"I did hear them, Little Brother," said Pedro. "Their sound came to me over the snow,--the sweetest music I ever heard."

Long years after, when Pedro grew to be a man, he was a great musician.

Many, many people came to hear him play.

Some one said to him one day, "How can you play so sweetly? I never heard such music before."

"Ah," said Pedro, "but you never heard the Christmas bells as I heard them that Christmas night years and years ago."

--OLD TALE RETOLD.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Family at prayer at the table]

G.o.d BLESS THE MASTER OF THIS HOUSE

G.o.d bless the master of this house, The mistress, also, And all the little children That round the table go: And all your kin and kinsfolk, That dwell both far and near; I wish you a merry Christmas And a happy new year.

--OLD ENGLISH RIME.

SQUEAKY AND THE SCARE BOX

I

Once upon a time a family of mice lived in the pantry wall. There was a father mouse, there was a mother mouse, and there were three little baby mice.

One little mouse had sharp bright eyes and could see everything, even in the darkest holes. He was called Sharpeyes. His brother could sniff and smell anything, wherever it might be hidden, and he was called Sniffy.

The baby mouse had such a squeaky little voice that he was called Squeaky. He was always singing, "Ee-ee-ee!"

Mother mouse was very wise, and she had taught her babies to run and hide when they saw the old cat coming. She had also taught them not to go near a trap. The little mice obeyed their mother, and they were happy in their home in the pantry wall.

They had many good times together. I could not tell you about all of these, but I am going to tell you about their Christmas party and what happened to Squeaky.

It was the night before Christmas. The stockings hung by the chimney, and the tall tree was standing in the parlor. The children were asleep, and the father and mother had gone upstairs to bed.

In the pantry wall, the little mice were all wide-awake.

"Ee-ee-ee!" squeaked Squeaky; "why can't we creep into the big room and see the tall Christmas tree? The children have talked about it for days, and we have never seen one. Mother, please let us go and see it."

"Yes," said Sniffy, "do let us go. Everything smells so good. The children and the cook made long strings of pop corn to-day. I found a little on the pantry floor, and I want some more."

"I peeped out of our hole," said Sharpeyes, "and I saw cake and candy all ready for the children. Oh, I do want a bite of those good things!

Please let us have a Christmas party."

"Well," said mother mouse, "I will ask your father. If he says it is safe, we will go."

When mother mouse asked father mouse, he said, "I will go out first and look all about. If it is safe, I will come back for you."

So father mouse crept softly through the pantry, down the long hall, and into the parlor. The cat was nowhere to be seen. Father mouse ran back to the pantry and cried, "The cat is not near; come and see the tree."

II

Then all the mice came scampering from the hole in the wall. They crept through the pantry, down the long hall, and into the parlor. When they saw the tall Christmas tree, they squeaked again and again in their joy.

Then they ran around and around the tree to see what was on it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The mice look at the Christmas tree]

On the floor they saw a wonderful doll's house. "How fine it would be to live there!" they squeaked.

They ran up and down the stairs, sat on the chairs, and lay down in the beds. Oh, they had a merry time!

Then Sniffy said, "I smell that good pop corn again. Let's climb up into the Christmas tree and get some."

They climbed up into the tree. They nibbled the pop corn; they nibbled the candy; they nibbled the nuts; and they nibbled the cakes.

Soon Sharpeyes cried out, "Come here, I see a mouse! I see a mouse! But he doesn't look like our family at all."

"I should say not," sniffed Sniffy; "and how good he smells!"

"Why, he is good to eat!" squeaked Squeaky; and they all began to eat the chocolate mouse.

Then they found another candy mouse--a pretty pink one. They were so busy eating it that they forgot to watch and listen; then--bang! The door was opened, and the lights were turned on.

With a squeak, the mice scampered down from the tree; then they ran along the hall, through the pantry, and back to their home. There was the father mouse, and the mother mouse, and Sharpeyes, and Sniffy. But where was Squeaky?

III

Now, as Squeaky tried to run down the tree, he fell heels over head.

Down, down, down, he fell until he was caught in a funny box. An ugly man with black hair and black whiskers seemed to be hopping out of the box.

When Squeaky saw the lights turned on, he hid under the dress of this queer man. He lay very, very still, for he had been taught to be still when danger was near. He heard voices. The father and mother had come back.

"Yes," the father was saying; "it would have been a shame to forget this train. I would like it to come right out from under the tree. Help me put the track down, mother."

When the train was just where it should be, the mother turned to the beautiful tree.

"Why, look at that Jack-in-the-box," she said. "The man is hanging out.

That will never do. I will shut the box. Teddy must see the man jump out."