s—­s—­s—­s—­s

There! says JACK FROST, they’ve thrown a pitcherful of water on it. He climbs down from the chimney.

THE CHIMNEY, who has now grown sleepy again, says to him, in a voice that grows fainter and fainter:  Thank you, my dear fellow:  you—­real—­ly (Here one eye closes) are—­ver—­y—­ki—­And he never finishes the sentence, for the other eye closes, and the nose and mouth “go out” at the same moment.

Asleep again, I declare, says JACK FROST, with disgust.  Well, now for the Snow Fairies.

He walks to the edge of the roof at one side, and blows a shrill blast on a whistle.  Almost at once snow begins to fall from the sky, slowly at first, then more and more.  Jack Frost looks up at it and nods his head approvingly.  When it is snowing very hard, in come on tip-toe, very softly, the Snow Fairies, dressed in snowy white, with white hoods and muffs.  Some of them quietly spread snow on the boughs of the trees, taking it out of their muffs; others hang flakes on the Chimney, in such a way as to make eyebrows, mustache, and beard for the face.  But this doesn’t show at first, because the Chimney is still asleep.  Then the Fairies, standing in front of the Chimney, so that they hide it, sing their song, which is called

THE SONG OF THE SNOW FAIRIES[2]

  When children go to bed at night,
  We fairies come with snow-flakes white;
  Cover the earth, silent and still;
  House-top, and tree-top, and field and hill.

  When children wake at morning light,
  They find the world all snowy white. 
  Where, then, are we?  Who of you know? 
  Cosily tucked in our beds of snow.

[Footnote 2:  To the tune of Schumann’s “Kindernacht.”]

THE CHIMNEY, who is still hidden behind the Snow Fairies, wakes up while they are singing the last line, and calls out:  What’s this, I’d like to know?  Who’s been decorating my face?

The Snow Fairies stand back on either side, so that his face can now be seen, with its white eyebrows and mustache and beard, all made of snow-flakes; and he goes on talking in a jolly voice:  Oh, you sly ones, you are at your old tricks.  Well, well, I’m really glad to see you.  It seems like old times to have snow at Christmas.  Now don’t mind me; go on with your work; cover me up with your snowflakes as much as you choose—­eyes, nose, mouth, and all; I don’t mind it a bit.

So the Snow Fairies, moving softly about, hang more snow-flakes on the chimney, even over his eyes and nose and mouth, which show dimly through the snow.  His eyes blink now and then.

And now, sleigh-bells are heard in the distance.

Hark! cries JACK FROST.

They all listen:  the bells are still heard, a little nearer.

Then JACK FROST continues:  There comes Santa Claus, sure enough.  Let’s give the old fellow a surprise.  Here!  All hide behind the Chimney.