midnight
The new sledge was carefully built , the Knooks bringing plenty of strong but thin boards to use in its construction . Claus made a high , rounding dash-board to keep off the snow cast behind by the fleet hoofs of the deer ; and he made high sides to the platform so that many toys could be carried , and finally he mounted the sledge upon the slender steel runners made by the Gnome King . It was certainly a handsome sledge , and big and roomy . Claus painted it in bright colors , although no one was likely to see it during his midnight journeys , and when all was finished he sent for Glossie and Flossie to come and look at it . The deer admired the sledge , but gravely declared it was too big and heavy for them to draw . `` We might pull it over the snow , to be sure , '' said Glossie ; `` but we would not pull it fast enough to enable us to visit the far-away cities and villages and return to the Forest by daybreak . '' `` Then I must add two more deer to my team , '' declared Claus , after a moment 's thought .