Vintage Hearty Christmas Greeting Card Children Decorating Tree

What exactly are these two cherub-cheeked children doing with that wooden chair and why are they so desperately reaching for a toy horse on wheels? One in a red vest and tan shorts, one in a flowing white dress with blue shoes — they're engaged in what can only be described as an unsanctioned ornament heist, using the chair as their getaway vehicle. The smaller child is being physically boosted by the larger one in a move that OSHA would absolutely not sign off on, their wide-eyed expressions conveying the manic focus of tiny criminals who have spotted their mark. Ellen Clapsaddle — yes, that's the actual artist's name signed at the bottom — paired this proto-felony scene with the poetry "May this merry Christmastide bring thee joys that will abide," which hits different when the joy in question is apparently stolen horse toys. The text informs us solemnly that this is "the tree that grew for Christmas," as if the tree needed its own origin story to justify being robbed by toddlers.