The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, Part 6 of 8
Update: 2024-12-22
Share
Description
Tonight, Elizabeth reads Part 2 chapters 8 to 10 of "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus", by author L. Frank Baum published in 1902.
Are you loving The Sleepy Bookshelf? Show your support by giving us a review on Apple Podcasts.
Follow the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Vote on upcoming books via the Survey on our website: https://sleepybookshelf.com.
Listen to the music from The Sleepy Bookshelf in a relaxing soundscape on Deep Sleep Sounds:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRt2AI7f80
Having an issue with The Sleepy Bookshelf or have a question for us? Check out our FAQs.
Connect: Twitter - Instagram - Facebook
Thank you so much for joining us here at The Sleepy Bookshelf. Now, let’s open our book for this evening. Sweet dreams 🥱 😴
Our Sponsors
Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com
Our Apps
Redeem exclusive, unlimited access to premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Slumber Studios team:
- Deep Sleep Sounds App: deepsleepsounds.com/bookshelf
- Slumber App: slumber.fm/bookshelf
Comments
Top Podcasts
The Best New Comedy Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best News Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Business Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Sports Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New True Crime Podcast Right Now – June 2024The Best New Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Right Now – June 20The Best New Dan Bongino Show Podcast Right Now – June 20The Best New Mark Levin Podcast – June 2024
In Channel
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States00:00
00:00
1.0x
0.5x
0.8x
1.0x
1.25x
1.5x
2.0x
3.0x
Sleep Timer
Off
End of Episode
5 Minutes
10 Minutes
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
45 Minutes
60 Minutes
120 Minutes
Transcript
00:00:00
How does make the sleepy bookshelf even better for you?
00:00:07
You can vote on which books we should read next, at thesleepybookshelf.com and hit survey.
00:00:14
There are very few things in life that are more important than a good night's rest.
00:00:19
Quality sleep affects your mood, health, relationships, you name it.
00:00:25
This holiday season, you can give someone the gift of better sleep by sending them a sleepy bookshelf premium membership.
00:00:33
They'll get ad-free listening and access to our entire catalogue, including exclusive bonus episodes.
00:00:40
Truly, they can fall asleep to something new, each and every night of the year, especially now that including our bonus content, we're on our 66th season.
00:00:50
For the friend who's always busy, the parent who needs a break or anyone who could use a little more rest, this is a gift they'll appreciate every single night.
00:01:01
Just go to slumberstudios.com/gift.
00:01:05
That's slumberstudios.com/gift and give someone you love the gift of good sleep.
00:01:17
Good evening and welcome to the sleepy bookshelf, where we put down our worries from the day and pick up a good book.
00:01:29
I'm Elizabeth, your host, thank you for being with me tonight.
00:01:36
This evening, we are returning to the life and adventures of Santa Claus, but before that, take some time to unwind and relax.
00:01:52
Take a deep breath in and a long, slow exhale,
00:02:03
gently close your eyes and take another deep breath, slowly sighing out and starting to feel your body relax.
00:02:19
Keep breathing deeply and on every slow exhale, allow yourself to fully arrive into your body to be in this moment and to relax into your breath.
00:02:42
Now find a natural breath for you and just be here listening to my voice, leaving behind the stresses of the day,
00:02:55
gift yourself this time for you while I recap our last episode.
00:03:05
Be our guas with the evil spirits of the world, not immortal for they could perish, but not mortal as they did hold powers.
00:03:21
They lived in the mountains and were largely responsible for causing children to be naughty.
00:03:29
And so when they had their toys and were sweetly obedient, the hour guas were very angry.
00:03:39
The king of the hour guas ordered his soldiers to bind clowns to his bed and take him to the depths of a faraway jungle.
00:03:52
When he awoke he called for the nooks who unbound him and escorted him back to the laughing valley.
00:04:03
The immortals then protected clowns' cottage with a seal from each of them so the hour guas couldn't enter while he slept.
00:04:16
Instead they began to ambush clowns on his way to the dwellings of the children and would steal his toys.
00:04:26
They would fly around the children on their way to clowns' home making them lose their power.
00:04:35
Clouse was dismayed and stayed home continuing to make shelves and shelves of toys ready for when he would be free.
00:04:48
Finally he went to act, the master woodsman who promised to request the hour guas leave clowns alone.
00:04:59
The king of the hour guas was furious at being told what to do by act and a war was declared.
00:05:08
The hour guas gathered dragons, giants and goblins to fight the immortals, not knowing that the law of the world meant that good would always triumph over evil.
00:05:25
The nooks spears pierced the skin of the giants, the thorns of the rills punctured the hearts of the goblins, the power of the fairies' wands reversed the fire of the dragons and the ash switches of the nymphs immediately transformed the hour guas into mounds of her.
00:05:52
So the battle was won, and Akka's short clouse, the hour guas would never stand in his way again.
00:06:01
Tonight, clouse must figure out how to transport his now many toys across the valleys and plains.
00:06:13
So, just lie back and relax as I turn to the next pages of the life and adventures of Santa Claus.
00:06:43
CHAPTER VIII – The First Journey with the Raindeer These were happy days for clouse when he carried his accumulation of toys to the children who had awaited them so long.
00:07:04
During his imprisonment in the valley, he had been so industrious that all his shelves were filled with playthings,
00:07:15
and after quickly supplying the little ones living nearby, he saw he must now extend his travels to wider fields.
00:07:31
Remembering the time when he had journeyed with Ak through the world, he knew children were everywhere, and he longed to make as many as possible happy with his gifts,
00:07:46
so he loaded a great sack with all kinds of toys slung it upon his back that he might carry it more easily and started off on a longer trip than he had yet undertaken.
00:08:06
Wherever he showed his merry face, in Hamlet or in Farmhouse, he received a cordial welcome for his fame had spread into far lands.
00:08:23
At each village the children swarmed about him, following his footsteps wherever he went, and the women thanked him gratefully for the joy he brought their little ones,
00:08:39
and the men looked upon him curiously that he should devote his time to such a queer occupation as toy making,
00:08:50
but everyone smiled on him and gave him kindly words, and Klaus felt amply repaid for his long journey.
00:09:05
When the sack was empty, he went back again to the laughing valley, and once more filled it to the brim.
00:09:16
This time he followed another road into a different part of the country, and carried happiness to many children who never before had owned a toy,
00:09:29
or guessed that such a delightful plating existed.
00:09:37
After a third journey, so far away that Klaus was many days walking the distance, the store of toys became exhausted,
00:09:50
and without delay he would set about making a fresh supply.
00:09:58
From seeing so many children and studying their tastes, he had acquired several new ideas about toys.
00:10:09
The dollies were, he had found, the most delightful of all playthings for babies and little girls, and often those who could not say dolly would call for a doll in their sweet baby talk.
00:10:29
So Klaus resolved to make many dolls of all sizes and to dress them in bright coloured clothing.
00:10:41
The older boys and even some of the girls loved the images of animals, so he still made these cats and elephants and horses,
00:10:53
and many of the little fellows had musical natures and longed for drums and symbols and whistles and horns.
00:11:06
So he made a number of toy drums with tiny sticks to beat them with, and he made whistles from the willow trees and horns from the boggories and symbols from bits of beaten metal.
00:11:27
All this kept him busily at work, and before he realised it, the winter season came with deeper snows than usual,
00:11:38
and he knew he could not leave the valley with his heavy pack.
00:11:44
Moreover, the next trip would take him farther from home than ever before, and Jack Frost was mischievous enough to nip his nose and ears if he undertook the long journey while the Frost King grained.
00:12:04
The Frost King was Jack's father, and never approved him for his pranks, so Klaus remained at his workbench,
00:12:16
but he whistled and sang as merrily as ever, but he would allow no disappointment to sour his temper or make him unhappy.
00:12:31
One bright morning he looked from his window and saw two of the deer he had known in the forest, walking toward his house.
00:12:43
Klaus was surprised, not that the friendly deer should visit him, but that they walked on the surface of the snow as easily as if it was solid ground,
00:12:55
not withstanding the fact that throughout the valley the snow lay many feet deep.
00:13:04
He had walked out of his house a day or two before, and had sunk to his armpits in a drift.
00:13:12
So when the deer came near, he opened the door and called to them.
00:13:20
Good morning, Flossy, tell me how you were able to walk on the snow so easily.
00:13:28
It is frozen hard, and said Flossy.
00:13:32
The frost-king has breathed on it, said Glossy coming up, and the surface is now as solid as a rock.
00:13:43
Perhaps remarked Klaus thoughtfully, "I might now carry my pack of toys to the children."
00:13:52
"Is it a long journey?"
00:13:56
asked Flossy, "Yes, will take me many days for the pack is heavy, and said Klaus, then the snow would melt before you could get back,"
00:14:08
said the deer.
00:14:09
"You must wait until spring, Klaus," Klaus sighed, "Ah, how'd I your fleet beat,"
00:14:20
said he, "I could make the journey in a day, but you have not," returned Glossy, looking at his own slender legs with pride.
00:14:33
"Perhaps I could ride upon your back," Klaus ventured to remark after a pause.
00:14:42
"Ah, no, our backs are not strong enough to bear your weight," said Flossy, decidedly.
00:14:50
"But if you had a sledge, you could harness it to us.
00:14:55
You might draw you easily, and your pack as well."
00:14:59
"I'll make a sledge," examined Klaus, "would you agree to draw me if I do?"
00:15:07
"Well," replied Flossy, "we must first go and ask the nooks who were our guardians for permission, but if they consent and you can make a sledge and harness,
00:15:21
we will gladly assist you."
00:15:24
"Then go, at once," cried Klaus, eagerly, "I'm sure the friendly nooks will give their consent, and by the time you are back,
00:15:35
I shall be ready to harness you to my sledge."
00:15:39
Flossy and Glossy, being dear of much intelligence, had long wished to see the great world, so they gladly ran over the frozen snow to ask the nooks if they might carry Klaus on his journey.
00:15:57
Meantime, the toy maker hurriedly began the construction of a sledge, using material from his wood pile.
00:16:07
He made two long runners that turned upward at the front ends, and across these nailed short boards to make a platform.
00:16:20
It was soon completed, but it was as rude in appearance as it is possible for a sledge to be.
00:16:29
The harness was more difficult to prepare, but Klaus twisted strong cords together and knotted them so that they would fit around the necks of the deer in the shape of a collar.
00:16:45
From these, ran other cords to fasten the deer to the front of the sledge.
00:16:53
Before the work was completed, Glossy and Flossy were back from the forest, having been granted permission by Will Nook to make the journey with Klaus,
00:17:04
provided they would be back at Burzy by daybreak the next morning.
00:17:10
"This is not a very long time," said Flossy, but we are swift and strong, and if we get started by this evening,
00:17:21
we can travel many miles during the night.
00:17:25
Klaus decided to make the attempt, so he hurried on his preparations as fast as possible.
00:17:34
For a time he fastened the collos around the necks of his steeds and harnessed them to his rude sledge.
00:17:44
Then he placed a stool on his little platform to serve as a seat, and filled a sack with his prettiest toys.
00:17:55
"How do you intend to guide us?"
00:17:57
asked Glossy.
00:17:59
"We've never been out of the forest before, except to visit your house, so we shall not know the way."
00:18:07
Klaus thought about that for a moment.
00:18:11
Then he brought more quads and fastened two of them to the spreading gantlers of each deer, one on the right and one on the left.
00:18:22
"Those would be my reins," said Klaus, "when I pull them to the right or to the left, you must go in that direction.
00:18:32
If I do not pull the reins at all, you may go straight ahead."
00:18:36
"Very well," answered Glossy and Flossy, and then they asked, "Are you ready?"
00:18:45
Klaus seated himself upon the stool, placed the sack of toys at his feet, and then gathered up the reins.
00:18:55
"Already," he shouted, "away we go!" The deer leaned forward, lifted their slender limbs,
00:19:07
and the next moment awave flew the sledge over the frozen snow.
00:19:14
The swiftness of the motion surprised Klaus, for in a few strides, they were across the valley, and gliding over the broad plain beyond.
00:19:27
The day had melted into evening by the time they started.
00:19:31
For swiftly as Klaus had worked, many hours had been consumed in making his preparations.
00:19:40
But the moon shone brightly to light their way, and Klaus soon decided it was just as pleasant to travel by night as by day.
00:19:54
The deer liked it better, for although they wished to see something of the world, they were timid about meeting men, and now all the dwellers in the towns and farmhouses were sound asleep and could not see them.
00:20:13
A way and a way they spared, on and on, over the hills, and through the valleys, and across the plains,
00:20:24
until they reached a village where Klaus had never been before.
00:20:30
The deer he called on them to stop, and they immediately obeyed.
00:20:35
But of new difficulty now presented itself, for the people had locked their doors when they went to bed, and Klaus found he could not enter the houses to leave his toys.
00:20:50
"I'm afraid my friends, we've made our journey for nothing," said he, "for I shall be obliged to carry my playthings back home again,
00:21:01
without giving them to the children of this village."
00:21:05
"What's the matter?"
00:21:08
asked Flossy.
00:21:10
The doors locked, answered Klaus, and I cannot get in.
00:21:17
Flossy looked around at the houses.
00:21:20
The snow was quite deep in that village, and just before them was a roof, only a few feet above the sledge.
00:21:29
A broad chimney, which seemed to Glossy big enough to admit Klaus, was at the peak of the roof.
00:21:38
"I don't need just climb down that chimney," asked Glossy.
00:21:46
Floss looked at it.
00:21:48
"That would be easy enough if I were on top of the roof," he answered.
00:21:54
"Then hold fast and we'll take you there," said the deer, and they gave warm bound to the roof, and landed beside the big chimney.
00:22:06
"Cord!" cried Klaus, well pleased, and he slung the pack of toys over his shoulder, and got into the chimney.
00:22:19
There was plenty of sirt on the brakes, he did not mind that, and by placing his hands and knees against the sides, he crept downward until he had reached the fireplace.
00:22:35
Leaping, lightly over the smoldering calls, he found himself in a large sitting room, where a dim light was burning.
00:22:48
From this room, two doorways led into smaller chambers.
00:22:55
In one, a woman lay asleep with a baby beside her in a crib.
00:23:01
Klaus laughed, but he did not laugh aloud, fear of waking the baby.
00:23:09
When he slipped a big doll from his pack and laid it in the crib, the little one smiled, as if it dreamed of the pretty play thing it was to find on the morrow.
00:23:23
And Klaus crept softly from the room and entered at the other doorway.
00:23:32
There were two boys, fast asleep with their arms around each other's neck.
00:23:39
Klaus gazed at them, lovingly a moment, then placed upon the bed a drum, two horns, and a wooden elephant.
00:23:52
He did not linger now that his work in this house was done, but climbed the chimney again and seated himself on his sledge.
00:24:04
"Can you find another chimney?"
00:24:06
he asked the rain deer.
00:24:09
Easily enough, replied Glossy and Flossy.
00:24:14
Down to the edge of the roof they raced and then, without pausing, leaps through the air to the top of the next building where a huge,
00:24:26
old-fashioned chimney stood.
00:24:29
"Be so long this time," called Flossy, "we shall never get back to the forest by daybreak."
00:24:38
Klaus made a trip down this chimney also and found five children sleeping in the house, all of whom were quickly supplied with toys.
00:24:52
When he returned, the deer sprang to the next roof.
00:24:57
But on descending the chimney, Klaus found no children there at all.
00:25:03
That was not often the case in this village, however, so he lost less time than you might suppose in visiting the dreary homes where there were no little ones.
00:25:18
When he had climbed down the chimneys of all the houses in that village and had left a toy for every sleeping child, Klaus found that his great sack was not yet half emptied.
00:25:35
"Onward friends," he called to the deer, "we must seek out another village."
00:25:40
So, away they dashed, although it was long past midnight and in a surprisingly short time they came to a large city.
00:25:53
The largest Klaus had ever visited since he began to make toys.
00:25:59
But nothing daunted by the throng of houses, he set to work at once and his beautiful steeds carried him rapidly from one roof to another,
00:26:13
only the highest being beyond the leaps of the agile deer.
00:26:21
At last the supply of toys was exhausted and Klaus seated himself in the sledge with the empty sack at his feet and turned the heads of glossy and glossy toward home.
00:26:38
Recently, Flossy asked, "What is that grey streak in the sky?"
00:26:44
"It is the coming dawn of day," answered Klaus, surprised to find that it was so late.
00:26:52
"Cook gracious," exclaimed Glossy, "that we shall not be home by daybreak and the nooks will punish us and never let us come again.
00:27:04
We must race for the laughing valley and make our best speed," returned Flossy.
00:27:10
"So hold first, Klaus."
00:27:15
Klaus held fast and the next moment was flying so swiftly over the snow that he could not see the trees as their world passed.
00:27:27
Heal and down-dale, swift as an arrow, shot from above they dashed, and Klaus shut his eyes to keep the wind out of them and left the deer to find their own way.
00:27:44
It seemed to him they were plunging through space, but he was not at all afraid.
00:27:51
The nooks were severe masters and must be obeyed at all hazards, and the grey streak in the sky was growing brighter every moment.
00:28:04
Finally, the sledge came to a sudden stop, and Klaus, who was taken unawares, tumbled from his seat into a snow-dreft.
00:28:16
As he picked himself up, he heard the deer crying, "Quick, friend, quick, cut away our harness."
00:28:23
He drew his knife and rapidly severed the cords, then he wiped the moisture from his eyes and looked around him.
00:28:34
The sledge had come to a stop in the laughing valley, only a few feet he found from his own door.
00:28:44
In the east, the day was breaking, and turning to the edge of the bursy, he saw glossy and flossy,
00:28:55
just disappearing in the forest.
00:29:05
Chapter 9 Santa Claus Klaus thought that none of the children would ever know where the tweez came from,
00:29:19
which they found by their bedsides when they wake in the following morning, but kindly deeds are sure to bring fame,
00:29:29
and fame has many wings to carry its tidings into far lands.
00:29:37
So for miles and miles, in every direction, people were talking of Klaus and his wonderful gifts to the children.
00:29:49
The sweet generousness of his work caused a few selfish vote to sneer, but even these were forced to admit their respect for a man so gentle-natured that he loved to devote his life to pleasing the helpless little ones of his race.
00:30:12
Therefore, the inhabitants of every city and village had been eagerly watching the coming of Klaus,
00:30:22
and remarkable stories of his beautiful playthings were told to the children to keep them patient and contented.
00:30:36
And on the following morning, the first trip of Klaus and his dear, the little ones came running to their parents with pretty toys they had found and asked from once they came.
00:30:51
There was but one reply to the question, "The good Klaus must have been him, my darlings, for his are the only toys in the world.
00:31:02
But how did he get in?"
00:31:06
asked the children.
00:31:09
At this, the fathers shook their heads, being themselves unable to understand how Klaus had gained admittance to their homes.
00:31:19
But the mothers, watching the glad faces of their dear ones, whispered that the good Klaus was no mortal man but a surely assent,
00:31:32
and they piously blessed his name for the happiness he had bestowed upon their children.
00:31:40
"A saint," said Warren, with bowed head, "has no need to unlock doors if it pleases him to enter our homes."
00:31:52
And afterward, when a child was naughty or disobedient, its mother would say, "You must pray to the good Santa Klaus for forgiveness.
00:32:03
He does not like naughty children, and unless you repent, he will bring you no more pretty toys."
00:32:13
But Santa Klaus, himself, would not have approved this speech.
00:32:19
He brought toys to the children because they were little and helpless and because he loved them.
00:32:27
He knew that the best of children were sometimes naughty and that the naughty ones were often good.
00:32:35
It is the way with children the world over, and he would not have changed their natures had he possessed the power to do so.
00:32:47
And that is how our Klaus became Santa Claus.
00:32:53
It is possible for any man by good deeds to enshrine himself as a saint in the hearts of the people.
00:33:05
Chapter 10.
00:33:16
Christmas Eve.
00:33:16
The day that broke as Klaus returned from his night ride with glossy and flossing brought to him a new trouble.
00:33:26
Will nook, the chief guardian of the deer, came to him, surly and ill-tempered, to complain that he had kept glossy and flossing beyond daybreak in opposition to his orders.
00:33:42
"Yet it could not have been very long," after daybreak, said Klaus.
00:33:48
"It was one minute after," answered Will nook.
00:33:53
"And that is as bad as one hour.
00:33:56
I shall set the stinging nats on glossy and flossy, and they will thus suffer terribly for their disobedience."
00:34:04
"Well, don't do that," begged Klaus.
00:34:07
"It was my fault."
00:34:10
But Will nook would listen to no excuses and went away grumbling and growling in his ill-natured way.
00:34:22
For this reason, Klaus entered the forest to consult Nessiel about rescuing the good deer from punishment.
00:34:31
To his delight, he found his old friend, the master woodsman seated in the circle of nymphs.
00:34:41
Ack listened to the story of the night journey to the children, and of the great assistance of the deer that had been to Klaus by drawing his sledge over the frozen snow.
00:34:54
"I do not wish my friends to be punished if I can save them," said the toymaker when he had finished the relation.
00:35:04
They were only one minute late, and they ran swifter than a bird flies to get home before daybreak.
00:35:14
Ack stroked his beard, thoughtfully a moment.
00:35:18
Then he sent for the prince of the nooks, who rules all his people in burzy, and also for the queen of the fairies,
00:35:28
and the prince of the rills.
00:35:33
When all had assembled, Klaus told his story again, attacks command, and then the master dressed the prince of the nooks, saying,
00:35:43
"The good work that Klaus is doing among mankind, deserves the support of every honest immortal.
00:35:54
Already, he is called a saint in some of the towns, and before long, the name of Santa Klaus would be lovingly known in every home that is blessed with children.
00:36:08
Moreover, he is the son of our forest, so we owe him our encouragement.
00:36:15
You, ruler of the nooks, have known him these many years.
00:36:21
Am I not right in saying he deserves our friendship?"
00:36:27
The prince, crooked, and sour of visage as all nooks are, looked only upon the dead leaves at his feet, and muttered,
00:36:38
"You are the master woodsman of the world."
00:36:42
Ack smiled, but continued in soft tones.
00:36:46
It seems that the deer, which are guarded by your people, can be of greater assistance to Klaus, and as they seem willing to draw his sledge,
00:36:57
I beg that you will permit him to use their surfaces whenever he pleases.
00:37:05
The prince did not reply, but tapped the card point of his sandal with the tip of his spear as if in thought.
00:37:15
Then the fairy queen spoke to him in this way.
00:37:20
"If you consent to Ack's request, I will see that no harm comes to your deer while they are away from the forest."
00:37:32
And the prince of the rills added, "For my part, I will allow to every deer that assists Klaus the privilege of eating my casser plants,
00:37:44
which give strength, and my growl plants, which give fleetness a foot, and my marbon plants,
00:37:54
which give long life."
00:37:58
And the queen of the nymphs said, "The deer which draw the sledge of Klaus will be permitted to bathe in the forest pool of nairs, which will give them sleek coats and a wonderful beauty."
00:38:16
The prince of the nooks, hearing these promises, shifted uneasily on his seat.
00:38:23
For in his heart, he hated to refuse a request of his fellow immortals, although they were asking an unusual favor at his hands,
00:38:33
and the nooks are unaccustomed to granting favors of any kind.
00:38:39
Finally, he turned to his servants and said, "Call Will Nook."
00:38:50
When Serly Will came and heard the demands of the immortals, he protested loudly against granting them.
00:38:58
"Dear a deer," said he, "and nothing but deer!
00:39:03
Were they horses, it would be right to harness them like horses.
00:39:09
But no one harnesses deer because they are free, wild creatures, owing no service to any sort of mankind.
00:39:20
It would degrade my deer to labour for Klaus, who was only a man, in spite of the friendship lavished on him by the immortals."
00:39:31
"You've heard," said the prince, to act, "there is truth in what Will says."
00:39:39
"Call Glossy and Flossy," returned the master.
00:39:45
"The deer were brought to the conference, and act asked them if they objected to drawing the sledge for Klaus."
00:39:52
"Oh no, indeed," replied Glossy.
00:39:56
"We enjoyed the trip, very much.
00:40:00
And we tried to get home by daybreak," added Flossy.
00:40:04
"But we were unfortunately a minute too late."
00:40:09
"Minute lost at daybreak, doesn't matter," said Ag.
00:40:13
"You are forgiven for that, Delik."
00:40:18
"Provided it doesn't happen again," said the prince, said the nooks, "Sturn me.
00:40:24
And will you permit them to make another journey with me?"
00:40:29
asked Klaus, eagerly.
00:40:32
The prince reflected while he gazed at Will, who was scowling, and at the master Woodsmann, who was smiling.
00:40:42
Then he stood up and addressed the company as follows.
00:40:47
"Since you all urged me to grant my favour, I will permit the deer to go with Klaus once every year.
00:40:55
On Christmas Eve, provided they always returned to the forest by daybreak.
00:41:01
You may select any number he pleases up to ten to draw his sledge, and those shall be known among us as rain deer to distinguish them from the others.
00:41:14
And they shall bathe in the pool of nears, and eat the casser, and growl, and marble plumps, and shall be under the special protection of the Fairy Queen.
00:41:28
Now see scowling will knock for my word shall be obeyed."
00:41:34
He hobbled quickly away through the trees to avoid the thanks of Klaus and the approval of the other immortals, and Will,
00:41:44
looking as cross as ever, followed him.
00:41:49
But Ack was satisfied, knowing that he could rely on the promise of the prince, however grudgingly given, and glossy and flossy ran home,
00:41:59
kicking up their heels, delightedly at every step.
00:42:08
"When is Christmas Eve?"
00:42:10
Klaus asked the master.
00:42:12
"In about ten days," he replied, "then I cannot use the deer this year," said Klaus, thought billy, "for I shall not have time enough to make my sack full of toys."
00:42:28
The shrewd prince foresaw that, responded Ack, under their forenamed Christmas Eve, as the day you might use the deer,
00:42:38
knowing it would cause you to lose an entire year.
00:42:42
"Pfff, only I had the toys the Algas stole from me," said Klaus, sagely.
00:42:49
"I could easily fill my sack with the children."
00:42:53
"Where are they?"
00:42:55
asked the master.
00:42:58
"I do not know," replied Klaus, the wicked Algas probably hid them in the mountains.
00:43:06
Ack turned to the fairy queen.
00:43:10
"Can you find them?"
00:43:12
he asked.
00:43:14
"I will try?"
00:43:17
she replied, brightly.
00:43:20
"Then Klaus went back to the laughing valley to work as hard as he could, and a band of fairies immediately flew to the mountain that had been haunted by the Algas and began to search for the stolen toys."
00:43:40
The fairies, as we well know, possess wonderful powers, but the cunning Algas had hidden the toys in a deep cave and covered the opening with rocks so no one could look in.
00:43:58
Therefore, all search for the missing playthings proved in vain for several days.
00:44:05
And Klaus, who sat at home waiting for news from the fairies, almost disbared at getting the toys before Christmas Eve.
00:44:16
He worked hard every moment, but it took considerable time to carve out and to shape each toy and to paint it properly so that on the morning before Christmas Eve only half of one small shelf above the window was filled with playthings ready for the children.
00:44:41
But on this morning, the fairies who were searching in the mountains had a new thought.
00:44:52
They joined hands and moved in a straight line through the rocks that formed the mountain, being at the topmost peak and working downward so that no spot could be missed by their bright eyes.
00:45:09
And at last they discovered the cave where the toys had been heaped by the wicked Algas.
00:45:17
It did not take them long to burst open the mouth of the cave and then each one seized as many toys as he could and they all flew to Klaus and laid the treasure before him.
00:45:34
The good man was rejoiced to receive just in the nick of time such as store of playthings with which to load his sledge and he sent word to glossy and flossing to be ready for the journey at night for.
00:45:52
With all his labors he had managed to find time since the last trip to repair the harness and to strengthen his sledge so that when the deer came to him at twilight he had no difficulty in harnessing them.
00:46:09
"We must go in another direction tonight," he told them, "well we shall find children I have never yet visited and we must travel fast and work quickly for my sack is full of toys and running over the brim.
00:46:28
So just as the moon arose they dashed out of the laughing valley and across the plain and over the hills to the south.
00:46:42
The air was sharp and frosty and the starlight touched the snowflakes and made them glitter like countless diamonds.
00:46:54
The reindeer leaped onward with strong, steady bounds and Klaus's heart was so light and Mary that he loved and sang while the wind whistled past his ears.
00:47:11
With a ho ho ho ho, and a ho ho ho ho, and a ho ho ho ho, ha ha he.
00:47:20
Now where we go, over the snow as Mary as we can be.
00:47:26
Jack Frost heard him and came racing up with his nippers.
00:47:35
But when he saw it was clouds, he laughed and turned away again.
00:47:41
The mother owls heard him as he passed near a wood and stuck their heads out of the hollow places in the tree trunks.
00:47:51
But when they saw who it was, they whispered to the owlets, nestling near them, that it was only Santa Claus, carrying toys to the children.
00:48:04
To strange how much those mother owls know.
00:48:09
Cloud stopped at some of the scattered farmhouses and climbed down the chimneys to leave presents for the babies.
00:48:19
Soon after, he reached a village and worked merrily for an hour, distributing playthings among the sleeping little ones.
00:48:31
Then away again he went, singing his joyous carol.
00:48:37
Now away we go, over the gleaming snow, while the deer run swift and free.
00:48:47
For to girls and boys, we carry the toys that will fill their hearts with gleam.
00:48:55
The deer liked the sound of his deep bass voice and kept time to the song with their hoof beats on the hard snow.
00:49:10
But soon they stopped at another chimney and Santa Claus with sparkling eyes and face brushed red by the wind,
00:49:22
climbed down its smoky sides and left a present that every child the house contained.
00:49:31
It was a merry, happy night, swiftly the deer ran and busily their driver worked to scatter his gifts among the sleeping children.
00:49:46
But the sack was empty at last and the sledge headed home with and now again the race with daybreak began.
00:49:57
Glossy and flossy had no mind to be rebuked a second time for tardiness so they fled with a swiftness as enabled them to pass the gale on which the frost king rode and soon brought them to the laughing valley.
00:50:16
It is true when Claus released his steeds from their harness the eastern sky was streaked with grey but Glossy and flossy were deep in the forest before day fairly broke.
00:50:34
Claus was so weird with his night's work that he threw himself upon his bed and fell into a deep slumber.
00:50:47
And while he slept the Christmas sun appeared in the sky and shone upon hundreds of happy homes where the sound of childish laughter proclaimed that Santa Claus had made them a visit.
00:51:03
God bless him it was his first Christmas Eve.
00:51:10
And for hundreds of years since then he has nubling fulfilled his mission to bring happiness to the hearts of the little children.
00:51:31
[Music]
00:51:41
[Music]
00:51:51
[Music]
00:52:01
[Music]
00:52:11
[Music]
00:52:21
[Music]
00:52:31
[Music]
00:52:41
[Music]
00:52:51
[Music]
00:53:01
[Music]
00:53:11
[Music]
00:53:21
[Music]
00:53:31
[Music]
00:53:41
[Music]
00:53:51
[Music]
00:54:01
[Music]
00:54:11
[Music]
00:54:21
[Music]
00:54:31
[Music]
00:54:41
[Music]
00:54:51
[Music]
00:55:01
[Music]
00:55:11
[Music]
00:55:21
[Music]
00:55:31
[Music]
00:55:41
[Music]
00:55:51
[Music]
00:56:01
[Music]
00:56:11
[Music]
00:56:21
[Music]
00:56:31
[Music]
00:56:41
[Music]
00:56:51
[Music]
00:57:01
[Music]
00:57:11
[Music]
00:57:21
[Music]
00:57:31
[Music]
00:57:41
[Music]
00:57:51
[Music]
00:58:01
[Music]
00:58:11
[Music]
00:58:21
