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11 - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L Frank Baum · Thrilling Adventures - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Old Age, Chapter one, The Mantle of Immortality. And now
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  Speaker 1: we come to a turning point in the career of
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  Speaker 1: Santa Claus, and it is my duty to relate the
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  Speaker 1: most remarkable that has happened since the world began or
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  Speaker 1: mankind was created. We have followed the life of Clause
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  Speaker 1: from the time he was found a helpless infant by
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  Speaker 1: the wood Nymphnicile and reared to manhood in the great
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  Speaker 1: forest of Burzee. And we know how he began to
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  Speaker 1: make toys for children, and how with the assistance and
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  Speaker 1: good will of the immortals, he was able to distribute
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  Speaker 1: them to the little ones throughout the world. For many
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  Speaker 1: years he carried on this noble work, for the simple,
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  Speaker 1: hard working life he led gave him perfect health and strength.
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  Speaker 1: And doubtless a man can live longer in the beautiful
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  Speaker 1: Laughing Valley, where there are no cares and every thing
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  Speaker 1: is peaceful and merry, than in any other part of
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  Speaker 1: the world. But when many years had rolled away, Santa
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  Speaker 1: Claus grew old. The long beard of golden brown that
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  Speaker 1: once covered his cheeks and chin gradually became gray and
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  Speaker 1: finally turned to pure white. His hair was white too,
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  Speaker 1: and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes,
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  Speaker 1: which showed plainly when he laughed. He had never been
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  Speaker 1: a very tall man, and now he became fat, and
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  Speaker 1: waddled very much like a duck when he walked. But
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  Speaker 1: in spite of these things, he remained as lively as ever,
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  Speaker 1: and was just as jolly and gay, and his kind
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  Speaker 1: eyes sparkled as brightly as they did that first day
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  Speaker 1: when he came to the Laughing Valley. Yet a time
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  Speaker 1: is sure to come when every mortal who has grown
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  Speaker 1: old and lived his life, is required to leave this
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  Speaker 1: world for another. So it is no wonder that, after
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  Speaker 1: Santa Claus had driven his reindeer on many and many
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  Speaker 1: a Christmas Eve, those staunch friends finally whispered among themselves
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  Speaker 1: that they had probably drawn his sledge for the last time.
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  Speaker 1: Then all the forest of Bursy became sad, and all
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  Speaker 1: the Laughing Valley was hushed, for every living thing that
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  Speaker 1: had known claws had used to love him and to
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  Speaker 1: brighten at the sound of his footsteps or the notes
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  Speaker 1: of his merry whistle. No doubt, the old man's strength
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  Speaker 1: was at last exhausted, for he made no more toys,
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  Speaker 1: but lay on his bed as in a dream. The
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  Speaker 1: nymph Nessile, she who had reared him and been his
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  Speaker 1: foster mother, was still youthful and strong and beautiful, and
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  Speaker 1: it seemed to her but a short time since this aged,
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  Speaker 1: gray bearded man had lain in her arms and smiled
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  Speaker 1: on her with his inner and baby lips. In this
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  Speaker 1: is shown the difference between mortals and immortals. It was
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  Speaker 1: fortunate that the Great Act came to the forest at
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  Speaker 1: this time. Nasille sought him with troubled eyes and told
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  Speaker 1: him of the fate that threatened their friend claws. At
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  Speaker 1: once the Master became grave, and he leaned upon his
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  Speaker 1: axe and stroked his grizzled beard thoughtfully for many minutes.
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  Speaker 1: Then suddenly he stood up straight and poised his powerful
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  Speaker 1: head with firm resolve, and stretched out his great right arm,
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  Speaker 1: as if determined on doing some mighty deed. For a
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  Speaker 1: thought had come to him so grand in its conception,
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  Speaker 1: that all the world might well bow before the Master
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  Speaker 1: Woodsman and honor his name forever. It is well known
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  Speaker 1: that when the Great Act, once undertakes to do a thing,
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  Speaker 1: he never hesitates in an instant. Now, he summoned his
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  Speaker 1: fleetest messengers and sent them in a flash to many
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  Speaker 1: parts of the earth, and when they were gone, he
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  Speaker 1: turned to the Anxiousness Seal and comforted her, saying, be
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  Speaker 1: of good heart, my child, our friend still lives. And
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  Speaker 1: now run to your queen and tell her that I
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  Speaker 1: have summoned a council of all the immortals of the
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  Speaker 1: world to meet with me here in Burzee this night.
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  Speaker 1: If they obey and hearken unto my words, Claus will
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  Speaker 1: drive his reindeer for countless ages yet to come. At midnight,
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  Speaker 1: there was a wondrous scene in the ancient forest of Burzee, where,
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  Speaker 1: for the first time in many centuries, the rulers of
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  Speaker 1: the immortals who inhabit the earth were gathered together. There
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  Speaker 1: was the Queen of the water Sprites, whose beautiful form
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  Speaker 1: was as clear as crystal but continually dripped water on
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  Speaker 1: the bank of moss where she sat. And beside her
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  Speaker 1: was the King of the sleep Faith, who carried a
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  Speaker 1: wand from the end of which a fine dust fell
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  Speaker 1: all around, so that no mortal could keep awake long
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  Speaker 1: enough to see him, as mortal eyes were sure to
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  Speaker 1: close in sleep as soon as the dust filled them.
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  Speaker 1: And next to him sat the Nome King, whose people
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  Speaker 1: inhabit all that region under the earth's surface, where they
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  Speaker 1: guard the precious metals and the jewel stones that lie
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  Speaker 1: buried in rock and ore. At his right hand stood
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  Speaker 1: the King of the sound Imps, who had wings on
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  Speaker 1: his feet, for his people are swift to carry all
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  Speaker 1: sounds that are made. When they are busy, they carry
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  Speaker 1: the sounds but short distances, for there are many of them.
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  Speaker 1: But sometimes they speed with the sounds to places miles
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  Speaker 1: and miles away from where they are made. The King
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  Speaker 1: of the sound Imps had an anxious and care worn face,
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  Speaker 1: for most people have no consideration for his imps, and
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  Speaker 1: especially the boys and girls, make a gri great many
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  Speaker 1: unnecessary sounds, which the imps are obliged to carry when
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  Speaker 1: they might be better employed. The next in the circle of
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  Speaker 1: immortals was the King of the wind Demons, slender of frame,
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  Speaker 1: restless and uneasy at being confined to one place for
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  Speaker 1: even an hour. Once in a while he would leave
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  Speaker 1: his place and circle around the glade, And each time
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  Speaker 1: he did this, the fairy queen was obliged to untangle
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  Speaker 1: the flowing locks of her golden hair and tuck them
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  Speaker 1: back of her pink ears, but she did not complain,
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  Speaker 1: for it was not often that the King of the
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  Speaker 1: wind demons came into the heart of the forest. After
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  Speaker 1: the fairy queen, whose home you know was in old Burzee,
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  Speaker 1: came the King of the light Elves with his two princes,
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  Speaker 1: Flash and Twilight at his back. He never went anywhere
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  Speaker 1: without his princes, for they were so mischievous that he
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  Speaker 1: dared not let them wander alone. Prince Flash bore a
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  Speaker 1: lightning bolt in his right hand and a horn of
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  Speaker 1: gunpowder in his left, and his bright eyes roved constantly
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  Speaker 1: around as if he longed to use his blinding flashes.
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  Speaker 1: Prince Twilight held a great snuffer in one hand and
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  Speaker 1: a big black cloak in the other, and it is
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  Speaker 1: well known that unless Twilight is carefully watched, the snuffers
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  Speaker 1: or the cloak will throw everything into darkness. And darkness
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  Speaker 1: is the greatest enemy the King of the light Elves has.
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  Speaker 1: In addition to the immortals I have named, were the
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  Speaker 1: King of the Knooks, who had come from his home
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  Speaker 1: in the jungles of India, the King of the Ryls,
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  Speaker 1: who lived among the gay flowers and luscious fruits of Valencia,
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  Speaker 1: sweet Queen Zurline of the wood nymphs completed the circle
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  Speaker 1: of immortals. But in the center of the circle sat
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  Speaker 1: three others who possessed powers so great that all the
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  Speaker 1: kings and queens showed them reverence. These were Ak, the
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  Speaker 1: master woodsmen of the world, who rules the forests and
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  Speaker 1: the orchards and the groves. And Kerne, the master husbandman
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  Speaker 1: of the world, who rules the grain fields and the
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  Speaker 1: meadows and the gardens. And Beau, the master mariner of
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  Speaker 1: the world, who rules the seas and all the craft
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  Speaker 1: that float thereon. And all other immortals are more or
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  Speaker 1: less subject to these three. When all had assembled, the
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  Speaker 1: master Woodsmen of the world stood up to address them,
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  Speaker 1: since he himself had summoned them to the council. Very clearly,
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  Speaker 1: he told them the story of Claws, beginning at the
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  Speaker 1: time when as a babe he had been adopted a
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  Speaker 1: child of the forest, and telling of his noble and
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  Speaker 1: generous nature and his life long labors to make children happy.
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  Speaker 1: And now, said Ak, when he had won the love
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  Speaker 1: of all the world, the spirit of death is hovering
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  Speaker 1: over him. Of all men who have inhabited the earth,
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  Speaker 1: none other so well deserves immortality, for such a life
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  Speaker 1: cannot be spared so long as there are children of
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  Speaker 1: mankind to miss him and to grieve over his loss.
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  Speaker 1: We immortals are the servants of the world, and to
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  Speaker 1: serve the world. We were permitted in the beginning to exist.
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  Speaker 1: But what one of us is more worthy of immortality
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  Speaker 1: than this man Clause, who so sweetly ministers to the
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  Speaker 1: little children. He paused and glanced around the circle to
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  Speaker 1: find every immortal listening to him eagerly and nodding approval. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: the king of the wind demons, who had been whistling
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  Speaker 1: softly to himself, cried out, what is your desire, O
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  Speaker 1: ak to bestow upon Clause? The mantle of immortality, said
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  Speaker 1: ac boldly that this demand was wholly unexpected. Was proved
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  Speaker 1: by the immortals springing to their feet and looking into
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  Speaker 1: each other's face with dismay, and then upon act with wonder,
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  Speaker 1: for it was a grave matter, this parting with the
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  Speaker 1: mantle of immortality. The Queen of the water Sprite spoke
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  Speaker 1: in her low, clear voice, and the words sounded like
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  Speaker 1: raindrops splashing upon a window pane. In all the world,
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  Speaker 1: there is but one mantle of immortality. She said. The
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  Speaker 1: King of the Sound phase added, it has existed since
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  Speaker 1: the beginning, and no mortal has ever dared to claim it.
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  Speaker 1: And the master mariner of the world arose and stretched
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  Speaker 1: his limbs, saying, only by vote of every immortal can
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  Speaker 1: it be bestowed upon immortal? I know all this, answered
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  Speaker 1: Ac quietly. But the mantle exists, and if it was created,
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  Speaker 1: as you say in the beginning, it was because the
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  Speaker 1: Supreme Master knew that some day it would be required.
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  Speaker 1: Until now no mortal has deserved it. But who among
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  Speaker 1: you dares deny that the good clause deserves it? Will
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  Speaker 1: you not all vote to bestow it upon him? They
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  Speaker 1: were silent, still, looking upon one another, questioningly, of what
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  Speaker 1: use is the mantle of immortality unless it is worn,
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  Speaker 1: demanded Ac, What will it profit any one of us
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  Speaker 1: to allow it to remain in its lonely shrine for
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  Speaker 1: all time to come? Enough, cried the Nome king abruptly.
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  Speaker 1: We will vote on the matter, yes or no. For
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  Speaker 1: my part, I say yes, and I said the fairy
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  Speaker 1: queen promptly, and Ac rewarded her with a smile. My
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  Speaker 1: people in Burzy tell me they have learned to love him. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: I vote to give Claus the mantle, said the King
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  Speaker 1: of the Rills. He is already a comrade of the knooks,
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  Speaker 1: announced the ancient king of that band. Let him have immortality.
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  Speaker 1: Let him have it. Let him have it, sighed the
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  Speaker 1: King of the wind Demons. Why not, asked the King
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  Speaker 1: of the sleep face. He never disturbs the slumbers. My
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  Speaker 1: people allow humanity. Let the good Claus be immortal. I
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  Speaker 1: do not object, said the King of the sound imps, Nor,
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  Speaker 1: I muttered the Queen of the water sprites. If Claus
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  Speaker 1: does not receive the mantle, it is clear none other
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  Speaker 1: can ever claim it, remarked the King of the light elves.
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  Speaker 1: So let us have done with the thing for all time.
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  Speaker 1: The wood nymphs were first to adopt him, said Queen's early.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, I shall vote to make him immortal. Ac
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  Speaker 1: now turned to the master husbandman of the world, who
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  Speaker 1: held up his right arm and said yes. And the
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  Speaker 1: master Mariner of the world did likewise, after which Ak,
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  Speaker 1: with sparkling eyes and smiling face, cried out, I thank you,
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  Speaker 1: fellow immortals, for all have voted yes, and so to
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  Speaker 1: our dear claws shall fall the one mantle of immortality
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  Speaker 1: that is in our power to bestow. Let us fetch
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  Speaker 1: it at once, said the fake king. I'm in a hurry.
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  Speaker 1: They bowed assent, and instantly the forest glade was deserted,
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  Speaker 1: but in a place midway between the earth and the
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  Speaker 1: sky was suspended a gleaming crypt of gold and platinum,
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  Speaker 1: a glow with soft lights shed from the facets of
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  Speaker 1: countless gems. Within a high dome hung the pre precious
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  Speaker 1: mantle of immortality. And each immortal placed a hand on
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  Speaker 1: the hem of the splendid robe and said, as with
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  Speaker 1: one voice, we bestow this mantle upon Claus, who was
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  Speaker 1: called the patron Sate of children. At this the mantle
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  Speaker 1: came away from its lofty crypt, and they carried it
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  Speaker 1: to the house in the Laughing Valley. The spirit of
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  Speaker 1: Death was crouching very near to the bedside of Claws,
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  Speaker 1: and as the immortals approached, she sprang up and motioned
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  Speaker 1: them back with an angry gesture. But when her eyes
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  Speaker 1: fell upon the mantle they bore, she shrank away with
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  Speaker 1: a low moan of disappointment, and quitted that house forever.
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  Speaker 1: Softly and silently. The immortal band dropped upon Claws the
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  Speaker 1: precious mantle, and it closed about him and sank into
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  Speaker 1: the outlines of his body, and disappearing from view. It
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  Speaker 1: became a part of his being, and neither mortal nor
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  Speaker 1: immortal might ever take it from him. Then the kings
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  Speaker 1: and queens who had wrought this deed dispersed to their
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  Speaker 1: various homes, and all were well contented that they had
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  Speaker 1: added another immortal to their band and claws. Slept on
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  Speaker 1: the red blood of everlasting life coursing swiftly through his veins,
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  Speaker 1: And on his brow was a tiny drop of water
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  Speaker 1: that had fallen from the ever melting gown of the
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  Speaker 1: Queen of the water Sprites. And over his lips hovered
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  Speaker 1: a tender kiss that had been left by the sweet
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  Speaker 1: nymph Necile, for she had stolen in when the others
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  Speaker 1: were gone, to gaze with rapture upon the immortal form
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  Speaker 1: of her foster son. End of Chapter one