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قراءة كتاب Down the Chimney
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
carry off the smoke; don't you know that? Sleepy head! You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
THE CHIMNEY answers: Nothing of the sort. Have you forgotten what night this is, Jack Frost? Don't you know that this is Christmas Eve, when the fires are all put out, so that Santa Claus can climb down without getting burned? That's why I was taking a little nap. See? He winks with one eye.
JACK FROST says: Oh, that's it, is it? Well, that's true enough. I hadn't thought of old Santa Claus. He'll be here before long, probably.
Yes, too soon, says THE CHIMNEY; for I haven't had my sleep half out, and here you are, keeping me awake for nothing. With your kind permission, I'll take another forty winks.
And now his eyes close, then his nose and mouth disappear, and in a moment he is sound asleep again.
Lazy old fellow! exclaims JACK FROST. Well, I must get to work if we are to have a real old-fashioned storm before morning. And first for some wind. Where are those Wind Fairies, I wonder? They ought to be here by now. He puts his hands beside his mouth, and calls in a high voice: Hoo—oo! Hoo—oo!
THE WIND FAIRIES are heard from far, far away, calling in answer: Hoo-oo! Hoo-oo!
JACK FROST, as soon as he hears them, says joyfully: There they are. They'll be here in a second.
And now you can hear the Wind Fairies coming gradually nearer, making the wind-noise as the come, like this:
z—z—z z—z—z z—Z—Z—Z—z—z—z
z—z—z z—z—z z—Z—Z—Z—z—z—z
This grows louder and louder, till suddenly in come the Wind Fairies, running. They are all in gray; they have on gray peaked caps, gray capes which comes down to their knees, and long gray stockings; and they have gray masks over the upper parts of their faces. The Fairies stop short before Jack Frost, and make him a low bow. Then they sing their song, which is called
Do you hear us blow, in our coats of gray?
Do you hear us blow, till the trees rock and sway?
Do you hear us blow—for from far, far away
We have come with a storm for your Christmas.
Oh, the sound of the wind is strange for to hear;
And the breath of the wind, it is cold and clear;
You'll hear us blow, as we fly thro' the air,
And we've brought you a storm for your Christmas.
You can hear us sigh at the window-pane;
And we moan and cry in the snow and the rain.
Then away we fly, for we may not remain,
But we leave you a storm for your Christmas.
Oh, the sound of the wind is strange for to hear;
And the breath of the wind, it is cold and clear;
You'll hear us blow, as we fly thro' the air,
And we've brought you a storm for your Christmas.
As soon as the song is over, off run the Wind Fairies, making the wind-noise as they go, which grows fainter and fainter as they get further and further away, like this
Z—Z—Z—z—z—z z—z—z z—z—z
Z—Z—Z—z—z—z z—z—z z—z—z
When the sound of the wind has quite died away, THE CHIMNEY opens one eye, and speaking slowly and sleepily, says: Look here, Jack, something's going on in my inside. He opens the other eye, and