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The door opened. In rushed two happy, laughing, shouting children.

“Merry Christmas!” cried Dorothy.

“Merry Christmas!” echoed Dick.

“Oh, here is the set of dishes I wanted!” Dorothy exclaimed.

“And here is my White Rocking Horse!” shouted Dick. “Oh, it’s just the very one I hoped I’d get! Oh, what a dandy!”

With a leap he was up on the red saddle and grasping the red reins in his hands.

“Gid-dap!” cried the boy, and he beat a tattoo on the sides of the horse with his feet. But as Dick had on soft slippers, he did not hurt the White Rocking Horse in the least, nor did he chip off any paint. “Here I go! Here I go!” shouted Dick. “Oh, what a fine horse!”

“He’s lovely, Dick,” said his sister.

“Merry Christmas, children!” said Mother, as she came in to see the Christmas tree.

“Merry Christmas!” they answered. “See what you have, Mother!”

And there were presents for her and for Daddy also, under the tree. And Daddy came downstairs, rubbing his eyes and saying:

“Merry Christmas!”

The White Rocking Horse felt very happy and so did the Sawdust Doll, and even the Jumping Jack was as jolly as the rest.

“You may have a ride on my horse if you want to, Dorothy,” said Dick, as he slowly brought his steed to a stop.

“Thank you,” answered his sister. “And when I have a play party with my new Christmas dishes you may come and have some cake.”

And so Christmas came and brought happiness with it to Dick and Dorothy and also to the White Rocking Horse and the Sawdust Doll. For the toys were in a fine house and had a kind master and mistress. And that means more than you think to toys.

I cannot begin to tell you all that happened this Christmas Day. Boy and girl playmates of Dorothy and Dick came over to see what Santa Claus had brought their friends, and the visitors showed their own presents. Among the callers were Mirabell and Arnold, the boy and girl who lived next door.

“Oh, what nice things you have!” said Mirabell. “I got nice presents, too. I wanted a Lamb on Wheels, such as I once saw in the store, but I have so many things I don’t exactly need that now. Maybe I’ll get one later on.”

“And I wanted a Bold Tin Soldier,” said Arnold, her brother. “But I have a pop gun and a drum, and I’ll wait until my birthday for the soldier.”

The children had jolly Christmas fun, and at night the tree was lighted.

“Oh, what a beautiful sight!” said the White Rocking Horse to the Sawdust Doll, when they were alone in the room for a moment and could talk without being overheard.

“I told you that you’d see something wonderful,” said the old Jumping Jack.

“You were right,” said the Rocking Horse. “It is beautiful!”

The fun of Christmas night was as jolly as that during the day, but at last Mother said:

“Come now, children, it is time to go to sleep. You may play with your White Rocking Horse to-morrow, Dick. And you may have a play party for your Sawdust Doll, Dorothy.”

And, very happy indeed, brother and sister went to bed.

It became very still and quiet and dark in the house. It was like the hour in the department store when there is no one to see the toys.

“Now I can move about,” said the White Rocking Horse, who had been taken up to Dick’s room. “I wish I could see the Sawdust Doll and have a talk with her.”

“She is in Dorothy’s room,” said an old Driver, who had once sat on a tin express wagon. “Dorothy always takes her doll to bed with her.”

“Then I think I’ll go in and see my friend,” said the Horse. “I can gallop softly down the hall and into Dorothy’s room. As long as no one sees me I am allowed to move about.”

“Yes, go ahead,” said the Driver. “I’d go with you if I still had my wagon. Go and see the Sawdust Doll.”