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Marmaduke watched him, all eyes.

And as the Toyman whittled sometimes he whistled, and sometimes he sang a funny song in a funny voice. You see he could make rhymes as well as toys.

And this is what he sang:

THE TOYMAN’S SONG

1

“When a little boy’s sick
And stays in bed,
And things feel queer
Inside his head.

2

“He cannot work,
He cannot play;
It’s hard to pass
The time away.

3

“Don’t make much fuss
An’ talk a lot;
No questions ask
‘Bout what he’s got.

4

“They’ll ask him that
When Doctor comes,
So just sit still
Like good, ole chums.

5

“An’ take your knife
An’ make him toys–
This knife knows what
Will please small boys.

6

“Horses and lions,
An’ tops and rings,
An’ kites and ships,
An’ pretty things.

7

“We’ll paint ’em red
An’ yeller an’ blue.
Work away, ole knife,
He’s watchin’ you!”

That’s a new song and a very nice one, thought Marmaduke, as he watched the Toyman whittling away by the red fire.

The little white slivers and shavings covered the paper now. He couldn’t see just what that knife was making. But that was nice, too, for then it would be a surprise. And there’s nothing finer in the world than a real, beautiful surprise.

Then his head grew very tired, and his eyes began to droop till they were tight shut and he fell asleep.

The Toyman looked at him and smiled.

“Poor little feller!” he said. Then he closed his knife, and picked up the paper and the shavings and the surprise, and out of the room he tiptoed.

Out to the workshop he went, and opened the door.

On the shelves were brushes of different sizes and cans of paint of all colours.

He took down three of the cans, humming to himself:

“We’ll paint ’em red
An’ yeller an’ blue.”

“A little brown would go well too,” he added as he took down another can.

He worked away with his paint brushes until the surprise was finished. Then he placed it on the work-table to dry.

The next afternoon there was another tap at the bedroom door.

But Marmaduke didn’t answer. He was taking his afternoon nap. So the Toyman slipped in and put the surprise at the foot of the bed. After that he sat by the fire, watching the little sick soldier. He sat very still, stirring the embers just once in a while to keep the room warm.

At last Marmaduke opened his eyes, a little at first, then wider.

The very first thing that he saw at the bottom of the bed was a tiny sleigh. The body was bright blue and the runners were red. And what do you think–in front, hitched to it, were two tiny brown reindeer with yellow horns! They looked so much alive that Marmaduke thought any minute they would start running away–away over the comforter, out of the window, and up the snow-covered hill.

The Toyman came over to the bed. Marmaduke curled his little fingers around his friend’s hand. The hand was brown and hard, but it was a nice hand, Marmaduke thought.

“We’re good ole chums, aren’t we?” he said to the Toyman.

“You bet we are,” the Toyman answered.