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Santa Claus Does Not Forget
by M.A. Haley
Bertie was a very good boy. He was
kind, obedient, truthful, and unselfish. He had, however, one
great fault,—he always
forgot.
No matter how important the errand,
his answer always was, "I
forgot." When he was sent with a note to the dress-maker
his mother would find the note in his pocket at night. If he
was sent to the store in a great hurry, to get something for
tea, he would return late, without the article, but with his
usual answer.
His father and mother talked the matter over, and decided that
something must be done to make the little boy remember.
Christmas was near, and Bertie was busy making out a list of
things which Santa Claus was to bring him.
"Santa Claus may forget some of those things," said
his mother.
"He cannot," replied Bertie; "for
I shall write sled, and skates, and drum, and violin, and all the
things on this paper. Then when Santa Claus goes to my stocking
he will find the list. He can see it and put the things in as fast
as he reads."
Christmas morning came, and Bertie was up at dawn to see what was
in his stocking. His mother kept away from him as long as she could,
for she knew what Santa Claus had done.
Finally she heard him coming with slow steps to her room. Slowly
he opened the door and came towards her. He held in his hand
a list very much longer than the one he had made out. He put
it in his mother's hand, while tears of disappointment fell from
his eyes.
"See what Santa Claus left for
me; but I think he might have given me one thing besides."
His mother opened the roll. It was
a list of all the errands Bertie had been asked to do for six
months. At the end of all was written, in staring capitals, "I
FORGOT."
Bertie wept for an hour. Then his mother told him they were
all going to grandpa's. For the first time he would see a Christmas-tree.
Perhaps something might be growing there for him.
It was very strange to Bertie, but
on grandpa's tree he found everything he had written on his
list. Was he cured of his bad habit? Not all at once; but when
his mother saw that he was particularly heedless she would
say, "Remember, Santa Claus does not
forget."
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