Down goes Santa Claus on his hands and knees, and crawls under the
table. When he comes out on the other end, he is a little roley poley
boy, smaller and fatter than any of the others, and dressed in white
with red trimmings. All the others join hands with him in a circle,
and they swing around gleefully.

Now for a game of "Follow my leader," shouts WALTER. I'll be leader;
come after me.

Off Walter starts around the room, the others following, first
Gertrude, then the brownies and the fairies, then the others, with
Santa Claus bringing up the rear. They go over the wood box, onto a
chair and down again, and at last Walter dives under the table, in the
opposite direction to that in which the magic change was made. The
children, the brownies, and the fairies go through without any change,
of course, but the other five all come out in their original form.
They stand up straightening their clothes, Mother and Grandmother
setting their hair to rights. Meantime, while the children are
occupied watching the transformations of their parents and
grandparents, the brownies and fairies go back into the box and
basket, and pull the lids down after them.

I'm all out of breath, exclaims FATHER, panting.

So am I, says GRANDMOTHER; but what fun it was.

I wouldn't have missed it for a thousand dollars, MOTHER declares.

Nor I, echoes GRANDFATHER. Even now, although I've got my old body
back again, I declare I feel as young as a boy inside.