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Updated: June 15, 2025
So she kissed them good-night and tucked them under the coverlids as they had covered the tiny seeds in their brown beds. Jehosophat, Marmaduke, and Hepzebiah were very happy as they watched the fairy story of the flowers. They were happier still because they helped it grow. But of course that did not take all of their time.
The Toyman took her by the arm, and he in turn made a grand bow. "Now, Jack, old fellow, this is an honor. Here's a lady expressin' a desire to make your acquaintance. Miss Hepzebiah Green, let me present Mr. Jack O. Lantern, otherwise known as 'Ole Man Pumpkin." Then he turned to Jack. "You don't mind my calling you so familiarly, do you?"
The Toyman ran out in the cornfield. He bent over until his straw hat was hidden by the waving corn. Soon he came back. From his hand Mr. Jim Crow hung head downward. He was very still. "Oo, oo! You've hurted him!" Little Hepzebiah began to cry. "Don't cry," said the Toyman, patting her head. "Mr. Jim Crow was a bad fellow. You couldn't teach him any lessons." "What did he do?" Marmaduke asked.
Then he took the white bits of wood which had been under the bark and he whittled away at the ends. Soon he was through. Then he slipped the pieces of bark, which looked so much like little rolled-up green papers, back on the white pieces of wood. They fitted perfectly. One he gave to Jehosophat, one to Marmaduke, and one to Hepzebiah. "What are they?" asked Marmaduke.
His knife is like a fairy's wand. With it he whittles boats for Jehosophat, kites for Marmaduke, and dolls for Hepzebiah. He paints them pretty colours too. So I think they gave him the right sort of nickname when they called him "the Toyman." He hasn't many clothes and no house of his own and no relatives of any sort. He isn't exactly a handsome man.
"All jump on," he called, "and I'll be the cayuse." That was a funny word he had learned out West, but by this time the children knew he meant horse. So the three, Jehosophat, Marmaduke, and Hepzebiah, sat on the red seat and were pulled through the snow, oh, ever so swiftly!
At the sound of his voice the children forgot their wonder and awe, and hurried to him and clasped his knees, and little Johnny Cricket tried to reach for his crutches, but Santa just picked him up in his arms and kissed him and little Hepzebiah too. Now Father stood up. "Mr. Santa Claus," he began, but Santy interrupted him, "No Mister for me," he told Father, "we're among friends.
The blue and cream-colored agate Marmaduke took to match the blue M on his bag; Jehosophat the reddest one to match his letter J; and Hepzebiah the agate that looked most like a strawberry almost pink it was, like her letter H. These last beautiful ones, their old friend informed them, were agates, but had other names.
Then Hepzebiah had started. She was a little frightened at first but she made the journey. It was only a few steps and her father caught her before she fell. She tried this often and soon she could take a great many steps. And that was something like the way Father and Mother Oriole taught their children to fly. The parent birds would fly to a branch a little way off.
However, Hepzebiah couldn't follow that style, so they let her roll her marbles. But the boys were patient and tried again and again until they had learned the right way. They did finely, too though naturally not as well as the Toyman. They had lent him some of their marbles, and my! wasn't he a fine shot!
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