_Childhood_ (faces audience): I am the Spirit of Childhood! I am the happiest fairy of all! I am known all over this wide, wide world! Everybody loves me! Sometimes I am a dream, too, and I come out of the past when it is very still and creep into old, old hearts! _Happyheart_ (impatiently): We know all that! _Spirit_ (steps toward Childhood): We want you to help us now, Childhood, to make Christmas merry for this party of grownfolks. _Childhood:_ No children? They're all grownfolks? _Spirit:_ No children. They're all grownfolks. _Childhood:_ Poor things! How sad! _Spirit:_ But they have a tree and we want to give them gifts which, because they are fairy gifts, will make their best every-day wish come true! _Childhood:_ Yes-they'll think, because they are grownups, they must have useful gifts! But they shall have fairy gifts! _Happyheart_ (to other fairies): I told you she'd help us! _Merrylips:_ And these grown folks must make a big, big wish and have it on top of their hearts! Then, if they carry their gifts in the bottom of their pockets their wishes will come true! _Childhood:_ I will call my Jesters! They are clever knaves--they will find the gifts! _Happyheart:_ Call them quickly! _Childhood:_ I have to do very funny things, because I am Childhood, you know. (She dances backward and forward across the room, with merry step; pirouettes and points finger into audience.) Some one out there must laugh, or the Jesters will not think we are merry. Laugh, someone, laugh! Harder! I am Childhood! Laugh with me! (As she speaks some one in the audience laughs; others join.) _Childhood_ (runs to door): Jester big, jester small, Come at Childhood's merry call! (Jesters enter--stand near door.) _Chorus:_ Welcome--welcome! _Childhood_ (to Jesters): Go--find and bring us the biggest Christmas stocking in the world! It must be filled with fairy gifts! (Jesters hurry out.) _Goodwill:_ How will we know which gifts to give each person? _Childhood:_ Oh, I will look in my Book of the Past! You see I have to keep careful records of everybody! _Spirit:_ Why it's just like Santa Claus used to do when the old-fashioned children believed in him! _Happyheart:_ He was a fine man! _Spirit:_ Ah, here they come! (Enter Jesters dragging behind them an enormous Christmas stocking made of red cambric. They give it to the Christmas Spirit, then step back to the door.) _Childhood_ (as others gather around the stocking): Go, Jesters, and bring me my Book of Records! _Happyheart:_ Open it quickly! (Spirit opens stocking--all peep in.) Oh, lots and lots of gifts! (Jester returns, gives book to Childhood who goes to the right of group and stands next to Happyheart.) _Childhood_ (solemnly to audience): Are all the grownups ready? Have they got their best wish on top of their hearts? _Happyheart:_ Is every one happy? _Goodwill:_ Do you all feel very, very kind to one another? _Peace:_ Do you know my songs?