TCG Letter #1940

Father Christmas writes to the Tolkien boys, John, Michael, and Christopher wishing them a merry Christmas and offering details of his and his households time at the North Pole. He says that they have "got all the lighting and heating" working again after the cold of the previous year, and expects that the boys remember who's fault it was.

Polar Bear, as shown in FC's picture drawn fro the boys, is flat on the floor at the bottom of the stairs after trying to carry too many presents. FC hopes that the boys will enjoy their gifts, both listed and some not.

In 'Toward an Annotated Father Christmas' Ian Hollenbaugh further notes the following details:

This is the third time that a letter had been delivered by an alternative to the more usual “North Pole Post”, this time “By special messenger” and “direct”. We have seen non-standard “special carrier” letters a number of times already, in Letter from Father Christmas to John and Michael Tolkien • 20 December 1926 (#1931) and Letter from Father Christmas to John, Michael and Christopher Tolkien, also Aslaug, Mummy, Auntie Jennie, and Daddy • 21 December 1927 (#1939). Further “special carrier” letters will come in 1932, in Nov. (p.92; below:54) as well as on Christmas, and 2 Dec. 1933. The delivery of this letter most resembles the letter of 2 Dec. 1933, which delivered simply “By hand”.

1928	A 76	B 94	C 95	D 99	E 04	F 09	G 12	H 19	I 20	J 23
Letter - "Another Christmas and I am another year older...", 2 pages	11	2/1	L4	39	27	37	38 42	48 51	48 51	48 51
Transcription	11	2/2- 2/6	L4v	36- 40	24- 26	36- 41	37	47	47- 53	47- 53
Art - Polar Bear falls down the stairs / smiling moon over north pole	12	2/3 2/4- 2/5	14 17	41	29	38	41	52	52	52
Envelope							37	47	47	47 RC
Boxing Day Note				43		42	44	54	54	54
Transcription of Boxing Day note				42	28	43	45	55	55	55