High excursionists. It's me Nari. I hope you enjoy this very special Christmas
production. I thought it would be fun to have something we can all share
leading up to the Christmas holiday. L frank Baum is a literary icon who
introduced every one of us to the land of Oz. Please gather around with
family and friends for this very special presentation of another of his wonderful stories,
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Ten Christmas Eve, the day that
broke, as Claws returned from his night ride with Glossy and Flossie, brought
to him a new trouble. Will Nook, the chief guardian of the deer,
came to him surly and ill tempered to complain that he had kept Glossy
and Flossy beyond daybreak in opposition to his orders. Yet it could not have
been very long after daybreak, said Claus. It was one minute after,
answered will Nook, and that's as bad as one hour. I shall set
the stinging gnats on Glossy and Flossy, and they will thus suffer terribly for
their disobedience. Don't do that, begged Claus. It was my fault,
but will Nook would listen to no excuses, and went away, grumbling and
growling in his ill natured way. For this reason, Claws entered the forest
to consult a seal about rescuing the good deer from punishment. To his delight,
he found his old friend, the Master Woodsman, seated in the circle
of nymphs. Ac listened to the story of the night journey to the children
and of the great assistance that the deer had been to Claus by drawing his
sledge over the frozen snow. I do not wish my friends to be punished
if I can save them, said the toy maker, when he had finished
the relation. They were only one minute late, and they ran swifter than
a bird flies to get home before daybreak. Axe stroked his beard thoughtfully a
moment, and then sent for the Prince of the Knooks, who rules all
his people in Bursey, and also for the Queen of the Fairies and the
Prince of the Riles. When they had assembled, Claus told his story again
at axe command, and then the Master addressed the Prince of the Knooks,
saying, the good work the Clause is doing among mankind deserves the support of
every honest I mortal Already he is called a saint in some of the towns,
and before long the name of Santa Claus will be lovingly known in every
home that is blessed with children. Moreover, he is a son of our
forest, so we owe him our encouragement. You, ruler of the knooks,
have known him these many years? Am I not right? And saying
he deserves our friendship? The prince crooked and sour of visage, as all
knooks are looked only upon the dead leaves at his feet, and muttered,
you are the master woodsman of the world, ax myild, but continued in
soft tones. It seems that the deer which are guarded by your people can
be of great assistance to claws, And as they seem willing to draw his
sledge, I beg that you will permit him to use their surfaces whenever he
pleases. The Prince did not reply, but tap the curled point of his
sandal with the tip of his spear, as if in thought. Then the
fairy queen spoke to him in this way. If you consent to axe request,
I will see that no harm comes to your deer while they are away
from the forest. And the Prince of the Ryals added, for my part,
I will allow to every deer that assists claws the privilege of eating my
cossa plants, which give strength, and my grawl plants, which give fleetness
of foot, and my marbon plants, which give long life. And the
Queen of the Nymphs said, the deer which draw the sledge of claws will
be permitted to bathe in the forest pools of Nerius, which will give them
sleek coats and wonderful beauty. The Prince of the Knooks, hearing these promises,
shifted uneasily on his seat, for in his heart he hated to refuse
a request of his fellow immortals, although they were asking an unusual favor at
his hands, and the Knooks are unaccustomed to granting favors of any kind.
Finally, he turned to his servants and said, call will Nook. When
surly will came and heard the demands of the immortals, he protested loudly against
granting them. Dear are dear, he said, And nothing but dear.
Were they horses, it would be right to harness them like horses. But
no one harnesses deer, because they are free, wild creatures, owing no
service of any sort to mankind. It would degrade my dear to labor for
Claus, who is only a man in spite of the friendship lavished on him
by the immortals. You have heard, said the Prince to Ak. There
is truth in what Will says, call Clossy, and Flossy return the master.
The deer were brought to the conference, and Ac asked them if they
objected to drawing the sledge for Claws. No, indeed, replied Glossie.
We enjoyed the trip very much, and we tried to get home by daybreak,
added FLOSSI, but we're unfortunately a minute too late. A minute lost
at daybreak doesn't matter, said Ac. You are forgiven for that delay,
provided it does not happen again, said the Prince of the Knooks sternly.
And you will permit them to make another journey with me, asked Claus.
Eagerly, the Prince reflected while he gazed at Will, who was scowling,
and at the Master Woodsman, who was smiling. Then he stood up and
addressed the company as follows, Since you all urge me to grant the favor,
I will permit the deer to go with claws once every year on Christmas
Eve, provided they always return to the forest by daybreak. He may select
any number he pleases, up to ten to draw his sledge, and those
shall be known among us as reindeer, to distinguish them from the others.
And they shall bathe in the pool of Neris and eat the casa and grawl
and marbin plants, and shall be under the especial protection of the fairy Queen.
And now see scowling Wilnok, for my words shall be obeyed. He
hobbled quickly away through the trees to avoid the thanks of claws and the approval
of the other immortals, and will, looking as cross as ever, followed
him. But Ak was satisfied, knowing he could rely on the promise of
the Prince, however grudgingly given, and Glossy and Flossie ran home, kicking
up their heels delightedly at every step. When is Christmas Eve, Claus asked
the Master. In about ten days, he replied, Then I cannot use
the deer this year, said Claus thoughtfully, for I shall not have enough
time to make my sack full of toys. The shred Prince foresaw that responded
Ak, and therefore named Christmas Eve as the day you might as the deer,
knowing it would cause you to lose an entire year. If only I
had the toys the ogua stole from me, said Claus, sadly, I
could easily fill my sack for the children. Where are they, asked the
master. I do not know, replied Claws, but the wicked oguas probably
hid them in the mountains. Ac turned to the fairy queen. Can you
find them, he asked, I will try, she replied brightly. Then
Claws 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 aguas and began a search for the stolen toys. The fairies, as
we well know, possess wonderful powers, but the cutting eas 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 Claws, 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 mountain 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 wicket aguas. 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 claws 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 Glossy and Flossy 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 tonight, 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's heart
was so light and merry that he laughed and sang while the wind whistled past
his ears, with the woman happy. Now where we go, foes and
snow merry as we can be. Now way we go, we mean snow
dear onks with that greed, poor girls and boys, we carried the toys
that fulfill their hearts with ear. Jack Frost heard him and came racing up
with his nippers, but When he saw it was claws, he laughed and
turned away. 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 owl's nesting 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, singing his joyous carol with a woman
hope. Now away we go, or prose and snow area as we can
beat any George with as many a child wearing oh wheels guide to them wide.
On a wild night ride over, Chris Spence parked wing snow. The
deer liked the sound of his deep bass voice and kept time to the song
with their hoof beats on the hard snow. But soon they stopped at another
chimney and Santa Claus, with sparkling eyes, and his face brushed red by
the wind, climbed down its smoky sides, and left a present for every
child the house contained. It was a merry, happy night. Swiftly the
deer ran, and busily their driver worked to scatter his gifts among the sleeping
children. But the sack was empty at last, and the sledge headed homeward.
And now again the race, with daybreak began. Glossy and Flossy had
no mind to be rebuked a second time for tardiness, so they fled with
a swiftness that enabled them to pass the gale on which the frost king rode,
and soon brought them to the Laughing Valley. It is true, when
Claws released his steeds from their harness, the eastern sky was streaked with gray,
but Glossy and Flossy were deep in the forest before day fairly broke.
Claws was so wearied with his night's work that he threw himself upon his bed
and fell into a deep slumber. And while he slept, the Christmas sun
appeared in the sky and shone upon hundreds of happy homes, where the sound
of children's laughter proclaimed that Santa Claus had made them a visit. God bless
him. It was his first Christmas Eve, and for hundreds of years since
then he has nobly fulfilled his mission to bring happiness to the hearts of little
children. Eleven. How the first stockings were hung by the chimneys. When
you remember that no child until Santa Claus began his travels had ever known the
pleasure of possessing a toy, you will understand how joy crept into the homes
of those who had been favored with a visit from the good Man, and
how they talked of him day by day in loving tones, and were honestly
grateful for his kindly deeds. It is true that great warriors, and mighty
kings and clever scholars of that day were often spoken of by the people,
but no one of them was ever so greatly beloved as Santa Claus, because
none other was so unselfish as to devote himself to making others happy. For
a generous deed lives longer than a great battle or a king's decree of a
scholar's essay, because it spreads and leaves its mark on all nature and endures
through many generations. The bargain made with the Knook prints changed the plans of
Claws for all future time. For being able to use the reindeer on but
one night of each year, he decided to devote all the other days to
the manufacture of playthings, and on Christmas Eve to carry them to the children
of the world. But a year's work would, he knew, result in
a vast accumulation of toys. So he resolved to build a new sledge that
would be larger and stronger, and better fitted for swift travel than the old
and clumsy one. His first act was to visit the Nome King, with
whom he made a bargain to exchange three drums, a trumpet, and two
dolls for a pair of fine steel runners, curled beautifully at the ends.
For the Nome King had children of his own, who living in the hollows
under the earth in mines and caverns, needed something to amuse them. In
three days, the steel runners were ready, and when Claws brought the playthings
to the Nome King, King his Majesty was so greatly pleased with them that
he presented Claws with a string of sweet toned sleigh bells in addition to the
runners. These will please Glossy and Flossy, said Claws, as he jingled
the bells and listened to their merry sound. But I should have two strings
of bells, one for each deer. Bring me another trumpet and a cat
toy, replied the king, and you shall have a second string of bells
like the first. It is a bargain, cried Claws, and he went
home again for the toys. The new sledge was carefully built the Nooks,
bringing plenty of strong but thin boards to use in its construction. Claws made
a high rounding dashboard to keep off the snow cast behind by the fleet hoofs
of the deer, and he made high sides to the platform so that many
toys could be carried. And finally he mounted the sledge upon the slender steel
runners made by the Nome King. It was certainly a handsome sledge, and
big and roomy. Claws painted it bright colors, although no one was likely
to see it during his midnight journeys, and when all was finished, he
sent for Glossy and Flossi to come look at it. The deer admired the
sledge, but gravely declared it was too big and heavy for them to draw.
We might pull it over the snow, to be sure, said Glossy,
but we would never pull it fast enough to enable us to visit the
far away cities and villages and return to the forest by daybreak. Then I
must add two more deer to my team, declared claws. After a moment's
thought. The knook prints allowed you as many as ten, why not use
them all, asked FLOSSI. Then we could speed like the lightning and leap
to the highest roofs with ease. Ha, a team of ten reindeer,
cried claws, delightedly. That will be splendid. Please return to the forest
at once and select eight other deer as like yourselves as possible. And you
must eat all of the cosa plant to become strong, and of the grawl
plant to become fleet of foot, and of the marbon plant, that you
may live long to accompany me on my journeys. Likewise, it will be
well for you to bathe in the pool of neris, which the lovely Queen's
erline declares will render you rarely beautiful. Should you perform these duties faithfully,
there is no doubt that on the next Christmas Eve, my ten reindeer will
be the most powerful and beautiful steeds the world has ever seen. So Glossy
and Flossy went to the forest to choose their mates, and Claws began to
consider the question of a harness for all of them. In the end he
called upon Peter Nook for assistance, for Peter's heart is as kind as his
body is crooked, and he is remarkably shrewd as well. And Peter agreed
to furnish strips of tough leather for the harnesses. The leather was cut from
the skins of lions that had reached such an advanced age that they died naturally,
and on one side was tawny hair, while the other side was cured
to the softness of velvet by the deaft Nooks. When Claws received these strips
of leather, he sewed them neatly into a harness for the ten reindeer,
and it proved strong and serviceable, and lasted him for many years. The
harness and sledge were prepared at odd times, for Claws devoted most of his
days to the making of toys. These were now much better than the first
ones had been, for the immortals often came to his house to watch him
work and to offer suggestions. It was Nesille's idea to make some of the
dolls say Papa and Mama. It was a thought of the nooks to put
a squeak inside the lambs, so that when the child squeezed them, they
would say bah. And the fairy queen advised Claws to put whistles in the
birds so they could be made to sing, and wheels on the horses so
children could draw them around. Many animals perished in the forest from one cause
or another, and their fur was brought to Claws that he might cover with
it the small images of beasts he made for playthings. A merry ryle suggested
that Claws make a donkey with a nodding head, which he did, and
afterward found that it amused the little ones immensely, And so the toys grew
in beauty and attractiveness every day, until they were the wonder of even the
immortals. When another Christmas Eve drew near, there was a monster load of
beautiful gifts for the children ready to be loaded upon the big sledge. Claws
filled three sacks to the brim and tucked every corner of the sledge box full
of toys. Besides. Then at twilight the ten reindeer appeared, and Flossi
introduced them all to Claws. They were racer and pacer, reckless and speckless,
fearless and peerless, and ready and steady, who, with Glossy and
Flossy made up the ten who have traversed the world these hundreds of years with
their generous master. They were all exceedingly beautiful, with slender limbs, spreading
antlers, velvety dark eyes, and sma both coats of fawn color spotted with
white. Claws loved them at once, and he has loved them ever since,
for they are loyal friends and have rendered him priceless service. The new
harness fitted them nicely, and soon they were all fastened to the sledge by
twos, with Glossy and Flossy in the lead. These wore the strings of
sleigh bells, and were so delighted with the music they made that they kept
prancing up and down to make the bells ring. Claws now seated himself in
the sledge, drew a warm robe over his knees and a fur cap over
his ears, and cracked his long whip as a signal to start. Instantly,
the ten leaped forward and were away like the wind, while Jolly Claws
laughed gleefully to see them run, and shouted a song in his big hearty
voice, with a hand hope. Now away we go with prose and snow
are as we can be as many a child willing oh will ski to them
wide on a wild night ride over, Chris Spence barked rings. Now.
It was on this same Christmas Eve that little Margot and her brother Dick,
and her cousins Ned and Sarah, who were visiting at Margo's house, came
in from making a snow man, with their clothes damp, their mittens dripping,
and their shoes and stockings wet through and through. They were not scolded,
for Margot's mother knew the snow was melting, but they were sent early
to bed that their clothes might be hung over chairs to dry. The shoes
were placed on the red tiles of the hearth where the heat from the hot
embers would strike them, and the stockings were carefully hung in a row by
the chimney directly over the fireplace. That was the reason Santa Claus noticed them
when he came down the chimney that night, and all the household were fast
asleep. He was in a tremendous hurry, and seeing the stockings all belonged
to children, he quickly stuffed his toys into them and dashed up the chimney
again, appearing on the roof so suddenly that the reindeer were astonished with his
agility. I wish they would all hang up their stockings, he thought,
as he drove to the next chimney. It would save me a lot of
time, and I could then visit more children before daybreak. When Margot and
Dick, and Ned and Sarah jumped out of bed the next morning and ran
down stairs to get their stockings from the fireplace, they were filled with delight
to find the toys from Santa Claus inside them. In fact, I think
they found more presents in their stockings than any other children of that city had
received, for Santa Claus was in a hurry and did not stop to count
the toys. Of course, they told all their little friends about it,
and of course every one of them decided to hang his own stocking by the
fireplace the next Christmas Eve, even Bessie Blithesome, who made a visit to
that city with her father, the Great Lord of Lurd heard the story from
the children, and hung her own pretty stockings by the chimney when she returned
home at Christmas time. On his next trip, Santa Claus found so much
many stockings hung up in anticipation of his visit that he could fill them in
a jiffy and be away again in half the time required to hunt the children
up and place the toys by their bedsides. The custom grew year after year
and has always been a great help to Santa Claus. And with so many
children to visit, he surely needs all the help we are able to give
him. Twelve the first Christmas tree Claws had always kept his promise to the
Nooks by returning to the Laughing Valley by daybreak, but only the swiftness of
his reindeer has enabled him to do this, for he travels all over the
world. He loved his work, and he loved the brisk night ride on
his sledge and the gay tinkle of the sleigh bells. On that first trip
with the ten reindeer, only Glossy and Flossy wore bells, But each year
thereafter for eight years, Claws carried presents to the children of the Nome king,
and that good natured monarch gave him in return a string of bells at
each visit, so that finally every one of the ten deer was applied,
and you may imagine what a merry tune the bells played as the sledge sped
over the snow. The children's stockings were so long that it required a great
many toys to fill them, and soon Claws found there were other things besides
toys that children love, So he sent some of the fairies, who were
always his good friends, into the tropics, from whence they returned with great
bags full of oranges and bananas, which they had plucked from the trees.
And other fairies flew to the wonderful valley of funny Land, where delicious candies
and bonbonds grow thickly on the bushes, and returned laden with many boxes of
sweet meats for the little ones. These things Santa Claus on each Christmas Eve
placed in the long stockings together with his toys, and the children were glad
to get them. You may be sure there are also warm countries where there
is no snow in the winter, but Claws in his reindeer, visited them
as well as the colder climes, for there were little wheels inside the runners
of his sledge, which permitted it to run as smoothly over bare ground as
on snow, and the children who lived in the warm countries learned to know
the name of Santa Claus, as well as those who lived nearer to the
Laughing Valley. Once, just as the reindeer were ready to start on their
yearly trip, a fairy came to Claws and told him of three little children
who lived beneath a rude tint of skins on a broad plain where there were
no trees whatever. These poor babies were miserable and unhappy, for their parents
were ignorant people who neglected them. Sadly, Claws resolved to visit these children
before he returned home, and during his ride he picked up the bushy top
of a pine tree which the wind had broken off, and placed it in
his sledge. It was nearly morning when the deer stopped before the lonely tint
of skins where the poor children lay asleep. Claws at once planted the bit
of pine tree in the sand and stuck many candles on the branches. Then
he hung some of his prettiest toys on the tree, as well as several
bags of candies. Did not take long to do all this, for Santa
Claus worked quickly, and when all was ready, he lighted the candles,
and, thrusting his head in at the opening of the tent, he shouted,
Oh, Merry Christmas, little ones. With that he leapt into his
sledge and was out of sight before the children, rubbing the sleep from their
eyes, could come out to see who had called them. You can imagine
the wonder and joy of those little ones, who had never in their lives
known a real pleasure before, when they saw the tree sparkling with lights that
shone brilliant in the gray dawn, and hung with toys enough to make them
happy for years to come. They joined hands and danced around the tree,
shouting and laughing until they were obliged to pause for breath. And their parents
also came out to look and wonder, and thereafter had more respect and consideration
for their children since Santa Claus had honored them with such beautiful gifts. The
idea of the Christmas Tree pleased claws, and so the fall following year,
he carried many of them in his sledge and set them up in the homes
of poor people who seldom saw trees, and placed candles and toys on the
branches. Of course, he could not carry enough trees in one load of
all who wanted them. But in some homes the fathers were able to get
trees and have them all ready for Santa Claus when he arrived. And these
the good claws always decorated as prettily as possible, and hung with toys enough
for all the children who came to see the lighted tree. These novel ideas
and generous manner in which they were carried out made the children long for that
one night in the year when their friend Santa Claus should visit them, And
as such anticipation as very pleasant and comforting, the little ones gleaned much happiness
by wondering what would happen when Santa Claus next arrived. Perhaps you remember that
stern baron Braun who once drove claws from his castle and forbade him to visit
his children. Well, many years afterward, when the old baron was dead
and his son rolled in his place, the new baron Braun and came to
the house of Claws with his train of knights and pages and henchmen, and,
dismounting from his charger, bared his head humbly before the friend of children.
My father did not know your goodness and worth, he said, and
therefore threatened to hang you from the castle walls. But I have children of
my own who long for a visit from Santa Claus, and I have come
to beg that you will favor them hereafter, as you do other children.
Claws was pleased with this speech, for Castle Braun was the only place he
had never visited, and he gladly promised to bring presents to the baron's children
the next Christmas Eve. The baron went away contented, and Claws kept his
promise faithfully. Thus did this man, through very goodness, conquer the hearts
of all. And it is no wonder he was ever merry and gay,
for there was no home in the wide world where he was not welcomed more
royally than any king. Thank you for joining me for the Into the Night
Anthology podcast production of the Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank
Baum. All original music, editing, and sound design provided by Omenhawk Studios.
Thank you so much to Project Gutenberg for making public domain books such as
this one accessible to everyone.