6. The Wickedness of the Awgwas

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

by L. Frank Baum

I must now tell you something about the Awgwas, that terrible
race of creatures which caused our good Claus so much trouble and
nearly succeeded in robbing the children of the world of their
earliest and best friend.

I do not like to mention the Awgwas, but they are a part of this
history, and can not be ignored. They were neither mortals nor
immortals, but stood midway between those classes of beings. The
Awgwas were invisible to ordinary people, but not to immortals. They
could pass swiftly through the air from one part of the world to
another, and had the power of influencing the minds of human beings
to do their wicked will.

They were of gigantic stature and had coarse, scowling
countenances which showed plainly their hatred of all mankind. They
possessed no consciences whatever and delighted only in evil
deeds.

Their homes were in rocky, mountainous places, from whence they
sallied forth to accomplish their wicked purposes.

The one of their number that could think of the most horrible
deed for them to do was always elected the King Awgwa, and all the
race obeyed his orders. Sometimes these creatures lived to become a
hundred years old, but usually they fought so fiercely among
themselves that many were destroyed in combat, and when they died
that was the end of them. Mortals were powerless to harm them and
the immortals shuddered when the Awgwas were mentioned, and always
avoided them. So they flourished for many years unopposed and
accomplished much evil.

I am glad to assure you that these vile creatures have long
since perished and passed from earth; but in the days when Claus was
making his first toys they were a numerous and powerful tribe.

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. I do not know what causes a child to be
naughty in these days, but when the Awgwas were on earth naughty
children were usually under their influence.

Now, when Claus began to make children happy he kept them out of
the power of the Awgwas; for children possessing such lovely
playthings as he gave them had no wish to obey the evil thoughts the
Awgwas tried to thrust into their minds.

Therefore, one year when the wicked tribe was to elect a new
King, they chose an Awgwa who proposed to destroy Claus and take him
away from the children.

"There are, as you know, fewer naughty children in the world
since Claus came to the Laughing Valley and began to make his toys,"
said the new King, as he squatted upon a rock and looked around at
the scowling faces of his people. "Why, Bessie Blithesome has not
stamped her foot once this month, nor has Mayrie's brother slapped
his sister's face or thrown the puppy into the rain-barrel. Little
Weekum took his bath last night without screaming or struggling,
because his mother had promised he should take his toy cat to bed
with him! 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.

"I have a plan," replied the wicked King; and what his plan was
you will soon discover.

That night Claus went to bed feeling very happy, for he had
completed no less than four pretty toys during the day, and they were
sure, he thought, to make four little children happy. 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.

From the limb of a tree above his head swayed a huge python, one
of those reptiles that are able to crush a man's bones in their
coils. A few yards away crouched a savage panther, its glaring red
eyes fixed full on the helpless Claus. One of those monstrous
spotted spiders whose sting is death crept stealthily toward him over
the matted leaves, 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
and slunk away. The python swung itself into the tree and
disappeared among the leaves. The spider stopped short in its
advance and hid beneath a rotting log.

Claus had no time to notice them, for he was surrounded by a
band of harsh-featured Knooks, more crooked and deformed in
appearance than any he 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 been brought 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 of the Knooks.

Instantly they assisted him to stand upon his feet, and they
brought him food and drink to strengthen him.

"Our brothers of Burzee make queer friends," grumbled an ancient
Knook whose flowing beard was pure white. "But he who knows our
secret sign and signal is entitled to our help, whoever he may be.
Close your eyes, stranger, and we will conduct you to your home.
Where shall we seek 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 go astray," remarked the Knook.

As he spoke the sound of his voice seemed to die away, so Claus
opened his eyes to see what caused the change. To his astonishment
he found himself seated on the bench by his own door, with the
Laughing Valley spread out before him. 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.

"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.
And under the Seal of Queen Zurline was placed the Seal of the
Fairies and the Seal of the Ryls and the Seals of the Knooks, that
the charm might become more powerful.

And Claus carried his toys to the children again, and made many
more of the little ones happy.

You may guess how angry the King Awgwa and his fierce band were
when it was known to them that Claus had escaped from the Forest of
Ethop.

They raged madly for a whole week, and then held another meeting
among the 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 our own mountains, where he will surely perish."

This was promptly agreed to, and the wicked band set out that
night to seize Claus. But they found his dwelling guarded by the
Seals of the Immortals 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 he intended to present a toy squirrel to a lame boy, he was
suddenly set upon by the Awgwas, who seized him and carried him away
to the mountains.

There they thrust him within a deep cavern and rolled many huge
rocks against the entrance to prevent his escape.

Deprived thus of light and food, and with little air to breathe,
our Claus was, indeed, in a pitiful plight. But he spoke the mystic
words of the Fairies, which always command their friendly aid, and
they came to his rescue and transported him to the Laughing Valley in
the twinkling of an eye.

Thus the Awgwas discovered they might not destroy one who had
earned the friendship of the immortals; so the evil band sought other
means of keeping Claus from bringing happiness to children and so
making them obedient.

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
snatched the toys from his grasp. 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.

They threw the stolen playthings into one of their lonely
caverns, and quite a heap of toys accumulated before Claus became
discouraged and gave up all attempts to leave the Valley. 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.
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. So that in time he had many
shelves filled with gay and beautiful toys representing horses, dogs,
cats, elephants, lambs, rabbits and deer, as well as pretty dolls of
all sizes and balls and marbles of baked clay painted in gay
colors.

Often, as he glanced at this array of childish treasures, the
heart of good old Claus became sad, so greatly did he long to carry
the toys to his children. And at last, because he could bear it no
longer, he ventured to go to the great Ak, to whom he told the story
of his persecution by the Awgwas, and begged the Master Woodsman to
assist him.