Books by Anna J. Granniss

SKIPPED STITCHES. Verses, cloth, 16mo. 50 cents.

SANDWORT. Verses, cloth, 16mo. 50 cents.

SPEEDWELL. Verses, cloth, 16mo. 50 cents.

(Set complete in box $1.25)

A CHRISTMAS SNOWFLAKE. An illustrated rhyme for children. Cloth, 10mo. 50 cents.

All Bookstores
or ordered of the author
Plainville, Conn.

Looking wistfully up at the gray winter skies

A CHRISTMAS
SNOWFLAKE

A Rhyme for Children

BY
Anna J. Granniss

SECOND THOUSAND

ILLUSTRATED
WITH LIFE PICTURES

HARTFORD, CONN.
C. M. GAINES, 66 STATE ST.
1904

Copyright 1903
by Anna J. Granniss

All rights reserved

To the memory
of
Mary and Willie
The baby sister
And the little brother
Who went away one
Christmas
Many years ago

ILLUSTRATIONS

A Christmas Snowflake

A Christmas Snowflake

A little white snowflake that lived in the sky,

Kept looking down here with a tear in its eye;

And wherever it looked, alas, it could see

The ground was as bare, and as brown, as could be;

And out of the windows, the children’s bright eyes

Looked wistfully up, at the gray winter skies,

While one little fellow was crying outright,

Because the white snowflakes were nowhere in sight,

And how could Santa come

In his reindeer sleigh,

And Christmas now only

Just two days away?

It happened just then, that there came dancing by,

Two lovely large flakes from somewhere in the sky,

And the little flake cried, “Oh, beautiful flakes,

I’ve been here looking down, till my very heart aches;

See how dismal it looks, down there on the earth.

Instead of gay laughter, and shouting, and mirth,

The children are crying, their bright eyes are wet,

For thinking the snowflakes are going to forget.

Will you go down with me sometime before night?

The children would see us, and laugh with delight.”

“Why you dear little flake

Now just dry your eye,”

Said the lovely white flakes,

“We’ll go down by and by.

Just now, we would rather

Whirl ’round in the air,

Than to settle ourselves

Away off down there!”

“And just think,” said one, “of my pretty new gown,

Being stepped on, and spoiled, and all trodden down!”

Then gaily enough they were dancing away,

When the brave little flake found courage to say,

“There’s a beautiful

Story, so I’ve been told,

Very sweet, and tender,

And true, and old,

About a star,

And the wonderful birth,

Long ago, of a Christ-Child

On the earth;

And now, every year

At a certain time

The bells everywhere

Ring out their chime,

And children gather

From near and from far,

To sing of that wonderful

Child, and the Star.

And oh, beautiful flakes,

The time now draws near;

But alas, see the earth,

How dark and how drear!

And on Christmas morning,

Why, do you not know,

The earth must be covered

All over with snow?”

Then the little flake said,

With a brave bright air,

“I’m

going

to

get

ready

and

go

down

there!”

“I’m so glad!”

And then looking down

On the dark dreary space,

The lovely flakes said,

“But in such a big place,

Why, whatever could one

Tiny snowflake do?

Such a wee little

Delicate bit like you,

You just wait half a minute

And we’ll go too!”

So they hurried, and skurried,

And flew around,

And told every snowflake

That could be found;

They waltzed ’round in circles,

They danced on tip toe,

They could not hold still

Getting ready to go.

And at last they came

Flying, fluttering down,

All white in the city,

All white in the town.

They draped every steeple

And tower in sight,

They dressed all the trees

Against Christmas night,

And then covered the ground

All over with white.

They hung to the shutters,

They clung to the doors,

They went with the customers

Into the stores.

They tapped on the windows

And peeped thro’ the pane,

Then in a twinkling

They vanished again.

And they found everywhere,

With merry delight,

The world getting ready

To keep Christmas night.

Now good Mother Snowbank

Up there in the sky,

Had dropped into a doze

As the hours slipped by;

She awoke with a start,

And looking around,

Not one of her snowflakes

Was anywhere found.

She tip toed

In here,

And she tip toed

Out there,

She turned the clouds over

With greatest of care,

Not a sign of a snowflake

Was seen anywhere.

Going to find Santa

Then she puffed out her cheeks

And began to blow;

She whistled up high,

And she whistled down low;

And she blew, till the tree tops

Went to and fro.

She whistled and blew

Till the air was clear,

But the snowflakes pretended

They did not hear,

And each nestled down

In its chosen retreat,

To wait for the click

Of the reindeer’s feet.

So good Mother Snowbank

Up there in the sky,

Just drew in her breath

With a long drawn sigh—

Then, she suddenly tore

A small cloud in two,

And in the queer fashion

That some people do,

She made her a night cap

To put on her head,

Then shook up her pillows

And went off to bed.

’Way off up in Northland,

His hand to his eyes,

In his door stood Santa Claus

Scanning the skies;

He saw Mother Snowbank

Go off in a huff,

And he knew where the snowflakes

Were well enough;

For he shook his head,

And he laughed “Ho, ho, ho!

Tell me of a Christmas

Without any snow,

It’s time I was getting

Things ready to go!”

He harnessed his reindeer

So nimble and fleet,

The snow would not feel

The light touch of their feet;

He loaded his sleigh

Full of everything nice,

Then jumped in himself,

And was off in a trice—

When the reindeer snorted,

And stamped their small hoofs,

People thought ’twas the wind,

And the snow on the roofs;

So all unmolested

He worked with his might,

And was ready for home

Long before daylight.

The reindeer at home

By permission of the Berlin Photographic Co.

Then fainter,

and fainter,

And farther away,

Came the

Ting-a-ling-ling,

From the vanishing sleigh.

Back, over the snow

It flew like the wind,

And never once stopping,

Or looking behind,

Old Santa rode on,

Till he reached

His own door,

Just where

He had loaded,

A short time before.

Then

Over the mountains,

And over the dells,

The world

Set to ringing,

With sweet

Christmas bells;

And gifts

And kind wishes,

Went flying around,

As fast as the flakes

When they fell

To the ground.

And the good little flake

That up in the sky,

Had looked on the earth

With a tear in its eye,

At sound of the bells

Fairly shown with delight,

For Christmas had come,

And the world was in white,

And Santa had been

At the dead of the night,

In his reindeer sleigh,

And was safe out of sight.

And the dear little ones

Whose eyes were so wet,

Knew now, the snowflakes

Did not forget;

For over the earth

They were spread far and wide,

In a beautiful robe

For the glad Christmas tide—

While down to the wondering

World from above,

Came the spirit of Peace,

Of Goodwill, and Love.