Christmas Eve Story

by James Krüss (1926)

In the corner of a window
at the bottom right of the department store,
sits the doll Annabella
with Ladislaus the bear.

Annabella cries and wails,
Ladislaus, who grunts and snorts:
Christmas Eve has come,
and the two are not sold.

"Poor bear!" sighs Annabella,
"Poor doll" sobs the bear.
Tears roll into the corner,
and both their hearts are heavy.

In the empty warehouse
light after light is slowly extinguished,
only in this one window,
the lamp does not go out.

Full of compassion for the two
the good old man
from the security and locking company
leaves this one lamp on.

Then he leaves Annabella
and the bear, who wails
and says in a very hushed voice
"Farewell" and "Goodbye".

In the deserted street,
quiet in the evening and covered in snow,
the two in the window
a sad and miserable picture.

Sadly in front of the large pane
flakes fall, light as fluff,
and in the house opposite
many a tree of lights shines

Ten o'clock chimes from the nearby tower,
and both are almost asleep,
when the doll's house
the doll's telephone rings loudly.

"Hello!" asks the bear sleepily.
"Here in the department store. Who's calling?"
Then he hears a voice,
and it growls: "Santa Claus!"

"Oh!" cries Ladislaus, startled.
"What would you like, please?"
"A beautiful doll's house,
a doll and a bear!"

"It's all still available!"
Annabell the doll exclaims.
"Come to the warehouse
at the bottom right, but please hurry!"

This is a surprise!
Ladislaus quickly combs the mop of hair
and the doll Annabella
weaves a little bow into the braid.

And just ten minutes later
comes a sleigh, comes a steed,
and an old man gets off the sleigh
and a key creaks in the lock.

Ladislaus, who squeals and yodels,
Annabella laughs and sings,
as Santa Claus brings them both
into the horse-drawn sleigh.

Just at this moment
comes the good old man
from the security and locking company
arrives again for inspection.

He greets the company politely,
jumps back into the department store,
fetches the beautiful doll's house
and then he carries it out.

He says quietly to the doll:
"Merry Christmas, my little child!"
while a small tear
trickles down his big moustache.

"Merry Christmas!" says Annabella.
"Merry Christmas!" says Ladislaus,
then it goes dark in the window
at the bottom right of the department store.

The stars in the Sauerland wish you
a peaceful Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas!