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"
"
Yes, if you wish it to," answered Claus.
It's a nice cat!" Weekum said, smiling, as Claus tucked the blankets around
him; and presently the little one fell asleep with the wooden toy in his arms.
When morning came the sun claimed the Laughing Valley and flooded it with
his rays; so Claus prepared to take the lost child back to its mother.
"
May I keep the cat, Claus?" asked Weekum. "It's nicer than real cats. It
doesn't run away, or scratch or bite. May I keep it?"
"
Yes, indeed," answered Claus, pleased that the toy he had made could give
pleasure to the child. So he wrapped the boy and the wooden cat in a warm
cloak, perching the bundle upon his own broad shoulders, and then he
tramped through the snow and the drifts of the Valley and across the plain
beyond to the poor cottage where Weekum's mother lived.
"
See, mama!" cried the boy, as soon as they entered, "I've got a cat!"
The good woman wept tears of joy over the rescue of her darling and thanked
Claus many times for his kind act. So he carried a warm and happy heart
back to his home in the Valley.
That night he said to puss: "I believe the children will love the wooden cats
almost as well as the real ones, and they can't hurt them by pulling their tails
and ears. I'll make another."
So this was the beginning of his great work.
The next cat was better made than the first. While Claus sat whittling it out
the Yellow Ryl came in to make him a visit, and so pleased was he with the
man's skill that he ran away and brought several of his fellows.
There sat the Red Ryl, the Black Ryl, the Green Ryl, the Blue Ryl and the
Yellow Ryl in a circle on the floor, while Claus whittled and whistled and the
wooden cat grew into shape.
"
If it could be made the same color as the real cat, no one would know the
difference," said the Yellow Ryl, thoughtfully.
"
The little ones, maybe, would not know the difference," replied Claus, pleased
with the idea.
"
I will bring you some of the red that I color my roses and tulips with," cried
the Red Ryl; "and then you can make the cat's lips and tongue red."
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