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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter six, Claws Discovers Humanity by L. Frank Baum. Taking
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  Speaker 1: Claws to a small clearing in the forest, the Master said,
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  Speaker 1: place your hand upon my girdle and hold fast while
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  Speaker 1: we journey through the air. For now we shall encircle
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  Speaker 1: the world and look upon many of the haunts of
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  Speaker 1: those men from whom you are descended. These words caused
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  Speaker 1: Claws to marvel, for until now he had thought himself
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  Speaker 1: the only one of his kind upon the earth. Yet
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  Speaker 1: in his silence he grasped firmly the girdle of the
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  Speaker 1: great Ak, his astonishment forbidding speech. Then the vast forest
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  Speaker 1: of Burzee seemed to fall away from their feet, and
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  Speaker 1: the youth found himself passing swiftly through the air at
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  Speaker 1: a great height. Ere long there were spires beneath them,
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  Speaker 1: while buildings of many shapes and colors met their downward view.
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  Speaker 1: It was a city of men and Ak. Pausing to descend,
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  Speaker 1: led Claws to its enclosure, said the Master, So long
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  Speaker 1: as you hold fast to my girdle, you will remain
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  Speaker 1: unseen by all mankind, though seeing clearly yourself, to release
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  Speaker 1: your grasp will be to separate yourself forever from me,
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  Speaker 1: and your home in Berzi. One of the first laws
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  Speaker 1: of the forest is obedience, and Claws had no thought
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  Speaker 1: of disobeying the master's wish. He clung fast to the
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  Speaker 1: girdle and remained invisible. Thereafter, With each moment passed in
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  Speaker 1: the city, the youth's wonder grew. He who had supposed
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  Speaker 1: himself created differently from all others, now found the earth
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  Speaker 1: swarming with creatures of his own kind. Indeed, said Ak,
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  Speaker 1: the immortals are few, but the mortals are many. Claws
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  Speaker 1: looked earnestly upon his fellows. There were sad faces, gay
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  Speaker 1: and reckless faces, pleasant faces, anxious faces, and kindly faces,
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  Speaker 1: all mingled in puzzling disorder. Some worked at tedious tasks,
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  Speaker 1: some strutted in impudent conceit. Some were thoughtful and grave,
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  Speaker 1: while others seemed happy and content. Men of many natures
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  Speaker 1: there were as everywhere, and Claws found much to please
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  Speaker 1: him and much to make him sad. But especially he
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  Speaker 1: noted the children, first curiously, then eagerly, then lovingly. Ragged
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  Speaker 1: little ones rolled in the dust of the streets, playing
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  Speaker 1: with scraps and pebbles. Other children, gaily dressed, were propped
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  Speaker 1: upon cushions and fed with sugar plums. Yet the children
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  Speaker 1: of the rich were not happier than those playing with
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  Speaker 1: the dust and pebbles. It seemed to Claws, childhood is
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  Speaker 1: the time of man's greatest content, said Ak, following the
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  Speaker 1: youth's thoughts. Tis during these years of innocent pleasure that
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  Speaker 1: the little ones are most free from care. Tell me,
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  Speaker 1: said Claws, why do not all these babies fare alike?
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  Speaker 1: Because they are born in both cottage and palace, returned
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  Speaker 1: the master. The difference in the wealth of the parents
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  Speaker 1: determines the lot of the child. Some are carefully tended
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  Speaker 1: and clothed in silks and dainty linen. Others are neglected
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  Speaker 1: and covered with rags. Yet all seem equally fair and sweet,
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  Speaker 1: said Claws thoughtfully. While they are babes, yes, agreed ac
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  Speaker 1: their joy is in being alive, and they do not
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  Speaker 1: stop to think. In after years, the doom of mankind
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  Speaker 1: overtakes them, and they find they must struggle and worry,
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  Speaker 1: work and fret to gain the wealth that is so
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  Speaker 1: dear to the hearts of men. Such things are unknown
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  Speaker 1: in the forest where you were reared. Claws was silent
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  Speaker 1: a moment. Then he asked, why was I reared in
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  Speaker 1: the forest among those who are not of my race.
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  Speaker 1: Then Ac, in gentle voice, told him the story of
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  Speaker 1: his babyhood, how he had been abandoned at the forest's
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  Speaker 1: edge and left prey to wild beasts, and how the
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  Speaker 1: loving nymph Nesilee, had rescued him and brought him to
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  Speaker 1: manhood under the protection of the immortals. Yet I am
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  Speaker 1: not of them, said Claws, musingly, you are not of them,
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  Speaker 1: returned the woodsman. The nymph who cared for you as
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  Speaker 1: a mother, seems now like a sister to you. By
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  Speaker 1: and by, when you grow old and gray, she will
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  Speaker 1: seem like a daughter yet another brief span, and you
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  Speaker 1: will be but a memory while she remains nesile. Then why,
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  Speaker 1: if man must perish, is he born the boy? Everything
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  Speaker 1: perishes except the world itself and its keepers, answered Ac,
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  Speaker 1: But while life lasts, everything on earth has its use.
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  Speaker 1: The wise seek ways to be helpful to the world,
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  Speaker 1: for the helpful ones are sure to live again. Much
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  Speaker 1: of this clause failed to understand fully, but a longing
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  Speaker 1: seized him to become helpful to his fellows, and he
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  Speaker 1: remained grave and thoughtful. While they resumed their journey, they
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  Speaker 1: visited many dwellings of men in many parts of the world,
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  Speaker 1: watching farmers toil in the fields, warriors dash into cruel fray,
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  Speaker 1: and merchants exchange their goods for bits of white and
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  Speaker 1: yellow metal. And everywhere the eyes of claws sought out
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  Speaker 1: the children in love and pity. For the thought of
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  Speaker 1: his own helpless babyhood was strong within him, and he
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  Speaker 1: yearned to give help to the innocent little ones of
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  Speaker 1: his race, even as he had been succored by the
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  Speaker 1: kindly nymph. Day by day, the master Woodsman and his
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  Speaker 1: pupil traversed the earth, ac speaking but seldom to the youth,
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  Speaker 1: who clung steadfastly to his girdle, but guiding him into
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  Speaker 1: all places where he might become familiar with the lives
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  Speaker 1: of human beings. And at last they returned to the
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  Speaker 1: grand old forest of Berzi, where the Master set claws
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  Speaker 1: down within the circle of nymphs, among whom the pretty
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  Speaker 1: naicile anxiously awaited him. The brow of great act was
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  Speaker 1: now calm and peaceful, but the brow of claws had
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  Speaker 1: become lined with deep thought. Nasille sighed at the change
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  Speaker 1: in her foster son, who until now had been ever
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  Speaker 1: joyous and smiling, and the thought came to her that
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  Speaker 1: never again would the life of the boy be the
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  Speaker 1: same as before this eventful journey with the Master. End
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  Speaker 1: of chapter six, Chapter seven, Claws leaves the forest. When
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  Speaker 1: good Queen Zerline had touched the golden chalice with her
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  Speaker 1: fair lips, and it had passed around the circle in
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  Speaker 1: honor of the traveler's return, the Master Woodsman of the world,
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  Speaker 1: who had not yet spoken, turned his gaze frankly upon Claws,
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  Speaker 1: and said, well. The boy understood, and rose slowly to
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  Speaker 1: his feet beside the seal. Once only his eyes passed
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  Speaker 1: around the familiar circle of nymphs, every one of whom
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  Speaker 1: he remembered as a loving comrade. But tears came unbidden
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  Speaker 1: to dim his sight. So he gazed thereafter steadfastly at
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  Speaker 1: the Master. I have been ignorant, said he simply, until
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  Speaker 1: the great act in his kindness, taught me who and
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  Speaker 1: what I am. You, who live so sweetly in your
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  Speaker 1: forest bowers, ever, fair and youthful and innocent, are no
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  Speaker 1: fit comrades for a son of humanity. For I have
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  Speaker 1: looked upon man, binding him doomed to live for a
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  Speaker 1: brief space upon earth, to toil for the things he
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  Speaker 1: needs to fade into old age and then to pass
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  Speaker 1: away as the leaves in autumn. Yet every man has
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  Speaker 1: his mission, which is to leave the world better in
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  Speaker 1: some way than he found it. I am of the
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  Speaker 1: race of men, and man's lot is my lot. For
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  Speaker 1: your tender care of the poor forsaken babe you adopted,
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  Speaker 1: as well as for your loving comradeship during my boyhood,
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  Speaker 1: my heart will ever overflow with gratitude my foster mother. Here,
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  Speaker 1: he stopped and kissed Nesilee's white forehead. I shall love
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  Speaker 1: and cherish while life lasts. I must leave you to
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  Speaker 1: take my part in the endless struggle to which humanity
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  Speaker 1: is doomed, and to live my life in my own way.
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  Speaker 1: What will you do, asked the queen gravely. I must
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  Speaker 1: devote myself to the care of the children of mankind
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  Speaker 1: and try to make them happy. He answered. Since your
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  Speaker 1: own tender care of a babe brought me to happiness
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  Speaker 1: and strength, it is just and right that I devote
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  Speaker 1: my life to the pleasure of other babes. Thus will
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  Speaker 1: the memory of the loving nymph Necile be planted within
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  Speaker 1: the hearts of thousands of my race for many years
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  Speaker 1: to come, and her kindly act be recounted in song
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  Speaker 1: and in story, while the world shall last. Have I
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  Speaker 1: spoken well, O master, you have spoken well, returned ac
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  Speaker 1: and rising to his feet, he continued, Yet one thing
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  Speaker 1: must not be forgotten. Having been adopted as the child
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  Speaker 1: of the forest and the playfellow of the nymphs, you
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  Speaker 1: have gained distinction which forever separates you from your kind. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: when you go forth into the world of men, you
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  Speaker 1: shall retain the protection of the forest, and the powers
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  Speaker 1: you now enjoy will remain with you to assist you
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  Speaker 1: in your labors. In any need, you may call upon
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  Speaker 1: the nymphs, the rills, the knooks, and the fairies, and
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  Speaker 1: they will serve you gladly. I the master woodsmen of
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  Speaker 1: the world, have said it, and my word is the law.
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  Speaker 1: Claws looked upon AK with grateful eyes. This will make
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  Speaker 1: me mighty among men, he replied. Protected by these kind friends,
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  Speaker 1: I may be able to make thousands of little children happy.
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  Speaker 1: I will try very hard to do my duty, and
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  Speaker 1: I know the forest people will give me their sympathy
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  Speaker 1: and help. We will, said the fairy queen. Earnestly, we will,
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  Speaker 1: cried the merry ryls, laughing we will, shouted the crooked knooks, scowling.
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  Speaker 1: We will, exclaimed the sweet nymphs proudly. But Nesile said nothing.
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  Speaker 1: She only folded Claws in her arms and kissed him tenderly.
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  Speaker 1: The world is big, continued the boy, turning again to
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  Speaker 1: his loyal friends. But men are everywhere. I shall begin
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  Speaker 1: my work near my friends, so that if I meet
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  Speaker 1: with misfortune, I can come to the forest for counsel
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  Speaker 1: or help. With that. He gave them all a loving
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  Speaker 1: look and turned away. There was no need to say
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  Speaker 1: good bye bye. For him. The sweet wild life of
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  Speaker 1: the forest was over. He went forth bravely to meet
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  Speaker 1: his doom, the doom of the race of man, the
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  Speaker 1: necessity to worry and work. But ac who knew the
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  Speaker 1: boy's heart, was merciful and guided his steps. Coming through
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  Speaker 1: Bersey to its eastern edge, Claws reached the laughing valley
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  Speaker 1: of ho Ha Ho. On each side were rolling green hills,
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  Speaker 1: and a brook wandered midway between them to wind afar
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  Speaker 1: off beyond the valley. At his back was the grim forest.
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  Speaker 1: At the far end of the valley a broad plain.
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  Speaker 1: The eyes of the young man, which had until now
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  Speaker 1: reflected his grave thoughts became brighter as he stood silent,
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  Speaker 1: looking out upon the laughing valley. Then, on a sudden
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  Speaker 1: his eyes twinkled as stars do on a still night,
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  Speaker 1: and grew merry and wide. For at his feet the cowslips,
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  Speaker 1: and daisies smiled on him in friendly regard. The breeze
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  Speaker 1: whistled gaily as it passed by, and fluttered the locks
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  Speaker 1: on his forehead. The brook laughed joyously as it leapt
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  Speaker 1: over the pebbles and swept around the green curves of
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  Speaker 1: its banks. The bees sang sweet songs as they flew
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  Speaker 1: from dandelion to daffodil. The beetles chirruped happily in the
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  Speaker 1: long grass, and the sunbeams glinted pleasantly over all the
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  Speaker 1: scene here cried Claws, stretching out his arms as if
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  Speaker 1: to embrace the valley. I will make my home. That
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  Speaker 1: was many many years ago. It has been his home
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  Speaker 1: ever since. It is his home now. End of chapter
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  Speaker 1: seven