Latest / Classic Adventure Books - Daily / 12 - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus - L Frank Baum

Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Old Age, Chapter two, When the World grew Old. The
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: next morning, when Santa Claus opened his eyes and gazed
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: around the familiar room which he had feared he might
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: never see again, he was astonished to find his old
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: strength renewed, and to feel the red blood of perfect
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: health coursing through his veins. He sprang from his bed
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: and stood where the bright sunshine came in through his
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: window and flooded him with its merry, dancing rays. He
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: did not then understand what had happened to restore him
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: to the vigor of youth. But in spite of the
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: fact that his beard remained the color of snow and
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: that wrinkle still lingered in the corners of his bright eyes,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Old Santa Claus felt as brisk and merry as a
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: boy of sixteen, and was soon whistling contentedly as he
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: busied himself fashioning new toys. Then Act came to him
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: and told of the mantle of immortality and how Claus
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: had won it through his love for little children. It
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: made Santa look grave for a moment to think he
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: had been so favored, but it also made him glad
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: to realize that now he need never fear being parted
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: from his dear ones at once he began preparations for
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: making a remarkable assortment of pretty and amusing playthings, and
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: in larger quantities than ever before, for now that he
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: might always devote himself to this work, he decided that
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: no child in the world, poor or rich, should hereafter
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: go without a Christmas gift, if he could manage to
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: supply it. The world was new in the days when
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: dear old Santa Claus first began toy making, and won
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: by his loving deeds the mantle of immortality. And the
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: task of supplying cheering words, sympathy, and pretty playthings to
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: all the young of his race did not seem a
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: difficult undertaking at all. But every year more and more
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: children were born into the world, and these, when they
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: grew up, began spreading slowly over all the face of
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: the earth, seeking new homes, so that Santa Claus found
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: each year that his journeys must extend farther and farther
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: from the Laughing Valley, and that the packs of toys
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: must be made larger and ever larger. So at length
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: he took counsel with his fellow immortals how his work
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: might keep pace with the increasing number of children, that
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: none might be neglected. And the immortals were so greatly
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: interested in his labors that they gladly rendered him their assistance.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: Ac gave him his man Kilter, the silent and swift,
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: and the knook Prints gave him Peter, who was more
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: crooked and less surly than any of his brothers. And
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: the real Prince gave him Nutter, the sweetest tempered rill
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: ever known, And the fairy Queen gave him Whisk, that tiny,
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: mischievous but lovable fairy who knows to day almost as
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: many children as does Santa Claus himself. With these people
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: to help make the toys, and to keep his house
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: in order, and to look after the sledge and the harness,
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus found it much easier to prepare his yearly
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: load of gifts, and his days began to follow one
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: another smoothly and pleasantly. Yet after a few generations his
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: worries were renewed, for it was remarkable how the number
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: of people continued to grow, and how many more children
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: there were every year to be served. When the people
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: filled all the cities and lands of one country, they
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: wandered into another part of the world, and the men
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: cut down the trees in many of the great forests
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: that had been ruled by Ak, and with the wood
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: they built new cities. And where the forests had been
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: were fields of grain and herds of browsing cattle. You
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: might think the master woodsmen would rebel at the loss
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: of his forests, but not so. The wisdom of Ak
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: was mighty and far seeing. The world was made for men,
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: said he to Santa Claus. And I have but guarded
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: the forests until men needed them for their use. I
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: am glad my strong trees can furnish shelter for men's
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: weak bodies and warm them through the cold winters. But
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: I hope they will not cut down all the trees,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: for mankind needs the shelter of the woods in summer
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: as much as the warmth of blazing logs in winter.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: And however crowded the world may grow, I do not
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: think men will ever come to Burzee, nor to the
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: great Black Forest, nor to the wooded wilderness of Brass,
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: unless they seek their shades for pleasure, and not to
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: destroy their giant trees. By and by people made ships
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: from the tree trunks and crossed over oceans and built
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: cities in far lands. But the oceans made little difference
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: to the journeys of Santa Claus. His reindeer sped over
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: the waters as swiftly as over land, and his sledge
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: headed from east to west and followed in the wake
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: of the sun, so that as the earth rolled slowly over,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus had all of twenty four hours to encircle
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: it each Christmas Eve, and the speedy reindeer enjoyed these
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: wonderful journeys more and more so year after year, and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: generation after generation, and century after century. The world grew older,
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: and the people became more numerous, and the labors of
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus steadily increased. The fame of his good deeds
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: spread to every household where children dwelt, and all the
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: little ones loved him dearly, and the fathers and mothers
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: honored him for the happiness he had given them when
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: they too were young, and the aged grand sires and
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: grand dams remembered him with tender gratitude and blessed his name.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Chapter three. The Deputies of Santa Claus. However, there was
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: one evil following in the path of civilization that caused
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus a vast amount of trouble before he discovered
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: a way to overcome it, but fortunately it was the
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: last trial he was forced to undergo. One Christmas Eve,
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: when his reindeer had leaped to the top of a
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: new building, Santa Claus was surprised to find that the
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: chimney had been built much smaller than usual, but he
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: had no time to think about it just then, so
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: he drew in his breath and made himself as small
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: as possible and slid down the chimney. I ought to
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: be at the bottom by this time, he thought, as
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: he continued to slip downward, but no fireplace of any
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: sort met his view, and by and by he reached
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: the very end of the chimney, which was in the cellar.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: This is odd, he reflected, much puzzled by this experience.
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: If there is no fireplace, what on earth is the
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: chimney good for. Then he began to climb out again
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: and found it hard work, the space being so small,
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: and on his way up he noticed a thin round
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: pipe sticking through the side of the chimney, but could
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: not guess what it was for. Finally he reached the
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: roof and said to the reindeer, there was no need
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: of my going down that chimney, for I could find
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: no fireplace through which to enter the house. I fear
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: the children who live there must go without playthings this Christmas.
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: Then he drove on, but soon came to another new
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: house with a small chimney. This caused Santa Claus to
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: shake his head doubtfully, but he tried the chimney nevertheless,
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: and found it exactly like the other. Moreover, he nearly
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: stuck fast in the narrow flu and tore his jacket
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: trying to get out again. So although he came to
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: several such chimneys that night, he did not venture to
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: descend any more of them. What in the world are
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: people thinking of to build such useless chimneys, he exclaimed,
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: In all the years I have traveled with my reindeer,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: I have never seen the like before. True enough, but
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus had not then discovered that stoves had been
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: invented and were fast coming into use. When he did
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: find it out, he wondered how the builders of those
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: houses could have so little consideration for him, when they
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: knew very well it was his custom to climb down
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: chimneys and enter houses by way of the fireplaces. Perhaps
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: the men who built those houses had outgrown their own
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: love for toys and were indifferent whether Santa Claus called
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: on their children or not. Whatever the explanation might be,
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: the poor children were forced to bear the burden of
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: grief and disappointment. The following year, Santa Claus found more
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: and more of the new fashioned chimneys that had no fireplaces,
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: and the next year still more. The third year, so
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: numerous had the narrow chimneys become. He even had a
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: few toys left in his sledge that he was unable
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: to give away because he could not get to the children.
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: The matter had now become so serious that it worried
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: the good Man greatly, and he decided to talk it
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: over with Kilter and Peter, and Nutter and Whisk. Kilter
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: already knew something about it, for it had been his
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: duty to run around to all the houses just before
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: Christmas and gather up the notes and letters to Santa
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: Claus that the children had written, telling what they wished
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: to put in their stockings or hung on their Christmas trees.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: But Kilter was a silent fellow and seldom spoke of
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: what he saw in the cities and villages. The others
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: were very indignant. Those people act as if they do
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: not wish their children to be made happy, said sensible
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: Peter in a vexed tone. The idea of shutting out
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: such a generous friend to their little ones. But it
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: is my intention to make children happy, whether their parents
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: wish it or not, returned Santa Claus. Years ago, when
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: I first began making toys, children were even more neglected
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: by their parents than they are now. So I have
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: learned to pay no attention to thoughtless or selfish parents,
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: but to consider only the longings of childhood. You are right,
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: my master, said Nutter the rill many children would lack
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: a friend if you did not consider them and try
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: to make them happy, then declared the laughing whisk. We
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: must abandon any thought of using these new fashioned chimneys,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: but become burglars and break into the houses some other way.
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: What way, asked Santa Claus. Why walls of brick and
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: wood and plaster are nothing to fairies. I can easily
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: pass through them whenever I wish, and so Conpeter and
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: Nutter and Kilter. Is it not so, comrades? I often
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: passed through the walls when I gather up the letters,
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: said Kilter, And that was a long speech for him,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: and so surprised Peter and Nutter that their big round
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Therefore, continued the fairy,
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: you may as well take us with you on your
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: next journey, and when we come to one of those
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: houses with the stoves instead of the fireplaces, we will
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: distribute the toys to the children without the need of
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: using a chimney. That seems to me a good plan,
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: replied Santa Claus, well pleased at having solved the problem.
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: We will try it next year. That was how the Fairy,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: the Pixie, the Nook and the rill all rode in
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: the sledge with their master the following Christmas Eve, and
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: they had no trouble at all in entering the new
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: fashioned houses and leaving toys for the children that lived
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: in them. And their deft services not only relieved Santa
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: Claus of much labor, but an him to complete his
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: own work more quickly than usual, so that the merry
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: party found themselves at home with an empty sledge of
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: full hour before daybreak. The only drawback to the journey
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: was that the mischievous whisk persisted in tickling the reindeer
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: with the long feather to see them jump, and Santa
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: Claus found it necessary to watch him every minute, and
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: to tweak his long ears once or twice to make
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: him behave himself. But taken altogether, the trip was a
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: great success, and to this day the four little folk
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: always accompany Santa Claus on his yearly ride and help
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: him in the distribution of his gifts. But the indifference
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: of parents, which had so annoyed the good Saint, did
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: not continue very long, and Santa Claus soon found they
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: were really anxious he should visit their homes on Christmas
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: Eve and leave presents for their children. So to lighten
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: his task, which was fast becoming very difficult. Indeed, Old
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Santa decided to ask the parents to assist him. Get
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: your Christmas trees all ready for my coming, he said
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: to them, and then I shall be able to leave
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: the presents without loss of time, and you can put
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: them on the trees when I am gone. And to others,
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: he said, see that the children's stockings are hung up
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: in readiness for my coming, and then I can fill
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: them as quick as a wink. And often when parents
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: were kind and good natured, Santa Claus would simply fling
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: down his package of gifts and leave the fathers and
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: mothers to fill the stockings after he had darted away
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: in his sledge. I will make all loving parents my deputies,
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: cried the jolly old fellow, and they shall help me
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: to do my work. For in this way I shall
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: save many precious minutes, and few children need be neglected
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: for lack of time to visit them. Besides carrying around
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: the big packs in his swift flying sledge, Old Santa
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: began to send great heaps of toys to the toy shops,
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: so that if parents wanted larger supplies for their children,
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: they could easily get them. And if any children were
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: by chance missed by Santa Claus on his yearly rounds,
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: they could go to the toy shops and get enough
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: to make them happy and contented. For the loving friend
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: of the little ones decided that no child, if he
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: could help it, should long for toys in vain, and
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: the toy shops also proved convenient whenever a child fell
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: ill and needed a new toy to amuse it, and
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: sometimes on birthdays, the fathers and mothers go to the
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: toy shops and get pretty gifts for their children in
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: honor of the happy event. Perhaps you will now understand how,
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: in spite of the bigness of the world, Santa Claus
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: is able to supply all the children with beautiful gifts.
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: To be sure, the old gentleman is rarely seen in
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: these days, but it is not because he tries to
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: keep out of sight, I assure you. Santa Claus is
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: the same loving friend of children that in the old
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: days used to play and romp with them by the hour,
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: And I know he would love to do the same
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: now if he had the time. But you see, he
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: is so busy all the year making toys, and is
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: so hurried on that one night when he visits our
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: homes with his packs, that he comes and goes among
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: us like a flash. It is almost impossible to catch
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: a glimpse of him. And although there are millions and
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: millions more children in the world than there used to be,
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus has never been known to complain of their
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: increasing numbers. The more the merrier he cries with his
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: jolly laugh, And the only difference to him is the
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: fact that his little workmen have to make their busy
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: fingers fly faster every year to satisfy the demands of
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: so many little ones. In all this world, there is
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: nothing so beautiful as a happy child, says good old
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus. And if he had his way, the children
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: would all be beautiful, for all would be happy. End
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: of chapter three, end of the Life and Adventures of
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus.