From The Topeka State Journal, December 21, 1912.
This is all that I expect
Santa Claus to bring to me:
One large boat—my old one’s wrecked;
One large, lovely Christmas tree;
Then I need a larger drum,
That says “boom” instead of “tum”;
And I want a nice long whip
That will make our tomcat skip;
Then I hope to get a ball
That will dent the hardest wall,
And a bat that will not split
Every time that it is hit;
Next I’d choose a pair of skates
Just as nice as sister Kate’s,
And a bright large monoplane
That will carry rag-doll Jane;
Then I’d like a lot of things
That are run by hidden springs—
Rats and spiders, and the like;
And I need a brand new bike
With a coaster-brake that will
Make work easy down a hill.
There! That’s all I asked him for.
Still, I’m hoping (since he’s Dutch)
That he’ll bring a few things more—
As I have not asked for much!