of course, should be set ahead of time, so that it will strike at the proper moment, when everything is in readiness, and the little folks are trembling with impatience.
HOW TO MAKE TWO BOYS INTO ONE SANTA CLAUS.
If your time for preparation is limited, and you still wish to have a live Santa Claus, you may do so by dispensing with the artificial fireplace altogether, and allowing the old saint to hold a reception in the doorway between two rooms.
The accompanying illustrations show you how you can make another real live Santa Claus, in your own home. Many of you are familiar with the trick of the so-called German dwarf, and this Santa Claus is an adaptation of that trick for a Christmas entertainment.
[Illustration: FIG. 259.--Legs with Coat.]
by pulling a pair of golf stockings over the hands and arms, and then slipping the hands into the slippers.
It is necessary to choose a short coat, for otherwise the tails would hide the feet. With any old fur, or substitute which will look like fur, trim the coat, making it appear as if it buttoned up in the middle of the back.
Some one then puts the coat, “wrong-side fore,” on to the boy who acts as legs (Fig. 259).
are now put on Mr. Legs, and his nose is then painted a bright red, after which a peaked cap, made of some bright material and trimmed with something to represent fur, is placed upon his head.
[Illustration: FIG. 260.--The Little Saint. Side-View.]
“Mr. Legs” is now ready for “Mr. Arms,” and the illustration (Fig. 260) shows Mr. Arms after he has thrust his hands and arms through the sleeves of the fur-trimmed coat.
are securely pinned behind Legs’ head in front of Arms’ face, and brought down around the fur-trimmed coat, outside of Legs’ real legs, and pinned under his arms, which are doing the part of the saint’s legs, thus concealing all but the little saint. The last illustration (Fig. 261) displays the jolly little saint distributing candy and small presents to the young people.
The more care you take in arranging your show, the greater will be the success of the entertainment. The eight little reindeer are not necessary, even if they were obtainable, for the old saint may be supposed to have unhitched his steeds for the time and stabled them on the roof; but