A Little Book of Profitable Tales

OL AND T

s shoulders, his cheeks were ruddy, his hair was fair and long, his body betokened stre

" asked his neighbor

iling for a wi

eign lands? Are not our maidens good enough and fair enough, that yo

for I will guide you to the bride that awaits you.' Then, standing there, all white and beautiful, the spirit held forth a sym

"But are you well victualled? Come to my cabin

ovide," said he. "I have no fear, and I s

d into the boat, and unfurled the sail to the wind. Jans stood

it had told him in his dream,-no cares nor dangers beset him. By day the dolphins and the other creatures of the sea gambolled about his boat; by night a beauteous St

green; the trees were not pines and firs, but cypresses, cedars, and palms; instead of the cold, crisp air of his native land, he scented the perfumed zephyrs of the Orient; and the wind that filled th

es with her right hand, and gazing intently at him. She was the most beautiful maiden he had ever looked upon. As Norss was fair, so was this maiden dark; her black hair fell loosely about her shoulders in cha

out of the North into th

said

art Norss?

come seeking my b

ight, and the angel said: 'Stand upon the beach to-day, and Norss shall come out of th

ss said: "What symbol have you, Faia, th

t was attached to the golden chain about her neck. Norss looked up

em; for as it had been told to them in their dreams, so it came to pass. By day the dolphins and the other creatures of the sea gambolled about them; by night the w

n any other maiden in the land. So merry was Jans that he built a huge fire in his forge, and the flames thereof filled the whole Northern sky with rays o

es, the fadas, the crions, the goblins, the kobolds, the moss-people, the gnomes, the dwarfs, the water-sprites, the courils, the bogles, the brownies, the nixies, the trows, the stille-volk,-all came to the cabin in the fir-grove, and

, houses, trees, cats, and birds, all of wood and very like to nature. His mother taught him how to make dolls too,-dolls of every kind, condition, temper, and color; proud dolls, homely dolls, boy dolls, lady dolls, wax dolls, rubber dolls, paper dolls, worste

stories that the waves of the sea loved to tell him; then, too, he knew the haunts of the elves and the stille-volk, and many a pretty tale he learned from these little people. When night came, old Jans told him the quaint legends of the N

rts which he in youth had learned from cunning masters. Right joyous now was Claus; and many, many times the Northern sky glowed with the flames that danced singing from the forge while Claus moulded his pretty toys. Every color of the rainbow were these flames; for they reflected the bright colors of the beauteous things strewn round th

uld not be far distant. And one day Faia said to Norss: "Neither you nor I, dear love, fear death; but if we

orss; "but how i

l see,"

the spirit said to him: "Norss, thou shalt surely live foreve

me Norss told his dream to F

angel appearing to me and

the symbol?

e, about my ne

olding the symbol out to Norss, he-he thought of the time when first he saw her on the far-distant Orient shore, standing beneath the Star

the same,-the same you wore when I

many, many times in these years, dear Norss, have I pressed it to my lips and breathed y

use him, his heart leaped with joy, and he stretched out his arms and fell about Faia's neck, and kissed the symbol and acknowledged it. Then likewise

ings to make for the little children in the country round about. The colored flames leaped singing from his forge, so that the Nor

cast its golden gleam through the latticed window, and this strange, holy light fell and rested upon the symbol of the cross that lay upon the floor. Seeing it, Claus stooped and picked it

upon him; and in that moment, too, there came to him a knowledge that his parents'

nd to declare allegiance to him: yes, the elves, the fairies, the pixies,-all came to C

nd choicest jewels; fetch me, O mermaids, from the bottom of the sea the treasures hidden there,-the shells of rainbow tints, the smooth, bright pebbles, and the strange ocean flowe

; loiter unseen in the corners, and watch and hear the children through the day. Keep a strict accoun

ully, and sped away on noiseless wings; an

irds of the air, and bade him be their master. And up dance

e coming. In town and country, on the mountain-tops and in the valleys,-wheresoever the cross is raised,-there will I herald your

r my treasures not only to the children of the North, but to the children in every land whither the Star points me and where the cross is lifted up

making-has he borne to the children of every land; for he loves them all alike, and they all alike love him, I trow. So truly do they love him that they call him Santa Cla