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"
It is a bargain!" cried Claus, and he went home again for the toys.
The new sledge was carefully built, the Knooks bringing plenty of strong but
thin boards to use in its construction. Claus made a high, rounding dash-
board to keep off the snow cast behind by the fleet hoofs of the deer; and he
made high sides to the platform so that many toys could be carried, and
finally he mounted the sledge upon the slender steel runners made by the
Gnome King.
It was certainly a handsome sledge, and big and roomy. Claus painted it in
bright colors, although no one was likely to see it during his midnight
journeys, and when all was finished he sent for Glossie and Flossie to come
and look at it.
The deer admired the sledge, but gravely declared it was too big and heavy for
them to draw.
"
We might pull it over the snow, to be sure," said Glossie; "but we would not
pull it fast enough to enable us to visit the far-away cities and villages and
return to the Forest by daybreak."
"
Then I must add two more deer to my team," declared Claus, after a
moment's thought.
"
The Knook Prince allowed you as many as ten. Why not use them all?" asked
Flossie. "Then we could speed like the lightning and leap to the highest roofs
with ease."
"
A team of ten reindeer!" cried Claus, delightedly. "That will be splendid.
Please return to the Forest at once and select eight other deer as like
yourselves as possible. And you must all eat of the casa plant, to become
strong, and of the grawle plant, to become fleet of foot, and of the marbon
plant, that you may live long to accompany me on my journeys. Likewise it
will be well for you to bathe in the Pool of Nares, which the lovely Queen
Zurline declares will render you rarely beautiful. Should you perform these
duties faithfully there is no doubt that on next Christmas Eve my ten reindeer
will be the most powerful and beautiful steeds the world has ever seen!"
So Glossie and Flossie went to the Forest to choose their mates, and Claus
began to consider the question of a harness for them all.
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