TCG Letter #1954

Father Christmas, writing to the Tolkien children says he has much to tell them. He says that they heard funny noises underground at the North Pole and they thought that an earthquake might be starting. But PB said it was not, although he was sleeping. PB went off walking, and did not return, but then they had a banging on the door and FC thought that PB had forgotten his key, as he so often does. But it was not Polar Bear, it was the oldest bear, Mr Cave-Brown-Cave^{Called Mr Cave Bear in the published transcription[1]} , who FC had not seen for centuries. PB had gotten lost in CBC's cave. When PB was rescued, he said he had found a hole in the hill and went inside because it was snowing, and slipped down a long slope. He smelt goblins and was interested to explore the caves. FC says that goblins are like our rats, and can't hurt PB. FC took a light and found that the walls of the cave was filled with painting. he has drawn some examples for the children, containing lots of animals and people.

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

“[The North Polar Bear] went off for a walk one day, at the end of November I think, and never came back!” – In Letter from Father Christmas to John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla Tolkien • 30 November 1932 (#2226), Father Christmas says “The P.B. has disappeared, & I don’t know where he is. I have not seen him since the beginning of this month, & I am getting anxious”. This is inconsistent with the account given here, where the North Polar Bear goes off at the end of November, rather than the beginning. Father Christmas seems to be completely oblivious to how long the North Polar Bear has actually been away, or when exactly he left.

1932	A 76	B 94	C 95	D 99	E 04	F 09	G 12	H 19	I 20	J 23
Letter - "30 November" "Thank you for your nice letters", 1 page				73	49	72	78	91	91	91
Transcription				72	48	71- 73	77	90	90- 92	90- 92
Envelope - November "M. C & P Tolkien" "CHIM / NEY / POST" ("rather plain") NOTE: Until the 2019 edition, this envelope was assumed to be from circa 1937				121	87			94 149	92	92
Letter - "23 December" "There is a lot to tell you", 5 pages	4						80 83 87 91 96	95 97 101 105 109	95 97 101 105 109	95 97 101 105 109
Transcription	22- 25			74- 83	50- 59	74- 86	81	93	93- 111	93- 111
Art - "1932", FC over Oxford, polar landscape, caves, party, "A Merry Christmas"	4 21	2/25- 2/26	2 26 41	75	51	77	84	98	98	98
Art - Cave paintings	24			77	53	81	88	102	102	102
Art - Goblin alphabet letter	44			80	56	84	95	110	110	110
Envelope - December - "by gnome carrier" - small wax seal	25			70	RC	71	77	92	94	94