CHAPTER II
"Come mother, cease thy spinning, and look at the lovely tree that Olafhas brought thee; it stands as straight as himself in the best room.Surely thou wilt deck it to please him."
"Ah, Fritz! how can I?" said the forester's wife, rising from her wheel,with a sad but sweet smile, in obedience to her husbands wishes.
"But there is surely no reason for longer indulging thy grief. Ourchild is too happy in heaven to wish her return to earth, and whateverthe good God sends of pleasure or innocent mirth we should take withthankfulness. Look at the tree; it is the very image of Olaf's ownstrong youth. Make it pretty to-night, and he will be glad. A goodfriend is he for two lonely beings like us to possess."
"You are right, Fritz," said the wife, wiping a tear from her eyes. "ForOlaf's sake I will dress the tree and bake a cake." So saying, shetidied up her best parlor, and took from a brass-bound chest the gayribbons and trinkets which had not been used since the Christmas eve herlittle one last spent on earth.
Very lonely and sad would these two people have been but for Olaf, theson of their nearest neighbor. It was he whose clear ringing voice mightbe heard in the forest when returning from his work, and Fritz said thatit made labor light but to hear him. It was he, too, who, when Fritz hadbeen lamed by the fall of a tree, had borne him home on his strong youngshoulders; so it was no wonder that the good wife was grateful to him.Often at evening he made their fireside bright with his songs and merrystories, and now it was but just that they should shake off their sorrowfor his sake; so the good wife drew out her spotless board, and kneadedspice-cakes, and spread her best damask, and set out the fine china.
"Ah, if I had my little one!" murmured the good woman. "But God knowsbest," she quickly added, as she remembered many blessings.
"Here comes Olaf!" shouted Fritz from below. "Come quickly, lest hethink thee tardy."
"Yes, yes, I come. I see him," was her reply. "But what is that hecarries--something he has picked up on the way?"
"A Christmas gift for thee," was the merry answer from Olaf's ringingvoice, as he laid a strange bundle in her arms.
CHAPTER III
Little Flax-Flower had been with St. Nicholas a whole long week. In thattime she had been in every nook and corner of his dwelling. She had seenall his elves and dwarfs at work manufacturing every known toy to befound in the world. She had watched the dolls' dress-makers; she hadridden the toy horses; she had blown the brass bugles and beaten thedrums until Mrs. Christmas had to put cotton in her ears.
Now all this was very delightful, and made Santa Claus laugh long andloud. He would not have cared if she had brought the house down on hisears, so long as she had a bright smile and a kiss for him. But whenBoreas Bluster stopped to see how his young ward was getting on, heshook his head gravely and told Mrs. Christmas he feared she wasspoiling Flax-Flower. But Mrs. Christmas laughed just in the same mannerthat Santa Claus had done, and declared that the child must have all shewanted.
Unfortunately, Flax-Flower went into the kitchen one day, and findingall the cooks busily making sugar-plums, helped herself so largely totaffy that she was made very ill; she ate, besides, quite a menagerie oflemon-candy elephants, camels, and kangaroos, which disagreed withthemselves and with her; so that her head ached, and she had to be putto bed, with a hot-water bottle and a mustard draught for companions.This happened just as Boreas had stopped in to inquire about his pet,and he shook his head gravely when Mrs. Christmas related the incident.But Santa Claus only laughed till the air seemed full of merriment.
"Ah, my dear Claus, I see you have too easy and gentle a nature to dealwith wilful little mortals in an every-day way; besides, you have tothink of so many that it unfits you for the care of a single one," saidBoreas, in his least gruff manner. "I shall have to find another homefor Flax-Flower."
"Well," replied St. Nicholas, "I confess I can refuse nothing to a goodchild. Children to me are all like so many empty stockings--made to befilled. But I have had some doubts about keeping Flax-Flower. Mrs.Christmas and I are afraid it will make the others jealous; it is that,and not the stuffing down lollipops, that makes me think you are right.Now her feast-day comes soon--I mean Mrs. Christmas's day," said SantaClaus, with a nod--"and if you will just give my sleigh a lift, I thinkI can tuck in Flaxie and carry her to some people I know--some peoplewho will appreciate her and be kind to her; yes, and even cross in awholesome way, seeing that's what you approve of."
Here Santa pretended to be very gruff himself, but Boreas saw throughit. He knew that St. Nicholas, on the whole, believed that Flaxie wouldbe better off without so much amusement and without so many temptationsto do nothing but play all day long, and this was the way the matterended.
Just before Christmas day Santa Claus's sleigh was brought out into thebeautiful court I have described; eight lively young reindeer wereharnessed to it, and thousands of toys were packed in it; furs werewrapped around Flaxie, who was now quite well, and Mrs. Christmasherself made up a box of delicacies for her to eat on the way.
"Think of us often, dear child," she whispered, "and give my love to_everybody_."
Then the dwarfs gave the sleigh a push from behind, the bells of theharness rang out a merry peal, the reindeer pranced, Santa Claus snappedhis whip, and away they flew, with Boreas behind them on his snow-shoes.
"Now, Flaxie," said Santa Claus, after they had skimmed over the snowwith lightning speed for hours, "before you go to sleep, as I see youare doing, I want to speak to you. I want you always to remember thisvisit to my house with pleasure, and tell all the children you may meethow much I love them, how much it pleases me to know that they are good,and how it really distresses me when they are not; tell them, too, thatas long as Mrs. Christmas lives we will do all we can for theirhappiness, and all we ask in return is a grateful spirit. Do you thinkyou can remember all this? Well, as you say you can, tell them also tohang up an extra stocking, whenever there is room by the chimney, forsome little waif that hasn't a stocking to hang up for himself. Now goto sleep as soon as you please, and may your dreams be sweet!"
Cuddled down in the comfortable furs, Flaxie knew nothing more till shefound herself awake and in the arms of a tall young fellow whose namewas Olaf, and who carried her into the brightest, nicest little parlor,and set her down in front of a fine Christmas-tree, saying,
"There, Mistress Kindheart, see what Christmas has brought you. I foundher in the forest, and a great bearded giant told me to bring her toyou."
"Oh, Olaf, it is my little Lena come back, I do believe!" cried thewoman, while tears of joy ran down her face.
"Nay, mother, nay," said her husband; "but she shall take our lost one'splace. Come, little one, tell us who thou art and from whence thou artcome."
Then Flaxie told the story of her visit to St. Nicholas, while Olaf,Fritz, and his wife listened in amazement.
Much as Flax-Flower had enjoyed all she had seen and done, it wasdelightful to be again with people of her own flesh and blood, and learnto say the sweet word "Mother."
That Christmas was a merry one, but no merrier than the many which cameafter, for Flax-Flower became a dutiful daughter to the kind people whogave her a home. She and Olaf were like sister and brother to eachother, and they were known throughout all the country-side for theirkindness to the poor and unfortunate, especially at Christmas-time.
Frozen Nose still reigns in his palace on the Polar Sea, and it ismainly owing to him and his wicked son Chilblain that nothing more isknown of that still unexplored region; but Boreas Bluster spendsmuch of his time with good St. Nicholas and Mrs. Christmas. He tires ofthe severity of his life, and likes a snug corner where he can relatethe story of his finding Flax-Flower, whom he still loves very tenderly.Often on an evening he ventures down to take a peep at her in her happyhome, and little does she suspect that the cooling breeze at the closeof a warm day is Boreas's gift of thoughtful kindness.
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