[Illustration: SILVERTONGUE WAS FINISHING OFF A GREAT WHITE FURRY RABBIT (_page 6_)] The Santa Claus Brownies BY ETHEL CALVERT PHILLIPS _With Illustrations_ [Illustration] Boston and New York HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1928 COPYRIGHT, 1928, BY ETHEL CALVERT PHILLIPS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE · MASSACHUSETTS PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. CONTENTS THE ROCKING-HORSE PONY WHO WANTED BLUE EYES 3 THE GAY LITTLE TOWN OF BO-PEEP 29 BUTTONS AND BOOTS 51 THE BOOK OF GOOD CHILDREN 73 THE BROWNIE WHO FOUND CHRISTMAS 97 THE ROCKING-HORSE PONY WHO WANTED BLUE EYES THE ROCKING-HORSE PONY WHO WANTED BLUE EYES It was a bright cold March morning and round the four corners of Santa Claus’s Snow Palace on the very tip-top of the North Pole the wind swept blustering and shouting on his way. It was so early in the morning that some of Santa Claus’s Brownies had not yet finished their household tasks. Little Crusty, oldest of the Brownies, who was in charge of the reindeer and who, in spite of a snarled-up face, had a very tender heart, was still busy in the stable, brushing the brown coats of the eight tiny reindeer and making them glossy and neat for the day. Down in the kitchen Sweet-Tooth, chief of the candy cooks, was showing his tidy little band of helpers, each in white apron and cap, how to make very-black licorice drops. [Illustration] ‘Now that March is here some Brownie is sure to catch a Spring cold,’ said Sweet-Tooth, measuring and mixing with all his might, ‘and there is nothing better than licorice drops for a cold in the Spring.’ Out in front of the Palace stood Nimbletoes, sweeping off the steps with great strokes of his broom. Nimbletoes, who could run as fast and jump as high as any Brownie who ever lived, was late with his work this morning because he had been running and playing in the wind. ‘I could run for miles and miles this morning,’ said Nimbletoes with a last little jump, ‘but I suppose I must finish my work. Here goes!’ And Nimbletoes made his arms fly round like the sails of a windmill as he swept the steps with great wide flourishes of his broom. All the other Brownies were hard at work in Santa Claus’s work-room, making Christmas toys. Although December and Christmas seemed far away, when you stop to think how many toys Santa Claus must have ready on Christmas Eve, you will see why the Brownies were kept busy the whole year long. Kindheart was fitting a blue flannel jacket on a tiny baby doll. Silvertongue was finishing off a great white furry rabbit, with gleaming ruby-red eyes and the cunningest little bob-tail in the world. Mischief was painting a gay yellow sled. Fleetfoot was whittling the sticks of a drum. Santa Claus was fitting out a little boy’s tool box, and very great pains he took with it, too.