On 21 November (Christopher Tolkien's birthday), Father Christmas wakes up from sleep in his recently-redecorated bedroom (done in green and purple) to see a Goblin's "wicked-little face" looking back at him from outside his window. Since FC has a house atop a cliff, it is obvious to him that he's seen once of the bat-riding Goblins that hadn't been observed since the war with the Goblins of the year 1453. A terrific din begins downstairs, sounding like it was coming from the store-cellars. FC drew a picture of the NPB smiling delightedly [ a cute picture] at being in battle with fifteen Goblins, working on catching or kicking or stomping them. NPB interjects himself into the letter, writing "ONLY THER WAS MORE LIKE 1000 GOBLINS THAN 15. PB". And FC responds parenthetically, "But you could hardly expect me to draw 1000." The NPB confirms he enjoyed the battle "immensely" fighting and killing many Goblins in short order, and then there was a storehouse fire to put out, cellar-guard Gnomes taken hostage by the Goblins to be rescued, and stolen reindeer to rescue. The fire extinguishing and the Gnome rescuing were accomplished moments later. However, it took several battles later before the reindeer could be recovered from the thieving Goblins, and many of FC's Elves were hurt in the effort.Another Christmas! And I almost thought at one time (in November) that there would not be one this year. There would be the 25th of December of course, but nothing from your old great-great-great-etc. grandfather at the North Pole. My pictures tell you part of the story. Goblins. The worst attack we have had for centuries. They have been fearfully wild and angry ever since we took all their stolen toys off them last year, and dosed them with green smoke. You remember the Red Gnomes promised to clear all of them out. There was not one to be found in any hole or cave by New Year's Day. But I said they would crop up again--in a century or so. They have not waited so long! They must have gathered their nasty friends from mountains all over the world, and been busy all the summer while we were at our sleepiest. This time we had very little warning. Son after All Saints; Day Polar Bear got very restless. He now says he smelt nasty smells--but as usual he did not say anything: he says he did not want to trouble me. He really is a nice old thing, and this time he absolutely saved Christmas. He took to sleeping in the kitchen with his nose towards the cellar-door, opening on the main stairway down into my big stores.
The painting of Father Christmas waking up in annoyance in his room is noteworthy for the striking green and purple decor, but one can just barely see the Goblin looking at him from outside his window.It really will be centuries before we get another Goblin-trouble. Thanks to Polar Bear and the Gnomes, there can be very many left at all. [AND FR. C. I WISH I COULD DRAW OR HAD TIME TO TRY--YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE OLD MAN CAN DO! LITENING AND FIERWORKS AND THUNDER OF GUNS!] Polar Bear certainly has been busy, helping double help--but he has mixed up some of the girls' presents with the boys' in his hurry. We hope we have got all sorted out--but if you hear of anyone getting a doll when they wanted an engine, you will know why. Actually Polar Bear tells me I am wrong--we did lose a lot of railway stuff--Goblins always go for that--and what we got back was damaged and will have to be repainted. It will be a busy summer next year. Yours ever and annually, Father N. Christmas.
Except for an orange letter header that says "FC" with half-shaded evergreen trees, and a yellow letter footer that says "Christmas 1933", there are no other artwork examples to go along with this letter. I like the class old lettering style Tolkien uses for the word, "Christmas", in the yellow footer.