Who Is Santa Claus?

Who is Santa Claus?

by Verna Hills

“Santa Claus came to school today, Mother"  shouted Martin.  Marin had a pretty red and green package in his hand.

"How nice," Martin," said Mother.  "Was Santa Claus wearing a red suit?  Did he have a long white beard?"

"Oh, yes. “Martin stopped and looked up at Mother.  "Doesn't Santa Claus always wear a red suit?  Doesn't he always have a long white beard?"  Martin began to take off his own warm winter suit.

"Usually he does," said Mother.  "I think it's because they make him seem so jolly.  But Santa Claus doesn't really have to look like that."

Martin thought about it.  "Then how would we know who he was?"

Mother laughed.  "Why, we'd know by his Christmas gifts.  And we'd know by his loving heart that makes him want everyone to have a happy Christmas."

"Well," said Martin, "he had on a red suit today, and his long white beard got caught on a branch of the Christmas tree and almost came off.  And he said he had to ride in a car, because we didn't have any snow for his sleigh to run on."

"You haven't told me what he brought you," said Mother.  "You had it in your hand when you came.  Are you keeping it for a surprise?"

Martin began to look all around.  What had he done with his pretty red and green package?  It was not in sight anywhere.

"You might hang up your wraps," said Mother, "before you look any more.  Then perhaps your Christmas gift will find itself."

Martin put away his mittens.  He hung up his cap.  He picked up his warm winter suit, and there underneath his suit was the red and green package.

Martin held it in his hand again.  "You couldn't guess," he said.

"Is it a book?" guessed Mother.

Martin shook his head.

"A box of crayons?" asked mother.

Martin shook his head again.  "I'll show you."  He began to take off the red ribbon.  he unwrapped the pretty green paper.  "Pictures!" said Martin.  "Pictures of Santa Claus, and Christmas trees, and stars, and lots of things.  They’re to make Christmas cards." 

After dinner Martin took out his paste and his scissors.  He spread out on the table the pictures and cards that Santa Claus had brought him.

"Mother," said Martin," I think I'll ask Judy to come over.  I think Judy would like to make Christmas cards, too."

So Martin asked Judy to come over, and Martin and Judy made Christmas cards together.  Martin sat on one side of the table by the window.  Judy sat on the other side of the table by the window.  Martin and Judy cut and folded and pasted.  They looked at each others work.

"This is fun," said Judy.

"Let's stand them up on the window sill," said Martin.  "Let's have a whole row of cards, same as in a store."

“Let's," said Judy.  She took the cards she had finished and stood them up on the window sill.  "One for Mother and one for Daddy, and for Big Brother, and Baby Sister. I've made four cards, Martin.  How many have you made?"

"Wait a minute."  Martin took the cards he had made and stood them up on the window sill.  "One for Daddy and one for Mother and one for Big Sister and one for Miss Snow.  I've made four too!  "I've made just the same as you have."

"I know," cried Judy.  "Let's make one for Santa Claus.  He brought you the pictures.  I think he'd like a card.  Don't you, Martin?"

"Let's put lots of things on it," said Martin.  "Let's make Santa Claus's card together."

Martin and Judy stood up side by side at the table.  They put stars all around the edge of the card.  They put a picture of a Christmas tree in the middle.

"Where shall we send it?" asked Martin.  "Santa Claus goes different places at Christmas time.  He doesn't stay anywhere to get his mail."

"He's at Warner's store," said Judy.  "I saw him this morning!"

"But, Judy - Santa Claus was at my school this morning!"

"I saw him," said Judy again, "At Warner's store, and he's going to be there every day.  He said so.  We could send our cards there."

"There must be two Santa Clauses, then."  Martin slid down from his chair.  Llet's ask Mother."

"Judy slid down from her chair, too, and followed Martin upstairs.  Martin's mother was dressing Baby Brother.

"Mother," said Martin, "are there two Santa Clauses?"

Mother smiled.  "I'd say there were probably a great many more than two, Martin.  Santa Clauses at schools, Santa Clauses at churches, Santa Clauses at stores."

"Where do they come from?" asked Judy.  "And where do they stay when it isn't Christmas time?"

"Well," said mother," it's like this.  Everybody loves Santa Claus.  So when Christmas comes, and people are going to have a party, they find someone with a jolly smile, and a friendly voice, and a loving heart, and they ask him to be their Santa Claus.  because it's really the jolly smile and the friendly voice and the loving heart and the Christmas gifts that are Santa Claus.  You can be a Santa Claus, too, if you have all those things.  And you could find Santa Clauses in many places, only they would not all be wearing red suits and white beards."

"Is the postman one Santa Claus?" asked Martin.  "He's a nice man.  He brings us lots of Christmas gifts."

"I think he'd like being called Santa Claus," said Mother.

Just then Martin and Judy heard a sound downstairs.  They ran to see who made it.  And there was Martin's daddy.  His arms were full of packages, and when he saw Martin and Judy, he smiled a jolly smile.

Martin and Judy stretched out both arms and caught Martin's daddy between them.  "You're Santa Claus!"  they shouted.  "Santa Claus!"

They knew he had a loving heart.  They could see his jolly smile.  Now they were hearing his friendly voice.

"Well," said Martin's daddy, "perhaps you're right.  I am Santa Claus, tonight."