Latest / Adventure Books Library / 10 - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L Frank Baum
Transcript
- Chapter eleven of Claus's adulthood, how the first stockings were hung by the chimneys. When you remember that no child until Santa Claus began his travels had ever known the pleasure of possessing a toy, you will understand how joy crept into the homes of those who had been favored with a visit from the good Man, and how they talked of him day by day in loving tones, and were honestly grateful for his kindly deeds. It is true that great warriors, and mighty kings, and clever scholars of that day were often spoken of by the people, but no one of them was so greatly beloved as Santa Claus, because none other was so unselfish as to devote himself to making others happy. For a generous deed lives longer than a great battle or a king's decree of a scholar's essay, because it spreads and leaves its mark on all nature and endures through many generations. The bargain made with the nook prints change the plans of Claws for all future time. For being able to use the reindeer on but one night of each year, he decided to devote all the other days to the manufacture of playthings, and on Christmas Eve to carry them to the children of the world. But a year's work would, he knew, result in a vast accumulation of toys. So he resolved to build a new sledge that would be larger and stronger, and better fitted for swift travel than the old and clumsy one. His first act was to visit the Nome King, with whom he made a bargain to exchange three drums, a trumpet, and two dolls for a pair of fine steel runners, curled beautifully at the ends. For the Nome King had children of his own, who living in the hollows under the use earth, in mines and caverns, needing something to amuse them. In three days, the steel runners were ready, and when Claws brought the playthings to the Nome King, his Majesty was so greatly pleased with them that he presented Claws with a string of sweet toned sleigh bells in addition to the runners. These will please Glossy and Flossy, said Claws, as he jingled the bells and listened to their merry sound. But I should have two strings of bells, one for each deer. Bring me another trumpet and a toy, cat, replied the king, and you shall have a second string of bells like the first. It is a bargain, cried Claws, and he went home again for the toys. The new sledge was carefully built, the Knooks, bringing plenty of strong but thin boards to use in its construction. Claws made a high rounding dashboard to keep off the snow cast behind 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 Nome King. It was certainly a handsome sledge, and big and roomy. Claws 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 Glossy and Flossy 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 Glossy, 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 Claws. After a moment's thought. The knook prints allowed you as many as ten, Why not use them, all, asked FLOSSI. Then we could speed like the lightning and leap to the highest roofs with ease. Team of ten reindeer, cried claws, delightedly. That will be splendid. Please return to the forest at once and select eight other deer as like yourselves as possible. And you must all eat of the casa plant to become strong, and of the grawl a plant to become fleet afoot, and of the marbon plant, that you may live long to accompany me on my journeys. Likewise, it will be well for you to bathe in the pool of nares, which the lovely Queen Zurline declares will render you rarely beautiful. Should you perform these duties faithfully, there is no doubt that on next Christmas Eve, my ten reindeer will be the most powerful and beautiful steeds the world has ever so. Glossy and Flossy went to the forest to choose their mates and Claws began to consider the question of a harness for them all. In the end he called upon Peter Nook for assistance, for Peter's heart is as kind as his body is crooked, and he is remarkably shrewd as well. And Peter agreed to furnish strips of tough leather for the harness. This leather was cut from the skins of lions that had reached such an advanced age that they died naturally, and on one side was tawny hair, while the other side was cured to the softness of velvet by the deft Nooks. When Claws received these strips of leather, he sowed them neatly into a harness for the ten reindeer, and it proved strong and serviceable, and lasted him for many years. The harness and sledge were prepared at odd times, for Claws devoted most of his days to the making of toys. These were now much better than the first ones had been, for the immortals often came to his house to watch him work and to offer suggestions. It was Nesile's idea to make some of the dolls, say Papa and Mamma. It was a thought of the knooks to put a squeak inside the lambs, so that when a child squeezed them, they would say ba a a. And the fairy queen advised Claus to put whistles in the birds so they could be made to sing, and wheels on the horses so children could draw them around. Many animals perished in the forest from one cause or another, and their fur was brought to Claws that he might cover it with the small images of beasts he made for playthings. A merry real suggested that Claws make a donkey with a nodding head, which he did and afterward found that it amused the little ones immensely. And so the toys grew in beauty and attractiveness every day, until they were the wonder of even the immortals. When another Christmas Eve drew near, there was a monster load of beautiful gifts for the children ready to be loaded upon the big sledge. Claws filled three sacks to the brim and tucked every corner of the sledge box full of toys. Besides, then at twilight, the ten reindeer appeared, and Flossi introduced them all to Claws. They were racer and pacer, reckless and speckless, fearless and peerless, and ready and steady, who with Glossy and Flossy made up the ten who have traversed the world these hundreds of years with their generous master. They were all exceedingly beautiful, with slender limbs, spreading antlers, velvety dark eyes, and smooth coats of fawn color spotted with white. Claws loved them at once and has loved them ever since, for they are loyal friends and have rendered him priceless service. The new harness fitted them nicely, and soon they were all fastened to the sledge by twos, with Glossy and Flossy in the lead. These wore the strings of sleigh bells, and were so delighted with the music they made that they kept prancing up and down to make the bells ring. Claws, now seated himself in the sledge, drew a warm robe over his knees and his fur cap over his ears, and cracked his long whip as a signal to start. Instantly, the ten leaped forward and were away like the wind, while jolly Claws laughed gleefully to see them run, and shouted the song in his big hardy voice. Wi the ho ho ho a ha ha ha and ho ho ha ha he. Now away we goat or the frozen in snow, as merry as we can be. There are many joys in our load of toys, as many a child will know. We'll scatter them wide on our wild night ride or the crisp ben sparkling snow. Now. It was on this same Christmas Eve that little Margot and her brother Dick, and her cousins Ned and Sarah, who were visiting at Margo's house, came in from making a snow man, with their clothes damp, their mittens stripping, and their shoes and stockings wet through and through. They were not scolded, for Margot's mother knew the snow was melting, but they were sent early to bed that their clothes might be hung over chairs to dry. The shoes were placed on the red tiles of the hearth, where the heat from the hot embers would strike them, and the stockings were carefully hung in a row by the chimney directly over the fireplace that was the recent Santa Claus noticed them when he came down the chimney that night, and all the household were fast asleep. He was in a tremendous hurry, and seeing the stockings all belonged to children, he quickly stuffed his toys into them and dashed up the chimney again, appearing on the roof so suddenly that the reindeer were astonished at his agility. I wish they would all hang up their stockings, he thought, as he drove to the next chimney. It would save me a lot of time, and I could then visit more children before daybreak. When Margot and Nick, and Ned and Sarah jumped out of bed next morning and ran downstairs to get their stockings from the fireplace, they were filled with delight to find the toys from Santa Claus inside them. In face, I think they found more presents in their stockings than any other children of that city had received, for Santa Claus was in a hurry and did not stop to count the toys. Of course, they told all their little friends about it, and of course every one of them decided to hang his own stockings by the fireplace the next Christmas Eve. Even Bessie Blithesome, who made a visit to that city with her father, the Great Lord of Lurd heard the story from the children, and hung her own pretty stockings by the chimney when she returned home at Christmas time. On his next trip, Santa Claus found so many stockings hung up in anticipation of his visit that he could fill them in a jiffy and be away again in half the time required to hunt the children up and place the toys by their bedsides. The custom grew year after year and has always been a great help to Santa Claus. And with so many children to visit, he surely needs all the help we are able to give him. End of Chapter eleven. Chapter twelve of Claus's Manhood the first Christmas Tree Claws had always kept his promise to the Nooks by returning to the Laughing Valley by daybreak. But only the swiftness of his reindeer has enabled him to do this, for he travels over all the world. He loved his work, and he loved the brisk night ride on his sledge and the gay tinkle of the sleigh bells. On that first trip with the ten reindeer, only Glossy and Flossy wore bells, but each year thereafter for eight years, Claws carried presents to the children of the Nome king, and that good natured monarch gave him in return a string of bells at each visit, so that finally every one of the ten deer was supplied. And you may imagine what a merry tune the bells played as the sledge spread over the snow. The children's stockings were so long that it required a great many toys to fill them, and soon Claws found there were other things besides toys that children love, So he sent some of the fairies, who were always his good friends, into the tropics, from whence they returned with great bags full of oranges and bananas, which they had plucked from the trees. And other fairies flew to the wonderful valley of funny Land, where delicious candies and bon bonds grew thickly on the bushes, and returned laden with many boxes of sweetmeats for the little ones. These things Santa Claus on each Christmas Eve placed in the long stockings together with his toys, and the children were glad to get them. You may be sure there are also warm countries where there is no snow in winter, but claws and his reindeer visited them as well as the colder climes, for there were little wheels inside the runners of his sledge, which permitted it to run as smoothly over bare ground as on the snow. And the children who lived in the warm countries learned to know the name of Santa Claus, as well as those who lived nearer to the Laughing Valley. Once, just as the reindeer were ready to start on their yearly trip, a fairy came to Claws and told him of three little children who lived beneath a rude tent of skins on a broad plain where there were no trees whatever. These poor babies were miserable and unhappy, for their parents were ignorant people who neglected them. Sadly, Claws resolved to visit these children before he returned home, and during his ride he picked up the bushy top of a pine tree which the wind had broken off, and placed it in his sledge. It was nearly morning when the deer stopped before the lonely tent of skins where the poor children lay asleep. Claws at once planted the bit of pine tree in the sand and stuck many candles on the branches. Then he hung some of his prettiest toys on the tree, as well as several bags of candies. It did not take long to do all this, for Santa Claus works quickly, and when all was ready, he lighted the candles, and, thrusting his head in at the opening of the tent, he shouted, Merry Christmas, little ones. With that he leaped on to his sledge and was out of sight before the children, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, could come out to see who had called them. You can imagine the wonder and joy of those little ones, who had never in their lives known a real pleasure beaufort when they saw the tree sparkling with lights that shone brilliant in the gray dawn, and hung with toys enough to make them happy for years to come. They joined hands and danced around the tree, shouting and laughing until they were obliged to pause for breath. And their parents also came out to look and wonder, and thereafter had more respect and consideration for their children since Santa Claus had honored them with such beautiful gifts. The idea of a Christmas tree pleased Claws, and so the following year, He carried many of them in his sledge and set them up in the homes of poor people who seldom saw trees, and placed candles and toys on the branches. Of course, he could not carry enough trees in one load of all who wanted them. But in some homes the fathers were able to get trees and have them all ready for Santa Claus when he arrived. And these the good claws always decorated as prettily as possible, and hung with toys enough for all the children who came to see the tree lighted. These novel ideas and the generous manner in which they were carried out, made the children long for that one night in the year when their friend Santa Claus should visit them, And as such anticipation is very pleasant and comforting. The little ones gleaned much happiness by wondering what would happen when Santa Claus next arrived. Perhaps you remember that stern Barren Brown who once drove claws from his castle and forbade him to visit his children. Well, many years afterwards, when the old baron was dead and his son ruled in his place, the new baron Brown came to the house of Claws with his train of knights and pages and henchmen, and, dismounting from his charger, bared his head humbly before the friend of children. My father did not know your goodness and worth, he said, and therefore threatened to hang you from the castle walls. But I have children of my own who long for a visit from Santa Claus, and I have come to beg that you will favor them hereafter, as you do other children. Claws was pleased with this speech, for Castle Brown was the only place he had never visited, and he gladly promised to bring presents to the baron's children the next Christmas Eve. The baron went away contented, and Claws kept his promise faithfully. Thus did this man, through very goodness, conquer the hearts of all. And it is no wonder he was ever merry and gay, for there was no home in the wide world where he was not welcomed more royally than any king. End of Chapter twelve, end of Santa Claus's Manhood