The Tardy Santa Claus

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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,

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!

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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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