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

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Video welcome to Bite at a Time Books, where we read you your favorite classics one byte at a time.

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Be continuing the life and adventures of Santa Claus two the Child of the Forest Once so long ago, our great grandfathers could scarcely have heard it mentioned.

There lived within the great forest of Bursey, a wood nymph named Nassil.

She was closely related to the mighty queens, or Lynn, and her home was beneath the shade of a widespreading oak.

Once every year on Budding Day, when the trees put forth their new buds, Nasil held the golden chalice of act to the lips of the queen, who drank therefrom to the prosperity of the forest.

So you see, she was a nymph of some importance, and moreover, it is.

Said she was highly regarded because of.

Her beauty and grace.

When she was created.

She could not have told.

Queen zerland could not have told.

The great AK himself could not have told.

It was long ago, when the world was new and nymphs were needed to guard the forests and to minister to the wants of the young trees.

Then, on Sunday, not remembered, Nasil sprang into being radiant, lovely, straight and slim as the sapling she was created to guard.

Her hair was the color that lines a chestnut burr.

Her eyes were blue in the sunlight and purple in the shade.

Her cheeks bloomed with the faint pink that edges the clouds at sunset.

Her lips were full red, pouting and sweet.

For costume, she adopted oak leaf green, all the wooden empts dressed in that color, and no, no other so desirable.

Her dainty feet were sandalclad, while her head remained bare of covering.

Other than her silken tresses, Nassil's duties were few and simple.

She kept hurtful weeds from growing beneath.

Her trees, and sapping the earth food.

Required by her charges.

She frightened away the gadgles, who took.

Evil delight in flying against the tree trunks and wounding them so that they drooped and died from the poisonous contact.

In dry season she carried water from the brooks and pools and moistened the roots of her thirsty dependence.

That was in the beginning.

The weeds had now learned to avoid the forests where wood nymphs dwelt.

The loafsome gaggles no longer dared come nigh.

The trees had become old and sturdy and could bear the drought better than when fresh sprouted.

So Nassil's duties were lessened, and time grew laggard, while succeeding years became more tiresome and uneventful than the nymph stria spirit loved.

Truly, the forest dwellers did not lack amusement.

Each full moon they danced in the royal circle of the Queen.

There were also the feast of Nuts, the Jubilee of Autumn Tintings, the solemn Ceremony of Leaf Shedding and the revelry of Budding Day.

But these periods of enjoyment were far apart and left many weary hours between that a wooden imp should grow.

Discontented was not thought of by Nasil's sisters.

It came upon her only after many years of brooding, but when once she had settled in her mind that life was irksome, she had no patience with her condition and longed to do something of real interest and to pass her days in ways hitherto undreamed of by forest nemps.

The law of the forest alone restrained her from going forth in search of adventure.

While this mood lay heavy upon prettiness.

It chanced that the great act visited.

The forest of Bursey and allowed the wood nymphs as was their want, to lie at his feet and listen to the words of wisdom that fell from his lips.

AK is the master woodsman of the world.

He sees everything and knows more than the sons of men.

That night he held the queen's hand, for he loved the nymphs as a father loves his children, and Nassau lay at his feet with many of her sisters and earnestly hearkened as he spoke.

We live so happily, my fair ones, in our forest glades, said AK, stroking his grizzled beard thoughtfully, that we know nothing of the sorrow and misery that fall to the lot of those poor mortals who inhabit the open spaces of the earth.

They are not of our race, it is true, yet compassion well befits, being so fairly favored as ourselves.

Often as I pass by the dwelling of some suffering mortal, I am tempted to stop and banish the poor thing's misery.

Yet suffering in moderation is the natural law of mortals, and it is not our place to interfere with the laws of nature.

Nevertheless, said the fair queen, nodding her golden head at the master woodsman, it.

Would not be a vain guess that AK has often assisted these hapless mortals.

AK smiled.

Sometimes, he replied, when they are very young children, the mortals call them.

I've stopped to rescue them from misery.

The men and women I dare not interfere with.

They must bear the burdens nature has imposed upon them.

But the helpless infants, the innocent children of men, have a right to be happy until they become full grown and able to bear the trials of humanity.

So I feel I am justified in assisting them.

Not long ago, a year maybe, I found four poor children huddled in a wooden hut, slowly freezing to death.

Their parents had gone to a neighboring village for food and had left a fire to warm their little ones while they were absent.

But a storm arose and drifted the snow in their path, so they were long on the road.

Meanwhile the fire went out, and the frost crept into the bones of the waiting children.

Poor things, murmured the queen softly.

What did you do?

I called Melco, bidding him fetch wood from my forests and breathe upon it until the fire blazed again and warmed the little room where the children lay.

Then they ceased shivering and fell asleep until their parents came.

I am glad you did thus, said.

The good queen, beaming upon the master, and the syll, who had eagerly listened.

To every word, echoed in a whisper.

I, too, am glad.

And this very night, continued AK, as I came to the edge of Bursey, I heard a feeble cry, which I judged came from a human infant.

I looked about me and found close to the forest a helpless babe, lying quite naked upon the grasses and wailing piteously.

Not far away, screened by the forest, crouched Shigra the Lionesse, intent upon devouring the infant for her evening meal.

And what did you do, AK?

Asked the queen breathlessly.

Not much, being in a hurry to greet my nymphs.

But I commanded Shigra to lie close to the babe and to give it her milk to quiet its hunger.

And I told her to send word throughout the forest to all beasts and reptiles that the child should not be harmed.

I am glad you did thus, said.

The good queen, again in a tone of relief.

But this time Nasil did not echo her words, for the Nemph, filled with a strange resolve, had suddenly stolen away from the group.

Swiftly her life formed, darted through the forest paths, until she reached the edge of mighty Bersey, where she paused to gaze curiously about her.

Never until now had she ventured so far, for the law of forest had placed the nymphs in its inmost depth, still knew she was breaking the law.

But the thought did not give pause.

To her dainty feet.

She had decided to see with her.

Own eyes this infant AK had told of, for she had never yet beheld a child of man.

All the immortals are full grown.

There are no children among them.

Peering through the trees, Nicil saw the child lying on the grass, but now it was sweetly sleeping, having been comforted by the milk drawn from Shegra.

It was not old enough to know what peril means.

If it did not feel hunger, it was content.

Softly, the nymph stole to the side of the babe and knelt upon the sward.

Her long robe of rose leave color spreading about her like a gossamer cloud.

Her lovely countenance expressed curiosity and surprise, but most of all, a tender womanly.

Pity.

The babe was newborn, chubby and pink.

It was entirely helpless.

While the nymph gazed, the infant opened its eyes, smiled upon her, and stretched out two dimpled arms.

In another instant, Nassil had caught it to her breast and was hurrying with it through the forest paths.

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.

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To hang out with other classic novel loving friends.

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Take a look at my Broken.

Let's see what we can find.