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<p>Dear John,<br />thank you so much! It is great.</p>
<p>Yes - this is the curator's Christmas dream (or nightmare).<br />And somewhere in my insect collection lies the cat - or lies not.<br />(It depends on the mulled wine in my glistening borosilicate glass)</p>
<p>All the best<br />Joachim</p>
<p> </p>
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<div><span style="color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div><span style="color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">-- </span></div>
<div><span style="color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Joachim Haendel</span></div>
<div><span style="color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<span style="color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Center of Natural Sciences Collections<br />of the Martin Luther University<br />- Entomological Collection -<br /><br />Domplatz 4<br />D-06099 Halle (Saale)<br />Germany<br /><br />Phone: +49 345 - 55 26 447<br />Fax: +49 345 - 55 27 248<br /></span>
<div><span style="color: #949494; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Email: joachim.haendel@zns.uni-halle.de</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span class="GroupwiseReplyHeader"> >>> John E Simmons 14.12.2021, 16:50 >>> </span>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: small; color: #000000;">It's that time of year again... here is number 32 in a seemingly endless series:</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: small; color: #000000;"> </div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: small; color: #000000;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">St. Entropy Boxes with Boxes</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">‘Twas the night before Christmas, and, all through the collections, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Were boxes and boxes of unprocessed accessions. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Nothing was hung by the chimney with care. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">There was no space—just more boxes there. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">When the pandemic hit, and life faded to gloam, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">We locked the front door and sent the staff home. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">But no one remembered, as odd as it sounds, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">That the post office couriers would continue their rounds. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Sure enough, they pressed on through snow, rain, heat, and gloom, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Plague, fire, and all other perils that loom. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">As promised, delivery was swift and complete, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And boxes arrived every day at our feet. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">The result was a backlog that just kept progressing </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Of hundreds of objects, all awaiting processing. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">One crate from E. Schrödinger was left on our mat: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Did it move? Did we have, did we not have a cat? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">There were boxes with labels in old faded writing, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And boxes which looked very much uninviting. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">There were boxes that clinked, there were boxes that oozed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">There were none with directions, and I was confused. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I sat down at my desk and took out my flask </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">(Then realized that I couldn’t drink through my mask). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Away to the window I flew—okay, walked—like a flash, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">But tripped over a cat (or I didn’t), and crashed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Was covering even more boxes below. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">It seemed there was no end to the incoming stuff. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Getting rid of it all was going to be tough. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">When, what to my wondering eyes should appear </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">But a miniature sleigh and eight vaccinated reindeer? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">With a little old driver so lively and quaint </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I knew in a moment that it must be the Saint. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Faster than budget cuts his coursers they came, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“Now <em>Tyvek </em>and <em>Dry Gel</em>, now <em>Poly </em>and <em>Ester</em>, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">On <em>Resistal </em>and <em>Neoprene</em>, on <em>T-Tech </em>and <em>Leicester</em>! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">To the top of the building, get over the boxes! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Now dash away, dash, just like flying foxes!” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">With his sleigh on the roof, the Saint shouldered his load </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And, very slowly, down the freight elevator he rode. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">He set down his sack, and shook off the snow, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And said “You expected, what? Marie Kondo? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Then he looked in his sack, looked again, grabbed his hat, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And he pulled out and didn’t pull out that same cat. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“It’s time to get organized! Look smart, be swift!” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Then he tossed me a bundle of blank deeds-of-gift. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“I would have brought help, but I’m fresh out of elves, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">So, you fill out the forms while I fill up the shelves!” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">With a wink of his eye and a twist of his head, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I knew there would be much more accessioning ahead. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">(The cat soon lost interest, and, after cleaning its fur, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Curled up in a box, where it did/did not purr</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">.) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">As you might expect that St. Entropy would, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">He accessioned all of the objects he could, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Every form was filled out, to the last jot and quantum, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">(Though I did leave a few small tittles to taunt him). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">The shelves were soon filled, the cabinets were crammed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">(The Saint’s long-time motto: “Collection policy be damned!”) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">With all of the empties, the Saint built a fine fort, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">A place for curators to meet for a snort. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">He spoke not a word, but seemed pleased with the job, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">As for me, my poor head was beginning to throb. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Then, laying his finger inside of his nose, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">He made a rude sound; up the elevator he rose. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">And away they all flew like a heat-seeking missile. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“We got it all done in exactly one night!” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">As I watched them arise, getting darker and colder, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I saw and did not see a cat on his shoulder. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">(John Simmons and Sally Shelton do and do not have anything to do with cats, saints, or boxes.) </span></em></p>
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