Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the thirteenth chapter of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.

Come with us as we release one bite a day of one of your favorite classic novels, plays & short stories. Bree reads these classics like she reads to her daughter, one chapter a day. If you love books or audiobooks and want something to listen to as you're getting ready, driving to work, or as you're getting ready for bed, check out Bite at a Time Books!

Follow, rate, and review Bite at a Time Books where we read you your favorite classics, one bite at a time. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Check out our website, or join our Facebook Group!

Get exclusive Behind the Scenes content on our YouTube!

We are now part of the Bite at a Time Books Productions network!

If you ever wondered what inspired your favorite classic novelist to write their stories, what was happening in their lives or the world at the time, check out Bite at a Time Books Behind the Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow us on all the socials: Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - TikTok

Follow Bree at: Instagram - Twitter - Facebook

Read more stories online from Mirror Online the book and let's see what we can find.

Take it chapter by chapter, one bite at a time so many adventures and mountains we can climb take it word for wordline by line.

One bite at a time my name is Brie Carlyle and I love to read and wanted to share my passion with listeners like you.

If you want to know what's coming next and vote on upcoming books, sign up for our newsletter at bite atetimebooks.com.

Be sure to follow my show on your favorite podcast platform so you get all the new episodes.

You can find most of our links in the show notes, but also our website, Bite atetimebooks.com includes all of the links for our show, including to our patreon to support the show, and YouTube, where we have special behind the narration of the episodes.

We're part of the bite at a Time books Productions network.

If you'd also like to hear what inspired your favorite classic author to write their novels and what was going on in the world at the time, check out the Bite at a Time Books Behind the Story podcast.

Wherever you listen to podcasts today, we'll be continuing the life and adventures of Santa Claus.

Six the Wickedness of the Aguas I must now tell you something about the ogwas, that terrible race of creatures which caused our good claws 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 ogwas, but they are a part of this history and cannot be ignored.

They were neither mortals nor immortals, but stood midway between those classes of beings.

The ogwas 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 Agua 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 Aguas were mentioned and always avoided them.

So they flourished for many years, unopposed and accomplished much evil.

I'm 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 Aguas 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 Aguas 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 Aguas, for children possessing such lovely playthings as he gave them had no wish to obey the evil thoughts the ogwas tried to thrust into their minds.

Therefore, one year, when the wicked tribe was to elect a new king, they chose an Agua 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, Bessy Blithesome has not stamped her foot once this month, nor has Mary's brother slapped his sister's face or thrown the puppy into the rain barrel.

Little Wickham 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 Agua to think of, and the only way we can direct the naughty actions of children is to take this person claws away from them.

Good, good.

Cried the big auguas 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 Aguas surrounded his bed, bound him with stout cords, and then flew away with him to the middle of a dark forest in far off ESOP, 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 claws.

One of those monstrous spotted spiders who sting his death crept stealthily toward him over the matted leaves which shriveled and turned black at its very touch.

But claws had been reared and bursy, and was not afraid.

Come to me, ye nooks of the forest.

He cried, and gave the low, peculiar whistle that the nooks know.

The panther, which was about to spring upon its victim, turned and sunk away.

The python swung itself into the tree and disappeared among the leaves.

A 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 nooks more crooked and deformed an 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 Burzi, answered Claus.

I've been brought here by my enemies, the Aguas, and left to perish miserably.

Yet now I employ your help to release me and to send me home again.

Have you the sign?

Asked another.

Yes, said Claus.

I cut his bonds, and with his free arms he made the secret sign of the nooks.

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

Our brothers of Birzy make queer friends.

Grumbled an ancient nook, 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 cannot go.

Astray, remarked the knob.

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 wooden emphas and related his adventure to Queen Zerlin and Nassil.

The Aguas 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 Nassil with indignation.

The evil ones are ever cowardly, answered Zurlin, but our friend 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 Aguas.

And under the seal of Queen Zurlin was placed the seal of the fairies and the seal of the reels and the seals of the nooks 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 might guess how angry the King Agua and his fierce band were when it was known to them that Claus had escaped from the forest of Ethorp.

They raged madly for a whole week, and then held another meeting among the rocks.

It is useless to carry him where the nooks 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 travelled 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 Aguas, 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 its escape.

Deprived thus of light and food and with little air to breathe, our Claws 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 Aguas discovered they might not destroy one who had earned the friendship of the Immortals.

So the evil Band sought out 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 Agua who had been set to watch his movements sprang upon him and snatched the toy from his grasp.

And the children were no more disappointed than was Claws 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 Aguas 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 August 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 Claws, 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 Aguas 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 claws became sad.

So greatly did he longed 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 Aguas and begged the Master Woodsman to assist him.

Thank you for joining Bite at a Time books today while we read a bite of one of your favorite classics.

Again, my name is Brie Carlyle and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next bite of the life and adventures of Santa Claus.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter@bitteimebooks.com.

You can check out the show notes or our website, Bite Atetimebooks.com.

For the rest of the links for our show.

Let'S see what we can find.