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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter four of Santa Claus's Adulthood. How little Mayre became frightened.
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  Speaker 1: The winter was over now, and all the laughing valley
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  Speaker 1: was filled with joyous excitement. The brook was so happy
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  Speaker 1: at being free once again that it gurgled more boisterously
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  Speaker 1: than ever, and dashed so recklessly against the rocks that
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  Speaker 1: it sent showers of spray high in the air. The
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  Speaker 1: grass thrust its sharp little blades upward through the mat
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  Speaker 1: of dead stalks, where it had hidden from the snow,
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  Speaker 1: But the flowers were yet too timid to show themselves.
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  Speaker 1: Although the rills were busy feeding their roots. The sun
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  Speaker 1: was in remarkably good humor and sent his rays dancing
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  Speaker 1: merrily throughout the valley. Claws was eating his dinner one
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  Speaker 1: day when he heard a timid knock on his door.
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  Speaker 1: Come in, he called, No one entered, but after a
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  Speaker 1: pause came another rapping. Claws jumped up and threw open
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  Speaker 1: the door. Before him stood a small girl holding a
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  Speaker 1: smaller brother fast by the hand. Is you, Claws, she
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  Speaker 1: asked shyly. Indeed, I am, my dear, he answered with
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  Speaker 1: a laugh, as he caught both children in his arms
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  Speaker 1: and kissed them. You are very welcome, and you have
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  Speaker 1: come just in time to share my dinner. He took
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  Speaker 1: them to the table and fed them with fresh milk
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  Speaker 1: and nut cakes. When they had eaten enough, he asked,
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  Speaker 1: why have you made this long journey to see me?
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  Speaker 1: I want a tat, replied little Mayre, and her brother,
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  Speaker 1: who had not yet learned to speak many words, nodded
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  Speaker 1: his head and exclaimed, like an echo, tat, oh you
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  Speaker 1: want my toy cats, do you? Returned Klaws, greatly, pleased
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  Speaker 1: to discover that his creations were so popular with children.
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  Speaker 1: The little visitors nodded eagerly. Unfortunately, he continued, I have
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  Speaker 1: but one cat now ready for I carried two to
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  Speaker 1: children in town yesterday, and the one I have shall
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  Speaker 1: be given to your brother Mary, because he is the smaller,
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  Speaker 1: and the next one I make shall be for you.
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  Speaker 1: The boy's face was bright with smiles as he took
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  Speaker 1: the precious toy Claws held out to him. But little
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  Speaker 1: Mary covered her face with her arm and began to
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  Speaker 1: sob grievously. I I I wota dit t tat now,
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  Speaker 1: she wailed. Her disappointment made Claws feel miserable for a moment.
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  Speaker 1: Then he suddenly remembered Chiagra. Don't cry, darling, he said soothingly,
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  Speaker 1: I have a toy much nicer than a cat, and
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  Speaker 1: you shall have that. He went to the cupboard and
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  Speaker 1: drew out the image of the lioness, which he placed
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  Speaker 1: on the table before Mayy. The girl raised her arm
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  Speaker 1: and gave one glance at the fierce teeth and glaring
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  Speaker 1: eyes of the beast, and then, uttering a terrified scream,
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  Speaker 1: she rushed from the house. The boy followed her, also
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  Speaker 1: screaming lustily and even dropping his precious cat in his fear.
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  Speaker 1: For a moment, Claw stood motionless, being puzzled and astonished.
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  Speaker 1: Then he threw Chiagra's image into the cupboard and ran
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  Speaker 1: after the children, calling to them not to be frightened.
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  Speaker 1: Little Mayy stopped in her flight, and her brother clung
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  Speaker 1: to her skirt, but they both cast fearful glances at
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  Speaker 1: the house until Claws had assured them many times that
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  Speaker 1: the beast had been locked in the cupboard. Yet why
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  Speaker 1: were you frightened at seeing it? He asked? It is
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  Speaker 1: only a toy to play with. It's bad, said Mayre, decidedly,
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  Speaker 1: and and just horrid and not a bit nice like tats.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps you are right, returned Claws thoughtfully. But if you
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  Speaker 1: will return with me to the house, I will soon
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  Speaker 1: make you a pretty cat. So they timidly entered the
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  Speaker 1: house again, having faith in their friend's words, and afterward
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  Speaker 1: they had the joy of watching Claws carve out a
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  Speaker 1: cat from a bit of wood and painted in natural colors.
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  Speaker 1: It did not take him long to do this, for
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  Speaker 1: he had become skillful with his knife by this time,
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  Speaker 1: and Mayre loved her toy the more dearly because she
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  Speaker 1: had seen it made. After his little visitors had trotted
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  Speaker 1: away on their journey homeward, Claws sat long in deep thought,
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  Speaker 1: and he then decided that such fierce creatures as his
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  Speaker 1: friend the Lioness, would never do as models from which
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  Speaker 1: to fashion his toys. There must be nothing to frighten
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  Speaker 1: the dear babes, he reflected, And while I know she
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  Speaker 1: I grow well and am not afraid of her, it
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  Speaker 1: is but natural that children should look upon her image
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  Speaker 1: with terror. Hereafter, I will choose such mild mannered animals
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  Speaker 1: as squirrels and rabbits, and deer and lambkins from which
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  Speaker 1: to carve my toys, For then the little ones will
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  Speaker 1: love rather than fear them. He began his work that
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  Speaker 1: very day, and before bedtime had made a wooden rabbit
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  Speaker 1: and lamb. They were not quite so lifelike as the
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  Speaker 1: cats had been, because they were formed from memory, while
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  Speaker 1: Blinkie had sat very still for Claws to look at
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  Speaker 1: while he worked. But the new toys pleased the children nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: and the fame of Claws's playthings quickly spread to every
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  Speaker 1: cottage on plain and in village. He always carried his
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  Speaker 1: gifts to the sick or crippled children, but those who
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  Speaker 1: were strong enough walked to the house in the valley
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  Speaker 1: to ask for them. So a little path was soon
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  Speaker 1: worn from the plain to the door of the toy
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  Speaker 1: maker's cottage. First came the children who had been playmates
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  Speaker 1: of Claws before he began to make toys. These, you
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  Speaker 1: may be sure, were well supplied. Then children who lived
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  Speaker 1: farther away heard of the wonderful images and made journeys
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  Speaker 1: to the valley to secure them. All the little ones
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  Speaker 1: were welcome, and never a one went away empty handed.
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  Speaker 1: This demand for his handiwork kept Claws busily occupied, but
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  Speaker 1: he was quite happy in knowing the pleasure he gave
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  Speaker 1: to so many of the dear children. His friends, the immortals,
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  Speaker 1: were pleased with his success and supported him bravely. The
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  Speaker 1: Knook selected for him clear pieces of soft wood that
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  Speaker 1: his knife might not be blunted in cutting them. The
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  Speaker 1: Rills kept him supplied with paints of all colors and
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  Speaker 1: brushes fashioned from the tips of timothy grasses. The fairies
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  Speaker 1: discovered that the workmen needed saws and chisels, and hammers
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  Speaker 1: and nails as well as knives, and brought him a
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  Speaker 1: goodly array of such tools. Claws soon turned his living
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  Speaker 1: room into a most wonderful workshop. He built a bench
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  Speaker 1: before the window, and arranged his tools and paints so
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  Speaker 1: that he could reach everything. As he sat on his stool,
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  Speaker 1: and as he finished toy after toy to delight the
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  Speaker 1: hearts of little children, he found himself growing so gay
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  Speaker 1: and happy that he could not refrain from singing and
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  Speaker 1: laughing and whistling all day long. It's because I live
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  Speaker 1: in the Laughing Valley, where everything else laughs, said Claws.
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  Speaker 1: But that was not the reason. And of chapter chapter
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  Speaker 1: five of Claus's adulthood, how Bessie Blithesome came to the
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  Speaker 1: Laughing Valley one day as Claws sat before his door
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  Speaker 1: to enjoy the sunshine. While he busily carved the head
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  Speaker 1: and horns of a toy deer. He looked up and
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  Speaker 1: discovered a glittering cavalcade of horsemen approaching through the valley.
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  Speaker 1: When they drew nearer, he saw that the band consisted
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  Speaker 1: of a score of men at arms, clad in bright armor,
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  Speaker 1: and bearing in their hands spears and battle axes. In
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  Speaker 1: front of these rode little Bessie Blithesome, the pretty daughter
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  Speaker 1: of that proud Lord of Lurd who had once driven
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  Speaker 1: Claws from his palace. Her palfrey was pure white, Its
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  Speaker 1: bridle was covered with glittering gems, and its saddle draped
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  Speaker 1: with cloth of gold richly broidered. The soldiers were sent
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  Speaker 1: to protect her from heart while she journeyed. Claus was surprised,
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  Speaker 1: but he continued to whittle and to sing until the
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  Speaker 1: cavalcade drew up before him. Then the little girl leaned
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  Speaker 1: over the neck of her palfrey and said, please, mister Claws,
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  Speaker 1: I want a toy. Her voice was so pleading that
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  Speaker 1: Claws jumped up at once and stood beside her. But
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  Speaker 1: he was puzzled how to answer her request. You are
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  Speaker 1: a rich lord's daughter, said he, and have all that
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  Speaker 1: you desire except toys. Added Bessie, there are no toys
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  Speaker 1: in all the world but yours, and I make them
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  Speaker 1: for the poor children who have nothing else to amuse them,
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  Speaker 1: continued Claws. Do poor children love to play with toys
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  Speaker 1: more than rich ones? Asked Bessie. I suppose not, said Claws. Thoughtfully,
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  Speaker 1: Am I to blame because my father is a lord?
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  Speaker 1: Must I be denied the pretty toys I long for?
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  Speaker 1: Because other children are poorer than I? She inquired earnestly.
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  Speaker 1: I am afraid you must, dear, he answered, for the
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  Speaker 1: poor have nothing else with which to amuse themselves. You
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  Speaker 1: have your pony to ride, your servants to wait on you,
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  Speaker 1: and every comfort that money can procure. But I want toys,
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  Speaker 1: cried Bessy, wiping away the tears that forced themselves into
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  Speaker 1: her eyes. If I cannot have them, I shall be
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  Speaker 1: very unhappy. Claws, was troubled for her grief, recalled to
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  Speaker 1: him the thought that his desire was to make all
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  Speaker 1: children happy, without regard to their condition in life. Yet
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  Speaker 1: while so many poor children were clamoring for his toys,
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  Speaker 1: he could not bear to give one of them to
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  Speaker 1: Bessy Blithesome, who had so much already to make happy. Listen,
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  Speaker 1: my child, he said gently. All the toys I am
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  Speaker 1: now making are promise to others, but the next shall
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  Speaker 1: be yours, Since your heart so longs for it, Come
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  Speaker 1: to me again in two days, and it shall be
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  Speaker 1: ready for you. Bessy gave a cry of delight, and
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  Speaker 1: leaning over her pony's neck, she kissed Claws prettily upon
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  Speaker 1: his forehead. Then, calling to her men at arms, she
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  Speaker 1: rode gaily away, leaving Claws to resume his work. If
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  Speaker 1: I am to supply the rich children as well as
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  Speaker 1: the poor ones, he thought, I shall not have a
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  Speaker 1: spare moment in the whole year. But is it right
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  Speaker 1: I should give to the rich. Surely I must go
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  Speaker 1: to Nursielle and talk with her about this matter. So,
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  Speaker 1: when he had finished the toy deer, which was very
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  Speaker 1: like a deer he had known in the forest glades,
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  Speaker 1: he walked into Bursey and made his way to the
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  Speaker 1: bower of the beautiful nymph Necile, who had been his
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  Speaker 1: foster mother. She greeted him tenderly and lovingly, listening with
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  Speaker 1: interest to his story of the visit of Bessie blythsome,
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  Speaker 1: and now tell me, said he, shall I give toys
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  Speaker 1: to rich children? We of the forest know nothing of riches,
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  Speaker 1: she replied. It seems to me that one child is
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  Speaker 1: like another child, since they are all made of the
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  Speaker 1: same clay, and that riches are like a gown which
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  Speaker 1: may be put on or taken away, leaving the child unchanged.
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  Speaker 1: But the fairies are guardians of mankind, and no mortal
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  Speaker 1: children better than I. Let us call the fairy queen.
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  Speaker 1: This was done, and the Queen of the fairies sat
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  Speaker 1: beside them and heard Claws relate his reasons for thinking
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  Speaker 1: the rich children could get along without his toys, and
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  Speaker 1: also what the nymph had said. Nesille is right, declared
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  Speaker 1: the queen. For whether it be rich or poor, a
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  Speaker 1: child's longings for pretty playthings are but natural. Rich Bessie's
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  Speaker 1: heart may suffer as much grief as poor Mary's. She
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  Speaker 1: can be just as lonely and discontented, and just as
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  Speaker 1: gay and happy. I think, friend Claws, it is your
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  Speaker 1: duty to make all little ones glad, whether they chanced
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  Speaker 1: to live in palaces or in cottages. Your words are wise, fair, queen,
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  Speaker 1: replied Claws, And my heart tells me they are just
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  Speaker 1: as they are. Wise hereafter all children may claim my services.
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  Speaker 1: Then he bowed before the gracious fairy, and, kissing miss
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  Speaker 1: SEL's red lips, went back into his valley. At the brook,
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  Speaker 1: he stopped to drink, and afterward he sat on the
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  Speaker 1: bank and took a piece of moist clay in his hands.
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  Speaker 1: While he thought what sort of toy he should make
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  Speaker 1: for Bessy Blithesome. He did not notice that his fingers
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  Speaker 1: were working the clay into shape, until glancing downward, he
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  Speaker 1: found he had unconsciously formed a head that bore a
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  Speaker 1: slight resemblance to the nymphnos seal. At once he became interested.
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  Speaker 1: Gathering more of the clay from the bank, he carried
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  Speaker 1: it to his house. Then, with the aid of his
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  Speaker 1: knife and a bit of wood, he succeeded in working
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  Speaker 1: the clay into the image of a toy nymph. With
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  Speaker 1: skillful strokes, he formed long, waving hair on the head
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  Speaker 1: and covered the body with a gown of oak leaves,
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  Speaker 1: while the two feet sticking out at the bottom of
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  Speaker 1: the gown were clad in sandals. But the clay was
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  Speaker 1: soft and claws found he must handle it gently to
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  Speaker 1: avoid ruining his pretty work. Perhaps the rays of the
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  Speaker 1: sun will draw out the moisture and cause the clay
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  Speaker 1: to become hard, he thought, So he laid the image
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  Speaker 1: on a flat board and placed it in the glare
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  Speaker 1: of the sun. This done, he went to his bench
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  Speaker 1: and began painting the toy deer, and soon he became
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  Speaker 1: so interested in the work that he forgot all about
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  Speaker 1: the clay nymph. But next morning, happening to notice it
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  Speaker 1: as it lay on the board, he found the sun
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  Speaker 1: had baked it to the hardness of stone, and it
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  Speaker 1: was strong enough to be safely handled. Claws now painted
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  Speaker 1: the nymph with great care, in the likeness of nasille,
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  Speaker 1: giving it deep blue eyes, white teeth, rosy lips, and
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  Speaker 1: ruddy brown hair. The gown he colored oak leaf green,
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  Speaker 1: and when the paint was dry, Claws himself was charmed
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  Speaker 1: with the new toy. Of course, it was not nearly
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  Speaker 1: so lovely as the real nessile, but considering the material
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  Speaker 1: of which it was made, Claws thought it was very beautiful.
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  Speaker 1: When Bessie, riding upon her white palfrey, came to his
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  Speaker 1: dwelling next day, Claws presented her with the new toy.
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  Speaker 1: The little girl's eyes were brighter than ever as she
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  Speaker 1: examined the pretty image, and she loved it at once
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  Speaker 1: and held it close to her breast as a mother
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  Speaker 1: does to her child. What is it called, Claws, she asked. Now,
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  Speaker 1: Claws knew that nymphs do not like to be spoken
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  Speaker 1: of by mortals, so he could not tell Bessie it
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  Speaker 1: was an image of nessile he had given her. But
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  Speaker 1: as it was a new toy, he searched his mind
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  Speaker 1: for a new name to call it by, and the
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  Speaker 1: first word he thought of he decided would do very well.
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  Speaker 1: It is called a dolly, my dear, he said to Bessy.
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  Speaker 1: I shall call the dolly my baby, returned Bessie, kissing
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  Speaker 1: it fondly, and I shall tend it and care for
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  Speaker 1: it just as nurse cares for me. Thank you very much, Claws,
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  Speaker 1: your gift has made me happier than I have ever
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  Speaker 1: been before. Then she rode away, hugging the toy in
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  Speaker 1: her arms, and Claw, seeing her delight, thought he would
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  Speaker 1: make another dolly, better and more natural than the first.
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  Speaker 1: He brought more clay from the brook, and, remembering that
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  Speaker 1: Bessie had called the dolly her baby, he resolved to
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  Speaker 1: form this one into a baby's image. That was no
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  Speaker 1: difficult task to the clever workman, and soon the baby
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  Speaker 1: doll was lying on the board and placed in the
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  Speaker 1: sun to dry. Then, with the clay that was left,
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  Speaker 1: he began to make an image of Bessie Blithesome herself.
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  Speaker 1: This was not so easy, for he found he could
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  Speaker 1: not make the silken robe of the lord's daughter out
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  Speaker 1: of common clay. So he called the fairies to his
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  Speaker 1: aid and asked them to bring him colored silks with
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  Speaker 1: which to make a real dress for the clay image.
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  Speaker 1: The fairyes set off at once on their errand, and
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  Speaker 1: before nightfall they returned with a generous supply of silks
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  Speaker 1: and laces and golden threads. Claws now became impatient to
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  Speaker 1: complete his new dolly, and instead of waiting for the
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  Speaker 1: next day's sun, he placed the clay image upon his
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  Speaker 1: hearth and covered it over with glowing coals. By morning,
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  Speaker 1: when he drew the dolly from the ashes, it had
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  Speaker 1: baked as hard as if it had lain a full
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  Speaker 1: day in the hot sun. Now our Claws became a
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  Speaker 1: dressmaker as well as a toy maker. He cut the
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  Speaker 1: lavender silk and nearly sewed it into a beautiful gown
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  Speaker 1: that just fitted the new dolly, and he put a
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  Speaker 1: lace collar around its neck and pink silk shoes on
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  Speaker 1: its feet. The natural color of baked clay is a
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  Speaker 1: light gray, but Claws painted the face to resemble the
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  Speaker 1: color of flesh, and he gave the dolly Bessie's brown
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  Speaker 1: eyes and golden hair and rosy cheeks. It was really
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  Speaker 1: a beautiful thing to look upon, and sure to bring
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  Speaker 1: joy to some childish heart. While Claws was admiring it,
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: he heard a knock at his door, and little Mayre entered.
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  Speaker 1: Her face was sad and her eyes red with continued weeping.
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  Speaker 1: Why what has grieved you, my dear, asked Claws, taking
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  Speaker 1: the child in his arms. I've I've poke my tat,
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  Speaker 1: sobbed may How, he inquired, his eyes twinkling. I I
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  Speaker 1: dwopped him and boke him's tail off, and and then
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  Speaker 1: I dwopped him and broke off him's ear, and and
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  Speaker 1: now Hymn's all spoilt. Claws laughed, never mind, Mayrie, dear,
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  Speaker 1: He said, how would you like this new dolly instead
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  Speaker 1: of a cat? Mayy looked at the silk robe, Dolly,
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  Speaker 1: and her eyes grew big with astonishment. Oh claws, she cried,
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  Speaker 1: clapping her small hands together with rapture. Can I have that?
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  Speaker 1: Booful lady? Do you like it? He asked? I love it,
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  Speaker 1: said she. It's better an tats. Then take it, dear,
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  Speaker 1: and be careful not to break it. May took the
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  Speaker 1: Dolly with a joy that was almost reverent, and her
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  Speaker 1: face dimpled with smiles as she started along the path
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  Speaker 1: toward home. End of chapter five