6. The Wickedness of the Awgwas
I must now tell you something about the Awgwas, that terrible race ofcreatures which caused our good Claus so much trouble and nearlysucceeded in robbing the children of the world of their earliest andbest friend.
I do not like to mention the Awgwas, but they are a part of thishistory, and can not be ignored. They were neither mortals norimmortals, but stood midway between those classes of beings. TheAwgwas were invisible to ordinary people, but not to immortals. Theycould pass swiftly through the air from one part of the world toanother, and had the power of influencing the minds of human beings todo their wicked will.
They were of gigantic stature and had coarse, scowling countenanceswhich showed plainly their hatred of all mankind. They possessed noconsciences whatever and delighted only in evil deeds.
Their homes were in rocky, mountainous places, from whence they salliedforth to accomplish their wicked purposes.
The one of their number that could think of the most horrible deed forthem to do was always elected the King Awgwa, and all the race obeyedhis orders. Sometimes these creatures lived to become a hundred yearsold, but usually they fought so fiercely among themselves that manywere destroyed in combat, and when they died that was the end of them.Mortals were powerless to harm them and the immortals shuddered whenthe Awgwas were mentioned, and always avoided them. So they flourishedfor many years unopposed and accomplished much evil.
I am glad to assure you that these vile creatures have long sinceperished and passed from earth; but in the days when Claus was makinghis first toys they were a numerous and powerful tribe.
One of the principal sports of the Awgwas was to inspire angry passionsin the hearts of little children, so that they quarreled and foughtwith one another. They would tempt boys to eat of unripe fruit, andthen delight in the pain they suffered; they urged little girls todisobey their parents, and then would laugh when the children werepunished. I do not know what causes a child to be naughty in thesedays, but when the Awgwas were on earth naughty children were usuallyunder their influence.
Now, when Claus began to make children happy he kept them out of thepower of the Awgwas; for children possessing such lovely playthings ashe gave them had no wish to obey the evil thoughts the Awgwas tried tothrust into their minds.
Therefore, one year when the wicked tribe was to elect a new King, theychose an Awgwa who proposed to destroy Claus and take him away from thechildren.
"There are, as you know, fewer naughty children in the world sinceClaus came to the Laughing Valley and began to make his toys," said thenew King, as he squatted upon a rock and looked around at the scowlingfaces of his people. "Why, Bessie Blithesome has not stamped her footonce this month, nor has Mayrie's brother slapped his sister's face orthrown the puppy into the rain-barrel. Little Weekum took his bathlast night without screaming or struggling, because his mother hadpromised he should take his toy cat to bed with him! Such a conditionof affairs is awful for any Awgwa to think of, and the only way we candirect the naughty actions of children is to take this person Clausaway from them."
"Good! good!" cried the big Awgwas, in a chorus, and they clapped theirhands 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 youwill soon discover.
That night Claus went to bed feeling very happy, for he had completedno less than four pretty toys during the day, and they were sure, hethought, to make four little children happy. But while he slept theband of invisible Awgwas surrounded his bed, bound him with stoutcords, and then flew away with him to the middle of a dark forest infar off Ethop, where they laid him down and left him.
When morning came Claus found himself thousands of miles from any humanbeing, a prisoner in the wild jungle of an unknown land.
From the limb of a tree above his head swayed a huge python, one ofthose reptiles that are able to crush a man's bones in their coils. Afew yards away crouched a savage panther, its glaring red eyes fixedfull on the helpless Claus. One of those monstrous spotted spiderswhose sting is death crept stealthily toward him over the mattedleaves, which shriveled and turned black at its very touch.
But Claus had been reared in Burzee, and was not afraid.
"Come to me, ye Knooks of the Forest!" he cried, and gave the low,peculiar whistle that the Knooks know.
The panther, which was about to spring upon its victim, turned andslunk away. The python swung itself into the tree and disappearedamong the leaves. The spider stopped short in its advance and hidbeneath a rotting log.
Claus had no time to notice them, for he was surrounded by a band ofharsh-featured Knooks, more crooked and deformed in appearance than anyhe had ever seen.
"Who are you that call on us?" demanded one, in a gruff voice.
"The friend of your brothers in Burzee," answered Claus. "I have beenbrought here by my enemies, the Awgwas, and left to perish miserably.Yet now I implore your help to release me and to send me home again."
"Have you the sign?" asked another.
"Yes," said Claus.
They cut his bonds, and with his free arms he made the secret sign ofthe Knooks.
Instantly they assisted him to stand upon his feet, and they broughthim food and drink to strengthen him.
"Our brothers of Burzee make queer friends," grumbled an ancient Knookwhose flowing beard was pure white. "But he who knows our secret signand signal is entitled to our help, whoever he may be. Close youreyes, stranger, and we will conduct you to your home. Where shall weseek it?"
"'Tis in the Laughing Valley," answered Claus, shutting his eyes.
"There is but one Laughing Valley in the known world, so we can not goastray," remarked the Knook.
As he spoke the sound of his voice seemed to die away, so Claus openedhis eyes to see what caused the change. To his astonishment he foundhimself seated on the bench by his own door, with the Laughing Valleyspread out before him. That day he visited the Wood-Nymphs and relatedhis adventure to Queen Zurline and Necile.
"The Awgwas have become your enemies," said the lovely Queen,thoughtfully; "so we must do all we can to protect you from theirpower."
"It was cowardly to bind him while he slept," remarked Necile, withindignation.
"The evil ones are ever cowardly," answered Zurline, "but our friend'sslumber shall not be disturbed again."
The Queen herself came to the dwelling of Claus that evening and placedher Seal on every door and window, to keep out the Awgwas. And underthe Seal of Queen Zurline was placed the Seal of the Fairies and theSeal of the Ryls and the Seals of the Knooks, that the charm mightbecome more powerful.
And Claus carried his toys to the children again, and made many more ofthe little ones happy.
You may guess how angry the King Awgwa and his fierce band were when itwas known to them that Claus had escaped from the Forest of Ethop.
They raged madly for a whole week, and then held another meeting amongthe rocks.
"It is useless to carry him where the Knooks reign," said the King,"for he has their protection. So let us cast him into a cave of ourown mountains, where he will surely perish."
This was promptly agreed to, and the wicked band set out that night toseize Claus. But they found his dwelling guarded by the Seals of theImmortals and were obliged to go away baffled and disappointed.
"Never mind," said the King; "he does not sleep always!"
Next day, as Claus traveled to the village across the plain, where heintended to present a toy squirrel to a lame boy, he was suddenly setupon by the Awgwas, who seized him and carried him away to themountains.
There they thrust him within a deep cavern and rolled many huge rocksagainst the entrance to prevent his escape.
Deprived thus of light and food, and with little air to breathe, ourClaus was, indeed, in a pitiful plight. But he spoke the mystic wordsof the Fairies, which always command their fr
iendly aid, and they cameto his rescue and transported him to the Laughing Valley in thetwinkling of an eye.
Thus the Awgwas discovered they might not destroy one who had earnedthe friendship of the immortals; so the evil band sought other means ofkeeping Claus from bringing happiness to children and so making themobedient.
Whenever Claus set out to carry his toys to the little ones an Awgwa,who had been set to watch his movements, sprang upon him and snatchedthe toys from his grasp. And the children were no more disappointedthan was Claus when he was obliged to return home disconsolate. Stillhe persevered, and made many toys for his little friends and startedwith them for the villages. And always the Awgwas robbed him as soonas he had left the Valley.
They threw the stolen playthings into one of their lonely caverns, andquite a heap of toys accumulated before Claus became discouraged andgave up all attempts to leave the Valley. Then children began comingto him, since they found he did not go to them; but the wicked Awgwasflew around them and caused their steps to stray and the paths tobecome crooked, so never a little one could find a way into theLaughing Valley.
Lonely days now fell upon Claus, for he was denied the pleasure ofbringing happiness to the children whom he had learned to love. Yet hebore up bravely, for he thought surely the time would come when theAwgwas would abandon their evil designs to injure him.
He devoted all his hours to toy-making, and when one plaything had beencompleted he stood it on a shelf he had built for that purpose. Whenthe shelf became filled with rows of toys he made another one, andfilled that also. So that in time he had many shelves filled with gayand beautiful toys representing horses, dogs, cats, elephants, lambs,rabbits and deer, as well as pretty dolls of all sizes and balls andmarbles of baked clay painted in gay colors.
Often, as he glanced at this array of childish treasures, the heart ofgood old Claus became sad, so greatly did he long to carry the toys tohis children. And at last, because he could bear it no longer, heventured to go to the great Ak, to whom he told the story of hispersecution by the Awgwas, and begged the Master Woodsman to assist him.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Page 12