1. The Mantle of Immortality
And now we come to a turning-point in the career of Santa Claus, and itis my duty to relate the most remarkable that has happened since theworld began or mankind was created.
We have followed the life of Claus from the time he was found ahelpless infant by the Wood-Nymph Necile and reared to manhood in thegreat Forest of Burzee. And we know how he began to make toys forchildren and how, with the assistance and goodwill of the immortals, hewas able to distribute them to the little ones throughout the world.
For many years he carried on this noble work; for the simple,hard-working life he led gave him perfect health and strength. Anddoubtless a man can live longer in the beautiful Laughing Valley, wherethere are no cares and everything is peaceful and merry, than in anyother part of the world.
But when many years had rolled away Santa Claus grew old. The longbeard of golden brown that once covered his cheeks and chin graduallybecame gray, and finally turned to pure white. His hair was white,too, and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, which showedplainly when he laughed. He had never been a very tall man, and now hebecame fat, and waddled very much like a duck when he walked. But inspite of these things he remained as lively as ever, and was just asjolly and gay, and his kind eyes sparkled as brightly as they did thatfirst day when he came to the Laughing Valley.
Yet a time is sure to come when every mortal who has grown old andlived his life is required to leave this world for another; so it is nowonder that, after Santa Claus had driven his reindeer on many and manya Christmas Eve, those stanch friends finally whispered amongthemselves that they had probably drawn his sledge for the last time.
Then all the Forest of Burzee became sad and all the Laughing Valleywas hushed; for every living thing that had known Claus had used tolove him and to brighten at the sound of his footsteps or the notes ofhis merry whistle.
No doubt the old man's strength was at last exhausted, for he made nomore toys, but lay on his bed as in a dream.
The Nymph Necile, she who had reared him and been his foster-mother,was still youthful and strong and beautiful, and it seemed to her but ashort time since this aged, gray-bearded man had lain in her arms andsmiled on her with his innocent, baby lips.
In this is shown the difference between mortals and immortals.
It was fortunate that the great Ak came to the Forest at this time.Necile sought him with troubled eyes and told him of the fate thatthreatened their friend Claus.
At once the Master became grave, and he leaned upon his ax and strokedhis grizzled beard thoughtfully for many minutes. Then suddenly hestood up straight, and poised his powerful head with firm resolve, andstretched out his great right arm as if determined on doing some mightydeed. For a thought had come to him so grand in its conception thatall the world might well bow before the Master Woodsman and honor hisname forever!
It is well known that when the great Ak once undertakes to do a thinghe never hesitates an instant. Now he summoned his fleetestmessengers, and sent them in a flash to many parts of the earth. Andwhen they were gone he turned to the anxious Necile and comforted her,saying:
"Be of good heart, my child; our friend still lives. And now run toyour Queen and tell her that I have summoned a council of all theimmortals of the world to meet with me here in Burzee this night. Ifthey obey, and harken unto my words, Claus will drive his reindeer forcountless ages yet to come."
At midnight there was a wondrous scene in the ancient Forest of Burzee,where for the first time in many centuries the rulers of the immortalswho inhabit the earth were gathered together.
There was the Queen of the Water Sprites, whose beautiful form was asclear as crystal but continually dripped water on the bank of mosswhere she sat. And beside her was the King of the Sleep Fays, whocarried a wand from the end of which a fine dust fell all around, sothat no mortal could keep awake long enough to see him, as mortal eyeswere sure to close in sleep as soon as the dust filled them. And nextto him sat the Gnome King, whose people inhabit all that region underthe earth's surface, where they guard the precious metals and the jewelstones that lie buried in rock and ore. At his right hand stood theKing of the Sound Imps, who had wings on his feet, for his people areswift to carry all sounds that are made. When they are busy they carrythe sounds but short distances, for there are many of them; butsometimes they speed with the sounds to places miles and miles awayfrom where they are made. The King of the Sound Imps had an anxiousand careworn face, for most people have no consideration for his Impsand, especially the boys and girls, make a great many unnecessarysounds which the Imps are obliged to carry when they might be betteremployed.
The next in the circle of immortals was the King of the Wind Demons,slender of frame, restless and uneasy at being confined to one placefor even an hour. Once in a while he would leave his place and circlearound the glade, and each time he did this the Fairy Queen was obligedto untangle the flowing locks of her golden hair and tuck them back ofher pink ears. But she did not complain, for it was not often that theKing of the Wind Demons came into the heart of the Forest. After theFairy Queen, whose home you know was in old Burzee, came the King ofthe Light Elves, with his two Princes, Flash and Twilight, at his back.He never went anywhere without his Princes, for they were somischievous that he dared not let them wander alone.
Prince Flash bore a lightning-bolt in his right hand and a horn ofgunpowder in his left, and his bright eyes roved constantly around, asif he longed to use his blinding flashes. Prince Twilight held a greatsnuffer in one hand and a big black cloak in the other, and it is wellknown that unless Twilight is carefully watched the snuffers or thecloak will throw everything into darkness, and Darkness is the greatestenemy the King of the Light Elves has.
In addition to the immortals I have named were the King of the Knooks,who had come from his home in the jungles of India; and the King of theRyls, who lived among the gay flowers and luscious fruits of Valencia.Sweet Queen Zurline of the Wood-Nymphs completed the circle ofimmortals.
But in the center of the circle sat three others who possessed powersso great that all the Kings and Queens showed them reverence.
These were Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World, who rules the forestsand the orchards and the groves; and Kern, the Master Husbandman of theWorld, who rules the grain fields and the meadows and the gardens; andBo, the Master Mariner of the World, who rules the seas and all thecraft that float thereon. And all other immortals are more or lesssubject to these three.
When all had assembled the Master Woodsman of the World stood up toaddress them, since he himself had summoned them to the council.
Very clearly he told them the story of Claus, beginning at the timewhen as a babe he had been adopted a child of the Forest, and tellingof his noble and generous nature and his life-long labors to makechildren happy.
"And now," said Ak, "when he had won the love of all the world, theSpirit of Death is hovering over him. Of all men who have inhabitedthe earth none other so well deserves immortality, for such a life cannot be spared so long as there are children of mankind to miss him andto grieve over his loss. We immortals are the servants of the world,and to serve the world we were permitted in the Beginning to exist.But what one of us is more worthy of immortality than this man Claus,who so sweetly ministers to the little children?"
He paused and glanced around the circle, to find every immortallistening to him eagerly and nodding approval. Finally the King of theWind Demons, who had been whistling softly to himself, cried out:
"What is your desire, O Ak?"
"To bestow upon Claus the Mantle of Immortality!" said Ak, boldly.
That this demand was wholly unexpected was proved by the immortalsspringing to their feet and looking into each other's face with dismayand then upon Ak with wonder. For it was a grave matter, this partingwith the Mantle of Immortality.
The Queen of the Water Sprites spoke in her low, clear voice, and thewords sounded like raindrops splashing up
on a window-pane.
"In all the world there is but one Mantle of Immortality," she said.
The King of the Sound Fays added:
"It has existed since the Beginning, and no mortal has ever dared toclaim it."
And the Master Mariner of the World arose and stretched his limbs,saying:
"Only by the vote of every immortal can it be bestowed upon a mortal."
"I know all this," answered Ak, quietly. "But the Mantle exists, andif it was created, as you say, in the Beginning, it was because theSupreme Master knew that some day it would be required. Until now nomortal has deserved it, but who among you dares deny that the goodClaus deserves it? Will you not all vote to bestow it upon him?"
They were silent, still looking upon one another questioningly.
"Of what use is the Mantle of Immortality unless it is worn?" demandedAk. "What will it profit any one of us to allow it to remain in itslonely shrine for all time to come?"
"Enough!" cried the Gnome King, abruptly. "We will vote on the matter,yes or no. For my part, I say yes!"
"And I!" said the Fairy Queen, promptly, and Ak rewarded her with asmile.
"My people in Burzee tell me they have learned to love him; therefore Ivote to give Claus the Mantle," said the King of the Ryls.
"He is already a comrade of the Knooks," announced the ancient King ofthat band. "Let him have immortality!"
"Let him have it--let him have it!" sighed the King of the Wind Demons.
"Why not?" asked the King of the Sleep Fays. "He never disturbs theslumbers my people allow humanity. Let the good Claus be immortal!"
"I do not object," said the King of the Sound Imps.
"Nor I," murmured the Queen of the Water Sprites.
"If Claus does not receive the Mantle it is clear none other can everclaim it," remarked the King of the Light Elves, "so let us have donewith the thing for all time."
"The Wood-Nymphs were first to adopt him," said Queen Zurline. "Ofcourse I shall vote to make him immortal."
Ak now turned to the Master Husbandman of the World, who held up hisright arm and said "Yes!"
And the Master Mariner of the World did likewise, after which Ak, withsparkling eyes and smiling face, cried out:
"I thank you, fellow immortals! For all have voted 'yes,' and so toour dear Claus shall fall the one Mantle of Immortality that it is inour power to bestow!"
"Let us fetch it at once," said the Fay King; "I'm in a hurry."
They bowed assent, and instantly the Forest glade was deserted. But ina place midway between the earth and the sky was suspended a gleamingcrypt of gold and platinum, aglow with soft lights shed from the facetsof countless gems. Within a high dome hung the precious Mantle ofImmortality, and each immortal placed a hand on the hem of the splendidRobe and said, as with one voice:
"We bestow this Mantle upon Claus, who is called the Patron Saint ofChildren!"
At this the Mantle came away from its lofty crypt, and they carried itto the house in the Laughing Valley.
The Spirit of Death was crouching very near to the bedside of Claus,and as the immortals approached she sprang up and motioned them backwith an angry gesture. But when her eyes fell upon the Mantle theybore she shrank away with a low moan of disappointment and quitted thathouse forever.
Softly and silently the immortal Band dropped upon Claus the preciousMantle, and it closed about him and sank into the outlines of his bodyand disappeared from view. It became a part of his being, and neithermortal nor immortal might ever take it from him.
Then the Kings and Queens who had wrought this great deed dispersed totheir various homes, and all were well contented that they had addedanother immortal to their Band.
And Claus slept on, the red blood of everlasting life coursing swiftlythrough his veins; and on his brow was a tiny drop of water that hadfallen from the ever-melting gown of the Queen of the Water Sprites,and over his lips hovered a tender kiss that had been left by the sweetNymph Necile. For she had stolen in when the others were gone to gazewith rapture upon the immortal form of her foster son.