#B4 ,:5 ! ,_W ,GREW ,OLD

  ,! NEXT MORN+1 :5 ,SANTA ,CLAUS OP5$ 8
EYES & GAZ$ >.D ! FAMILI> ROOM1 : HE _H
FE>$ HE MI<T N"E SEE AG1 HE 0 A/ONI%$
6F9D 8 OLD /R5G? RENEW$ & 6FEEL ! R$
BLOOD ( P]FECT H1L? C\RS+ "? 8 VE9S4 ,HE
SPRANG F 8 B$ & /OOD ": ! B"R SUN%9E
CAME 9 "? 8 W9D[ & FLOOD$ HM ) XS M]RY1
DANC+ RAYS4 ,HE DID N !N "U/& :AT _H
HAPP5$ 6RE/ORE 6HM ! VIGOR ( Y\?1 B 9
SPITE (! FACT T 8 BE>D REMA9$ ! COLOR (
SN[ & T WR9KLES / L+]$ 9 ! CORN]S ( 8
B"R EYES1 OLD ,SANTA ,CLAUS FELT Z BRISK
& M]RY Z A BOY ( SIXTE51 & 0 SOON :I/L+
3T5T$LY Z HE BUSI$ HMF FA%ION+ NEW TOYS4
  ,!N ,AK CAME 6HM & TOLD (! ,MANTLE (
,IMMORTAL;Y & H[ ,CLAUS _H WON X "? 8
LOVE = LL *N4
  ,X MADE OLD ,SANTA LOOK GRAVE =A MO;T
6?9K HE _H BE5 S FAVOR$2 B X AL MADE HM
GLAD 6R1LIZE T N[ HE NE$ N"E FE> 2+ "P$
F 8 DE> "OS4 ,AT ONCE HE 2GAN PREP>,NS =
MAK+ A REM>KA# ASSORT;T ( PRETTY & AMUS+
PLAY?+S1 & 9 L>G] QUANTITIES ?AN "E 2F2
= N[ T HE MI<T ALW DEVOTE HMF 6? "W HE
DECID$ T NO * 9 ! _W1 POOR OR RI*1 %D
"HAF G )\T A ,*RI/MAS GIFT IF HE CD
MANAGE 6SUPPLY X4
  ,! _W 0 NEW 9 ! "DS :5 DE> OLD ,SANTA
,CLAUS F/ 2GAN TOY-MAK+ & WON1 0HIS LOV+
DE$S1 ! ,MANTLE ( ,IMMORTAL;Y4 ,&! TASK
( SUPPLY+ *E]+ ^WS1 SYMPA?Y & PRETTY
PLAY?+S 6ALL ! "Y ( 8 RACE DID N SEEM A
DI6ICULT "UTAK+ AT ALL4 ,B E YE> M & M
*N 7 BORN 96! _W1 & ^!1 :5 !Y GREW UP1
2GAN SPR1D+ SL[LY OV] ALL ! FACE (! E>?1
SEEK+ NEW HOMES2 S T ,SANTA ,CLAUS F.D
EA* YE> T 8 J\RNEYS M/ EXT5D F>!R & F>!R
F ! ,LAU<+ ,VALLEY1 & T ! PACKS ( TOYS
M/ 2 MADE L>G] & "E L>G]4
  ,S AT L5G? HE TOOK C\NSEL ) 8 FELL[
IMMORTALS H[ 8 "W MI<T KEEP PACE )!
9CR1S+ NUMB] ( *N T N"O MI<T 2 NEGLECT$4
,&! IMMORTALS 7 S GRTLY 9T]E/$ 9 8
LABORS T !Y GLADLY R5D]$ HM _! ASSI/.E4
,AK GAVE HM 8 MAN ,KILT]1 8! SIL5T &
SWIFT40 ,&! ,KNOOK ,PR9CE GAVE HM ,PET]1
:O 0 M CROOK$ & LESS SURLY ?AN ANY ( 8
BRO!RS4 ,&! ,RYL ,PR9CE GAVE HM ,NUT]1 !
SWEETE/ TEMP]$ ,RYL "E "KN4 ,&! ,FAIRY
,QUE5 GAVE HM ,WISK1 T T9Y1 MIS*IEV\S B
LOVA# ,FAIRY :O "KS TD ALM Z _M *N Z
DOES ,SANTA ,CLAUS HMF4
  ,) ^! P 6HELP MAKE ! TOYS & 6KEEP 8
H\SE 9 ORD] & 6LOOK AF ! SL$GE &! H>;S1
,SANTA ,CLAUS F.D X M* EASI] 6PREP>E 8
YE>LY LOAD ( GIFTS1 & 8 "DS 2GAN 6FOLL[
"O ANO!R SMOO?LY & PL1SANTLY4
  ,YET AF A FEW G5],NS 8 WORRIES 7
RENEW$1 = X 0 REM>KA# H[ ! NUMB] ( P
3T9U$ 6GR[1 & H[ _M M *N "! 7 E YE> 6BE
S]V$4 ,:5 ! P FILL$ ALL ! CITIES & L&S (
"O C.TRY !Y W&]$ 96ANO!R "P (! _W2 &! M5
CUT D[N ! TREES 9 _M (! GRT =E/S T _H
BE5 RUL$ 0,AK1 &)! WOOD !Y BUILT NEW
CITIES1 & ": ! =E/S _H BE5 7 FIELDS (
GRA9 & H]DS ( BR[S+ CATTLE4
  ,Y MI<T ?9K ! ,MA/] ,WOODSMAN WD REBEL
AT ! LOSS ( 8 =E/S2 B N S4 ,! WISDOM (
,AK 0 MI<TY & F>SEE+4
  8,! _W 0 MADE = M510 SD HE 6,SANTA
,CLAUS1 8& ,I H B GU>D$ ! =E/S UNTIL M5
NE$$ !M = _! USE4 ,I AM GLAD MY /R;G
TREES C FURNI% %ELT] = M5'S W1K BODIES1
& W>M !M "? ! COLD W9T]S4 ,B ,I HOPE !Y
W N CUT D[N ALL ! TREES1 = MANK9D NE$S !
%ELT] (! WOODS 9 SUMM] Z M* Z ! W>M? (
BLAZ+ LOGS 9 W9T]4 ,&1 H["E CR[D$ ! _W
MAY GR[1 ,I D N ?9K M5 W "E -E 6,BURZEE1
NOR 6! ,GRT ,BLACK ,=E/1 NOR 6! WOOD$
WILD];S ( ,BRAZ2 UN.S !Y SEEK _! %ADES =
PL1SURE & N 6DE/ROY _! GIANT TREES40
  ,0& 0P MADE %IPS F ! TREE-TRUNKS &
CROSS$ OV] OC1NS & BUILT CITIES 9 F>
L&S2 B ! OC1NS MADE LL DI6];E 6! J\RNEYS
( ,SANTA ,CLAUS4 ,8 RE9DE] SP$ OV] !
WAT]S Z SWIFTLY Z OV] L&1 & 8 SL$GE H1D$
F EA/ 6WE/ & FOLL[$ 9 ! WAKE (! SUN4 ,S
T Z ! E>? ROLL$ SL[LY OV] ,SANTA ,CLAUS
_H ALL ( TW5TY-F\R H\RS 65CIRCLE X EA*
,*RI/MAS ,EVE1 &! SPE$Y RE9DE] 5JOY$ ^!
WOND];L J\RNEYS M & M4
  ,S YE> AF YE>1 & G5],N AF G5],N1 &
C5TURY AF C5TURY1 ! _W GREW OLD] &! P
2CAME M NUM]\S &! LABORS ( ,SANTA ,CLAUS
/1DILY 9CR1S$4 ,! FAME ( 8 GD DE$S SPR1D
6E H\SEHOLD ": *N DWELT4 ,& ALL ! LL "OS
LOV$ HM DE>LY2 &! "FS & "MS HONOR$ HM =!
HAPPI;S HE _H GIV5 !M :5 !Y TOO 7 "Y2 &!
AG$ GR&SIRES & GR&DAMES REMEMB]$ HM )
T5D] GRATITUDE & B.S$ 8 "N4

;F