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diff --git a/old/kdsta10.txt b/old/kdsta10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..63bbe0e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/kdsta10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,676 @@ +*****The Project Gutenberg Etext of A Kidnapped Santa Claus**** +#10 in our series by L. Frank Baum + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. Do not remove this. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*These Etexts Prepared By Hundreds of Volunteers and Donations* + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below. We need your donations. + + +A Kidnapped Santa Claus + +by L. 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If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association / Illinois + Benedictine College" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Illinois Benedictine College". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +A Kidnapped Santa Claus + +by L. Frank Baum + + + +Santa Claus lives in the Laughing Valley, where stands the big, +rambling castle in which his toys are manufactured. His workmen, +selected from the ryls, knooks, pixies and fairies, live with him, and +every one is as busy as can be from one year's end to another. + +It is called the Laughing Valley because everything there is happy +and gay. The brook chuckles to itself as it leaps rollicking between +its green banks; the wind whistles merrily in the trees; the sunbeams +dance lightly over the soft grass, and the violets and wild flowers +look smilingly up from their green nests. To laugh one needs to be +happy; to be happy one needs to be content. And throughout the +Laughing Valley of Santa Claus contentment reigns supreme. + +On one side is the mighty Forest of Burzee. At the other side stands +the huge mountain that contains the Caves of the Daemons. And between +them the Valley lies smiling and peaceful. + +One would thing that our good old Santa Claus, who devotes his days to +making children happy, would have no enemies on all the earth; and, as +a matter of fact, for a long period of time he encountered nothing but +love wherever he might go. + +But the Daemons who live in the mountain caves grew to hate Santa Claus +very much, and all for the simple reason that he made children happy. + +The Caves of the Daemons are five in number. A broad pathway leads +up to the first cave, which is a finely arched cavern at the foot of +the mountain, the entrance being beautifully carved and decorated. In +it resides the Daemon of Selfishness. Back of this is another cavern +inhabited by the Daemon of Envy. The cave of the Daemon of Hatred is +next in order, and through this one passes to the home of the Daemon +of Malice--situated in a dark and fearful cave in the very heart of +the mountain. I do not know what lies beyond this. Some say there +are terrible pitfalls leading to death and destruction, and this may +very well be true. However, from each one of the four caves mentioned +there is a small, narrow tunnel leading to the fifth cave--a cozy +little room occupied by the Daemon of Repentance. And as the rocky +floors of these passages are well worn by the track of passing feet, I +judge that many wanderers in the Caves of the Daemons have escaped +through the tunnels to the abode of the Daemon of Repentance, who is +said to be a pleasant sort of fellow who gladly opens for one a little +door admitting you into fresh air and sunshine again. + +Well, these Daemons of the Caves, thinking they had great cause to +dislike old Santa Claus, held a meeting one day to discuss the matter. + +"I'm really getting lonesome," said the Daemon of Selfishness. "For +Santa Claus distributes so many pretty Christmas gifts to all the +children that they become happy and generous, through his example, and +keep away from my cave." + +"I'm having the same trouble," rejoined the Daemon of Envy. "The +little ones seem quite content with Santa Claus, and there are few, +indeed, that I can coax to become envious." + +"And that makes it bad for me!" declared the Daemon of Hatred. "For +if no children pass through the Caves of Selfishness and Envy, none +can get to MY cavern." + +"Or to mine," added the Daemon of Malice. + +"For my part," said the Daemon of Repentance, "it is easily seen that +if children do not visit your caves they have no need to visit mine; +so that I am quite as neglected as you are." + +"And all because of this person they call Santa Claus!" exclaimed the +Daemon of Envy. "He is simply ruining our business, and something +must be done at once." + +To this they readily agreed; but what to do was another and more +difficult matter to settle. They knew that Santa Claus worked all +through the year at his castle in the Laughing Valley, preparing the +gifts he was to distribute on Christmas Eve; and at first they +resolved to try to tempt him into their caves, that they might lead +him on to the terrible pitfalls that ended in destruction. + +So the very next day, while Santa Claus was busily at work, surrounded +by his little band of assistants, the Daemon of Selfishness came to +him and said: + +"These toys are wonderfully bright and pretty. Why do you not keep +them for yourself? It's a pity to give them to those noisy boys and +fretful girls, who break and destroy them so quickly." + +"Nonsense!" cried the old graybeard, his bright eyes twinkling merrily +as he turned toward the tempting Daemon. "The boys and girls are +never so noisy and fretful after receiving my presents, and if I can +make them happy for one day in the year I am quite content." + +So the Daemon went back to the others, who awaited him in their caves, +and said: + +"I have failed, for Santa Claus is not at all selfish." + +The following day the Daemon of Envy visited Santa Claus. Said he: +"The toy shops are full of playthings quite as pretty as those you are +making. What a shame it is that they should interfere with your +business! They make toys by machinery much quicker than you can make +them by hand; and they sell them for money, while you get nothing at +all for your work." + +But Santa Claus refused to be envious of the toy shops. + +"I can supply the little ones but once a year--on Christmas Eve," he +answered; "for the children are many, and I am but one. And as my +work is one of love and kindness I would be ashamed to receive money +for my little gifts. But throughout all the year the children must be +amused in some way, and so the toy shops are able to bring much +happiness to my little friends. I like the toy shops, and am glad to +see them prosper." + +In spite of the second rebuff, the Daemon of Hatred thought he would +try to influence Santa Claus. So the next day he entered the busy +workshop and said: + +"Good morning, Santa! I have bad news for you." + +"Then run away, like a good fellow," answered Santa Claus. "Bad news +is something that should be kept secret and never told." + +"You cannot escape this, however," declared the Daemon; "for in the +world are a good many who do not believe in Santa Claus, and these you +are bound to hate bitterly, since they have so wronged you." + +"Stuff and rubbish!" cried Santa. + +"And there are others who resent your making children happy and who +sneer at you and call you a foolish old rattlepate! You are quite +right to hate such base slanderers, and you ought to be revenged upon +them for their evil words." + +"But I don't hate 'em!" exclaimed Santa Claus positively. "Such +people do me no real harm, but merely render themselves and their +children unhappy. Poor things! I'd much rather help them any day +than injure them." + +Indeed, the Daemons could not tempt old Santa Claus in any way. On +the contrary, he was shrewd enough to see that their object in +visiting him was to make mischief and trouble, and his cheery laughter +disconcerted the evil ones and showed to them the folly of such an +undertaking. So they abandoned honeyed words and determined to use force. + +It was well known that no harm can come to Santa Claus while he is in +the Laughing Valley, for the fairies, and ryls, and knooks all protect +him. But on Christmas Eve he drives his reindeer out into the big +world, carrying a sleighload of toys and pretty gifts to the children; +and this was the time and the occasion when his enemies had the best +chance to injure him. So the Daemons laid their plans and awaited the +arrival of Christmas Eve. + +The moon shone big and white in the sky, and the snow lay crisp and +sparkling on the ground as Santa Claus cracked his whip and sped away +out of the Valley into the great world beyond. The roomy sleigh was +packed full with huge sacks of toys, and as the reindeer dashed onward +our jolly old Santa laughed and whistled and sang for very joy. For +in all his merry life this was the one day in the year when he was +happiest--the day he lovingly bestowed the treasures of his workshop +upon the little children. + +It would be a busy night for him, he well knew. As he whistled and +shouted and cracked his whip again, he reviewed in mind all the towns +and cities and farmhouses where he was expected, and figured that he +had just enough presents to go around and make every child happy. The +reindeer knew exactly what was expected of them, and dashed along so +swiftly that their feet scarcely seemed to touch the snow-covered ground. + +Suddenly a strange thing happened: a rope shot through the moonlight +and a big noose that was in the end of it settled over the arms and +body of Santa Claus and drew tight. Before he could resist or even +cry out he was jerked from the seat of the sleigh and tumbled head +foremost into a snowbank, while the reindeer rushed onward with the +load of toys and carried it quickly out of sight and sound. + +Such a surprising experience confused old Santa for a moment, and when +he had collected his senses he found that the wicked Daemons had +pulled him from the snowdrift and bound him tightly with many coils of +the stout rope. And then they carried the kidnapped Santa Claus away +to their mountain, where they thrust the prisoner into a secret cave +and chained him to the rocky wall so that he could not escape. + +"Ha, ha!" laughed the Daemons, rubbing their hands together with cruel +glee. "What will the children do now? How they will cry and scold +and storm when they find there are no toys in their stockings and no +gifts on their Christmas trees! And what a lot of punishment they +will receive from their parents, and how they will flock to our Caves +of Selfishness, and Envy, and Hatred, and Malice! We have done a +mighty clever thing, we Daemons of the Caves!" + +Now it so chanced that on this Christmas Eve the good Santa Claus had +taken with him in his sleigh Nuter the Ryl, Peter the Knook, Kilter +the Pixie, and a small fairy named Wisk--his four favorite assistants. +These little people he had often found very useful in helping him to +distribute his gifts to the children, and when their master was so +suddenly dragged from the sleigh they were all snugly tucked +underneath the seat, where the sharp wind could not reach them. + +The tiny immortals knew nothing of the capture of Santa Claus until +some time after he had disappeared. But finally they missed his +cheery voice, and as their master always sang or whistled on his +journeys, the silence warned them that something was wrong. + +Little Wisk stuck out his head from underneath the seat and found +Santa Claus gone and no one to direct the flight of the reindeer. + +"Whoa!" he called out, and the deer obediently slackened speed and +came to a halt. + +Peter and Nuter and Kilter all jumped upon the seat and looked back +over the track made by the sleigh. But Santa Claus had been left +miles and miles behind. + +"What shall we do?" asked Wisk anxiously, all the mirth and mischief +banished from his wee face by this great calamity. + +"We must go back at once and find our master," said Nuter the Ryl, who +thought and spoke with much deliberation. + +"No, no!" exclaimed Peter the Knook, who, cross and crabbed though he +was, might always be depended upon in an emergency. "If we delay, or +go back, there will not be time to get the toys to the children before +morning; and that would grieve Santa Claus more than anything else." + +"It is certain that some wicked creatures have captured him," added +Kilter thoughtfully, "and their object must be to make the children +unhappy. So our first duty is to get the toys distributed as +carefully as if Santa Claus were himself present. Afterward we +can search for our master and easily secure his freedom." + +This seemed such good and sensible advice that the others at once +resolved to adopt it. So Peter the Knook called to the reindeer, and +the faithful animals again sprang forward and dashed over hill and +valley, through forest and plain, until they came to the houses +wherein children lay sleeping and dreaming of the pretty gifts they +would find on Christmas morning. + +The little immortals had set themselves a difficult task; for although +they had assisted Santa Claus on many of his journeys, their master +had always directed and guided them and told them exactly what he +wished them to do. But now they had to distribute the toys according +to their own judgment, and they did not understand children as well as +did old Santa. So it is no wonder they made some laughable errors. + +Mamie Brown, who wanted a doll, got a drum instead; and a drum is of +no use to a girl who loves dolls. And Charlie Smith, who delights to +romp and play out of doors, and who wanted some new rubber boots to +keep his feet dry, received a sewing box filled with colored worsteds +and threads and needles, which made him so provoked that he +thoughtlessly called our dear Santa Claus a fraud. + +Had there been many such mistakes the Daemons would have accomplished +their evil purpose and made the children unhappy. But the little +friends of the absent Santa Claus labored faithfully and intelligently +to carry out their master's ideas, and they made fewer errors than +might be expected under such unusual circumstances. + +And, although they worked as swiftly as possible, day had begun to +break before the toys and other presents were all distributed; so for +the first time in many years the reindeer trotted into the Laughing +Valley, on their return, in broad daylight, with the brilliant sun +peeping over the edge of the forest to prove they were far behind +their accustomed hours. + +Having put the deer in the stable, the little folk began to wonder how +they might rescue their master; and they realized they must discover, +first of all, what had happened to him and where he was. + +So Wisk the Fairy transported himself to the bower of the Fairy Queen, +which was located deep in the heart of the Forest of Burzee; and once +there, it did not take him long to find out all about the naughty +Daemons and how they had kidnapped the good Santa Claus to prevent his +making children happy. The Fairy Queen also promised her assistance, +and then, fortified by this powerful support, Wisk flew back to where +Nuter and Peter and Kilter awaited him, and the four counseled +together and laid plans to rescue their master from his enemies. + +It is possible that Santa Claus was not as merry as usual during the +night that succeeded his capture. For although he had faith in the +judgment of his little friends he could not avoid a certain amount of +worry, and an anxious look would creep at times into his kind old eyes +as he thought of the disappointment that might await his dear little +children. And the Daemons, who guarded him by turns, one after +another, did not neglect to taunt him with contemptuous words in his +helpless condition. + +When Christmas Day dawned the Daemon of Malice was guarding the +prisoner, and his tongue was sharper than that of any of the others. + +"The children are waking up, Santa!" he cried. "They are waking up to +find their stockings empty! Ho, ho! How they will quarrel, and wail, +and stamp their feet in anger! Our caves will be full today, old +Santa! Our caves are sure to be full!" + +But to this, as to other like taunts, Santa Claus answered nothing. +He was much grieved by his capture, it is true; but his courage did +not forsake him. And, finding that the prisoner would not reply to +his jeers, the Daemon of Malice presently went away, and sent the +Daemon of Repentance to take his place. + +This last personage was not so disagreeable as the others. He had +gentle and refined features, and his voice was soft and pleasant in tone. + +"My brother Daemons do not trust me overmuch," said he, as he entered +the cavern; "but it is morning, now, and the mischief is done. You +cannot visit the children again for another year." + +"That is true," answered Santa Claus, almost cheerfully; +"Christmas Eve is past, and for the first time in centuries +I have not visited my children." + +"The little ones will be greatly disappointed," murmured the Daemon of +Repentance, almost regretfully; "but that cannot be helped now. Their +grief is likely to make the children selfish and envious and hateful, +and if they come to the Caves of the Daemons today I shall get a +chance to lead some of them to my Cave of Repentance." + +"Do you never repent, yourself?" asked Santa Claus, curiously. + +"Oh, yes, indeed," answered the Daemon. "I am even now repenting that +I assisted in your capture. Of course it is too late to remedy the +evil that has been done; but repentance, you know, can come only after +an evil thought or deed, for in the beginning there is nothing to +repent of." + +"So I understand," said Santa Claus. "Those who avoid evil need never +visit your cave." + +"As a rule, that is true," replied the Daemon; "yet you, who have done +no evil, are about to visit my cave at once; for to prove that I sincerely +regret my share in your capture I am going to permit you to escape." + +This speech greatly surprised the prisoner, until he reflected that it +was just what might be expected of the Daemon of Repentance. The +fellow at once busied himself untying the knots that bound Santa Claus +and unlocking the chains that fastened him to the wall. Then he +led the way through a long tunnel until they both emerged in the +Cave of Repentance. + +"I hope you will forgive me," said the Daemon pleadingly. "I am not +really a bad person, you know; and I believe I accomplish a great deal +of good in the world." + +With this he opened a back door that let in a flood of sunshine, and +Santa Claus sniffed the fresh air gratefully. + +"I bear no malice," said he to the Daemon, in a gentle voice; "and I +am sure the world would be a dreary place without you. So, good +morning, and a Merry Christmas to you!" + +With these words he stepped out to greet the bright morning, and a +moment later he was trudging along, whistling softly to himself, on +his way to his home in the Laughing Valley. + +Marching over the snow toward the mountain was a vast army, made up of +the most curious creatures imaginable. There were numberless knooks +from the forest, as rough and crooked in appearance as the gnarled +branches of the trees they ministered to. And there were dainty ryls +from the fields, each one bearing the emblem of the flower or plant it +guarded. Behind these were many ranks of pixies, gnomes and nymphs, and +in the rear a thousand beautiful fairies floated along in gorgeous array. + +This wonderful army was led by Wisk, Peter, Nuter, and Kilter, who had +assembled it to rescue Santa Claus from captivity and to punish the +Daemons who had dared to take him away from his beloved children. + +And, although they looked so bright and peaceful, the little immortals +were armed with powers that would be very terrible to those who had +incurred their anger. Woe to the Daemons of the Caves if this mighty +army of vengeance ever met them! + +But lo! coming to meet his loyal friends appeared the imposing form of +Santa Claus, his white beard floating in the breeze and his bright +eyes sparkling with pleasure at this proof of the love and veneration +he had inspired in the hearts of the most powerful creatures in existence. + +And while they clustered around him and danced with glee at his safe +return, he gave them earnest thanks for their support. But Wisk, and +Nuter, and Peter, and Kilter, he embraced affectionately. + +"It is useless to pursue the Daemons," said Santa Claus to the army. +"They have their place in the world, and can never be destroyed. But +that is a great pity, nevertheless," he continued musingly. + +So the fairies, and knooks, and pixies, and ryls all escorted the good +man to his castle, and there left him to talk over the events of the +night with his little assistants. + +Wisk had already rendered himself invisible and flown through the big +world to see how the children were getting along on this bright +Christmas morning; and by the time he returned, Peter had finished +telling Santa Claus of how they had distributed the toys. + +"We really did very well," cried the fairy, in a pleased voice; "for I +found little unhappiness among the children this morning. Still, you +must not get captured again, my dear master; for we might not be so +fortunate another time in carrying out your ideas." + +He then related the mistakes that had been made, and which he had not +discovered until his tour of inspection. And Santa Claus at once sent +him with rubber boots for Charlie Smith, and a doll for Mamie Brown; +so that even those two disappointed ones became happy. + +As for the wicked Daemons of the Caves, they were filled with anger +and chagrin when they found that their clever capture of Santa Claus +had come to naught. Indeed, no one on that Christmas Day appeared to +be at all selfish, or envious, or hateful. And, realizing that while +the children's saint had so many powerful friends it was folly to +oppose him, the Daemons never again attempted to interfere with his +journeys on Christmas Eve. + + + + + +The End of the Project Gutenberg Edition of A Kidnapped Santa Claus. + |