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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

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus