The Little New Year
One cold morning Maurice awoke from his dreams and sat up in bed
and listened. He thought he heard a knock at his window; but though the
moon was shining brightly, Jack Frost had been so busily at work that
Maurice could not see through the thickly painted panes. So he crept
sleepily out of bed, and opened the window, and whispered: "Who is
there?"
"I am," replied a tinkling voice. "I am the little New Year, ho! ho! And
I\'ve promised to bring a blessing to everyone. But I am such a little fellow
I need somebody to help me distribute them. Won\'t you please come out
and help?"
"Oh, it\'s so cold!" said Maurice; "I\'d rather go back to my warm bed; "
and he shivered as Jack Frost, who was passing, tickled him under the chin
with one of the frosty paint brushes.
"Never mind the cold," urged the New Year; "please help me."