
THE TALE
PREFACE
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE TALE OF CURLY-TAIL
A VISIT TO MRS. SANTA CLAUS
A HAPPY NEW YEAR
TABLE MANNERS
THE CIRCUS DAY PARADE
GARDEN DAYS
Curly‑Tail, the spry little dog with a wildly curled tail, decides one snowy day to chase a dream of visiting Santa’s workshop. He hops onto his trusty rocking horse, and the fourteen Little Darling Dogs tumble along, creating a chorus of giggles and rhymes as they bound through forest paths. Along the way the lazy yet lovable Daddy Do‑Little and a chatty parrot named Pedro add their own brand of slapstick humor, making every turn feel like a playful lesson in friendship and perseverance.
When the troupe finally bumps into Mrs. Santa Claus’s tiny cottage, chaos erupts as the dogs flutter about, bewildering their hostess while Curly‑Tail remains calmly curious. Their good‑natured spirit wins Mrs. Santa over, and she offers them a chance to help with a mysterious work basket, hinting at more merry mischief to come. The story’s simple language, rhythmic verses, and bright illustrations make it a perfect listen for children learning new words and enjoying lighthearted adventure.
Language
en
Duration
~38 minutes (36K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Albert Whitman Company, 1923.
Credits
Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
Aug 23, 2022
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1876–1924
Best remembered for lively children's stories filled with animals, playfulness, and simple everyday lessons, this early 20th-century writer created books that were meant to delight young readers. Her work now survives through library archives and public-domain editions that keep her stories easy to rediscover.
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