The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-12-29

the wicked Awgwas probably hid them
in the mountains
Ak turned to the Fairy Queen.
"Can you find them?" he asked.
II will try" she replied brightly.
Then Claus went back to the Laugh
ing Valley, to work as hard as he
could, and band Of Fairies immedi.
ately flew to the mountain that had
been haunted by the Awgwas and be-
gan search for the stolen toys.
The Fairies, as we well know, pos
sess wonderful powers, but the cum
ming Awgwas had hidden the toys in
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 wait
ing 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 filed with
playthings ready for the children.
But on this morning the Fairies who
were searching in the mountains had
new thought. They joined hands and
moved in straight line through the
rocks that formed the mountain, be-
ginning at the topmOst peak and work
Inn Wi %I>0+
be missed by their bright eyes. And
at last they discovered the cave where
the toys had been heaped up by the
wicked Awgwas.
1t 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 re-
ceive, just in the nick of time, such q
store of playthings with which to load
his sledge, and he sent word to Clos
sic 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 Harvesting them.
1--WE must go il another direction to-
night" ne 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
snowfakes 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 no. no. no!
And a ha, ha. ha!
And no. no! Ha ha, hee!
Now away we go
Ger the frozen snow.
AS merry as we can be!''
Jack Frost heard him and came rae
ing up with his nippers, but when he
saw it was Claus he laughed and turn
ed 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 nest
ling near them that it was only Santa
Claus carrying toys to the children.
Claus stopped at some Of the scat
tered farmhouses and climbed down
the chimneys to leave presents for the
babies. Soon after he reached a vii
lage and worked merrily for an hour
distributing playthings among the
sleeping little ones. Then away again
he went, singing his joyous carol:
"Now away we go
Ger the cleaning snow,
While the deer run swift and free!
For to girls and boys
We carry the toys
That will fill their hearts with glee!"
The deer liked the sound of his deep
bass voice and kept time to the song
with their hoof beats Oh the hard snow,
put soon they stopped at another
chimney, and Santa Claus, with spar
king eyes and face brushed red by the
wind climbed down it's smoky sides
and left a present for every child the
house contained
It was merry, happy night Swift
~ 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.
Glossie and Flossie had no mind to be
rebuked a second time for hardness,
so they fed with swiftness that en-
abled them to pass the gale on which
the Frost King rode and soon brought
them to the Laughing Valley.
It is true that when Claus released
his steeds from their harness the east
ern Sky was streaked with gray, but