Johnnie Jones skipped joyfully about the room.  “Shall we go in a sleigh with bells and reindeer?” he asked.

“We’ll go in a sleigh if there is snow,” Mother promised, “but I am afraid we shall have to use horses, and pretend they are reindeer.”

Johnnie Jones was greatly excited.  He asked Mother every question he could think of, and wished it were Christmas Eve that very minute.  Mother told him be should be glad they still had several days before Christmas in which to make their preparations.

That same afternoon they went shopping.  Johnnie Jones was allowed to select the toys for the children, and he chose enough drums and horses, wagons and cars, dolls and play-houses, dishes and tables, to fill four very large boxes.  Next, they ordered the candy, pounds and pounds of it, and a big tree with ever so many candles for it.  Last of all, they bought warm coats and shoes.

The next three days was a busy time for Johnnie Jones.  After he had finished his gifts for the family, he went to work on the decorations for the tree.  He made yards and yards of brightly colored paper chains, and many cornucopias.  Every evening before his bed-time Mother and Father helped him.

At last the day before Christmas came.  When Johnnie Jones awoke in the morning he was very much pleased to find the ground covered with snow.  It was hard to wait until night, but he was busy all day, and the time passes quickly when one is busy.

After a very early supper Father, Mother and Johnnie Jones dressed themselves in their warmest clothing and heaviest wraps.  By the time they were ready, there was the sleigh, drawn by two strong horses wearing many bells, standing before the house.  It was quite a while before the toys, and candy, and ornaments, were safely packed in the sleigh, but at last all was in readiness, and away they went.

After a long, beautiful ride over the hard snow, with the moon and stars shining up in the sky, they reached the big house.

“Are all the children asleep?” Father asked two men who were waiting for them at the door.

The men answered yes, and Father whispered to Johnnie Jones:  “We must be very quiet, Santa Claus, that we may not waken anybody.”

They tiptoed carefully into the first room where several children were asleep in their beds.

“I see the stockings,” whispered Johnnie Jones eagerly.  “Give me my sack.”

Father placed the heavy sack on the floor, and the little Santa and Mother filled the stockings with candy and nuts, oranges and tiny toys.  As soon as Father had set up the tree in an empty room, he came back to help.  It was the best kind of fun, but they had to be very quiet in order not to waken the children.  Once Johnnie Jones couldn’t help laughing aloud when a ridiculous old Jack popped out of the box in his hand.  The laugh awoke a little boy, who sat up in bed and called out, “Hello!  Is that you, Santa Claus?” They had to leave the room until he fell asleep again.