Chapter XIV: Jolly Little Santa Claus with His Reindeer and Sleigh

DO you want to see—actually see!—Santa Claus seated in his sleigh filled with toys, and driving his famous reindeer? You may do so and have him come to your home. Even if there is no chimney and open fireplace for Santa Claus to climb through, the blithe little fellow can be induced to appear, sleigh and all, and he will keep his turnout standing perfectly still that all the family may have a good, long look at him. But you must carefully follow directions and help Santa Claus get ready for your Christmas (Fig. 200).

It would be difficult to say positively how long Santa Claus has lived, or when he first made his appearance, but we all know just how he looks,

“His eyes twinkle, his dimples are merry,
His cheeks are like roses, his nose like a cherry.”

We know that he is sure to come every Christmas, and the girls and boys look forward gladly to his visit. The little Hollanders name our Christmas Saint Santa Claus, the same as we do, though sometimes we call him Kris Kringle. In England he is both Santa Claus and St. Nicholas, in Switzerland Samiklaus, in Russia he is St. Nicholas. But no matter by what name he may be called, he is always the same, always the jolly little fellow bringing good cheer to every one. Santa Claus takes great delight in driving his tiny reindeer and sleigh full of toys over roofs of houses for the special benefit of the girls and boys he knows, and that includes all of them.

Possibly Santa Claus will drive only two reindeer in his sleigh this year. He is willing, however, to bring them all if you wish.

An ordinary sled (Fig. 201) will do for the foundation of

=The Sleigh,=

and a box for the body of the sleigh (Fig. 202) to set on the sled (Fig. 203). Find some furs to use as robes to hang over the sides and back of the sleigh; any kind will do—boas, collars, circulars or rugs. Fit them in and over the sides of the box. If you have no furs, try plush or colored blankets. Tack gay-colored paper over those portions of the box which are not concealed by the robes, and lay a small, light board over the top front of the box, resting the ends of the board on the sides of the box to make the seat on the sleigh. Cover the board with the same paper as that tacked on the box.

Make two

=Reindeer=

of stiff pasteboard like Fig. 204. Now, do not think you cannot make the deer because you may not be skilled in drawing, for you can do so easily. Take a large sheet of paper and draw on it an oblong forty-eight inches wide and thirty-six inches high; divide the oblong into squares measuring six inches on each of the four sides, which will give eight squares in width and six squares in height. With the aid of these squares it will be fun to copy the reindeer. Number the side lines of your oblong and letter the top and bottom lines as in Fig. 205. Examine the lower corner space of Fig. 205 enclosed by the lines A-5, and you will find the hind hoof and part of the hind leg stretching diagonally across the space. Use a soft lead-pencil and begin copying the deer by drawing a slanting fine from the extreme outward lower corner upward about one-third of the distance from the bottom to the top of the space A-5. This short slanting line forms the bottom of the hoof, the little space, enclosed between the hoof and the long toe above it reaches very nearly to the centre of the lower part of the square A-5. Make yours so. Draw the upper edge of the long toe; then run a slanting line up to the top line of the square space A-5, and make it touch the top line 5 less than one-quarter the distance from the side line A to the opposite line of the same square. Return to the lower part of the hoof already begun and draw the inside line of the hoof and portion of the leg in the same space, A-5.

In the space 4-5, immediately above the space A-5, you will perceive that only a lower corner is drawn in and that all the four squares above the square 4-5 are vacant, so continue your drawing on the bottom space A-B. The extreme upper corner of this is cut off by a short straight line; then a shallow scallop extends entirely across the upper part and runs into the third lower space B-C. If you notice closely the space enclosed by the lines 4-5, A-B, immediately over the one you have been working on, you will see that the corner on the line 4-A is vacant, while all three of the other corners are occupied by portions of the hind leg, and that the empty space extending from the vacant corner 4-A forms almost a square with two lines slightly curved and the corner diagonally across from the vacant corner 4-A, on the line 4, cut off by a short line bent bow-shaped. Draw it in the same way over the corresponding space on your paper. Look at Fig. 206, following the line on the space 4-5, A-B, and you will discover that it is the same as in Fig. 205, only smaller, and by carefully comparing the two diagrams, Fig. 205 and Fig. 206, you will find the lines are formed alike in each, differing only in size; thus you will understand how you can make your deer very much larger simply by drawing it on larger squares. Continue as you have begun, taking one square space at a time, and copy on your large squares the outline of the entire deer as given on the squares of Fig. 206.

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When the drawing is finished, go over all the pencil lines which form the deer with black paint or ink, making the lines heavy and plain, that they may be seen from across the room. As soon as the paint is absolutely dry erase the pencil-lined squares.

To make sure that the deer will stand firmly, extend downward a slanting line from the top of each hoof and draw another level line out from the bottom of each hoof to meet it, according to dotted lines in Fig. 204.

Cut out your deer and with pins or thumb-tacks fasten him out flat on another large sheet of paper; then with the soft lead-pencil run a line on the paper around the deer, which will give you the second deer; outline the markings on this like those on the first deer; then cut it out. If you want six deer for Santa Claus’ sleigh make them as you did the second deer. Back each deer with very heavy, stiff pasteboard and nail a thin strip of wood on each of them. Let the wood reach from the middle of the head to the edge of the hind leg (Fig. 207). Fasten the two animals together with three narrow flat sticks tacked across from deer to deer, one stick at the centre and one on each of the two ends of the slanting strips of wood fastened on each deer. The framework will then rudely resemble an inclined ladder. Stand the reindeer in front of Santa Claus’ sleigh and see how fine they look.

To represent

=Santa Claus,=

make a large rag doll stuffed with straw or excelsior. It is not necessary to spend much time on making the doll, as it will be used only once, and will then be almost entirely covered, showing only the upper portion of the face for which you can mark easily with features. Make the boots (Fig. 208) like stockings of black muslin; have them long and loose enough at the ankle to form wrinkles. The trousers (Fig. 209) should be of scarlet cotton flannel, fleece side out; the coat (Fig. 210) cut of the same material; the cap (Fig. 211) of the red cloth cut melon shape, and sewed together. Santa Claus’ costume must be trimmed with bands of fur. Ermine will look best, and it is easiest to make. Cut strips of white cotton flannel and mark them with black ink to represent the little black elongated spots on real ermine. Trim the tops of the boots (Fig. 208), the neck, sleeves and edge of the coat (Fig. 210) and edge of the cap (Fig. 212) with fur. Make the wig of raw white cotton, and fasten it on the doll’s head (Fig. 213), then the beard, moustache and eyebrows also of raw cotton (Fig. 214), and glue them on the face. Paint Santa Claus’ face pink, his cheeks and the end of his nose bright red, and his eyes blue. When dressing him, bring the fur-topped boots up over the trousers (Fig. 200).

With tacks and string fasten Santa Claus in an upright sitting position on the seat of the sleigh. Tie a long, narrow red ribbon around the neck of each reindeer and pin or tie the ends of these ribbon reins on to the mitten-covered ends of the arms which form his hands. He will then seem to be gayly driving his reindeer.

Fill the box of the sleigh with

=Christmas Gifts=

wrapped in bright colored tissue paper. Any article liable to break should receive special attention. A cup and saucer (Fig. 215) is one of the most difficult articles to manage, and if you can wrap this up, properly, the wrapping of all other gifts will be easy.

Take the saucer first, place it on the centre of a piece of tissue paper (Fig. 216), fold the paper up around it, bringing the ends together at the centre (Fig. 217). Do the same with the cup (Fig. 218); then crush down the top of the paper over the saucer and set the paper-covered cup on it (Fig. 219). Now place the two on more paper and wrap up both together (Fig. 220).

If there are not enough gifts to fill the box of the sleigh, open newspapers and crush them into the bottom of the box to fill up the extra space; spread white paper over the top of the newspapers, and fill in with the prettily wrapped gifts. Each parcel should be tied with a ribbon and decorated with holly, mistletoe or evergreen (Fig. 220). Cover the top of the paper parcels with various toys (Fig. 200), and Santa Claus with sleigh and reindeer will be ready to surprise the family early Christmas morning.

Try to have as many home-made gifts in the sleigh as possible.

=Your Christmas Cards=

can be plain white pieces of cardboard decorated with the head of Santa Claus made of an almond on which is inked a face; the long hair and beard of refined white cotton being glued on the nut and a red peaked cap fastened on the top of the head; this makes a fine Santa Claus. The head should be glued on the left side of the card, and on the blank portion should be inscribed the greeting, “Merry Christmas.”