since he was first brought to the big store from the Land of the North
Pole, where he had been made in the work-shop of Santa Claus. Then the
White Rocking Horse had been carried up to the toy department in a big
freight elevator, with many others like himself. But that freight
elevator went more slowly than the passenger one in which the man now
carried down his boy's Christmas present, thus helping St. Nicholas,
who was to be very busy that year.

As the man went outside the store with his bundle the White Rocking
Horse felt a cold chill run over him. He was so used to the warm store
that he had forgotten the cold weather outside. It was snowing, too,
and one or two white flakes sifted in through cracks of the wrapping
paper, and fell on the Horse.

"Well, this is certainly a strange adventure," thought the White
Horse; "being carried along this way, out into a storm. I wonder what
will happen next?"

And the next he knew he was put in the back of an automobile and away
he rode, faster than he ever could have traveled by himself--faster
even than he had gone while racing with the Elephant on roller skates.

The ride in the automobile through the snow made the White Rocking
Horse rather sleepy, so he really did not know much about what
happened on his trip through the storm. All he remembered was that he
went quite fast and at last the car stopped.

Then he felt himself being lifted out of the automobile, and he heard
voices.