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09 - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L Frank Baum · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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Speaker 1: Chapter nine of Santa Claus's Manhood. Santa Claus Claus thought
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Speaker 1: that none of the children would ever know where the
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Speaker 1: toys came from, which they found by their bedsides when
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Speaker 1: they wakened the following morning. But kindly deeds are sure
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Speaker 1: to bring fame, and fame has many wings to carry
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Speaker 1: its tidings into far lands. So for miles and miles
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Speaker 1: in every direction, people were talking of Claws and his
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Speaker 1: wonderful gifts to the children. The sweet generousness of his
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Speaker 1: work caused a few selfish folk to sneer, but even
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Speaker 1: these were forced to admit their respect for a man
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Speaker 1: so gentle natured that he loved to devote his life
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Speaker 1: to pleasing the helpless little ones of his race. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: the inhabitants of every city and village had been eagerly
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Speaker 1: watching the coming of Claws, and remarkable stories of his
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Speaker 1: beautiful playthings were told the children to keep them patient
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Speaker 1: and contented. When, on the morning following the first trip
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Speaker 1: of Claws with his deer, the little ones came running
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Speaker 1: to their parents with the pretty toys they had found,
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Speaker 1: and asked from whence they came. There was but one
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Speaker 1: reply to the question. The good Claws must have been here,
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Speaker 1: my darlings, for his are the only toys in all
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Speaker 1: the world. But how did he get in, asked the children.
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Speaker 1: At this The fathers shook their heads, being themselves unable
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Speaker 1: to understand how Claws had gained admittance to their homes.
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Speaker 1: But the mothers, watching the glad faces of their dear ones,
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Speaker 1: whispered that the Good Claus was no mortal man, but
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Speaker 1: assuredly a saint, and they piously blessed his name for
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Speaker 1: the happiness he had bestowed upon their children. A saint, said,
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Speaker 1: one with bowed head has no need to unlock doors
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Speaker 1: if it pleases him to enter our homes. And after,
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Speaker 1: when a child was naughty or disobedient, its mother would say,
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Speaker 1: you must pray to the good Santa Claus for forgiveness.
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Speaker 1: He does not like naughty children, and unless you repent,
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Speaker 1: he will bring you no more pretty toys. But Santa
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Speaker 1: Claus himself would not have approved this speech. He brought
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Speaker 1: toys to the children because they were little and helpless,
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Speaker 1: and because he loved them. He knew that the best
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Speaker 1: of children were sometimes naughty, and that the naughty ones
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Speaker 1: were often good. It is the way with children the
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Speaker 1: world over, and he would not have changed their natures
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Speaker 1: had he possessed the power to do so. And that
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Speaker 1: is how our clause became. Santa Claus, it is possible
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Speaker 1: for any man, by good deeds, to enshrine himself as
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Speaker 1: a saint in the hearts of the people. End of
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Speaker 1: chapter nine, Chapter ten of Santa Claus's Manhood. Christmas Eve,
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Speaker 1: the day that broke. As Claws returned from his night
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Speaker 1: ride with Glossy and Flossy, brought him to a new trouble.
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Speaker 1: Will Nook, the chief guardian of the deer, came to
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Speaker 1: him surly and ill tempered to complain that he had
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Speaker 1: kept Glossy and Flossi beyond daybreak in opposition to his orders.
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Speaker 1: Yet it could not have been very long after daybreak,
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Speaker 1: said Claws. It was one minute after, answered Willnook, and
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Speaker 1: that is as bad as one hour. I shall set
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Speaker 1: the stinging gnats on Glossy and Flossy, and they will
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Speaker 1: thus suffer terribly for their disobedience. Don't do that, begged Klaws.
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Speaker 1: It was my fault. But Willnook would listen to no
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Speaker 1: excuses and went away, grumbling and growling in his ill
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Speaker 1: natured way. For this reason, Klaws entered the forest to
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Speaker 1: consult the seal about rescuing the good deer from punishment.
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Speaker 1: To his delight, he found his old friend, the Master Woodsman,
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Speaker 1: seated in the circle of nymphs. Ac listened to the
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Speaker 1: story of the night journey to the children and of
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Speaker 1: the great assistance the deer had been to Claws by
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Speaker 1: drawing his sledge over the frozen snow. I do not
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Speaker 1: wish my friend to be punished if I can save them,
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Speaker 1: said the toy maker, when he had finished the relation.
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Speaker 1: They were only one minute late, and they ran swifter
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Speaker 1: than a bird flies to get home before daybreak. Ak
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Speaker 1: stroked his beard thoughtfully a moment, and then sent for
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Speaker 1: the Prince of the Knooks, who rules all his people
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Speaker 1: in Burzee, and also for the Queen of the Fairies
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Speaker 1: and the Prince of the Rylls. When all had assembled,
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Speaker 1: Claws told his story again at Ak's command, and then
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Speaker 1: the Master addressed the Prince of the Knooks, saying, the
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Speaker 1: good work that Claws is doing among mankind deserves the
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Speaker 1: support of every honest immortal. Already he is called a
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Speaker 1: saint in some of the towns, and before long the
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Speaker 1: name of Santa Claus will be lovingly known in every
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Speaker 1: home that is blessed with children. Moreover, he is a
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Speaker 1: son of our forest, so we owe him our encouragement. You,
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Speaker 1: ruler of the Knooks, have known him these many years.
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Speaker 1: Am I not right in saying he deserves our friendship?
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Speaker 1: The Prince crooked and sour of visage, as all knooks
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Speaker 1: are looked only upon the dead leaves at his feet,
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Speaker 1: and muttered, you are the master woodsman of the world.
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Speaker 1: Axe smiled, but continued in soft tones. It seems that
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Speaker 1: the deer which are guarded by your people can be
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Speaker 1: of great assistance to Claus, and as they seem willing
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Speaker 1: to draw his sledge, I beg that you will permit
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Speaker 1: him to use their services whenever he pleases. The Prince
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Speaker 1: did not reply, but tapped the curled point of his
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Speaker 1: sandal with the tip of his spear, as if in thought.
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Speaker 1: Then the fairy queen spoke to him in this way,
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Speaker 1: If you consent to Act's request, I will see that
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Speaker 1: no harm comes to your deer while they are away
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Speaker 1: from the forest. And the Prince of the Rials added,
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Speaker 1: for my part, I will allow to every deer that
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Speaker 1: assists claws, the privilege of eating my casa plants, which
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Speaker 1: will give strength, and my grola plants, which give fleetness
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Speaker 1: of foot, and my marbon plants, which give long life.
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Speaker 1: And the Queen of the Nymphs said, the deer which
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Speaker 1: draw the sledge of claws will be permitted to bathe
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Speaker 1: in the forest pool of nares, which will give them
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Speaker 1: sleek coats and wonderful beauty. The Prince of the Knooks,
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Speaker 1: hearing these promises, shifted uneasily on his seat, for in
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Speaker 1: his heart he hated to refuse a request of his
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Speaker 1: fellow immortals, although they were asking an unusual favor at
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Speaker 1: his hands, and the Knooks are unaccustomed to granting favors
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Speaker 1: of any kind. Finally, he turned to his servants and said,
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Speaker 1: call will Nook. When surly will came and heard the
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Speaker 1: demands of the immortals, he protested loudly against granting them. Dear,
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Speaker 1: our dear, said he, and nothing but dear. Were they horses,
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Speaker 1: it would be right to harness them like horses. But
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Speaker 1: no one harnesses dear, because they are free, wild creatures,
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Speaker 1: owing no service of any sort to mankind. It would
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Speaker 1: degrade my dear to labor for Claws, who is only
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Speaker 1: a man in spite of the friendship lavished on him
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Speaker 1: by the immortals. You have heard, said the Prince to Ac.
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Speaker 1: There is truth in what Will says. Call Glossy and
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Speaker 1: Flossi returned the Master. The deer were brought to the conference,
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Speaker 1: and Ac asked them if they objected to drawing the
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Speaker 1: sledge for Claws. No, indeed, replied Glossie. We enjoyed the
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Speaker 1: trip very much, and we tried to get home by daybreak,
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Speaker 1: said Flossi. But we're unfortunately a minute too late. A
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Speaker 1: minute lost at daybreak doesn't matter, said Ac. You are
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Speaker 1: forgiven for that delay, provided it does not happen again,
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Speaker 1: said the Prince of the Knooks sternly. And will you
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Speaker 1: permit them to make another journey with me? Asked Clause. Eagerly,
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Speaker 1: the Prince reflected while he gazed at Will, who was scowling,
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Speaker 1: and at the Master Woodsman, who was smiling. Then he
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Speaker 1: stood up and addressed the company as follows, since you
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Speaker 1: all urge me to grant the favor, I will permit
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Speaker 1: the deer to go with Claws once every year on
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Speaker 1: Christmas Eve, provided they always return to the forest by daybreak,
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Speaker 1: he may select any number he pleases, up to ten
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Speaker 1: to draw his sledge, and those shall be known among
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Speaker 1: us as reindeer, to distinguish them from the others. And
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Speaker 1: they shall bathe in the pool of Nares and eat
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Speaker 1: the cassa and the gral and marbon plants, and shall
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Speaker 1: be under the especial protection of the fairy Queen. And
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Speaker 1: now see scowling will Nook, for my words shall be obeyed.
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Speaker 1: He hobbled quickly away through the trees to avoid the
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Speaker 1: thanks of Claws and the approval of the other immortals,
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Speaker 1: and will, looking as cross as ever, followed him. But
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Speaker 1: Ac was satisfied, knowing that he could rely on the
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Speaker 1: promise of the Prince, however grudgingly given, and Glossy and
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Speaker 1: Flossi ran home, kicking up their heels delightedly at every step.
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Speaker 1: When is Christmas Eve, Claws, asked the Master, In about
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Speaker 1: ten days, he replied, Then, I cannot use the deer
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Speaker 1: this year, said Klaws thoughtfully, for I shall not have
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Speaker 1: time enough to make my sack full of toys. The
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Speaker 1: shrewd Prince foresaw that, responded Ak, and therefore named Christmas
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Speaker 1: Eve as the day you might use the deer, knowing
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Speaker 1: it would cause you to lose an entire year. If
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Speaker 1: I only had the toys the Aguas stole from me,
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Speaker 1: said Klaws, sadly, I could easily fill my sack for
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Speaker 1: the children. Where are they asked the master. I do
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Speaker 1: not know, replied Claws, but the wicked Oguas probably hid
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Speaker 1: them in the mountains. Ac turned to the fairy queen.
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Speaker 1: Can you find them, he asked, I will try, she
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Speaker 1: replied brightly. Then Claws went back to the Laughing Valley
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Speaker 1: to work as hard as he could, and a band
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Speaker 1: of fairies immediately flew to the mountain that had been
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Speaker 1: haunted by the Oguas and began a search for the
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Speaker 1: stolen toys. The fairies, as we well know, possess wonderful powers,
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Speaker 1: but the cunning Oguas had hidden the toys in a
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Speaker 1: deep cave and covered the opening with rocks so no
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Speaker 1: one could look in. Therefore, all search for the missing
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Speaker 1: playthings proved in vain for several days, and Claws, who
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Speaker 1: sat at home waiting for news from the fairies, almost
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Speaker 1: despaired of getting the toys before for Christmas Eve. He
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Speaker 1: worked hard every moment, but it took considerable time to
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Speaker 1: carve out and to shape each toy, and to paint
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Speaker 1: it properly, so that on the morning before Christmas Eve,
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Speaker 1: only half of one small shelf above the window was
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Speaker 1: filled with playthings ready for the children. But on this
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Speaker 1: morning the fairies who were searching the mountains had at
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Speaker 1: new thought. They joined hands and moved in a straight
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Speaker 1: line through the rocks that formed the mountain, beginning at
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Speaker 1: the topmost peak and working downward, so that no spot
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Speaker 1: could be missed by their bright eyes. And at last
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Speaker 1: they discovered the cave where the toys had been heaped
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Speaker 1: up by the wicked aguas. It did not take them
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Speaker 1: long to burst open the mouth of the cave, and
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Speaker 1: then each one seized as many toys as he could carry,
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Speaker 1: and they all flew to claws and laid the treasure
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Speaker 1: before him. The good man was rejoiced to receive, just
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Speaker 1: in the nick of time, such a store of playthings
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Speaker 1: with which to load his sledge, and he sent word
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Speaker 1: to Glossy and Flossy to be ready for the journey
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Speaker 1: at nightfall. With all his other labors, he had managed
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Speaker 1: to find time since the last trip to repair the
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Speaker 1: harness and to strengthen his sledge, so that when the
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Speaker 1: deer came to him at twilight, he had no difficulty
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Speaker 1: in harnessing them. We must go in another direction to night,
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Speaker 1: he told them, where we shall find children I have
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Speaker 1: never yet visited. And we must travel fast and work quickly,
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Speaker 1: for my sack is full of toys and running over
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Speaker 1: the brim. So just as the moon arose, they dashed
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Speaker 1: out of the Laughing valley and across the plain and
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Speaker 1: over the hills to the south. The air was sharp
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Speaker 1: and frosty, and the starlight touched the snowflakes and made
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Speaker 1: them glitter like countless diamonds. The reindeer leaped onward with strong,
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Speaker 1: steady bounds, and Claus's heart was so light and merry
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Speaker 1: that he laughed and sang while the wind whistled past
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Speaker 1: his years. Wi the ho ho ho and ha ha
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Speaker 1: ha and a ho ho ha ha e. Now away
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Speaker 1: we got or the frozen snow, as merry as we
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Speaker 1: can be. Jack Frost heard him and came racing up
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Speaker 1: with his nippers, but when he saw it was claws,
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Speaker 1: he laughed and turned away again. The mother owls heard
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Speaker 1: him as he passed near a wood, and stuck their
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Speaker 1: heads out of the hollow places in the tree trunks.
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Speaker 1: But when they saw who it was, they whispered to
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Speaker 1: the owlets nesting near them that it was only Santa Claus,
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Speaker 1: carrying toys to the children. It is strange how much
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Speaker 1: those mother owls know. Claws stopped at some of the
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Speaker 1: scattering farm houses and climbed down the chimneys to leave
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Speaker 1: presents for the babies. Soon after he reached a village
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Speaker 1: and worked merrily for an hour distributing playthings among the
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Speaker 1: sleeping little ones. Then away again he went, singing his
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Speaker 1: joyous carol. Now way we go o'er the gleaming snow,
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Speaker 1: while the deer runs swift and free. For to girls
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Speaker 1: en boys, we carried the toys that will fill their
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Speaker 1: hearts with gleep. The deer liked the sound of his
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Speaker 1: deep bass voice and kept time to the song with
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Speaker 1: their hoof beats on the hard snow. But soon they
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Speaker 1: stopped at another chimney, and Santa Claus, with sparkling eyes
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Speaker 1: and face brushed red by the wind, climbed down its
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Speaker 1: smoky sides and left a present for every child the
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Speaker 1: house contained. It was a merry, happy night swiftly the
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Speaker 1: deer ran, and busily their driver worked to scatter his
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Speaker 1: gifts among the sleeping children. But the sack was empty
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Speaker 1: at last, and the sledge headed homeward. And now again
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Speaker 1: the race, with daybreak began. Glossy and Flossie had no
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Speaker 1: mind to be rebuked a second time for tardiness, so
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Speaker 1: they fled with a swiftness that enabled them to pass
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Speaker 1: the gale on which the frost king rode, and soon
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Speaker 1: brought them to the Laughing Valley. It is true, when
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Speaker 1: Claws released his steeds from their harness, the eastern sky
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Speaker 1: was streaked with gray, but Glossy and Flossy were deep
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Speaker 1: in the forest before day fairly broke. Claws was so
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Speaker 1: wearied with his night's work that he threw himself upon
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Speaker 1: his bed and fell into a deep slumber. And while
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Speaker 1: he slept, the Christmas sun appeared in the sky and
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Speaker 1: shone upon hundreds of happy homes, where the sound of
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Speaker 1: childish laughter proclaimed that Santa Claus had made them a visit.
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Speaker 1: God bless him. It was his first Christmas Eve, and
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Speaker 1: for hundreds of years since then he has nobleeful build
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Speaker 1: his mission to bring happiness to the hearts of little children,
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Speaker 1: end of Chapter ten,