Christmas Books Quiz 2013

Are you ready for this year's Christmas Books Quiz?  It's short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.  Answers will be posted sometime before Christmas.

1.  Mrs McGillicuddy panted along the platform in the wake of the porter carrying her suitcase.  Mrs McGillicuddy was short and stout,the porter was tall and free-striding.  In addition, Mrs McGillicuddy was burdened with a large quantity of parcels; the result of a day's Christmas shopping.  The race was, therefore, an uneven one, and the porter turned the corner on the end of the platform whilst Mrs McGillicuddy was still coming up the straight....[A bit later], she sat up and looked out the window at what she could see of the flying countryside.  It was quite dark now, a dreary misty December day--Christmas was only five days ahead.  London had been dark and dreary; the country was no less so, though occasionally rendered cheerful with its constant clusters of lights as the train flashed through towns and stations.

2."Do they sing 'Happy Birthday'?" Star wanted to know.
"Oh, no!" replied Betsy. "That isn't a Christmas carol."
"I don't see why they don't sing 'Happy Birthday,'" said Star.  "It's the little Lord Jesus's birthday, and it's my birthday."
"Well, they don't sing it," said Betsy.  "I know, because we're learning Christmas carols at school."
"I know some too," said Star....Betsy put her Christmas cards away in a box and said,  "Father likes to sing, and he makes a great big noise when he sings.  Let's go talk to Mother."

3.What was inside looked very shiny--shiny as gold, and very complicated.  There were several small packages and a picture with printing, and the words at the top read: "Christmas Chimes."  Here again were the figures of three angels, and a wheel, and what looked like different sized gongs, three of them.  There was a shaftlike thing with a point.  And a star to fit on the top.  Last of all there were three candles.  "It's something to put together," said Fuss--the one who was cleverest with his hands.  He gathered up everything, with the picture, and took them to the table.  There he set to work.  On a small round tray he fitted the angels.  From that point on he read directions and put things together until everything including the candles were in their right places.  "It says here to light the candles and the heat they send up will turn the wheel and ring the chimes...."  ....everyone waited for something to happen.  Nothing did  Had it been put together wrong?  Had they been cheated?  "The old thing won't work," said Feathers.  It was at that moment that the wheel began to turn.  Very slowly at first, then faster and faster.  From the wheel hung little metal clappers.  These struck against the gongs.  They made a slow, low tinkle at first, that grew more distinct, until suddenly the sound of sweet chimes filled the room.

4.   "How would you like to go to a Christmas Eve party tonight?"  he asked.  "A big party with food and singing and hundreds of people?"
As he had expected, the Calcets immediately forgot their house on wheels.
"Where?" asked Paul.  "In a big palace?"
"Not exactly," replied Armand.  "It's to be held under the Tournelle Bridge."  Paul's face fell.  "But it will be a grand party, I can promise you," went on Armand.  "The Notre Dame church people give it every Christmas Eve for all the hoboes of Paris and their ladies.  They'll sing carols and eat sauerkraut and wieners."

5.  For the first Christmas in our lives, we children did not get to see the big city stores and the wonderful window displays.  And Papa's toolbox was packed away in the closet with our skates.  On New Year's Eve we were allowed to stay up.  Mama made "sweet soup" for us, and she and Papa said Skoal! and wished us each a Godt Nytaar as they drank their coffee.