www.freeclassicebooks.com

Nuter, the sweetest tempered Ryl ever known. And the Fairy Queen gave him

Wisk, that tiny, mischievous but lovable Fairy who knows today almost as

many children as does Santa Claus himself.

With these people to help make the toys and to keep his house in order and to

look after the sledge and the harness, Santa Claus found it much easier to

prepare his yearly load of gifts, and his days began to follow one another

smoothly and pleasantly.

Yet after a few generations his worries were renewed, for it was remarkable

how the number of people continued to grow, and how many more children

there were every year to be served. When the people filled all the cities and

lands of one country they wandered into another part of the world; and the

men cut down the trees in many of the great forests that had been ruled by

Ak, and with the wood they built new cities, and where the forests had been

were fields of grain and herds of browsing cattle.

You might think the Master Woodsman would rebel at the loss of his forests;

but not so. The wisdom of Ak was mighty and farseeing.

The world was made for men," said he to Santa Claus, "and I have but

guarded the forests until men needed them for their use. I am glad my strong

trees can furnish shelter for men's weak bodies, and warm them through the

cold winters. But I hope they will not cut down all the trees, for mankind

needs the shelter of the woods in summer as much as the warmth of blazing

logs in winter. And, however crowded the world may grow, I do not think men

will ever come to Burzee, nor to the Great Black Forest, nor to the wooded

wilderness of Braz; unless they seek their shades for pleasure and not to

destroy their giant trees."

By and by people made ships from the tree-trunks and crossed over oceans

and built cities in far lands; but the oceans made little difference to the

journeys of Santa Claus. His reindeer sped over the waters as swiftly as over

land, and his sledge headed from east to west and followed in the wake of the

sun. So that as the earth rolled slowly over Santa Claus had all of twenty-four

hours to encircle it each Christmas Eve, and the speedy reindeer enjoyed

these wonderful journeys more and more.

So year after year, and generation after generation, and century after century,

the world grew older and the people became more numerous and the labors of

Santa Claus steadily increased. The fame of his good deeds spread to every

household where children dwelt. And all the little ones loved him dearly; and

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus