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And the children were no more disappointed than was Claus when he was obliged to return home disconsolate. Still he persevered, and made many toys for his little friends and started with them for the villages. And always the Awgwas robbed him as soon as he had left the Valley.
Then rushed the three-eyed Giants of Tatary upon the Knooks, and the Goozzle-Goblins upon the Ryls, and the firebreathing Dragons upon the sweet Fairies. Because the Nymphs were Ak's own people the band of Awgwas sought them out, thinking to overcome them with ease.
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.
That day he visited the Wood-Nymphs and related his 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 their power." "It was cowardly to bind him while he slept," remarked Necile, with indignation.
One of the principal sports of the Awgwas was to inspire angry passions in the hearts of little children, so that they quarreled and fought with one another. They would tempt boys to eat of unripe fruit, and then delight in the pain they suffered; they urged little girls to disobey their parents, and then would laugh when the children were punished.
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.
Then children began coming to him, since they found he did not go to them; but the wicked Awgwas flew around them and caused their steps to stray and the paths to become crooked, so never a little one could find a way into the Laughing Valley. Lonely days now fell upon Claus, for he was denied the pleasure of bringing happiness to the children whom he had learned to love.
"The evil ones are ever cowardly," answered Zurline, "but our friend's slumber shall not be disturbed again." The Queen herself came to the dwelling of Claus that evening and placed her Seal on every door and window, to keep out the Awgwas.
Yet he bore up bravely, for he thought surely the time would come when the Awgwas would abandon their evil designs to injure him. He devoted all his hours to toy-making, and when one plaything had been completed he stood it on a shelf he had built for that purpose. When the shelf became filled with rows of toys he made another one, and filled that also.
"The Awgwas," said Ak, "have perished!" Now I will gladly have done with wicked spirits and with fighting and bloodshed. It was not from choice that I told of the Awgwas and their allies, and of their great battle with the immortals. They were part of this history, and could not be avoided. The First Journey with the Reindeer
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