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Page 29
After a third journey, so far away that Claus was many days walking
the distance, the store of toys became exhausted and without delay he
set about making a fresh supply.
From seeing so many children and studying their tastes he had acquired
several new ideas about toys.
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. So Claus resolved
to make many dolls, of all sizes, and to dress them in bright-colored
clothing. The older boys--and even some of the girls--loved the
images of animals, so he still made cats and elephants and horses.
And many of the little fellows had musical natures, and longed for
drums and cymbals and whistles and horns. 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 bog-reeds, and cymbals from bits
of beaten metal.
All this kept him busily at work, and before he realized it the winter
season came, with deeper snows than usual, and he knew he could not
leave the Valley with his heavy pack. Moreover, the next trip would
take him farther from home than every before, and Jack Frost was
mischievous enough to nip his nose and ears if he undertook the long
journey while the Frost King reigned. The Frost King was Jack's
father and never reproved him for his pranks.
So Claus remained at his work-bench; but he whistled and sang as
merrily as ever, for he would allow no disappointment to sour his
temper or make him unhappy.
One bright morning he looked from his window and saw two of the deer
he had known in the Forest walking toward his house.
Claus 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 were
solid ground, notwithstanding the fact that throughout the Valley the
snow lay many feet deep. He had walked out of his house a day or two
before and had sunk to his armpits in a drift.
So when the deer came near he opened the door and called to them:
"Good morning, Flossie! Tell me how you are able to walk on the snow
so easily."
"It is frozen hard," answered Flossie.
"The Frost King has breathed on it," said Glossie, coming up, "and the
surface is now as solid as ice."
"Perhaps," remarked Claus, thoughtfully, "I might now carry my pack of
toys to the children."
"Is it a long journey?" asked Flossie.
"Yes; it will take me many days, for the pack is heavy," answered Claus.
"Then the snow would melt before you could get back," said the deer.
"You must wait until spring, Claus."
Claus sighed. "Had I your fleet feet," said he, "I could make the
journey in a day."
"But you have not," returned Glossie, looking at his own slender legs
with pride.
"Perhaps I could ride upon your back," Claus ventured to remark, after
a pause.
"Oh no; our backs are not strong enough to bear your weight," said
Flossie, decidedly. "But if you had a sledge, and could harness us to
it, we might draw you easily, and your pack as well."
"I'll make a sledge!" exclaimed Claus. "Will you agree to draw me if
I do?"
"Well," replied Flossie, "we must first go and ask the Knooks, who are
our guardians, for permission; but if they consent, and you can make a
sledge and harness, we will gladly assist you."
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