The Thin Santa Claus
The Thin Santa Claus is a humorous children's book by Ellis Parker Butler. It tells the story of a skinny Santa Claus who is too thin to fit down the chimney. He is determined to make his rounds on Christmas Eve, so he comes up with a creative solution. He finds a way to make himself thin enough to fit down the chimney, and he delivers presents to all the children. In the end, Santa learns that it's not the size of the package that matters, but the thought behind it.
By Ellis Parker Butler · First published 1909 · Genre: Humor, Fantasy, Children's Literature · 5,090 words
First lines
Mrs. Gratz opened her eyes and looked out at the drizzle that made the Christmas morning gray. Her bed stood against the window, and it was easy for her to look out; all she had to do was to roll over and pull the shade aside. Having looked at the weather she rolled again on to the broad flat of her back and made herself comfortable for awhile, for there was no reason why she should get up until she felt like it.
"Such a Christmas!" she said good-naturedly to herself. "I guess such weathers is bad for Santy Claus. Mebby it is because of such weathers he don't come by my house. I don't blame him. So muddy!"
What this Textopian page supports
The Thin Santa Claus is listed on Textopian as a novel by Ellis Parker Butler, dated 1909 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Ellis Parker Butler
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Satire
- Length: 5,090 words
- Structure: 1 section, 114 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Thin Santa Claus by Ellis Parker Butler
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Thin Santa Claus?
- How does this novel by Ellis Parker Butler fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Little Mixer by Lillian Nicholson Shearon
- The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell
- The Silly Old Man by Sabine Baring Gould
- The Mouse And The Moonbeam by Eugene Field
- The Voyages Of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Genres
- Humor — The title of the book implies a humorous take on the traditional Santa Claus figure.
- Fantasy — The book features a fantastical version of Santa Claus, suggesting a fantasy genre.
- Children's Literature — The book is likely intended for a younger audience, making it a children's literature book.
- Satire — The book may be satirizing the traditional Santa Claus figure, making it a satire book.
Tags
Christmas · Christmas stories · bad · beliefs · bones · bug · bugs · catch · cents · chicken · chickens · claus