Eleanor Farjeon's poems for children Come Christmas (1927) - with the original wood-cut illustrations by Molly McArthur.

Introduced by Anne Harvey writer actor and compiler of the acclaimed anthology Adlestrop Revisited 1999.

Detailed Description

Eleanor Farjeon's infectious love of Christmas, together with her highly regarded writing for children, are well exemplified by her volume of poems, Come Christmas.

The Christmas hour I love the best
Is in the dark of early day,
When Someone comes to break my rest
Bearing a stocking stuffed and gay;
And crouched upon my bed, she cries,
"Perhaps you've got a stocking, too!"
And I shall find with great surprise
I have - and wonder how she knew.
Then she will laugh, and I will smile,
And round her tuck the eiderdown, 
And we will watch each other while
The treasures which our stocking crown
Are rifled from their bulging legs
With many a happy ah! and oh!
Till both disgorge their golden dregs,
The orange in the stocking-toe.

[Extract from Stocking-Time, by Eleanor Farjeon]