Original subtitles

Subtitles by explosiveskull

Ho, ho, ho!

It's that wonderful time of the year again.

A time to get together with friends and family

and tell each other Christmas stories.

It's time...

For A Frozen Christmas!

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

What's up, Santa?

Oh!

You guys!

As soon as I get this bag up this hill

and into my sleigh.

Come on, little helpers.

Hurry up with those gifts.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Almost there.

I'm off to deliver Christmas presents.

Meanwhile, you kids just gather around

and listen to our first Christmas tale.

It's called Little Girl's Christmas.

And it goes like this.

It was Christmas Eve,

and Little Girl had just hung up her stocking

by the fireplace.

Right where it would be, all ready for Santa

when he came down the chimney.

She knew he was coming

because it was Christmas Eve.

And he always came to leave gifts for her

on all the other Christmas Eves.

Still, she wasn't quite satisfied.

Way down in her heart,

she was a little uncertain.

She wasn't sure she really believed in Santa

even though he had always left beautiful gifts for her

every time he had come.

"Oh, he'll come," said Little Girl.

"I just know he will be here before morning.

"But somehow I wish."

"Well, what do you wish," said a tiny voice close by her.

So close that Little Girl jumped when she heard it.

"Why, I wish I could see Santa myself.

"I'd just like to go and see his house

"and his workshop and ride in his sleigh

"and know Mrs. Santa.

"It would be such fun.

"And then I'd know for sure."

"Why don't you go then," said Tiny Voice.

"It's easy enough, just try on these shoes

"and take this light in your hand,

"and you'll find your way alright."

So Little Girl looked down on the hearth,

and there were two cute little shoes.

Side by side.

And a little spark of light close to them,

just as if they were all made out of

one of the glowing coals of the fireplace.

Such cute shoes as they were,

Little Girl could hardly wait to pull off her slippers

and try them on.

They fit exactly right.

And just as Little Girl had put them both on

and had taken the light in her hand,

along came a little breath of wind

and away she went, up the chimney,

along with ever so many other little sparks.

Past the Soot Fairies

and out into the open air,

where Jack Frost and the Star Beams

were all busy at work,

making the world look pretty for Christmas.

Away went Little Girl,

Two Shoes, Bright Light and all.

Higher and higher,

until she looked like a tiny star herself.

It was the funniest thing,

but she seemed to know the way perfectly

and didn't have to stop to make inquiries anywhere.

You see, it was a straight road all the way.

And when one doesn't have to think

about turning to the right or to the left,

it makes things much easier.

Pretty soon, Little Girl noticed

that there was a bright light all around her.

And right away, something down in her heart

began to make her feel very happy indeed.

She didn't know that the Christmas spirits

and little Christmas fairies were all around her,

and even right inside her,

because she couldn't see a single one of them.

But that was just it.

And Little Girl felt

as if she wanted to laugh and sing and be glad.

By and by, when the bright light all around her

had grown much brighter,

Little Girl saw a path right in front of her

all straight and trim,

leading up a hill to a big, big house

with ever and ever so many windows in it.

When she had gone just a bit nearer,

she saw candles in every window.

Red and green and yellow ones.

And every one burning brightly.

So Little Girl knew right away

that these were Christmas candles

to light her on her journey

and make the way for her.

And something told her that this was Santa's house.

And that pretty soon,

she would perhaps see Santa himself.

Just as she neared the steps

and before she could possibly have had time

to ring the bell,

the door opened.

And there stood, not Santa himself,

but a funny little man with slender little legs

and a roly-poly stomach,

which shook every now and then when he laughed.

You would've known right away,

just as Little Girl knew,

that he was a very happy little happy man.

And you would've guessed right away, too,

that the reason he was so roly-poly

was because he laughed and chuckled

and smiled all the time.

Quick as a wink,

he pulled off his little peaked red cap,

smiled the brightest kind of smile and said,

"Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

"Come in! Come in!"

So in went Little Girl,

holding fast to Little Man's hand,

and when she was inside,

she saw the jolliest, reddest fire

all glowing and snapping.

And there were Little Man and all his brothers and sisters

who said their names were Merry Christmas and Good Cheer

and ever so many other jolly-sounding things.

And there were such a lot of them

that Little Girl just knew

she never could count them

no matter how long she tried.

All around her were bundles and boxes

and piles of toys and games.

And Little Girl knew

that these were all ready and waiting

to be loaded into Santa's big sleigh,

for his reindeer to whirl them away

over cloud tops and snowdrifts.

To the little people down below

who have left their stockings all ready for him,

pretty soon, all the little Good Cheer Brothers

began to hurry and bustle

and carry out the bundles as fast as they could

to the steps where Little Girl

could hear the jingling bells

and the stamping of hooves.

So Little Girl picked up some bundles

and skipped along, too.

For she wanted to help a bit herself.

And there in the yard stood the biggest sleigh

that Little Girl had ever seen.

And the reindeer were all stomping and prancing

and jingling the bells on their harnesses

because they were so eager

to be on their way to the Earth once more.

She could hardly wait for Santa to come.

And just as she had begun to wonder where he was,

the door opened again

and out came a whole forest of Christmas trees.

At least it looked just as if a whole forest

had started out for a walk.

But when Little Girl looked again,

she saw thousands of Christmas spirits.

And that each one carried a tree

or a big Christmas wreath on his back.

Behind them all,

she could hear someone laughing loudly

and talking in a big, jovial voice,

that sounded as if he were good friends

with the whole world.

And right away she knew

that Santa himself was coming.

Little Girl's heart thumped aloud

while she wondered if Santa would notice her.

But she didn't have to wonder long,

for he spotted her at once and said,

"Bless my soul, who are you?

"And where did you come from?"

Little Girl thought perhaps

she might be afraid to answer him.

But she wasn't one bit afraid.

He had such a kind little twinkle in his eye

that she felt happy right away as she replied,

"Oh, I'm Little Girl,

"and I wanted so much to see Santa

"that I came to your house, and here I am."

"Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho," laughed Santa.

"And here you are.

"Wanted to see Santa, did you?

"And so you came.

"Now that's very nice.

"And it's too bad I'm in such a hurry.

"For I would love to show you about.

"But you see,

"it is quarter of 12 now,

"and I must be on my way at once.

"Else, I'll never reach that first chimney-top by midnight."

And good old Santa put his big, warm hand

on Little Girl's curls.

And she felt his kindness down to her heart.

She knew that even though Santa

was in such a great hurry,

he wasn't too busy to stop

and make someone happy for a minute.

Even if it was someone no bigger than herself.

So she smiled back and said,

"Oh, Santa.

"If I could only ride down to Earth with you

"behind those pretty reindeer.

"I'd love to go.

"Won't you please take me?

"I'm so small

"that I won't take up much room on the seat.

"And I'll keep very still and not bother you."

Santa laughed a big and loud

and rollicking laughter, and he said,

"Wants a ride, does she?

"Well, well, shall we take her, Little Elves?

"Shall we take her, Little Fairies?

"Shall we take her, Good Reindeer?

And all the Little Elves hopped and skipped

and brought Little Girl a sprig of holly.

And all the Little Fairies bowed and smiled

and brought her a bit of mistletoe.

And all the Good Reindeer jingled their bells loudly,

which meant, "Oh, yes, let's take her!

"She's a good Little Girl.

"Let her ride!"

And before Little Girl could even think,

she found herself all tucked up

in the big fur robes beside Santa,

and away they went, right out into the air,

over the clouds, through the Milky Way,

and right under the handle of the Big Dipper,

on, on, toward the Earth,

whose lights Little Girl began to see

twinkling away down below her.

Now she felt the runners scrape upon something,

and she knew they must be on someone's roof,

and that Santa would slip down

someone's chimney in a minute.

How she wanted to go, too.

So, just as Little Girl was wishing as hard she could,

she heard a tiny voice say,

"Hold tight to his arm, hold tight to his arm!"

So she held Santa's arm tight and close

as he shouldered his pack,

never thinking that it was heavier than usual,

and with a bound and a slide, there they were,

Santa, Little Girl, pack and all,

right in the middle of the room

where there was a fireplace

and stockings all hung up for Santa to fill.

Just then Santa noticed Little Girl.

He had forgotten all about her,

and he was very much surprised

to find that she had come, too.

"Bless my soul!" he said.

"Where did you come from, Little Girl?

"And how in the world can we both get back up

"that chimney again?

"It's easy enough to slide down,

"but it's quite another matter to climb up again!"

And Santa looked really worried.

But Little Girl was beginning to feel very tired,

for she had had a very exciting evening,

so she said, "Oh, never mind me, Santa.

"I've had such a good time,

"and I can stay here a while.

"I believe I'll curl up on this rug a few minutes

"and have a little nap,

"for it looks as warm and cozy

"as our own rug at home,

"and, wait a moment,

"it is our own hearth and it's my own nursery,

"for there is Teddy Bear in his chair

"where I leave him every night,

"and there's Kitty Cat curled up on his

"cushion in the corner."

And Little Girl turned to thank Santa

and say goodbye to him,

but either he had gone very quickly,

or else she had fallen asleep very quickly,

for the next thing she knew,

Daddy was holding her in his arms and was saying,

"What is my Little Girl doing here?

"She must go to bed, for it's Christmas Eve,

"and Santa won't come

"if he thinks there are any little girls about."

But Little Girl knew better than that,

and when she began to tell him all about it,

and how the Christmas fairies had welcomed her,

and how Santa had given her such a fine ride,

Daddy laughed and said, "You've been dreaming, Little Girl,

"you've been dreaming."

But Little Girl knew better than that, too,

for there by the fireplace

was the little Black Coal,

which had given her Two Shoes and Bright Light,

and tight in her hand she held a holly berry,

which one of the Christmas spirits had placed there.

More than all that, there she was on the rug herself,

just as Santa had left her,

and that was the best proof of all.

I'm in a rush to get these presents

into a chimney before midnight.

Santa's work is never done.

Ooh. Ouch!

Hey! You caught me!

Well, hey there!

Shh, don't wanna wake anybody up.

Oh, oh.

Ow, ow! Ooh!

They make these things smaller every year.

Ho, ho, ho!

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

Are you ready for our next story?

It's one of my favorite classic holiday tales.

It's called the Fir Tree.

And this is how it goes.

Far away in the forest

where the warm sun and the fresh air

made a sweet resting-place,

grew a pretty little fir tree.

It was such a fine place to grow.

And yet the little tree was not happy.

It wished so much to be like its tall companions,

the pines and the firs which grew around it.

The sun shone, and the soft air fluttered its leaves,

and the children passed by, running merrily,

but the fir tree did not notice them.

Sometimes the children would bring a large basket

of raspberries or strawberries

and seat themselves near the fir tree, and say,

"Is it not a pretty little tree?"

Which made it feel even more unhappy than before.

And yet all this while,

the tree grew taller every year.

Still, as it grew, it complained,

"Oh, how I wish I were as tall as the other trees,

"then I would spread out my branches on every side,

"and my crown would overlook the wide world around.

"I should have the birds build nests on my branches,

"and when the wind blows,

"I should bow with great dignity like my tall companions."

So discontented was the tree

that it took no pleasure in the warm sunshine,

the birds, or the rosy clouds

that floated over it morning and evening.

Sometimes, in the winter,

when the snow lay white and glittering on the ground,

there was a little hare that would come springing along,

and jumped right over the little tree's head.

That mortified the tree so much.

"Oh, the shame!" it would say.

"I'm so small!"

But two winters passed,

and when the third arrived,

the tree had grown so tall

that the hare was forced to hop round it.

Yet the fir remained unsatisfied, and would exclaim,

"Oh, to grow, to grow!

"If I could but keep on growing tall and great,

"there is nothing else worth caring for in the world!"

In the autumn, the wood-cutters came as usual

and cut down several of the tallest trees,

and the young fir,

which was now grown to its full height,

shuddered as the noble trees fell to the earth with a crash.

Then they were placed one upon another upon wagons

and drawn by horses out of the forest.

"Where could they be going?

"What would become of them?"

The young fir tree wished to know.

"Rejoice in your youth," said the sunbeam.

"Rejoice in your fresh growth,

"and in the young life that is in you."

And the wind kissed the tree,

and the dew watered it with tears,

but the fir tree regarded them not.

Christmas time drew near,

and many young trees were cut down,

laid on wagons and drawn by horses

far away out of the forest.

"Where are they going?" asked the fir tree.

"They are not taller than I am.

"Indeed, one is not so tall,

"and why do they keep all their branches?"

"We know, we know," said the sparrows.

"We have looked in at the windows of the houses in the town,

"and we know what is done with them.

"Oh, you cannot think what honor and glory they receive.

"They are dressed up in the most splendid manner.

"We have seen them standing in the middle of a warm room,

"and adorned with all sorts of beautiful things,

"honey cakes, gilded apples, playthings,

"and colorful baubles."

"And then," asked the fir tree,

trembling in all its branches, "and then what happens?"

"We did not see any more," said the sparrows,

"but this was enough for us."

"I wonder whether anything so brilliant

"will ever happen to me," thought the tree.

"Oh, when will Christmas be here?

"I am now as tall and well grown as those

"which were taken away last year.

"Oh, will I be laid on the wagon,

"and stood in the warm room,

"with all that brightness and splendor around me?

"Something better and more beautiful is to come after,

"or the trees would not be so decked out.

"Yes, what follows will be grander and more splendid.

"What can it be?

"I am weary with longing to know."

"Rejoice in our love," said the air and the sunlight.

"Enjoy your own bright life in the fresh air."

But the tree would not rejoice,

though it grew taller every day,

its dark-green foliage might be seen in the forest,

and passersby would say, "What a beautiful tree!"

Finally, one year, a short time before Christmas,

the discontented fir tree was the first to fall.

As the axe cut sharply through the trunk,

the tree fell with a groan to the earth,

conscious of pain and faintness,

and forgetting all its dreams of happiness,

in sorrow at leaving its home in the forest.

It knew that it should never again

see its dear old companions, the trees,

nor the little bushes and many-colored flowers

that had grown by its side,

perhaps not even the birds.

Nor was the journey at all pleasant.

The tree first recovered itself

while being unpacked in the courtyard of a house,

with several other trees.

It heard a man say, "We only want one,

"and this is the prettiest.

"This is beautiful!"

Then came two servants in grand livery,

and carried the fir tree into a large

and beautiful apartment.

Pictures hung on the walls,

and near the great stove stood great china vases,

with lions on the lids.

There were rocking chairs, silken sofas,

large tables, covered with pictures, books, and toys

that had cost a hundred times a hundred dollars.

At least, so said the children.

Then the fir tree was placed in a large tub full of sand,

but green tinsel hung all around it,

so that no one could know it was a tub,

and it stood on a very handsome carpet.

Oh, how the fir tree trembled.

What was going to happen to him now?

Some young ladies came in,

and the servants helped them to adorn the tree.

On one branch they hung strung, colored paper,

and beautiful glass baubles.

From other branches hung gilded apples and walnuts,

and all round, were hundreds of red, blue,

and white candles, which were fastened upon the branches.

And the tree had never seen such things before,

and at the top was fastened a glittery star,

made of gold tinsel.

Oh, it was very beautiful!

"This evening," they all exclaimed,

"how bright it will be!"

"Oh, that the evening were come," thought the tree,

"and the candles lit!

"Then I should know what else is going to happen.

"Will the trees of the forest come to see me?

"Or the sparrows peep in at the windows, I wonder,

"as they fly?

"Shall I grow faster here,

"and keep on all these ornaments during summer and winter?"

But guessing was of very little use.

His back ached for trying,

and this pain is as bad for a slender fir tree,

as a headache is for us.

At last the candles were lit,

and then what a glistening blaze of splendor

the tree presented!

It trembled so with joy in all its branches,

that one of the candles fell among the green leaves

and burnt some of the ornaments

and carefully-wrapped gifts below!

After this, the tree tried not to tremble at all,

though the fire frightened him.

He was so anxious not to damage

any of the beautiful ornaments,

even while their brilliancy dazzled him.

And now the folding doors were thrown open,

and a troop of children rushed in

as if they intended to upset the tree

and were followed more slowly by their elders.

For a moment the little ones stood silent with astonishment,

and then they shouted for joy, till the room rang,

and they danced merrily around the tree,

while one present after another was taken from it.

"What are they doing?

"What will happen next?" thought the tree.

At last, the candles burnt down to the branches

and were put out.

Then, the children received permission to plunder the tree.

Oh, how they rushed upon it.

There was such a riot that the branches cracked,

and had it not been fastened to the glistening star

on the ceiling, it must have been thrown down.

Then, the children danced about with their pretty toys,

and no one noticed the tree,

except the children's maid who came and peeped

among the branches to see if an apple or a fig

had been forgotten.

"A story, a story," cried the children,

pulling a little fat man toward the tree.

"Now we shall be in green shade," said the man,

as he seated himself under the tree,

"and the tree will have the pleasure of hearing also,

"but I shall only relate one story, what shall it be?

"Humpty Dumpty, who fell down stairs, but soon got up again,

"and at last married a princess?"

"Yes!" cried the children.

And there was a wild uproar.

But the fir tree remained quite still,

and thought to himself,

"Shall I have anything to do with all this?

"Ought I to make a noise, too?"

But he had already amused them as much as they wished.

Then the old man told them the story of Humpty Dumpty,

how he fell down the stairs, and was raised up again,

and married a princess.

And the children clapped their hands and cried,

"Tell another, tell another!"

After this, the fir tree became quite silent and thoughtful.

Never had the birds in the forest told such tales as

Humpty Dumpty who fell down the stairs,

and yet married a princess.

"Ah, yes, so it happens in the world," thought the fir tree.

He believed it all,

because it was related by such a pleasant man.

"Ah, well," he thought, "who knows?

"Perhaps I may fall down, too, and marry a princess."

And he looked forward joyfully to the next evening,

expecting to be again decked out

with lights and toys, gold and fruit.

"Tomorrow I will not tremble," thought he.

"I will enjoy all my splendor,

"and I shall hear the story of Humpty Dumpty again."

And the tree remained quiet and thoughtful all night.

In the morning, the servants and the housemaid came in.

"Now," thought the fir tree,

"all my splendor is going to begin again."

But they dragged him out of the room

and upstairs to the attic, and threw him on the floor,

in a dark corner, where no daylight shone,

and there they left him.

"What does this mean?" thought the tree,

"what am I to do here?

"I can hear nothing in a place like this,"

and he leaned against the wall and thought and thought.

And he had time enough to think,

for days and nights passed and no one came near him,

and when at last somebody did come,

it was only to push away some large boxes in a corner.

So the tree was completely hidden from sight

as if it had never existed.

"It is winter now," thought the tree,

"the ground is hard and covered with snow,

"so that people cannot plant me.

"I shall be sheltered here, I dare say,

"until spring comes.

"How thoughtful and kind everybody is to me!

"Still, I wish this place were not so dark

"and so dreadfully lonely,

"with not even a little hare to look at.

"How pleasant it was out in the forest

"while the snow lay on the ground,

"when the hare would run by, yes,

"and jump over me, too,

"although I did not like it then.

"Oh, it is terrible lonely in here."

"Squeak, squeak," said a little mouse,

creeping cautiously towards the tree,

then came another.

And they both sniffed at the fir tree

and crept in and out between the branches.

"Oh, it is very cold in here," said the little mouse.

"If it were not, we would be very comfortable here,

"wouldn't we, old fir tree?"

"I am not old," said the fir tree,

"there are many who are older than I am."

"Where do you come from?" asked the mice,

who were full of curiosity.

"And what do you know?

"Have you seen the most beautiful places in the world,

"and can you tell us all about them?

"And have you been in the storeroom,

"where cheeses lie on the shelf,

"and hams hang from the ceiling?

"One can go in thin and come out fat in a place like that."

"I know nothing of that," said the fir tree,

"but I know the wood where the sun shines

"and the birds sing."

And then the tree told the little mice all about its youth.

They had never heard such an account in their lives,

and after they had listened to it attentively, they said,

"What a number of things you have seen!

"You must have been very happy."

"Happy," exclaimed the fir tree,

and then as he reflected on what he had been telling them,

he said, "Ah, yes, after all, those were happy days."

But when he went on and related all about Christmas Eve,

and how he had been dressed up with cakes and candles,

the mice said, "How happy you must have been,

"you old fir tree."

"I am not old at all," replied the fir tree,

"I only came from the forest this winter."

"What splendid stories you can tell," said the little mice.

And the next night four other mice came with them

to hear what the tree had to tell.

The more he talked, the more he remembered,

and then he thought to himself,

"Yes, those were happy days, but they may come again.

"Humpty Dumpty fell down stairs,

"and yet he married a princess,

"perhaps I may marry a princess, too."

And the fir tree thought of the pretty little birch tree

that grew in the forest,

a real princess, a beautiful princess she was to him.

"Who is Humpty Dumpty?" asked the little mice.

And then the tree told the whole story.

He could remember every single word.

The next night a great many more mice made their appearance,

and on Sunday two rats came with them,

but they said, it was not a pretty story at all,

and the little mice were very sorry,

for it made them also think less of it.

"Do you know only that one story?" asked the rats.

"Only that one," replied the fir tree.

"I heard it on the happiest evening of my life,

"but I did not know I was so happy at the time."

"We think it is a very miserable story," said the rats.

"Don't you know any story about bacon,

"or cheese in the storeroom?"

"No," replied the tree.

"Many thanks to you then," replied the rats,

and they went on their way.

The little mice also kept away after this,

and the tree sighed, and said,

"It was very pleasant

"when the merry little mice sat round me

"and listened while I talked.

"Now that is all passed, too.

"Oh, how I shall consider myself happy

"when someone comes to take me out of this place."

But would this ever happen?

Yes.

One morning, people came to clear up the attic,

the boxes were packed away,

and the tree was pulled out of the corner,

and thrown roughly on the floor.

Then it was carried downstairs

and taken into the courtyard so quickly,

that it forgot to think of itself,

and could only look about, there was so much to be seen.

The court was close to a garden,

where everything looked blooming.

Fresh and fragrant roses hung over the little palings.

The linden trees were in blossom, and the birds sang.

"Now I shall live," cried the tree joyfully,

spreading out its branches, but alas,

they were all withered and yellow,

and it lay in the corner amongst weeds and nettles.

The star of gold paper still stuck in the top of the tree

glittered in the sunshine.

In the same courtyard, two of the merry children

who had danced around the tree at Christmas time,

and had been so happy, were playing.

The youngest saw the gilded star,

and ran and pulled it off the tree.

"Look what is sticking to the ugly old fir tree,"

said the child, treading on the branches

till they crackled under his boots.

And the tree saw all the fresh bright flowers in the garden,

and then looked at itself,

and wished it had remained in the dark corner of the attic.

It thought of its fresh youth in the forest,

of the merry Christmas evening,

and of the little mice

who had listened to the story of Humpty Dumpty.

"The past, it's all in the past!" said the poor tree.

"Oh, had I but enjoyed myself while I could have done so!

"But now it is too late."

Then, a boy came and chopped the tree into small pieces,

till a large bundle lay in a heap on the ground.

The pieces were placed in the fire,

and they blazed up brightly while the tree sighed deeply.

"Pop, pop," sighed his burning branches.

Then, the children, who were at play,

came and seated themselves in front of the fire,

and gazed at it.

With each pop, which was a deep sigh,

the tree was thinking of a summer day in the forest,

or of some winter night there

when the stars shone brightly,

and of Christmas evening, and of Humpty Dumpty,

the only story it had ever heard or knew how to tell,

till at last it was consumed.

The boys still played in the garden,

and the youngest wore the golden star on his breast,

with which the tree had been adorned

during the happiest evening of its existence.

And the tree was gone.

But its great spirit,

with all the lessons it had learned in its life...

Was now shining brighter than ever.

Was now shining

brighter than ever, and it joined the clouds

and the singing birds and the breeze

and the shining sun.

And so, from now on,

the little fir tree, which was no longer little,

which was no longer even a tree,

was now everything in everything.

All at once, forever.

Ho, ho, ho.

Wasn't that a wonderful Christmas story?

Now have I got a surprise for you.

Here are two of my very good friends.

Gingerbread Man and his buddy,

Gingerbread Boy.

They'll entertain you with a holiday dance

called the Dance of the Sugar Crumbs.

That's right, this is how our dough rolls.

Take it from here, fellas!

And now the story of a brave little tin soldier

who fell in love with a beautiful dancer.

One of my favorites.

There were once five and 20 tin soldiers,

who were all brothers,

for they had been made out of the same old tin spoon.

They shouldered arms and looked straight before them,

and wore a splendid uniform, red and blue.

The first thing in the world they ever heard were the words,

"Tin soldiers!" shouted by a little boy,

who clapped his hands with delight when the lid of the box,

in which they lay, was taken off.

They were given him for a birthday present,

and he stood at the table to set them up.

The soldiers were all exactly alike, except one,

who had only one leg.

When it came to making him,

there was not enough of the melted tin to finish him,

so they made him to stand firmly on one leg,

and this caused him to be very remarkable.

The table on which the tin soldiers stood,

was covered with other playthings,

but the most attractive to the eye

was a pretty little paper castle.

Through the small windows the rooms could be seen.

In front of the castle a number of little trees

surrounded a piece of glass,

which was represented a beautiful lake.

Swans, made of wax, swam on the lake,

and were reflected in it.

All this was very pretty,

but the prettiest of all was a tiny little lady,

who stood at the open door of the castle.

She, also, was made of paper,

and she wore a dress of clear blue muslin.

The little lady was a dancer,

and she stretched out both her arms,

and she raised one of her legs so high,

that the tin soldier could not see it at all,

and he thought that she, like himself, had only one leg.

"That is the wife for me," he thought,

"but she is too beautiful and lives in a castle,

"while I have only a box to live in,

"25 of us soldiers, that is no place for her.

"Still I must try to meet her."

Then he laid himself at full length on the table

behind a toy box that stood upon it,

so that he could stare at the little delicate dancer,

who continued to stand on one leg

without losing her balance.

When evening came,

the other tin soldiers were all placed in the box,

and the people of the house went to bed.

Then the toys began to have their own games together,

to pay visits, to have pillow fights, and to give parties.

The tin soldiers rattled in their box.

They wanted to get out and join the amusements,

but they could not open the lid.

The nutcrackers played at leap-frog,

and the dolls danced on the table.

There was such a noise that the canary woke up

and began to talk, and in poetry, too.

Only the tin soldier and the dancer

remained in their places.

She stood on tiptoe, with her legs stretched out,

as firmly as he did on his one leg.

He never took his eyes from her for even a moment.

The clock struck 12, and, with a bounce,

up sprang the lid of the toy box,

but instead of toys,

there jumped out a little black goblin.

"Tin soldier," said the goblin,

"don't wish for what does not belong to you."

But the tin soldier pretended not to hear.

"Very well, wait till tomorrow then," said the goblin.

When the children came in the next morning,

they placed the tin soldier in the window.

Now, whether it was the goblin who did it,

or the wind, is not known,

but the window flew open, and out fell the tin soldier,

heels over head, from the third story,

into the street beneath.

It was a terrible fall, for he came head downwards,

his helmet and his bayonet stuck in between the flagstones,

and his one leg up in the air.

The maid and the little boy went downstairs directly

to look for him, but he was nowhere to be seen,

although once they nearly stepped on him.

If he had called out, "Here I am,"

it would have been all right,

but he was too proud to cry out for help

while he wore a uniform.

Soon it began to rain,

and the drops fell faster and faster,

till there was a heavy shower.

When it was over, two boys happened to pass by,

and one of them said, "Look, there is a tin soldier.

"He ought to have a boat to sail in."

So they made a boat out of newspaper,

and placed the tin soldier in it,

and sent him sailing down the gutter,

while the two boys ran by the side of it,

and clapped their hands.

Large waves swept the tin soldier down the gutter,

for the rain had been very heavy.

The paper boat rocked up and down,

and turned itself around sometimes so quickly

that the tin soldier almost lost his footing,

yet he remained firm.

He looked straight before him and shouldered his musket.

Suddenly, the boat shot under a bridge

which formed a part of a drain,

and then it was as dark as the tin soldier's box.

"Where am I going now?" thought he.

"This is the black goblin's fault, I am sure.

"Ah, well, if the little lady

"were only here with me in the boat,

"I should not care for any darkness."

Suddenly, there appeared a big rat who lived in the drain.

"Do you have a drain pass?" asked the rat,

"give it to me at once."

But the tin soldier remained silent

and held his musket tighter than ever.

The boat sailed on and the rat followed it,

yelling at nobody in particular, "Stop him, stop him!

"He has not paid toll and has not shown his pass."

But the stream rushed on even stronger.

The tin soldier could already see daylight

shining over yonder.

Then, he heard a roaring sound

terrible enough to frighten the bravest man.

At the end of the tunnel the drain fell into a large canal

as tall to him as a waterfall would be to us.

He was too close to it to stop,

so the boat rushed on, and the poor tin soldier

could only hold himself as stiffly as possible,

without moving an eyelid, to show that he was not afraid.

The boat whirled around three or four times,

and then filled with water to the very edge.

Nothing could save it from sinking.

The brave soldier now stood up to his neck in water,

while deeper and deeper sank the boat,

and the paper became soft and loose with the wet,

till at last the water closed over the soldier's head.

He thought of the elegant little dancer

whom he should never see again,

and the words of the song sounded in his ears,

"Farewell, warrior, ever brave,

"Drifting onward to thy grave."

Then the paper boat fell to pieces,

and the soldier sank into the water

and immediately afterwards was swallowed up by a large fish.

Oh, how dark it was inside the fish!

A great deal darker than in the tunnel, and narrower, too,

but the tin soldier continued firm,

and lay at full length shouldering his musket.

The fish swam to and fro,

making the most wonderful movements,

but at last he became quite still.

After a while,

a flash of lightning seemed to pass through him,

and then the daylight approached, and a voice cried out,

"I have found the tin soldier!"

The fish had been caught,

taken to the market and sold to the cook,

who took him into the kitchen

and cut him open with a large knife.

She picked up the soldier and held him by the waist

between her finger and thumb,

and carried him into the room.

They were all anxious to see this wonderful soldier

who had traveled about inside a fish,

but he was not at all proud.

They placed him on the table,

and how many curious things do happen in the world!

There he was in the very same room

from the window of which he had fallen,

there were the same children, the same toys,

and the pretty castle with the elegant little dancer

at the door, still balancing herself on one leg.

It touched the tin soldier so much to see her

that he almost wept tin tears, but he held them back.

He only looked at while they both remained silent.

Then, one of the little boys picked up the tin soldier,

and threw him into the stove.

He had no reason for doing so,

therefore it must have been the fault of the black goblin

who lived in the toy box.

The flames burned up the tin soldier,

while he remained standing, the heat was very terrible,

but whether it was caused by the real fire

or from the fire of love, he could not tell.

Then he noticed that the bright colors

had faded from his uniform,

but whether they had been washed off during his journey

or from the effects of his sorrow, no one could say.

He looked at the little lady, and she looked at him.

He felt himself melting away,

but he still remained firm with his gun on his shoulder.

Suddenly, the door of the room flew open

and the draft of air caught up the little dancer,

she fluttered right into the stove

by the side of the tin soldier,

and was instantly in flames and was gone.

The tin soldier melted down into a lump,

and the next morning,

when the maid took the ashes out of the stove,

she found him in the shape of a little tin heart.

And near that heart was the dancer's tinsel rose,

now burnt black as a cinder.

The tin soldier and the dancer

were never separated again.

I love happy endings.

Ho, ho! What's this?

Oh, little Kate has been good this year again.

I better get her a present, stat!

Oh boy, this is quite a view from up here.

I'm just a romantic, especially during Christmas time.

Our next tale is called The Elves and the Shoemaker.

And it goes like this.

There once was a shoemaker,

who worked very hard and was very honest,

but could not earn enough to live upon.

Finally, all he had in the world was gone,

save for a little leather enough to make one pair of shoes.

One night, he cut his leather out,

meaning to rise early in the morning

to make a pair of shoes.

His conscience was clear and his heart light

amidst all his troubles,

so he went peacefully to bed,

left all his cares to Heaven,

and soon fell asleep.

In the morning, after he had said his prayers,

he sat himself down to his work,

when, to his great wonder,

there stood a pretty pair of shoes all ready made.

The good man did not know what to say or think

at such an odd sight.

He looked at the workmanship,

there was not one false stitch in the whole job.

All was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.

The same day, a customer came in,

and the shoes suited him so well

that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them,

and the poor shoemaker, with the money,

bought leather enough to make two more pairs.

In the evening he cut the leather work,

and went to bed early,

that he might get up and begin work early the next day,

but he was saved all the trouble,

for when he got up in the morning,

the work was already done.

Soon, in came buyers,

who paid him handsomely for his shoes,

so that he bought leather enough for four more pairs.

He cut out the work again and left it overnight

and found it done in the morning,

and so it went on for some time,

so that the good man soon became thriving

and well off again.

One evening, about Christmas time,

as the shoemaker and his wife

were sitting over the fire chatting together,

he said to her, "I should like to sit up and watch tonight,

"that we may see who it is that comes

"and does my work for me."

The wife liked the thought,

so they left a light burning,

and hid themselves in a corner of the room,

behind a curtain and watched what happened.

As soon as it was midnight,

there came in two little elves wearing ragged old clothes

and worn out shoes.

And they sat themselves upon the shoemaker's bench,

took up all the work that was cut out,

and began to ply with their little fingers,

stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate,

that the shoemaker was all wonder,

and could not take his eyes off them.

And on they went, till the job was done,

and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table.

Then they bustled away just before daybreak.

The next day, the wife said to the shoemaker,

"These little elves have made us rich,

"and we ought to be thankful to them,

"and do something for them in return.

"I will make each of them a new shirt,

"and a coat and waistcoat and a pair of pants,

"and you make each of them a new pair of shoes,

"what do you say?"

The thought pleased the good shoemaker very much,

and one evening, when all the clothes and shoes were ready,

they laid them on the table and hid themselves

to watch what the little elves would do.

About midnight, in they came, dancing and skipping,

hopping around the room,

and then went to sit down to their work as usual,

but when they saw the clothes and shoes laid out for them,

they laughed and danced and seemed mightily delighted.

Then, they changed themselves into the new clothes

and danced and sprang about, as merry as could be,

till at last they danced out the door,

and away over the garden.

The good couple saw them no more,

but everything went well with them from that time forward,

as long as they lived.

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

What a wonderful story, wasn't it?

Are you ready for our next story?

Take it from here, Fred.

Our next story is about a little match girl.

On a cold winter night, on the last night of the year,

it snowed and was nearly quite dark in the evening.

In this cold and darkness,

a poor little girl with a threadbare dress

and with naked feet, trudged through the snow.

Her tiny naked feet were quite red and blue from cold.

She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron,

and she held a bundle of them in her hand.

Nobody had bought anything from her the whole day,

no one had given her a single penny.

She crept along trembling with cold and hunger,

a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing.

The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair,

which fell in beautiful curls around her neck,

but of that, of course, she never once now thought.

From all the windows the candles were gleaming,

and it smelt so delicious of roast goose,

for it was New Year's Eve,

and the little girl was so hungry.

She finally seated herself down and cowered in a corner.

Her little feet she had drawn close up to her,

but she grew colder and colder,

and to go home she did not venture,

for she had not sold any matches

and could not bring a penny of money,

from her father she would certainly get blows,

and at home it was cold, too,

for above her she had only the roof,

through which the wind whistled,

even though the largest cracks were stopped up

with straws and rags.

Her little hands were almost numbed with cold.

Oh, a match might afford her a world of comfort,

if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle,

draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it.

She drew one out and lit it.

Oh, how it blazed, how it burnt!

It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle,

as she held her hands over it.

It was a wonderful light.

It seemed to the little girl

as though she were sitting before a large iron stove,

with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top.

The fire warmed her so delightfully.

The little girl had already stretched out her feet

to warm them, too,

but the small flame went out, the stove vanished.

She had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.

She rubbed another against the wall.

It burned brightly,

and where the light fell on the wall,

there the wall became see-through like a veil,

so that she could see into the room.

On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth.

Upon it was a splendid porcelain service,

and the roast goose was steaming with its stuffing

of apple and dried plums.

And what was still more things to behold,

delicious dishes of fruits and meat,

when the match went out and nothing but the thick,

cold, damp wall that was left behind.

She lighted another match.

Now, there she was sitting under the most

magnificent Christmas tree.

It was still larger, and more decorated

than the one which she had seen through the glass door

in the rich merchant's house.

Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches,

and beautifully-colored pictures,

such as she had seen in the shop windows,

looked down upon her.

The little girl stretched out her hands towards them

when the match went out.

The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher,

she saw them now as stars in heaven,

one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.

"Someone is just dead!" murmured the little girl,

for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her,

and who was now gone, had told her,

that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.

She drew another match against the wall,

and again, it was light,

and in the brightness, there stood the old grandmother,

so glowing and radiant,

with such an expression of love.

"Grandmother!" cried the little one.

"Oh, take me with you!

"Do not go away when the match burns out,

"do not vanish like the warm stove,

"like the delicious roast goose,

"and like the magnificent Christmas tree!"

And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches

quickly against the wall,

for she wanted to be quite sure

of keeping her grandmother near her.

And the matches gave such a brilliant light

that it was brighter than the sun!

Never she had seen the grandmother so beautiful and so tall.

She took the little girl in her arms,

and both flew in brightness and in joy

so high, so very high,

there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety.

They were with God.

But at cold hour of dawn,

sat the poor girl in the corner,

with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth,

leaning against the wall,

frozen to death on the last evening of the old year.

Stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches,

of which one bundle had been burnt.

"She wanted to warm herself," people said.

But no one knew what beautiful things she had seen.

No one even dreamed of the splendor in which,

with her grandmother she had entered

on the joys of a new year.

What a beautiful story.

I hope you enjoyed this.

Merry Christmas, everybody,

and a happy new year.

♪ Heaven and nature sing

♪ And heaven and nature sing

♪ And heaven, heaven

♪ And nature sing

♪ Joy to the world the Lord is come

♪ Let earth receive her King

♪ Let every heart

♪ Prepare Him room

♪ And heaven and nature sing

♪ And heaven and nature sing

♪ And heaven, heaven and nature sing

♪ Joy to the world ♪ Joy to the world

♪ with truth and grace

♪ And makes the nations prove

♪ The glories of His righteousness

♪ And wonders of His love

♪ And wonders of His love

♪ And wonders, wonders of His great love

♪ Come on, take it up, kids

♪ Joy to the world the Lord is come

♪ Let earth receive her King

♪ Let every heart

♪ Prepare Him room

♪ And heaven and nature sing

♪ And heaven and nature sing

♪ And heaven and nature sing

♪ And nature sing

♪ And nature sing

♪ Merry Christmas

♪ From Kpop Kids

♪ Silent night, holy night

♪ All is calm, all is bright

♪ Round yon virgin, mother and child

♪ Holy infant so tender and mild

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace

♪ Sleep in heavenly peace

♪ Silent night, holy night

♪ Shepherds quake, at the sight

♪ Glories stream from heaven afar

♪ Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia

♪ Christ the Savior is born

♪ Christ the Savior is born

♪ Silent night, holy night

♪ Wondrous star, lend thy light

♪ With the angels let us sing

♪ Alleluia to our King

♪ Christ the Savior is here

♪ Jesus the Savior is here

♪ Jesus the Savior is here

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

I hope you've had a great time

listening to these time-honored Christmas classics.

See you next time!

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

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