quite late," called their mother. It was one morning about a week
after Christmas.

"Oh dear, I am so sleepy, and my bed is nice and warm," thought
Bertha.

[Illustration: Bertha's Father and Mother.]

But she jumped up and rubbed her eyes and began to dress, without
waiting to be called a second time. Her mother was kind and loving,
but she had taught her children to obey without a question.

Both little girls had long, thick hair. It must be combed and
brushed and braided with great care. Each one helped the other.
They were soon dressed, and ran down-stairs.

As soon as the breakfast was over and the room made tidy, every one
in the family sat down to work. Bertha's father was a toy-maker. He
had made wooden images of Santa Claus all his life. His wife and
children helped him.

When Bertha was only five years old, she began to carve the legs of
these Santa Claus dolls. It was a queer sight to see the little
girl's chubby fingers at their work. Now that she was nine years
old, she still carved legs for Santa Claus in her spare moments.

Gretchen always made arms, while Hans worked on a still different
part of the bodies. The father and mother carved the heads and
finished the little images that afterward gave such delight to
children in other lands.