Santa Claus,
                             Kriss Kringle
                           or St. Nicholas.

                          Fully Illustrated.

                             Published by
                          E. J. WHITE & CO.,
           54 North Main Street, Room 16, Providence, R. I.

                Copyrighted, 1897, by E. J. White & Co.

    âNow, I have caught you Santa Claus,
     Kriss Kringle or St. Nicholas,
     And you must tell me, tell me true,
     Which of these names best pleases you?â

    âO-ho! my pretty little maid,
     Iâll answer true, O-ho!â he said.

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     Copyrighted, 1897.
]

    âMy wife, she often calls me hub,
     And, strange to you, sometimes just bub,
     No doubt you think me six feet, four,
     And that I weigh a ton or more,
     But when at home Iâm rather small,
     Not near so large nor half so tall
     As when I visit girls and boys
     And load them down with pretty toys.â

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     Copyrighted 1897.
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    âSometimes she calls me darling, dear,
     âTis then Iâve nothing harsh to fear.
     Again her words come thicker, faster,
     They burn me like a mustard plaster.
     But I will not repeat the titles
     That rasp my ears and chill my vitals.
     Enough, I know sheâs not to blame,
     And that she loves me just the same.â

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     Copyrighted, 1897
]

    âThe names which you have mentioned, three,
     Are what most people give to me.â
     He then looked serious and said:--

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    âSometimes it enters my wifeâs head,
     When we have just a bit of leisure,
     To take a little ride for pleasure.
     âTis then when sounds the sleigh bellâs jingle,
     And the frost makes ears and noses tingle,
     She coolly calls me âSir Kriss Kringle.ââ

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     Copyrighted, 1897.
]

    âWhen Sunday comes, with pious thought
     We go to church, there to be taught
     The way to live, our duties plain.
     âTis then with sober look, and mein,
     As down the aisle we, solemn, pass,
     She whispers low, âSt. Nicholas.ââ

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     Copyrighted, 1897.
]

    âBut when the holidays draw near
     And we are busy with good cheer,
     And I am loading up my sleigh
     With presents for your Christmas Day,
     My wife with nimble fingers aiding,
     And gentleness her acts pervading,
     Iâm jolly then, and just because
     She calls me âdear old Santa Claus.ââ

[Illustration:

     Copyrighted, 1897.
]

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     Copyrighted, 1897.
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    âMy storyâs told, and you have guessed
     Which name it is I like the best.â
{'title': 'Santa Claus, Kriss Kringle, or St. Nicholas by Anonymous', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}