“How careless of me!” the little workman would exclaim.  And then Santa Claus and the other workmen would laugh, for this workshop was the jolliest place in the world, and the man would fix the Calico Clown right.

“I’m glad I was born in this place,” said the Nodding Donkey to himself, as his head swayed to and fro.  “This is really the first day of my life.  I wish night would come, so I could move about and talk to the other toys.  I wonder how long I shall have to wait?”

Not far from the doll’s bureau, which held the looking glass, was a toy house, and in it was a toy clock.  The Donkey looked in through the window of the toy house and saw the toy clock.  The hands pointed to four o’clock.

“The men stop work at five,” thought the Donkey.  “After that it will be dark and I can move about—­that is if my varnish is dry.”

Santa Claus was walking up and down between the rows of work benches.  The dear old gentleman was pulling his beard and smiling.

“Come, my merry men!” he called in his jolly voice, “you must work a little faster.  It is nearly five, when it will be time to stop for the day, and it is so near Christmas that I fear we shall never get enough toys made.  So hurry all you can!”

“We will, Santa Claus,” the men answered.  And the one who had made the Nodding Donkey asked: 

“When are you going to take a load of toys down to Earth?”

“The first thing in the morning,” was the answer.  “Many of the stores have written me, asking me to hurry some toys to them.  I shall hitch up my reindeer to the sleigh and take a big bag of toys down to Earth to-morrow.  So get ready for me as many as you can.

“Yes,” went on Santa Claus, and he looked right at the Nodding Donkey, “I must take a big bag of toys to Earth to-morrow, as soon as it is daylight.  So hurry, my merry men!”

And the workmen hurried as fast as they could.

Ting! suddenly struck the big clock in the workshop.  And ting! went the little toy clock in the toy house.

“Time to stop for supper!” called Santa Claus, and all the little men laid aside the toys on which they were working.  Then such a bustle and hustle there was to get out of the shop; for the day had come to an end.

Night settled down over North Pole Land.  It was dark, but in the house where Santa Claus lived with his men some Japanese lanterns, hung from icicles, gave them light to see to eat their supper.

In the toy shop it was just dimly light, for one lantern had been left burning there, in case Santa Claus might want to go in after hours to see if everything was all right.

And by the light of this one lamp the Nodding Donkey saw a curious sight.  Over on his left the Plush Bear raised one paw and scratched his nose.  On the Donkey’s right the China Cat opened her china mouth and softly said: 

“Mew!”

And then, on the next shelf, a Rolling Elephant, who could wheel about, spoke through his trunk, and said: