It was Christmas Eve and all the people in the big house were sitting happily round a blazing fire in their beautiful sitting room. A little gramophone in the corner was playing soft lilting music and every now and then the man of the house would get up from his armchair and put a new record on. A brightly lit Christmas tree sparkled in the bay window and a pretty little angel stood on its very top branch. Over the huge mahogany fireplace hung an old and very beautiful painting of a man with his son at the bog. They had a little donkey and cart with high cribs to hold the turf. The man and his son were both bending, eyes downcast to lift sods of the turf, but the man himself really had his eye on the beautiful crinoline lady with the pink dress that stood on the mantelpiece beneath him.

There was also a china statue of a donkey and foal and a pretty black cat whose little kittens were tied to her with a chain. When all the people went to bed the sitting room was silent and all was dark. Even the Christmas tree lights had been turned off.

All was silent until midnight, which is the time when all toys, and statues and pictures and everything comes to life for one hour. On the dot of 12.00 midnight the Christmas tree lights flashed once more and the gramophone wound itself up and began to play soft lilting music again. The kittens began to play around their mother and the little donkey foal frisked and played along the full length of the mantelpiece while his mother trotted after him. The man in the bog dropped his sod of turf and leaped on to the mantelpiece to chat up his lady friend and before long they were dancing together to the lilting of the gramophone. When the turfman's son saw this he looked around for a partner too. The little hummel figures on the sideboard were busy chatting among themselves but suddenly he saw a flash of silver and gold and there beside him in the bog stood the golden angel from the top of the Christmas tree. He danced gaily with her and watched her flap her silver wings as she danced.

Everyone was having a great time when suddenly the door opened and the light was turned on. Everyone stopped in fright but it was only Santa coming with presents for the children of the house. "Go on, enjoy yourselves", he said, "you have only half an hour left. Don't stop because of me". So the music continued and everyone danced and played again until they heard the pendulum clock getting ready to strike one. Then everyone went back to their places but the little donkey foal on the mantelpiece went behind his mother and would not come out and the crinoline lady gave her pretty lace handkerchief to the man from the bog. The little Christmas angel flew back to the Christmas tree and had just landed on the top branch when the clock struck one. Then all was silent and dark once more until the children came to look for their presents next morning.

When the time came to take down the Christmas decorations the bottom of the Christmas tree angel's skirt was very stained but everyone thought it was from the green of the tree. However, no one could understand how the crinoline ladies lace hankie got in the pocket of the man in the bog in the painting over the fireplace...only you and I know that!