“What will we do for table conversation?” asked Santa Claus. “I don’t know what subjects trees, pigs and birds like to talk about.” “You won’t need to help us talk,” said Sancho. “We are worse than magpies when we are together.” “You may go back to your friends now,” said Santa Claus, “and I’ll see that you are admitted to the house.” Sancho made an effort to walk out of the beard in a dignified manner, but he was too firmly caught to get away so easily. He began to pull and struggle. “Ouch!” cried Santa Claus, “who’s pulling my beard?” “I can’t get out,” cried Sancho Wing. “So there’s where you are! In my beard! Well, of all the places to hide!” cried Santa Claus in the greatest amazement. With a pair of shears and a mirror he succeeded in freeing the little bird after the exercise of a good deal of patience. As soon as he was released Sancho told Santa Claus he was sorry for the trouble he had caused, thanked him for the invitation to dinner, and flew back to his companions. [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER XIII THE PIE ROOM—BEAR AGAIN!—SANCHO WING SCOLDS “I thought somebody had kidnapped you,” said Snythergen when Sancho Wing returned. “Why were you gone so long?” “I was visiting Santa Claus. He invited us all to dinner, and the door-man will now let us in. Follow me,” said Sancho. “Is it the three wise men?” bellowed the flunky through the keyhole when they knocked. “It is,” said Sancho Wing. The large door swung open and the flunky prepared to make his best bow. But he could hardly welcome three such different beings with one salute, so he greeted each one separately. To Snythergen he leaned back, pointed his face toward the ceiling, and bobbed down and up by bending and straightening his knees. Sancho Wing, like most little people, wished to appear important, and when it came his turn to bow he raised himself on tip claws and stretched up to make his body as tall as he could; then leaning forward stiffly he flapped his left wing. Puzzled to know just how to respond to this, the door-man got down on his knees, and turning his head sideways wiggled his left ear. Squeaky had a habit of tossing his head when he bowed, and the flunky merely gave him a toss of the head in return. [Illustration: The door-man turning his head sideways wiggled his left ear] In the hall the housekeeper welcomed them very kindly, offering to show them about while Santa Claus dressed for dinner. When she learned that they were the “three wise men” she treated them with great respect. Inside, the house seemed even larger than it had from without, and Snythergen was thankful for ceilings so high that he could stand up comfortably. So enormous were the rooms each one might have been used as a public hall. There was little furniture—mostly vast spaces with a background of oriental carpets and cathedral windows.