warmly clad in such a warm coat, or he might have been frozen stiff. As
it was, his wheels and springs had to be oiled several times after his
long night spent in a snowdrift.

In the morning Santa Claus and his men hurried into the workshop after
breakfast. There was a hum and a bustle, whistling and singing, and the
sound of many tools being used.

"Lively, my merry men, lively!" cried Santa Claus, with a laugh, as he
passed from bench to bench. "I will soon make a trip to Earth, and I
shall need many toys to take with me. I want a big bagful to load into
my sleigh. My reindeer are waiting. All I need is toys--more toys--all
the toys you can make!"

"You shall have them, Santa Claus! You shall have them!" cried the merry
little men, and they began to work as fast as they could.

At one of the benches Santa Claus observed a little man looking about as
though in search of something. The little man moved his tools to one
side, he shifted toys here and there, and then he looked under his
bench.

"What are you looking for?" asked Santa Claus, as he passed up and down
the aisles.

"Why, yesterday, I finished a fine Plush Bear," answered the workman. "I
set it over here, but now it is gone. You did not take it to Earth, did
you?"

"Oh, no," answered Santa Claus. "I have not been to Earth for some time.