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07 - Manhood Part 4 · The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

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Adulthood, Chapter six, The Wickedness of the Oguas. I must now tell
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you something about the Ogas, that terrible race of creatures which caused our good
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claws so much trouble, and nearly succeeded in robbing the children of the world
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of their earliest and best friend. I do not like to mention the Ogas,
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but they are a part of this history and cannot be ignored. They
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were neither mortals nor immortals, but stood midway between those classes of beings.
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The Oguas were invisible to ordinary people, but not to immortals. They could
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pass swiftly through the air from one part of the world to another, and
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had the power of influencing the minds of human beings to do their wicked will.
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They were of gigantic stature and had coarse, scowling countenances, which showed
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plainly their hatred of all mankind. They possessed no conc chiances whatever, and
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delighted only in evil deeds. Their homes were in rocky, mountainous places,
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from whence they sallied forth to accomplish their wicked purposes. The one of their
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number that could think of the most horrible deed for them to do was always
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elected the king Ogua, and all the race obeyed his orders. Sometimes these
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creatures lived to become a hundred years old, but usually they fought so fiercely
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among themselves that many were destroyed in combat, and when they died, that
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was the end of them. Mortals were powerless to harm them, and the
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immortals shuddered when the Oguas were mentioned and always avoided them. So they flourished
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for many years unopposed and accomplished much evil. I am glad to assure you
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that these vile creatures have long since perished and passed from the earth. But
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in the days when Claws was making his first toys, they were a numerous
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and powerful tribe. One of the principal sports of the Aguas was to inspire
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angry passions in the hearts of little children, so that they quarreled and fought
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with one another. They would tempt boys to eat of unripe fruit and then
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delight in the pain they suffered. They urged little girls to disobey their parents,
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and then would laugh when the children were punished. I do not know
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what causes a child to be naughty in these days, but when the Oguas
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were on earth, naughty children were usually under their influence. Now, when
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Claws began to make children happy, he kept them out of the power of
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the Oguas. For children possessing such lovely playthings as he gave them had no
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wish to obey the evil thoughts the Aguas tried to thrust into their minds.
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Therefore, one year, when the wicked tribe was to elect a new king,
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they chose in Agua, who proposed to destroy clar and take him away
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from the children. There are, as you know, fewer naughty children in
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the world since Claws came to the Laughing Valley and began to make his toys,
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said the new king, as he squatted upon a rock and looked around
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at the scowling faces of his people. Why Bessie Blithesome has not stamped her
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foot once this month, nor has Mary's brother slapped his sister's face or thrown
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the puppy into the rain barrel. Little Weekham took his bath last night without
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screaming or struggling, because his mother had promised he should take his toy cat
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to bed with him. Such a condition of affairs is awful for any agua
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to think of. And the only way we can direct the naughty actions of
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children is to take this person, Claws away from them. Good good,
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cried the big oguas in a chorus, and they clapped their hands to applaud
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the speech of the king. But what shall we do with him, asked
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one of the creatures. I have a plan, replied the wicked king.
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And what his plan was you will soon discover. That night, Claws went
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to bed feeling very happy, for he had completed no less than four pretty
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toys during the day, and they were sure he thought to make four little
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children happy. But while he slept, the band of invisible aguas surrounded his
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bed, bound him with stout cords, and then flew away with him to
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the middle of a dark forest in far off ethop, where they had laid
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him down and left him. When morning came, Claws found himself thousands of
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miles from any human being, a prisoner in the wild jungle of an unknown
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land. From the limb of a tree above his head swayed a huge python,
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one of those reptiles that are able to crush a man's bones in their
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coils. A few yards away, crouched a savage panther, its glaring red
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eyes fixed full on the helpless claws. One of those monstrous spotted spiders whose
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sting is death, crept stealthily toward him over the matted leaves, which shriveled
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and turned black at its very touch. But Claws had been reared in Burzee
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and was not afraid. Come to me, ye nooks of the forest,
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he cried, and gave the low, peculiar whistle that the knooks snow.
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The panther, which was about to spring upon its victim, turned and slunk
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away. The python swung itself into the tree and disappeared among the leaves.
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The spider stopped short in its advance and hid beneath a rotting log. Claws
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had no time to notice them, for he was surrounded by a band of
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harsh, featured nooks, more crooked and deformed in appearance than any he had
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ever seen. Who are you that call on us, demanded one in a
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gruff voice. The friend of your brothers in Burzie, answered Claws. I
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have been brought here by my enemies, the oguas, and left to perish
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miserably. Yet now I implore your help to release me and to send me
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home again, Have you the sign asked another, Yes, said Claws.
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They cut his bonds, and with his free arms he made the secret sign
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of the knooks. Instantly they assisted him to stand upon his feet, and
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they brought him food and drink to strengthen him. Our brothers of Berzi make
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queer friends, grumbled an ancient knook, whose flowing beard was pure white.
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But he who knows our secret sign and signal is entitled to our help,
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whoever he may be. Close your eyes, stranger, and we will conduct
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you to your home. Where shall we seek? It tis in the laughing
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valley, answered Claws, shutting his eyes. There is but one laughing valley
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in the known world, so we cannot go astray, remarked the knook.
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As he spoke, the sound of his voice seemed to die away, so
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Claws opened his eyes to see what caused the change. To his astonishment,
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he found himself seated on the bench by his own door, with the laughing
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valley spread out before him. That day he visited the wood Nymphs and related
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his adventure to queens Erline and Nesille. The Aguas have become your enemies,
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said the lovely Queen thoughtfully, so we must do all we can to protect
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you from their power. It was cowardly to bind him while he slept,
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remarked Necile with indignation. The evil ones are ever cowardly, answered Zerline.
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But our friend's slumber shall not be disturbed again. The Queen herself came to
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the dwelling of Claws that evening and placed her seal on every door and window
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to keep out the Oguas. And under the seal of Queen Zerline was placed
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the seal of the Fairies, and the seal of the Rylls, and the
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seals of the knooks. That the charm might become more powerful. And Claws
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carried his toys to the children again, and made many more of the little
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ones happy. You may guess how angry the King Ogua and his fierce band
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were when it was known to them that Claws had escaped from the forest of
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Athop. They raged madly for a whole week, and then held another meeting
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among the rocks. It is useless to carry him where the knooks rain,
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said the king, for he has their protection. So let us cast him
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into a cave of our own mountains, where he will surely perish. This
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was promptly agreed to, and the wicked band set out that night to seize
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Claws. But they found his dwelling guarded by the seals of the immortals,
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and were obliged to go away, baffled and disappointed. Never mind, said
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the king, he does not sleep always. Next day, as Claws traveled
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to the village across the plain, where he intended to present a new toy
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squirrel to a lame boy, he was suddenly set upon by the oguas,
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who seized him and carried him away to the mountains. There they thrust him
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within a deep cavern and rolled many huge rocks against the entrance to prevent his
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escape. Deprived thus of light and food, and with little air to breathe,
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our Claws was indeed in a pitiable plight. But he spoke the mystic
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words of the fairies, which all always command their friendly aid, and they
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came to his rescue and transported him to the Laughing Valley in the twinkling of
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an eye. Thus the oguas discovered they might not destroy one who had earned
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the friendship of the immortals. So the evil band sought other means of keeping
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Claws from bringing happiness to children and so making them obedient. Whenever Claw set
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out to carry his toys to the little ones, an ogua, who had
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been set to watch his movements, sprang upon him and snatched the toys from
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his grasp, And the children were no more disappointed than was Claws when he
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was obliged to return home. Disconsolate, still, he persevered and made many
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toys for his little friends, and started with them for the villages. And
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always the oguas robbed him as soon as he had left the valley. They
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threw the stolen playthings into one of their lonely caverns, and quite a heap
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of toys accumulated before Claws became discouraged and gave up all attempts to leave the
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valley. Then children began coming to him, since they found he did not
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go to them, but the wicked oguas flew around them and caused their steps
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to stray and the path to become crooked, so never a little one could
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find a way into the laughing valley. Lonely days now fell upon Claws,
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for he was denied the pleasure of bringing happiness to the children whom he had
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learned to love. Yet he bore up bravely, for he thought surely the
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time would come when the Oguas would abandon their evil designs to injure him.
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He devoted all his hours to toy making, and when one plaything had been
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completed, he stood it on a shelf he had built for that purpose.
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When the shelf became filled with rows of toys, he made another one and
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filled that also, so that in time he had many shelves filled with gay
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and beautiful toys representing horses, dogs, cats, elephants, lambs, rabbits,
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and deer, as well as pretty dolls of all sizes, and balls
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and marbles of baked clay painted in gay colors. Often, as he glanced
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at this array of childish treasures, the heart of good old Claws became sad,
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so greatly did he long to carry the toys to his children. And
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at last, because he could bear it no longer, he ventured to go
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to the great Ak, to whom he told the story of his persecution by
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the Aguas, and begged the master Woodsman to assist him. End of chapter
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six, Chapter seven, the Great Battle between Good and Evil. Ak listened
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gravely to the recital of Claws stroking his beard the while with the slow,
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graceful motion that betokened deep thought. He nodded approvingly when Claws told how the
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knooks and fairies had saved him from death, and frowned when he heard how
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the og was had stolen the children's toys. At last, he said,
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from the beginning, I have approved the work you are doing among the children
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of men, and it annoys me that your good deeds should be thwarted by
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the ogas. We immortals have no connection whatever with the evil creatures who have
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attacked you. Always have we avoided them, and they in turn have hitherto
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taken care not to cross our pathway. But in this matter I find they
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have interfered with one of our friends, and I will ask them to abandon
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their persecutions, as you are under our protection. Claws thanked the master woodsmen
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most gratefully and returned to his valley. While Akh, who never delayed carrying
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out his promises, at once traveled to the mountains of the Aguas. There,
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standing on the bare rocks, he called on the king and his people
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to appear. Instantly, the place was filled with throngs of the scowling Aguas,
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and their king, perching himself on a point of a rock, demanded
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fiercely, who dares call on us? It is I, the master woodsmen
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of the world, responded, AC. Here are no forests for you to
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claim, cried the king angrily. We owe no allegiance to you, nor
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to any immortal, That is true, replied Ac calmly. Yet you have
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ventured to interfere with the actions of Claws, who dwells in the Laughing Valley
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and is under our protection. Many of the Aguas began muttering at this speech,
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and their king turned threateningly on the master woodsmen. You are set to
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rule the forests, but the plains and the valleys are ours, he shouted.
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Keep to your own, dark woods. We will do as we please
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with Claws. You shall not harm our friend in any way, replied AC,
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shall we not, asked the king impudently. You will see our powers
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are vastly superior to those of mortals, and fully as great as those of
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immortals. It is your conceit that misleads you, said Ac sternly, You
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are a transient race, passing from life into nothingness. We who live forever
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pity, But despise you. On earth, you are scorned by all,
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and in heaven you have no place. Even the mortals, after their earth
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life enter another existence for all time, and so are your superiors. How,
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then, dare you, who are neither mortal nor immortal, refuse to
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obey my wish. The Agua sprang to their feet with menacing gestures, but
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their king motioned them back. Never before, he cried to Ak, while
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his voice trembled with rage, has an immortal declared himself, the Master of
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the Oguas, never shall an immortal venture to interfere with our actions again,
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For we will avenge your scornful words by killing your friend Claus within three days.
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Nor you nor all the immortals can save him from our wrath. We
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defy your powers. Begone, master, woodsmen of the world. In the
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country of the Aguas, you have no place. It is war, declared
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Ac with flashing eyes. It is war, returned the king savagely. In
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three days, your friend will be dead. The Master turned away and came
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to his forest of Burzi, where he called a meeting of the immortals and
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told them of the defiance of the Oguas and their purpose to kill claws within
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three days. The little folk listened to him quietly. What shall we do,
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asked Ak. These creatures are of no benefit to the world, said
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the Prince of the Knooks. We must destroy them. Their lives are devoted
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only to evil deeds, said the Prince of the Rials. We must destroy
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them. They have no conscience and endeavor to make all mortals as bad as
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themselves. Said the Queen of the Fairies. We must destroy them. They
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have defied the great Act and threatened the life of our adopted son, said
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beautiful Queen Zurl, we must destroy them. The master woodsman smiled. You
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speak well, said he. These Oguas we know to be a powerful race,
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and they will fight desperately. Yet the outcome is certain, for we
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who live can never die, even though conquered by our enemies. While every
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Agua who is struck down is one foe, the less to oppose us.
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Prepare then for battle, and let us resolve to show no mercy to the
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wicked. Thus arose that terrible war between the immortals and the spirits of evil,
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which is sung of in Fairyland to this very day. The King Agua
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and his band determined to carry out the threat to destroy Claws. They now
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hated him for two reasons. He made children happy and was a friend of
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the Master Woodsman. But since Act's visit, they had reason to fear the
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opposition of the immortals, and they dreaded defeat. So the king sent swift
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messengers to all parts of the world to summon every evil creature to his aid.
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And on the third day after the declaration of war, a mighty army
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was at the command of the King Ogua. There were three hundred asiatic dragons,
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breathing fire that consumed everything it touched. These hated mankind and all good
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spirits. And there were the three eyed giants of Tattery, a host in
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themselves who liked nothing better than to fight. And next came the black demons
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from Patalonia, with great spreading wings like those of a bat, which swept
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terror and misery through the world as they beat upon the air. And joined
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to these were the gooselgoblins, with long talons as sharp as swords, with
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which they clawed the flesh from their foes. Finally, everye mountain agua in
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the world had come to participate in the great battle with the immortals. The
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King Agua looked around upon this vast army, and his heart beat high with
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wicked pride, for he believed he would surely triumph over his gentle enemies,
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who had never before been known to fight. But the master Woodmen had not
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been idle. None of his people was used to warfare. Yet now that
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they were called upon to face the hosts of evil, they willingly prepared for
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the fray. Ac had commanded them to assemble in the Laughing Valley, where
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Claws, ignorant of the terrible battle that was to be waged on his account,
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was quietly making toys. Soon the entire valley from hill to hill was
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filled with the little immortals. The master Woodsmen stood first, bearing a gleaming
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axe that shone like burnished silver. Next came the rills, with sharp thorns
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from bramble bushes, Then the nooks, bearing the spears they used when they
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were forced to prod their savage beasts into submission. The fairies, dressed in
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white gauze with rainbow hued wings, bore golden wands, and the wood nymphs,
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in their uniforms of oak leaf green, carried switches from ash trees as
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weapons. Loud, laughed the Agua king when he beheld the size and the
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arms of his floes. To be sure, the mighty axe of the woodsmen
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was to be dreaded. But the sweet faced nymphs and pretty fairies, the
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gentle rills and crooked knooks, were such harmless folk that he almost felt shame
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at having called such a terrible host to oppose them. Since these fools dare
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fight, he said to the leader of the Tattery giants, I will overwhelm
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them with our evil powers. To begin the battle, he poised a great
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stone in his left hand and cast it full against the sturdy form of the
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master Woodsmen, who turned it aside with his axe. Then rushed the three
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eyed giants of Tattery upon the knooks, and the gooselgoblins upon the rills,
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and the fire breathing dragons upon the sweet fairies. Because the nymphs were Ax's
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own people, the band of Agua sought them out, seeking to overcount them
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with ease. But it is the law that while evil unopposed may accomplish terrible
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deeds, the powers of good can never be overthrown when opposed to evil.
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Well, had it been for the king Agua, had he known the law,
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his ignorance cost him his existence. For one flash of the axe,
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borne by the master woodsmen of the world, cleft the wicked king in twain
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and rid the earth of the vilest creature it contained. Greatly marveled the tattery
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giants when the spears of the little nooks pierced their thick walls of flesh and
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sent them reeling to the ground with howls of agony. Woe came upon the
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sharp taloned goblins when the thorns of the rills reached their savage hearts and let
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their life blood sprinkle all the plane, and afterward from every drop a thistle
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grew. The dragons paused, astonished before the fairy winds, from whence rushed
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a power that caused their fiery breaths to flow back on themselves, so that
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they shriveled away and died. As for the oguas, they had scant time
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to realize how they were destroyed, for the ash switches of the nymphs bore
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a charm unknown to any Ogua, and turned their foes into clods of earth
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at the slightest touch. When ac leaned upon his gleaming axe, and turned
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to look over the field of battle. He saw the few giants who were
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able to run disappearing over the distant hills on their return to Tattery. The
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goblins had perished every one, as had the terrible dragons, while all that
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remained of the wicked Oguas was a great number of earthen hillocks dotting the plain.
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And now the immortals melted from the valley like dew at sunrise to resume
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their duties in the forest. While Ak walked slowly and thoughtfully to the house
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of Claws and entered. You have many toys ready for the children, said
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the woodsmen, and now you may carry them across the plain to the dwellings
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and the villages without fear. Will not the Oguas harm me, asked Claws
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eagerly. The Oguas said, ac have perished. Now I will gladly have
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done with wicked spirits and with fighting and bloodshed. It was not from choice
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that I told you of the Aguas and their allies, and of their great
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battle with the immortals. They were part of this history and could not be
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avoided. End of Chapter seven