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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.
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