6.  The Wickedness of the Awgwas

  I must now tell you something about the Awgwas, that terrible
race of creatures which caused our good Claus so much trouble
and nearly succeeded in robbing the children of the world of
their earliest and best friend.

  I do not like to mention the Awgwas, but they are a part of
this history, and can not be ignored.  They were neither
mortals nor immortals, but stood midway between those classes
of beings.  The Awgwas were invisible to ordinary people, but
not to immortals.  They could pass swiftly through the air
from one part of the world to another, and had the power of
influencing the minds of human beings to do their wicked will.

  They were of gigantic stature and had coarse, scowling
countenances which showed plainly their hatred of all mankind. 
They possessed no consciences whatever and delighted only in
evil deeds.

  Their homes were in rocky, mountainous places, from whence
they sallied forth to accomplish their wicked purposes.

  The one of their number that could think of the most horrible
deed for them to do was always elected the King Awgwa, and all
the race obeyed his orders.  Sometimes these creatures lived
to become a hundred years old, but usually they fought so
fiercely among themselves that many were destroyed in combat,
and when they died that was the end of them.  Mortals were
powerless to harm them and the immortals shuddered when the
Awgwas were mentioned, and always avoided them.  So they
flourished for many years unopposed and accomplished much
evil.

  I am glad to assure you that these vile creatures have long
since perished and passed from earth; but in the days when
Claus was making his first toys they were a numerous and
powerful tribe.

  One of the principal sports of the Awgwas was to inspire angry
passions in the hearts of little children, so that they
quarreled and fought with one another.  They would tempt boys
to eat of unripe fruit, and then delight in the pain they
suffered; they urged little girls to disobey their parents,
and then would laugh when the children were punished.  I do
not know what causes a child to be naughty in these days, but
when the Awgwas were on earth naughty children were usually
under their influence.

  Now, when Claus began to make children happy he kept them out
of the power of the Awgwas; for children possessing such
lovely playthings as he gave them had no wish to obey the evil
thoughts the Awgwas tried to thrust into their minds.

  Therefore, one year when the wicked tribe was to elect a new
King, they chose an Awgwa who proposed to destroy Claus and
take him away from the children.

  "There are, as you know, fewer naughty children in the world
since Claus came to the Laughing Valley and began to make his
toys," said the new King, as he squatted upon a rock and
looked around at the scowling faces of his people.  "Why,
Bessie Blithesome has not stamped her foot once this month,
nor has Mayrie's brother slapped his sister's face or thrown
the puppy into the rain-barrel.  Little Weekum took his bath
last night without screaming or struggling, because his mother
had promised he should take his toy cat to bed with him!  Such
a condition of affairs is awful for any Awgwa to think of, and
the only way we can direct the naughty actions of children is
to take this person Claus away from them."

  "Good! good!" cried the big Awgwas, in a chorus, and they
clapped their hands to applaud the speech of the King.

  "But what shall we do with him?" asked one of the creatures.

  "I have a plan," replied the wicked King; and what his plan
was you will soon discover.

  That night Claus went to bed feeling very happy, for he had
completed no less than four pretty toys during the day, and
they were sure, he thought, to make four little children
happy.  But while he slept the band of invisible Awgwas
surrounded his bed, bound him with stout cords, and then flew
away with him to the middle of a dark forest in far off Ethop,
where they laid him down and left him.

  When morning came Claus found himself thousands of miles from
any human being, a prisoner in the wild jungle of an unknown
land.

  From the limb of a tree above his head swayed a huge python,
one of those reptiles that are able to crush a man's bones in
their coils.  A few yards away crouched a savage panther, its
glaring red eyes fixed full on the helpless Claus.  One of
those monstrous spotted spiders whose sting is death crept
stealthily toward him over the matted leaves, which shriveled
and turned black at its very touch.

  But Claus had been reared in Burzee, and was not afraid.

  "Come to me, ye Knooks of the Forest!" he cried, and gave the
low, peculiar whistle that the Knooks know.

  The panther, which was about to spring upon its victim, turned
and slunk away.  The python swung itself into the tree and
disappeared among the leaves.  The spider stopped short in its
advance and hid beneath a rotting log.

  Claus had no time to notice them, for he was surrounded by a
band of harsh-featured Knooks, more crooked and deformed in
appearance than any he had ever seen.

  "Who are you that call on us?" demanded one, in a gruff voice.

  "The friend of your brothers in Burzee," answered Claus.  "I
have been brought here by my enemies, the Awgwas, and left to
perish miserably. Yet now I implore your help to release me
and to send me home again."

  "Have you the sign?" asked another.

  "Yes," said Claus.

  They cut his bonds, and with his free arms he made the secret
sign of the Knooks.

  Instantly they assisted him to stand upon his feet, and they
brought him food and drink to strengthen him.

  "Our brothers of Burzee make queer friends," grumbled an
ancient Knook whose flowing beard was pure white.  "But he who
knows our secret sign and signal is entitled to our help,
whoever he may be.  Close your eyes, stranger, and we will
conduct you to your home.  Where shall we seek it?"

  "'Tis in the Laughing Valley," answered Claus, shutting his
eyes.

  "There is but one Laughing Valley in the known world, so we
can not go astray," remarked the Knook.

  As he spoke the sound of his voice seemed to die away, so
Claus opened his eyes to see what caused the change.  To his
astonishment he found himself seated on the bench by his own
door, with the Laughing Valley spread out before him.  That
day he visited the Wood-Nymphs and related his adventure to
Queen Zurline and Necile.

  "The Awgwas have become your enemies," said the lovely Queen,
thoughtfully; "so we must do all we can to protect you from
their power."

  "It was cowardly to bind him while he slept," remarked Necile,
with indignation.

  "The evil ones are ever cowardly," answered Zurline, "but our
friend's slumber shall not be disturbed again."

  The Queen herself came to the dwelling of Claus that evening
and placed her Seal on every door and window, to keep out the
Awgwas.  And under the Seal of Queen Zurline was placed the
Seal of the Fairies and the Seal of the Ryls and the Seals of
the Knooks, that the charm might become more powerful.

  And Claus carried his toys to the children again, and made
many more of the little ones happy.

  You may guess how angry the King Awgwa and his fierce band
were when it was known to them that Claus had escaped from the
Forest of Ethop.

  They raged madly for a whole week, and then held another
meeting among the rocks.

  "It is useless to carry him where the Knooks reign," said the
King, "for he has their protection.  So let us cast him into a
cave of our own mountains, where he will surely perish."

  This was promptly agreed to, and the wicked band set out that
night to seize Claus.  But they found his dwelling guarded by
the Seals of the Immortals and were obliged to go away baffled
and disappointed.

  "Never mind," said the King; "he does not sleep always!"

  Next day, as Claus traveled to the village across the plain,
where he intended to present a toy squirrel to a lame boy, he
was suddenly set upon by the Awgwas, who seized him and
carried him away to the mountains.

  There they thrust him within a deep cavern and rolled many
huge rocks against the entrance to prevent his escape.

  Deprived thus of light and food, and with little air to
breathe, our Claus was, indeed, in a pitiful plight.  But he
spoke the mystic words of the Fairies, which always command
their friendly aid, and they came to his rescue and
transported him to the Laughing Valley in the twinkling of an
eye.

  Thus the Awgwas discovered they might not destroy one who had
earned the friendship of the immortals; so the evil band
sought other means of keeping Claus from bringing happiness to
children and so making them obedient.

  Whenever Claus set out to carry his toys to the little ones an
Awgwa, who had been set to watch his movements, sprang upon
him and snatched the toys from his grasp.  And the children
were no more disappointed than was Claus when he was obliged
to return home disconsolate.  Still he persevered, and made
many toys for his little friends and started with them for the
villages.  And always the Awgwas robbed him as soon as he had
left the Valley.

  They threw the stolen playthings into one of their lonely
caverns, and quite a heap of toys accumulated before Claus
became discouraged and gave up all attempts to leave the
Valley.  Then children began coming to him, since they found
he did not go to them; but the wicked Awgwas flew around them
and caused their steps to stray and the paths to become
crooked, so never a little one could find a way into the
Laughing Valley.

  Lonely days now fell upon Claus, for he was denied the
pleasure of bringing happiness to the children whom he had
learned to love.  Yet he bore up bravely, for he thought
surely the time would come when the Awgwas would abandon their
evil designs to injure him.

  He devoted all his hours to toy-making, and when one plaything
had been completed he stood it on a shelf he had built for
that purpose. When the shelf became filled with rows of toys
he made another one, and filled that also.  So that in time he
had many shelves filled with gay and beautiful toys
representing horses, dogs, cats, elephants, lambs, rabbits and
deer, as well as pretty dolls of all sizes and balls and
marbles of baked clay painted in gay colors.

  Often, as he glanced at this array of childish treasures, the
heart of good old Claus became sad, so greatly did he long to
carry the toys to his children.  And at last, because he could
bear it no longer, he ventured to go to the great Ak, to whom
he told the story of his persecution by the Awgwas, and begged
the Master Woodsman to assist him.