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Page 21
"But I want toys!" cried Bessie, wiping away the tears that forced
themselves into her eyes. "If I can not have them, I shall be
very unhappy."
Claus was troubled, for her grief recalled to him the thought that his
desire was to make all children happy, without regard to their
condition in life. Yet, while so many poor children were clamoring
for his toys he could not bear to give one to them to Bessie
Blithesome, who had so much already to make her happy.
"Listen, my child," said he, gently; "all the toys I am now making are
promised to others. But the next shall be yours, since your heart
so longs for it. Come to me again in two days and it shall be ready
for you."
Bessie gave a cry of delight, and leaning over her pony's neck she
kissed Claus prettily upon his forehead. Then, calling to her
men-at-arms, she rode gaily away, leaving Claus to resume his work.
"If I am to supply the rich children as well as the poor ones," he
thought, "I shall not have a spare moment in the whole year! But is
it right I should give to the rich? Surely I must go to Necile and
talk with her about this matter."
So when he had finished the toy deer, which was very like a deer
he had known in the Forest glades, he walked into Burzee and made
his way to the bower of the beautiful Nymph Necile, who had been
his foster mother.
She greeted him tenderly and lovingly, listening with interest to his
story of the visit of Bessie Blithesome.
"And now tell me," said he, "shall I give toys to rich children?"
"We of the Forest know nothing of riches," she replied. "It seems to
me that one child is like another child, since they are all made of
the same clay, and that riches are like a gown, which may be put on or
taken away, leaving the child unchanged. But the Fairies are
guardians of mankind, and know mortal children better than I. Let us
call the Fairy Queen."
This was done, and the Queen of the Fairies sat beside them and heard
Claus relate his reasons for thinking the rich children could get
along without his toys, and also what the Nymph had said.
"Necile is right," declared the Queen; "for, whether it be rich or
poor, a child's longings for pretty playthings are but natural. Rich
Bessie's heart may suffer as much grief as poor Mayrie's; she can be
just as lonely and discontented, and just as gay and happy. I think,
friend Claus, it is your duty to make all little ones glad, whether
they chance to live in palaces or in cottages."
"Your words are wise, fair Queen," replied Claus, "and my heart tells
me they are as just as they are wise. Hereafter all children may
claim my services."
Then he bowed before the gracious Fairy and, kissing Necile's red
lips, went back into his Valley.
At the brook he stopped to drink, and afterward he sat on the bank and
took a piece of moist clay in his hands while he thought what sort of
toy he should make for Bessie Blithesome. He did not notice that his
fingers were working the clay into shape until, glancing downward, he
found he had unconsciously formed a head that bore a slight resemblance
to the Nymph Necile!
At once he became interested. Gathering more of the clay from the
bank he carried it to his house. Then, with the aid of his knife and
a bit of wood he succeeded in working the clay into the image of a toy
nymph. With skillful strokes he formed long, waving hair on the head
and covered the body with a gown of oakleaves, while the two feet
sticking out at the bottom of the gown were clad in sandals.
But the clay was soft, and Claus found he must handle it gently to
avoid ruining his pretty work.
"Perhaps the rays of the sun will draw out the moisture and cause the
clay to become hard," he thought. So he laid the image on a flat
board and placed it in the glare of the sun.
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