On sped the sleigh over the snow, the moon and the stars glittering cold and bright in the frosty sky. Snow, snow, still more snow. Then the forests, dark and piney and sweet-smelling. Now and then a house. Up, up, up to the roof would go the sleigh, down the chimney Santa Claus would creep, then back again to his place and off, the reindeer seeming fairly to fly over the snow. Now a village, now a town.
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.
‘Too many toys, Merrythought?’ asked Santa Claus, looking down at the Brownie at his side.
Merrythought laughed and shook his head.
‘No, not enough toys,’ answered he. ‘The moment I reach home I am going to begin to make toys for those seven children for next year. But best of all, Santa Claus, I have found Christmas,’ said Merrythought.
‘I have found Christmas again.’
에설 캘버트 필립스(Ethel Calvert Phillips, 1882-1947)는 미국의 아동문학 작가입니다. 그녀는 주로 어린이를 위한 이야기와 동화를 집필했으며, 작품들은 주로 도덕적 가치와 상상력이 풍부한 이야기로 구성되어 있습니다. 대표작으로는 《The Santa Claus Brownies》, 《Pyxie: A Little Boy of the Pines》, 그리고 《Little Sally Waters》 등이 있습니다. 그녀의 많은 작품은 크리스마스와 어린 시절의 즐거움을 주제로 하고 있으며, 일부는 고전 문학으로 평가받고 있습니다