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Page 35
"I do not know," replied Claus, "but the wicked Awgwas probably hid
them in the mountains."
Ak turned to the Fairy Queen.
"Can you find them?" he asked.
"I will try," she replied, brightly.
Then Claus 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 Awgwas and began a search for the stolen toys.
The Fairies, as we well know, possess wonderful powers; but the
cunning Awgwas had hidden the toys in a deep cave and covered the
opening with rocks, so no one could look in. Therefore all search for
the missing playthings proved in vain for several days, and Claus, who
sat at home waiting for news from the Fairies, almost despaired of
getting the toys before Christmas Eve.
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.
But on this morning the Fairies who were searching in the mountains
had a new thought. They joined hands and moved in a straight line
through the rocks that formed the mountain, beginning at the topmost
peak and working downward, so that no spot could be missed by their
bright eyes. And at last they discovered the cave where the toys had
been heaped up by the wicked Awgwas.
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 carry and they all flew
to Claus and laid the treasure before him.
The good man was rejoiced to receive, just in the nick of time, such a
store of playthings with which to load his sledge, and he sent word to
Glossie and Flossie to be ready for the journey at nightfall.
With all his other 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.
"We must go in another direction to-night," he told them, "where 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!"
So, just as the moon arose, they dashed out of the Laughing Valley and
across the plain and over the hills to the south. The air was sharp
and frosty and the starlight touched the snowflakes and made them
glitter like countless diamonds. The reindeer leaped onward with
strong, steady bounds, and Claus' heart was so light and merry that he
laughed and sang while the wind whistled past his ears:
"With a ho, ho, ho!
And a ha, ha, ha!
And a ho, ho! ha, ha, hee!
Now away we go
O'er the frozen snow,
As merry as we can be!"
Jack Frost heard him and came racing up with his nippers, but when he
saw it was Claus he laughed and turned away again.
The mother owls heard him as he passed near a wood and stuck their
heads out of the hollow places in the tree-trunks; 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. It is strange how
much those mother owls know.
Claus stopped at some of the scattered farmhouses and climbed down the
chimneys to leave presents for the babies. Soon after he reached a
village and worked merrily for an hour distributing playthings among the
sleeping little ones. Then away again he went, signing his joyous carol:
"Now away we go
O'er the gleaming snow,
While the deer run swift and free!
For to girls and boys
We carry the toys
That will fill their hearts with glee!"
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