th
and covered it over with glowing coals. By morning, when he drew the
dolly from the ashes, it had baked as hard as if it had lain a full day
in the hot sun.

Now our Claus became a dressmaker as well as a toymaker. He cut the
lavender silk, and nearly sewed it into a beautiful gown that just
fitted the new dolly. And he put a lace collar around its neck and
pink silk shoes on its feet. The natural color of baked clay is a
light gray, but Claus painted the face to resemble the color of flesh,
and he gave the dolly Bessie's brown eyes and golden hair and rosy
cheeks.

It was really a beautiful thing to look upon, and sure to bring joy to
some childish heart. While Claus was admiring it he heard a knock at
his door, and little Mayrie entered. Her face was sad and her eyes red
with continued weeping.

"Why, what has grieved you, my dear?" asked Claus, taking the child in
his arms.

"I've--I've--bwoke my tat!" sobbed Mayrie.

"How?" he inquired, his eyes twinkling.

"I--I dwopped him, an' bwoke off him's tail; an'--an'--then I dwopped
him an' bwoke off him's ear! An'--an' now him's all spoilt!"

Claus laughed.

"Never mind, Mayrie dear," he said. "How would you like this new
dolly, instead of a cat?"

Mayrie looked at the silk-robed dolly and her eyes grew big with
astonishment.

"Oh, Tlaus!" she cried, clapping her small hands together with rapture;
"tan I have 'at boo'ful lady?"

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it!" said she. "It's better 'an tats!"

"Then take it, dear, and be careful not to break it."

Mayrie took the dolly with a joy that was almost reverent, and her face
dimpled with smiles as she started along the path toward home.

6. The Wickedness of the Awgwas

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 sh