"You don't seem to understand," I whispered. "It's Christmas relationships that are worrying Carol and me so! It worries us dreadfully! Oh, of course we understand all about the Little Baby Christ! And the camels! And the wise men! And the frankincense! That's easy! But _who_ is Santa Claus? Unless--unless--?" It was Carol himself who signaled me to go on. "Unless--he's the Baby Christ's _grandfather_?" I thought Derry Willard looked a little bit startled. Carol's ears turned bright red. "Oh, of course--we meant on his _mother's_ side!" I hastened to assure him. "It is, I admit, a new idea to me," said young Derry Willard. "But I seem to have gotten several new ideas to-day." He looked at mother. Mother's mouth looked very funny. He looked at father. Father seemed to be sneezing. He looked at Rosalee. They laughed together. His whole face suddenly was very laughing. "And what becomes," he asked, "of all the Christmas-tree buds that _don't_ bloom?" It was a funny question. It didn't have a thing in the world to do with Santa Claus being a grandfather. "Oh, mother never throws away any of the buds," laughed Rosalee. "She just keeps them year after year and wires them on all over again." "All unfulfilled wishes," said my mother. "Still waiting--still wishing! Maybe they'll bloom some time! Even Carol's--camel," she laughed out suddenly. "Who knows, sonny-boy--but what if you keep on _wishing_ you'll actually travel some day to the Land-Where-Camels-Live? Maybe--maybe you'll own a--a dozen camels?" "With purple velvet blankets?" I cried. "All trimmed with scarlet silk tassels? And smelling of sandalwood?" "I have never understood," said my father, "that camels smelt of sandalwood." Young Derry Willard didn't seem exactly nervous any more. But he jumped up very suddenly. And went and stood by the fire. "It's the finest Christmas idea I ever heard of!" he said. "And if nobody has any objections I'd like to take a little turn myself at _budding_ the Christmas tree!" "Oh, but you won't be here for Christmas!" cried everybody all at once. "No, I certainly sha'n't be," admitted Derry Willard, "unless I am invited!" "Why, of course, you're invited!" cried everybody. Father seemed to have swallowed something. So mother invited him twice. Father kept right on choking. Everybody was frightened but mother.