Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin

The Tardy Santa Claus

Summary


"The Tardy Santa Claus" is a short, playful Christmas poem about a Santa who missed his delivery window — his reindeer arrived late, chimneys were sealed up, and stockings had already been put away. Rather than give up entirely, this cheerfully self-aware Santa makes an unlikely proposal: let him stay until Thanksgiving so he can get a head start for next December. The poem's light comic logic and warm holiday spirit make it a quick, smile-inducing read.

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I am a little Santa Claus
Who somehow got belated;
My reindeer didn’t come in time,
And so of course I waited.
I found your chimneys plastered tight,
Your stockings put away,

A puzzled Santa stands on a snowy rooftop with sealed chimneys in The Tardy Santa Claus.

I heard you talking of the gifts
You had on Christmas day;
So will you please to take me in
And keep me till November?
I’d rather start Thanksgiving day
Than miss you next December!

Credits

Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin was an American author and educator best known for her beloved children's novel *Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm* (1903). She wrote warmly and humorously for young readers, and this brief holiday poem showcases her gift for playful, child-friendly verse with a wink of absurdist charm.
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