And everywhere children in bed and asleep, their bedrooms dark or dimly lighted by a low night-lamp. And everywhere ready and waiting for Santa Claus, though not always ready in just the same way. Sometimes there would be stockings hung by the chimney place, sometimes a little wooden shoe placed outside the door, sometimes a candle burning in the window to light Noel upon his way. But always Santa Claus knew what to do and just what presents to leave in every house. Into a big city dashed the sleigh, straight toward a great castle with turrets and towers and many windows sparkling in the frosty starlight. It was the castle where Princess Maud lived, and now Merrythought and Lady Arabella were forced to say good-bye. ‘I know you will make Princess Maud happy,’ said Merrythought, kissing Lady Arabella’s pretty pink cheek. In return Lady Arabella threw both arms about Merrythought’s neck. ‘I’m so glad that you could come with us,’ whispered she, hugging him close, ‘and do try to find Christmas again to-night if you can.’ Then down the chimney went Lady Arabella and Santa Claus and the great pack of toys into the peaceful night nursery where slept the little Princess Maud, dreaming of the big little-girl doll she hoped Santa Claus would bring her that night. On went the sleigh. Merrythought crept next to Santa Claus and cuddled down close as the sleigh swept across the ocean with its dashing waves and snow squalls and great ships ploughing silently along through the black and icy water. There were children on those ships. Do you think Santa Claus passed them by? Not he! By special arrangement down on the decks he flung great sacks of toys so that no child should wake on Christmas Morning and find his stocking unfilled. Over the land again, Santa Claus stopping so often now that Merrythought grew quite used to holding the reins. Here were more children fast asleep, here were mothers and fathers trimming Christmas Trees, and people trudging through the snow carrying presents and wreaths of holly and bunches of mistletoe. ‘Gay, isn’t it?’ asked Santa Claus, smiling with all his might. ‘There is nothing in the world quite like Christmas and plenty of toys for every one. Eh, Merrythought?’ And his face was so happy as he looked down at Merrythought that the little Brownie was ashamed to tell him how he really felt. So he buried his nose in the warm fur robe and only mumbled something about ‘too many toys.’ But Santa Claus heard him and understood. He didn’t speak again to Merrythought. He only looked at him when they reached a poor house where all Santa Claus left for the little boy was a fire-engine, and next door where the baby had only a monkey-on-a-stick. ‘Perhaps all children don’t have too many toys,’ thought Merrythought. ‘But they all have something. And I am tired to death of toys, just tired to death of them.’ Now Santa Claus drove through the white countryside, on and on and on, until there was not a house to be seen.