(Pointing their spears, the HOST turn to rush upon CASPAR, when suddenly A BLAZE OF LIGHT checks and astounds them: silverly A BLAST OF TRUMPETS sounds; the Evergreen branches burst into bloom of stars, while TREE, as ANGEL, comes forth, holding sheathed a shining Sword, its hasp in a Crown of Holly.) TREE Stay! Bow, Host of Herod! Bow ye down And hail our Saint of Evergreen: Hail _Santa_ Claus! (TREE places the Holly Crown on CASPAR’S head. A BURST OF SLEIGH-BELLS sounds, filling the air with their circlings of silver music.) THE CHILDREN, FAIRIES AND BEASTS (Shout with wild joy) Hail, Santa Claus! THE CAPTAIN AND THE HOST (Falling back, murmur in awe) Hail, Santa Claus! (Overwhelmed, they bow down. Choirs of shrilly gladness break forth in Chorus, as the jingling sleigh-bells change to PEALING CHIMES.) [Sidenote: _Eleventh Chorus: A,8 and B,5. Chorus of the Christmas Tree_] [Sidenote: _Part I. (Chorus A) The Pedlar-King_] _CHORUS_ _Hail—Santa Claus!_ _Saint of our Evergreen!_ _Hail, dear Pedlar of starry joys!_ _On your own shoulders_ _Now you have lifted_ _All the world’s weariness—_ _Pack of old burdens,_ _Sack of our sorrows:_ _Lifted it, stored anew,_ _Crammed with enchantment,_ _Bursting with merry_ _And magical laughter,_ _Wonder of children—_ _Mirth of our Lord!_ _Hail, dear Pedlar—_ _King of our Evergreen:_ _Santa! Santa!_ _Holly-crown’d saint of us!_ _Hail, eternal_ _Wise man and child!_ (During this Chorus and while it continues, SANTA—with beaming face—opens his great pack and distributes forth gifts to the CHILDREN, the OUTCASTS, and the HOST OF HEROD, who now rise joyfully and press round him. CHORUS now answers CHORUS across the assembled People, the deep voices of the Men’s Chorus (B) now singing in Antiphony.) [Sidenote: _Part II. (Choruses A and B) The Tree_] _CHORUS A_ _Who wakened her heart with song for the coming of light?_ _Who harked for the morning stars their singing together?_ [Sidenote: _Antiphonal_] _CHORUS B_ _The Tree! The Tree!_ _The Evergreen Tree!_ _The light of her heart hath blossomed—_ _Hath bloomed with stars_ _In the places of desert._ _CHORUS A_ _Who nourished a dream in the lone wilderness,_ _Where wild beasts kill one another and weary of killing?_ [Sidenote: _Antiphonal_] _CHORUS B_ _The Tree! The Tree!_ _The Evergreen Tree!_ _The power of her dream hath blossomed_ _With blinding stars_ _In the hearts of the terrible._ _CHORUS A_ _Herod, lord of the world! Who hath defeated his power?_ [Sidenote: _Antiphonal_] _CHORUS B_ _A star! A star doth confound him!_ _CHORUS A_