Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08
Necile hurried away to her bower to re-
joice over her new-found treasure.
CHAPTER Nv.
Claus,

Another day found Neciles bower the
most popular place In the forest. The
nymphs clustered around her and the child
that lay asleep in her lap, with expressions
Of curiosity and delight. Nor were they
wanting In praises for the great AXIS kind
ness in allowing Necie to keep the babe and
to care for 1t. Even the queen came to
peer into the innocent childish face and to
hold a helpless, chubby fist in mis- own fair
hand.
What shall we call him, Neclle?" she
asked, smiling. He must have q name,
you know"
Let him be called Claus" answered Ne
cile, for that means a little one
Rather let him be called Neclaus,"s re-
turned the queen, for that will mean Ne
Giles little one"
'Some people have spelled this name Nick
laus, and others Nicolas, which is the rea-
son that Santa Claus is still known in
some lands as st. Nicolas But, Of course,
Neclaus is his right name, and Claus the
nickname given him by his adopted mother,
the fair nymph Necile.
The nymphs clapped their hands in de-
light, and Neclaus became the infants
name, although Necile loved best to call
him Claus, and in after days many of her
sisters followed her example.
Necile gathered the softest moss in all
the forest for Claus to lie upon, and she
made his bed in her own bower. OF food
the infant had no lack The nymphs
searched the forest for bell udders, which
grow upon the goa-tree and when opened
are found to be filled with sweet milk And
the soft-eyed does willingly gave a share
Of their milk to support the little stranger,
while Shtegra, the lioness, often crept
stealthily into Needles bower and purred
softly as she lay beside the babe and fed
1t.
So tho litt1a ona hourfsbad on5 rro1, h,rx
and sturdy day by day. while Necile taught
him to speak and to walk and to play.
His thoughts and words were sweet and
gentle, for the nymphs knew no evil and
their hearts were pure and loving. He be-
came the pet of the forest, for AXIS decree
had forbidden beasts or reptile to modest
him. and he walked fearlessly wherever his
will guided him.
Presently the news reached the other i'm
mortals that the nymphs of Burzee had
adopted a human infant, and that the act
had been sanctioned by the great Ak
Therefore many of them came to visit the
little stranger, looking upon him with much
interest. First the Ryls, who are first
cousins to the wood-nymphs, although SO
differently formed. For the Ryls are re-
quired to watch over the flowers and
plants, as the nymphs watch over the forest
trees. They search the wide world for the
food required by the roots Of the Towering
plants, while the brilliant colors possessed
by the full-blown flowers are due to the
uy res pidCtu III the SOIL by the hylS, which
are drawn through the little veins In the
roots and the body Of the plants, as thew
reach maturity. The Ryls are a busy peo-
pie, for their flowers bloom and fade con-
tinually. but they are merry and light
hearted and are very popular with the other
immortals.
Next came the Knocks, whose duty II is
to watch over the beasts of the world both
gentle and wild. The Knocks have a hard
time of 1t, since many of the beasts are
ungovernable and rebel against restraint
But they know how to manage them, after
all, and you will find that certain laws of
the Knocks are obeyed by even the most
ferocious animals. Their anxieties make
the Knocks look ole. land worn and crooked
and their natures are bit rough from as
sociating with wild creatures continually:
yet they are most useful to humanity and
to the world In general, as their laws are
the only laws the forest beasts recognize
except those of the Master Woodsman
Then there were the Fairies, the guar
dams of mankind, who were much inter
ested in the adoption of Claus because their
own laws forbade them to become familiar
with ieir human charges. There are in
stances on record where the Fairies have
shown themselves to human beings and
have even conversed with them; but thew
are supposed to guard the lives of man
kind unseen and unknown, and IL thew
favor some people more than others It is