owed 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