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The First Christmas Tree by Henry Van Dyke
The Call of the Woodsman The day before Christmas, in the year of our Lord 722. Broad snow-meadows glistening white along the banks of the river Moselle; pallid hill-sides blooming with mystic roses where the glow of the setting sun still lingered upon them; an arch of clearest, faintest azure bending overhead; in the center of…
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Old Folks’ Christmas by Ring Lardner
Tom and Grace Carter sat in their living-room on Christmas Eve, sometimes talking, sometimes pretending to read and all the time thinking things they didn’t want to think. Their two children, Junior, aged nineteen, and Grace, two years younger, had come home that day from their schools for the Christmas vacation. Junior was in his…
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Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson
“Yes,” said the dealer, “our windfalls are of various kinds. Some customers are ignorant, and then I touch a dividend on my superior knowledge. Some are dishonest,” and here he held up the candle, so that the light fell strongly on his visitor, “and in that case,” he continued, “I profit by my virtue.” Markheim…
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
STAVE ONE MARLEY’S GHOST Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge’s name was good upon ’Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old…
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The Elves and the Shoemaker by Brothers Grimm
There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes. Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up…
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A Ragged Christmas Feast by Clement Clarke Moore
On Christmas day there is a great feast in Dublin. This, you know, is the chief city of Ireland. The feast is made for the children. There are in that city a great many little ones who are very very poor. There are kind people there, also, who look after these poor children. They have…
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What Happened Christmas Eve by Clement Clarke Moore
It was Christmas Eve and the frost fairies were busy getting ready for Christmas Day. First of all they spread the loveliest white snow carpet over the rough, bare ground; then they hung the bushes and trees with icicles that flashed like diamonds in the moonlight. Later on, they planned to draw beautiful frost pictures…
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Santa Claus’s Letter by Clement Clarke Moore
Christmas was coming. Jamie and Ted had already begun to write long letters to Santa Claus. But one thing was rather queer: both boys asked him for the same things. Each little letter ended with,—”Just like Brother’s.” child with dolls They agreed to ask for only one sled. They would rather ride together. Now was…
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Mama’s Happy Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
It had seemed to the little Wendell children that they would have a very sad Christmas. Mama had been very ill, and papa had been so anxious about mama that he could not think of anything else. When Christmas Day came, however, mama was so much better that she could lie on the lounge. The…
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Susy’s Christmas Present by Clement Clarke Moore
“Tell us a story, nursie; please do”, begged two little golden-haired girls, as they snuggled on the soft rug before the fire. “Did you ever have just what you wished for at Christmas, when you were a little girl?” “Yes, I did once. I was the oldest, and had two brothers and three little sisters.…