peals of laughter greeted billy's appearance in the living-room. then everyone read the programs he gave them.

"the rascals!" cried mr. lee, genuinely surprised.

"look at this," whispered mrs. lee, pointing to the program.

for at its top was printed in large letters:

when the christmas spirit worked overtime

by

peggy lee and keineth randolph

and the rest of the program read:

the time of the play:

christmas night after the children are supposed to have gone to bed, a little ill from their christmas candies, and when the grownfolks have gathered together to talk over the day and declare that it's the best christmas the children have ever had.

the place:

the living-room at home. and if possible the room should be darkened, except for the lights on the tree, but if this is not convenient it doesn't matter in the least, for the christmas spirit is not afraid to walk into the most brightly-lighted room!

the persons who are in the play:

the christmas spirit peggy lee

the christmas fairies:

happyheart keineth randolph

peace marian jenkins

goodwill sally penny

merrylips fanny penny

joy anne penny

spirit of childhood alice lee

jesters {william lee, jr.

{edward jenkins

"i recognize barbara's hand assisting," laughed mr. lee, as he read through the program.

"sh--h!" the chatter suddenly ceased. barbara pressed a button that shut off all the lights excepting the twinkling bulbs on the tree. in another room the children sang "silent night." as the last sweet note died away, peggy, in gauzy white with tinsel crown and wings, came slowly into the room. she sank down upon the rock. the play had begun. spirit (yawns): goodness me, how tired i am! (yawns again.) it seems as if there are more children every christmas. i think after to-night i'll go to bed for a whole year! (lifts her head suddenly and looks at the tree.) why, there are no presents on the tree! it must be a party of grownfolks! (sighs.) i do feel so sorry for grownfolks! they always have to pretend they're having a christmas. (springs to her feet.) perhaps they're here now. (looks intently at audience.) yes--they are! i can always tell when grownfolks are around, because i have to work so much harder with them. i must call my fairies. (spirit steps toward door, puts her hand cup-shape to her mouth.)

come, oh christmas fairies all,

answer to the spirit's call!

(as she calls the fairies happyheart, merrylips, goodwill, and peace dance into the room, curtsey low to the spirit and group themselves about her.)

spirit(holds out welcoming hands): ah, fairies, what a wonderful day this has been! did you fill the stockings, happyheart?

happyheart: i've filled a million stockings!

spirit: splendid! and you, merrylips?

merrylips: i've trimmed a million trees--small ones and big ones!

spirit: didn't you love it? they smell so good! how went the day with you, goodwill?

goodwill: oh, i've carried baskets of food until i am sure there was not a hungry person in the whole wide world! spirit: tell us, peace, of your work to-day!

peace: i have gone about since early morning putting songs in people's hearts!

spirit: you worked well! i have heard the music all day long!

merrylips (yawns): we're terribly tired!

spirit (sternly): hush! fairies must never be tired when there is work to do! see, i have found a tree! it has these pretty lights but there are no presents!

happyheart: who's tree can it be?

spirit: it is a tree for some grownfolks! you see the children all over the land must have been put to bed a long time ago.

peace (nods her head): grownfolks generally do stay up late christmas night!

happyheart: they get very sad wishing they were children again!

merrylips: christmas is very hard on them, poor things!

spirit: the men talk about spending so much money and the women sit up late nights stitching and stitching and complaining that they will not give anything but cards another christmas.

merrylips: how foolish they are!

peace: they forget that we will help them!

happyheart: you see they don't believe in fairies! it's because they are so old! why, they say that some are over thirty! goodwill: as if that mattered!

spirit: but i do feel very sorry for them! they can scarcely remember when they used to hang up their stockings! they will come and gather around this tree and there will be no presents!

happyheart (sits down upon stool): oh, dear! (drops her chin in her hand.) can't we do something?

peace: let's think hard!

goodwill (sadly): our real presents are gone. there were so many children this year!

merrylips: and they make out such long lists! why, the trees would scarcely hold all the things!

spirit: we must do what we can to make christmas merry for these grownfolks.

happyheart (claps her hands): i can make their hearts light!

goodwill: i can make them kindly to one another!

merrylips: i can make them laugh!

peace: and i can put one of my songs in their hearts!

spirit (as others make these suggestions she turns toward the tree, deep in thought; suddenly she wheels around): your gifts are priceless but, somehow, i wish we had something besides them for these grownfolks!

goodwill: i should like to make this a christmas they would remember the year through!

happyheart: i should like to teach them to believe in fairies!

peace: perhaps if we could fill their tree with gifts they would not forget!

merrylips: let's ask joy! spirit: where is she?

happyheart: oh, she is still working. but if we sing her song she will come!

merrylips: let's sing, then! (holds up her finger.) one, two, three! (all sing softly the christmas carol, "joy to the world." as they sing joy runs into the room. the fairies circle about her.)

joy (stepping to the foreground and stretching arms): oh, i am so tired!

spirit (steps forward and lays her hand on joy's shoulder): poor little joy-fairy!

joy: i've been so busy making happiness! this funny world needs so much of it and everyone wants something different! and there were so many children! (turns to the tree.) what--another tree?

spirit: yes, and we have no presents! happyheart can make their hearts light and peace can give them a song, but, you know, i'd just like to have them have some presents--like children have!

merrylips (dances a step or two): fairy presents would be fun! they are more fun than real presents and can make wishes come true!

goodwill: they say grownfolks are worse than children about making wishes, only they keep their wishes locked up!

happyheart: wouldn't it be lovely?

joy: i know--let's call the spirit of childhood!

happyheart: splendid! she will surely know a way!

spirit: how can we call her, joy-fairy? joy: put your fingers over your eyes tight! (all put their fingers over their eyes.) now, say after me--"spirit of childhood, come at our call!"

chorus:

spirit of childhood, come at our call,

spirit of childhood, come at our call!

(as they repeat this the spirit of childhood dances joyously into the room and faces them. as they remove their fingers from their eyes, they bow low.)

chorus: childhood!

childhood (faces audience): i am the spirit of childhood! i am the happiest fairy of all! i am known all over this wide, wide world! everybody loves me! sometimes i am a dream, too, and i come out of the past when it is very still and creep into old, old hearts!

happyheart (impatiently): we know all that!

spirit (steps toward childhood): we want you to help us now, childhood, to make christmas merry for this party of grownfolks.

childhood: no children? they're all grownfolks?

spirit: no children. they're all grownfolks.

childhood: poor things! how sad!

spirit: but they have a tree and we want to give them gifts which, because they are fairy gifts, will make their best every-day wish come true!

childhood: yes-they'll think, because they are grownups, they must have useful gifts! but they shall have fairy gifts!

happyheart (to other fairies): i told you she'd help us! merrylips: and these grown folks must make a big, big wish and have it on top of their hearts! then, if they carry their gifts in the bottom of their pockets their wishes will come true!

childhood: i will call my jesters! they are clever knaves--they will find the gifts!

happyheart: call them quickly!

childhood: i have to do very funny things, because i am childhood, you know. (she dances backward and forward across the room, with merry step; pirouettes and points finger into audience.) some one out there must laugh, or the jesters will not think we are merry. laugh, someone, laugh! harder! i am childhood! laugh with me! (as she speaks some one in the audience laughs; others join.)

childhood (runs to door):

jester big, jester small,

come at childhood's merry call!

(jesters enter--stand near door.)

chorus: welcome--welcome!

childhood (to jesters): go--find and bring us the biggest christmas stocking in the world! it must be filled with fairy gifts! (jesters hurry out.)

goodwill: how will we know which gifts to give each person?

childhood: oh, i will look in my book of the past! you see i have to keep careful records of everybody!

spirit: why it's just like santa claus used to do when the old-fashioned children believed in him! happyheart: he was a fine man!

spirit: ah, here they come!

(enter jesters dragging behind them an enormous christmas stocking made of red cambric. they give it to the christmas spirit, then step back to the door.)

childhood (as others gather around the stocking): go, jesters, and bring me my book of records!

happyheart: open it quickly! (spirit opens stocking--all peep in.) oh, lots and lots of gifts!

(jester returns, gives book to childhood who goes to the right of group and stands next to happyheart.)

childhood (solemnly to audience): are all the grownups ready? have they got their best wish on top of their hearts?

happyheart: is every one happy?

goodwill: do you all feel very, very kind to one another?

peace: do you know my songs?

childhood: then let's have a bright light so that we may begin!

(lights of the room flash on.)

(spirit takes packages one by one from the stocking and reads the name. then she holds the package while happyheart reads from childhood's record what the book has to say of each person. after this has been read joy with dancing step takes the fairy package to the person named. this goes on until every one in the audience has received a gift.)

spirit (throws stocking down): the stocking is empty!

happyheart: the fairy gifts are all gone! childhood (shakes finger at audience): but each one of you has a wish that will come true, just as sure as sure can be; for you have received a fairy gift!

happyheart: and now they will be happy!

goodwill (claps her hands together as if with a happy thought): let us send the jesters to bring in to them the christmas bowl! if they drink our fairy brew they will never, never forget this christmas!

happyheart: and they will always believe in the christmas spirit!

spirit: and in the christmas fairies!

goodwill: go, jesters, and bring in to them the christmas bowl! (jesters go out quickly.)

spirit: now, fairies, we must stop our work! we've worked overtime already, and you know there is an eight-hour law now for fairies.

merrylips: yes, but we've helped these poor grownfolks! happyheart: let us say farewell to them! now, one--two--three!

chorus (waving hands):

may the brew that we've mixed you make every heart light, merry christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

(fairies dance out, followed by the spirit. jesters, blowing horns, enter the room, bearing a tray upon which is placed a punch bowl filled with nora's best cider punch.)

* * * * *

loud applause demanded the return of the fairies and then all gathered in a merry group around the punch bowl while mr. lee toasted the youthful cast.

"i suspect you, miss bab, of a hand in those records," he cried, shaking a finger at barbara. a paper crown was set rakishly on his head.

behind the laughter in mrs. lee's eyes was shining something very like tears as she drew little alice to her. across the brightly-crowned heads of the children her glance caught mr. lee's.

"i feel as if my heart had been brushed by fairy wings to-night," she said with a happy sigh.