The Red Dwarf Who Tried To Be Santa Clans. By Allene M., Summer, by United Syndicate) Long years ago in the dark for- fests of Somewhere there lived a tiny 'dwarf whose name was Firefly, How "he came by this name I must tell a All you children know that in #. (Copyrighted Feature - Sy ® long ago years all the tiny iwarfs wore different colors the color of the task right blue dwarf whos "eial duty it was to keep the wings | $mnd breast feathers of the White + lountain, the great gull, clean 1 hining. For hundreds. of years filittle dwarf had been tending to the! Wbeautitul wings of the great bird, d one day he got tired of it. i "I'm going to, be another ¢olor," naughtily sail. jiainy an swan! ! se spe- He looked down into the deep, "blue sea below the cliff where White i Mountain had her home. And what #8hould he see swimming along but great, scarlet whale. "What luck," said the little dwarf ¥ Now as soon as that whale spouts, 43 know how I'm going to get another {igolor." the ; It was but a second before reat sea monster came up to gidurface of the water to breathe. Blue Dwarf was all ready, and as| Boon as the high spout of water fame he jumped right into the mid- | "Mlle of it. The spout threw him back | = ton to the cliff, and he stood there | @ithe brightest red that ever the for- | $%sts and cliffs of Somewhere had | en. : But although by changing his col- | hor he had stopped one task, the Mas- | Mer Workman of Somewhere saw to] that he soon had ' another. Be- | ause of his brilliant color, Firefly, A A AAAs rrr cn | " and | Why shuld I} was Day night, had as he was now name i watchman of the cliff day, and night countless long on the edge of the i after for stood as a years pice guide to passing ships and animals | of the night, or again for fear that hs {unwilling worker there he had stood {In some ways his life t a lone- ly onesfor all the pas birds and lishes-anid animals of the land would stop to chat with him, and tell him | news of the great world. The cold winter time was the (hardest for the little dwar! because! most of his friends were safely hid- den away in their warm homes. One cold December day, howsver, in the vear of _his life light he had a tiny v a white snowbird who towards the cliff when the bright and warm hon ie a cliff house, itor; flown Saw light. Cold and weary she crept inside the | ta, Red Dwart's red velvet coat when rested talked to him, "And what are you going to do! this Christmastide?" the little asked. "What have you asked the good | Christmas in the Red! Pray you, little bird, rest Santa Claus to bring you?" Dwarf was puzzled, F000 00m Geer made | He was afraid to change his col-| would only | find a harder task, so although an | as| he heard the =i window, had | Hitle she to her story. bird| eve, my reindeer and I ¢an THE ---- ee ---- she heard Firefly {ter her: | "shen I am going to be | Claus this year. No one could have |a redder suit than Firefly, the scar- let dwarf. Why should I . 1: re- jceive the love of the happy children?" This made the snow bird very | frightened, for somehow or ot)er che knew that no one should e cr Santa Claus but the old gentleman himself. Quick as a wink she hang- ed her course and flew towards the far northern home of Sania Oh, how far it was and how her little. wings ached from tiredness, but on and on she flew, to save merry Christmas for all the people, At last she saw the great, |shining- white palace where Santa lived. She flew to the window of the royal sitting room but it was too busy a time of year for the old man to be taking his ease there, and a | servant told her to go to the work- room, "Sure enough, there was Santa in (however, call af- | working clothes, bending over the | | yellow curly head of a heantifyl He lifted his kind face when tiny bill tapping on the Gently he took the weary bird into his hands and listened vwvii. "But this can never do," said San- "Or course, it would not matter and! it he played Santa because I could i do it, too, but if that bright red light Is gone from the cliff on Christmas never find the way, and there can be no great world. 1 by this warm fire for a minute and then car- "Il know not what you mean, lit-| '¥ this note to Firefly." tle bird," he said, "for never have And when the bird was rested the my friends told me of 'Santa Claus'|t00k the note in her bill. and flew or 'Christmas'. it. "Well," answered the white bird, | light gave to the task 8 | Christmas to earth, and how a San- I know not!ta Claus could never get along with- means han: lout a red dwarf on the clif Welchange the naughty little ttle mind at all, given | tiny pieces wh and the whitest of ten-|sea and away "to some it is the story of one thin and to others another. all about it, save that it piness and joy to everyone. birds always fly close to the HM houses where we are always sweet seeds der breads. There we see the little children clapping théir hands as they look inside their stockings or wooden shoes. For, every mas evening Santa Claus or St. Nich- olas or Kris Kringle comes to the roofs of the houses with his big sacks full of toys and sweets warm clothing, to the chimney and then slides down it and leaves the pretty gifts in the stockings or shoes all hung around the chimney. Even the grown up folks are made happy by his com- ing and sing sweet carols in his praise." The little dwarf listened with all his might, "You say he comes eve about this time?" he asked. "Yes," twittered the snow bird, 'every year when the cold and {ce is: on the roofs" "Then," said Firefly, "I have seen him but knew not who he was. Every year since the fatal day when I jumped into the scarlet whale s spout, a merry old gentleman has passed this cliff. I do remember that he always rode in a big sleigh Ty year EHH 'But tell me, little bird, what" drawn by swift reindeer, but pever did I know that he was Santa Claus. Tykes him 'a Santa Claus?" The snowbird was rested and anx- fous to fly home, so spreading her wings for flight she hurriedly ans- wered: "Oh" I think. if is becaute of his red suit," and away she flew. As she swept out over the blue sea, fi daidiet ee ------ There's Only v 1.O Though You Guess a Hundred One Answer "There's No Gift Richer Than ERS" Glistening Holly Wreaths. Dainty Corsage Bouquets--the Poinsetta or Potted Palm. Each decoration--each will tidings--Christmas! On Christmas Eve bo proclaim your merry should you have for- gotten to remember a friend--simply tele- phone. It will be a pleasure to attend to all details of your telephone order, : Your selections will be reaso: - --richly packed and delivered as by:-- £ A.D. HOLTON 280 PRINCESS STREET Phone 661. oly priced you direct Christ-| carry his gifts, and | must have bells. He ties his reindeer | puzzled as to where Please tell me ot | back the long miles to Firefly. But even Santa's kind note telling i Red Dwarf how much he the Ip his red of getting , did not dwarf's He tore the note into ich he threw into, the he bounded from the cliff into the forest. He knew that first of ail he must have some strong bags in which to He went to the low {bushes and found the tightly-woven jasuts of the oriole and wasp. He knew that a true Santa Claus At first he was to look for these, but he remembered a spot in the forest where it was always sum- mer and where bluebells grew the Year around. Sure enough there were dozens of the sweet tinkling bells, and Firefly gathered them all. Then for the reindeer! He thought and thought, At last he went to an old "hollow tree where there was a family of baby chipmunks. By be- { ling very playful with them and let- | ting them play tag up and down his velvet suit, he got a promise from them to' be his reindeer on the fol- lowing night. And yes, he must have a coach. And there, right in front of him, was the biggest milkweed pod ever seen; all split open down the midgle, curv- ed just like a sleigh and cushioned with whitest velvet. It was no trouble at all to get gifts. There were strings and strings of loveliest berry and seed beads for the girls, jewel weed rattles for the babies, snake rattles for naughty boys who like to make them shake in school, bright nuts and fruits that the frost had gilded. By this time all the forest pepole knew what was happening and were following Firefly about as he collect- ed his gifts, There were some squir- rels and little mice close to him. "Say, Santa Claus," chattered one of the bright-eyed squirrels, "don't you know that a Santa Claus must always take animals in his pack? Animals that silly little boys and girls wind up with a screw to make them run and bark? Wh don't you put us in your pack? We won't have to be wound up at all, but wil run and bark all they want us to. We think it would be fun to be Christ- mas gifts," "Ianto the pack you go then," said Firefly, craming a handful of the little furry folk into his oriole nests. 'Then he stopped and listened. He heard an earth person coming through the forest. Quickly he scur- ried beneath a bush. But when he saw that it was only Nanette, the lit- tle daughter of the village baker, he scurried out again. 'All the forest and knew Nanette, cliff people who lived at the foot of the mountain and who often | came up to play with them. "Good morning, little Nanette," spoke Firefly, "where are you going on this cold winter day, and what aré you doing with that wooden shoe? Don't you know that tomor- Tow the good Santa Clads will need that shoe when he comes down your chimney?" Little Nanette's eyes were full of tears as she looked down at the shoe, "It is the good Santa that I now seek," she sald, "for trouble is at our little cottage. Long weeks ago I wrote my letter to the Christmas Saint asking for the gilded nuts and a doll with hair as golden as the san." ie "And you will have the doll, nev- er fear," interrupted Firefly, "I my- sel! saw it in Santa's workshop." "Bat, little dwarf, I no longer wish my Christmas joy to be the doll or nuts, and that is why I seek Santa. You say you have geen his workshop. . Please take me to it. A leeter would not reach Rim fn time now, and I need other happiness much more." Her voice trembled and the big tears fell. "It is but this morning that my good father fell into his burning ov- en and is very ill. Mother weeps and there is no Christmastide joy in our homie. I seek Santa to ask jhim i -- be al earth DAILY BRIT Santa | litte | bh pp > Lo 7 nE Z 5 A | i | a ~ ve \ | i | | | | § | Ah XX) Fu I a COEDS Pay Pp SN eR Se Hemet dw ee Ee TY T EP I CC rr cr Rr = RES ASAE 7 X PI ISH WHIG. PLAYER Play It Yourself PIANOS Music Brings Happiness Manufactured by The Weber Piano Co., Limited SOLD BY. C. W. LINDSAY CO. KINGSTON -» - ~ = ONTARIO = SAN - X 6 NA 0) iy Re J ------ WIS AR) ed BE Ld nln cto teil. Siete hr 2 22 BPP. at XE TXT to make Father and Mother happy, instead of the doll and nuts." "But Banta does mot give such gifts, silly child," said Firefly; "he gives orfly nuts and sweets and guns and dolls." Nanette cried the more, but just then they heard ome of the squirrels in the pack say: ' "Beg pardon, Firefly, but you do not know all about the good Santa. He can do everything and bring all gifts--that is, a true Santa can, 1 have peeped into homes on Christ- mas day where he has given the blessed gifts of health and joy and love. Yes, indeed, if Nanetts can reach Santa in time he will give her what she seeks," Poor little Firefly, who had so wanted to be something different from a cliff light. He looked at his packs, his sleigh, his toys, his rein- deer, and then at the tears of little Nanette. It was a long minute be- fore he said to her very gently. "Never fear, my ¢hild, but what Santa «will hear your wish in time. I, myself, will tell him of your need when he fases my cliff _tomiorrow night. And here is another gift for! you, too," and he gave her all the forest treasures he had gathered. Next night was Christmas Eve. Santa was in great fear that there would be no bright red Jight on the cliff to guide his reindeer on their Way to the great world, but he hijch- ed up his sleigh and threw on the heavy (packs as usual. "At aby rate, I must try harder than ever to get Christmas to the world," he said, But when he neared the great cliff, what was his joy to find the light glowing redder and brighter than ever before. And While yet a long way off he heard Firefly calling to bim and telling him of the gife that he musts take to little Nanette. "Nanette shall have that happi- ness and the doll I made for her, as well," promised kind Santa. "And as for you, Firefly, what happiness would you most like to have for Christmas?" Firefly thought a long time and at last said: "Dear Santa, if you are more pow: erful than the Master Workman of Somewhere, make me into a dwarf that has no color so that I can live where I want to. But restore me to a bright red color on Christmas Eve 20 that I can help you brifig a true merry Christmas to earth." "Thy wish is granted," promised Santa. "Tomorrow live where and how you like. And every Christmas eve I will see you here as Light of the Clfr." ' Then away the reimdeer sped with their Christmas joy, and earth never knew how near if came to belng without the true Santa om that Christmnas Eve, .