THEY rode, and they rode, and they rode, and at last they came to a queer little house with lots of little windows, and two big Christmas trees—one on each side of the door. The two black horses stopped, when the driver cried, “Whoa!” but they kept up such a dancing and such a prancing, that, suddenly, a little fat man, with a long white beard, stuck his head out of the door to see what was the matter.

HE had on a beautiful red velvet suit, all trimmed with white fur; and his little eyes twinkled like two blue stars, ’way up in the sky.