Public-domain ebook
The tale of Curly-Tail
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Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #68822.
The opening · free to read
Curly-Tail got down from the Rocking Horse and said, “I am going to Santa Claus’ work-shop and this Rocking Horse knows the way, who will go with me?”
“I will, I will, I will,” cried the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs in one breath, so Curly-Tail got on the Rocking Horse and rocked away, away, away, and the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs ran on behind.
“I see a light ahead,” shouted the first Little Darling Dog. “I see a light,” shouted the next, and the next.
They came to a little wee house in the woods.
Curly-Tail without waiting for an invitation rocked right in the open door, crying, “Hurrah for Mrs. Santa Claus! Here we are, the whole Curly-Tail family!”
Mrs. Santa Claus was so surprised she cried,
“Ha, ha, ha, ha, by my frilled cap, I surely must be taking a nap!”
She tried to count the Little Darling Dogs, but they danced about her so fast, she never knew which ones she counted twice, and which ones she never counted at all!
Curly-Tail begged, “Please let us go into Santa Claus work-shop!”
Then the first Little Darling Dog sat down on the floor and began to grumble, and the next Little Darling Dog began to weep, and the next Little Darling Dog got a scowly face, and such a noise you never heard.
Only Curly-Tail kept good natured.
He rocked gently to and fro on his wonderful Rocking Horse and said, “You make as much noise as Daddy Do-Little when he is lonesome.”
Mrs. Santa Claus said, “Who is Daddy Do-Little?”
Mrs. Santa Claus said, “If the old fellow had a new coat, perhaps he would not be so lazy or grumble so much. Here is my work basket, and some cloth, go to work if you please.”
Mrs. Santa Claus opened a slide in the wall and disappeared!
“Ha, ha, ha,” cried the Fourteen Little Darling Dogs.
Curly-Tail cried, “Hurrah! hurrah, we will make Daddy Do-Little a new coat out of this cloth.”
My, how busy they were!
One Little Darling Dog got a tape measure and measured the cloth.
One Little Darling Dog got a pair of scissors and went, “snip, snip, snip.”
One Little Darling Dog began to unwind a spool of thread, and the other Little Darling Dogs sat around in groups threading needles!
Curly-Tail skipped about giving directions.
Soon they were all sewing on Daddy Do-Little’s new coat!
“Oh, oh, oh,” cried the Little Darling Dogs, as they pricked themselves on the needles.
They would interrupt one another by shouting, “Who has the thimble? Who has the thread? Where is my needle?” and still the song sounded beautifully.
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