Boxing Day, 1928 I am frightfully sorry—I gave this to the Polar Bear to post and he forgot all about it! We found it on the hall table—today. But you must forgive him: he has worked very hard for me and is dreadfully tired. We have had a busy Christmas.…

November 1929 Dear boys, My paw is better. I was cutting Christmas trees when I hurt it. Don’t you think my writing is much better too? Father Christmas is very bisy already. So am I. We have had hevy snow and sum of our messengers got buerried and sum lost:…

 The moon's in a corona. Yuri and I sit on the balcony and look at the canopy of stars. But it doesn't help. In a few hours' time the stars will fade and a ball of fire will flame up overhead. And we'll squirm again like beetles on pins...  A high unbroken…

Top of the World, North Pole Xmas 1929 Dear Boys and Girl It is a light Christmas again, I am glad to say—the Northern Lights have been specially good. There is a lot to tell you. You have heard that the Great Polar Bear chopped his paw when he was cutting…

November 28th 1930 Father Christmas has got all your letters! What a lot, especially from Christopher and Michael! Thank you, and also Reddy and your bears, and other animals. I am just beginning to get awfully busy. Let me know more about what you specially…

Cliff House October 31st 1931 Dear Children, Already I have got some letters from you! You are getting busy early. I have not begun to think about Christmas yet. It has been very warm in the North this year, and there has been very little snow so far. We…

Cliff House, North Pole. November 30th 1932 My dear children Thank you for your nice letters. I have not forgotten you. I am very late this year and very worried—a very funny thing has happened. The Polar Bear has disappeared, and I don’t know where he is.…

Near North Pole December 2nd 1933 Dear People, Very cold here at last. Business has really begun, and we are working hard. I have had a good many letters from you. Thank you. I have made notes of what you want so far, but I expect I shall hear more from you…

!! To messenger: Deliver at once and don’t stop on the way!! At once Urgent Express! My dear Christopher Thank you! I am awake—and have been a long while. But my post office does not really open ever until Michaelmas. I shall not be sending my messengers…

In a land where weirdness and mystery had strongly leagued themselves with eternal desolation, the lake was out-poured at an undiscoverable date of elder aeons, to fill some fathomless gulf far down amid the shadows of snowless, volcanic mountains. No eye…

December 24 1935 North Pole My dear Children Here we are again. Christmas seems to come round pretty soon again: always much the same and always different. No ink this year and no water, so no painted pictures; also very cold hands, so very wobbly writing.…

Cliff House North Pole Wednesday Dec. 23rd 1936 My dear Children I am sorry I cannot send you a long letter to thank you for yours, but I am sending you a picture which will explain a good deal. It is a good thing your changed lists arrived before these awful…

Cliff House, North Pole Christmas 1937 My dear Christopher and Priscilla, and other old friends in Oxford: here we are again! Of course I am always here (when not travelling), but you know what I mean. Christmas again. I believe it is 17 years since I started…

Cliff House, North Pole Christmas 1938 My dear Priscilla and all others at your house Here we are again! Bless me, I believe I said that before—but after all you don’t want Christmas to be different each year, do you? I am frightfully sorry that I haven’t…

Again this year, my dear Priscilla, when you’re asleep upon your pillow;

 Yevreinov arrived. In an ordinary white collar. From the Black Sea on his way to Petersburg.  There used to be such a city in the north.  Does it still exist? The writer laughs and assures us that it does. But it takes a long time to get there. Three years…

Cliff House, NORTH POLE December 24th 1939 My dear Priscilla I am glad you managed to send me two letters although you have been rather busy working. I hope your Bingo family will have a jolly Christmas, and behave themselves. Tell Billy—is not that the father’s…

December 23rd 1940 Dear Priscilla Glad to find you are back! Message came on Saturday that your house was empty. Wos afrade you had gon without leaving any address. Ar having verry DIFFICULT time this year but ar doing (my) our best. THANK YOU for explaining…

He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o’clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! Fifty years ago, and his father had been dead for thirty…