#D4 ,CLAUS

  ,ANO!R "D F.D ,NECILE'S B[] ! MO/
POPUL> PLACE 9 ! ,=E/4 ,! NYMPHS CLU/]$
>.D H] &! * T LAY ASLEEP 9 H] LAP1 )
EXPRES.NS ( CURIOS;Y & DELI<T4 ,NOR 7 !Y
WANT+ 9 PRAISES =! GRT ,AK'S K9D;S 9
ALL[+ ,NECILE 6KEEP ! BABE & 6C>E = X4
,EV5 ! ,QUE5 CAME 6PE] 96! 9NOC5T *ILDI%
FACE & 6HOLD A HELP.S1 *U2Y FI/ 9 H] [N
FAIR H&4
  8,:AT % WE CALL HM1 ,NECILE80 %E ASK$1
SMIL+4 8,HE M/ H A "N1 Y "K40

8,LET HM 2 CALL$ ,CLAUS10 ANSW]$
  ,NECILE1 8= T M1NS
,8A LL "O40'0

  8,R LET HM 2 CALL$ ,NECLAUS109999
RETURN$ ! ,QUE51 8= T W M1N ,8,NECILE'S
LL "O40'0
  ,! NYMPHS CLAPP$ _! H&S 9 DELI<T1 &
,NECLAUS 2CAME ! 9FANT'S "N1 AL? ,NECILE
LOV$ BE/ 6CALL HM ,CLAUS1 & 9 AF"DS _M (
H] SI/]S FOLL[$ H] EXAMPLE4
  ,NECILE GA!R$ ! S(TE/ MOSS 9 ALL ! =E/
= ,CLAUS 6LIE ^U1 & %E MADE 8 B$ 9 H] [N
B[]4 ,( FOOD ! 9FANT _H NO LACK4 ,!
NYMPHS SE>*$ ! =E/ = BELL-U4]S1 : GR[ ^U
! GOA-TREE & :5 OP5$ >E F.D 6BE FILL$ )
SWEET MILK4 ,&! S(T-EY$ DOES WILL+LY
GAVE A %>E ( _! MILK 6SUPPORT ! LL
/RANG]1 :ILE ,%IEGRA1 ! LIO;S1 (T5 CREPT
/1L?ILY 96,NECILE'S B[] & PURR$ S(TLY Z
%E LAY 2S ! BABE & F$ X4
  ,S ! LL "O FL\RI%$ & GREW BIG & /URDY
"D 0"D1 :ILE ,NECILE TAU<T HM 6SP1K &
6WALK & 6PLAY4
  ,8 ?"\S & ^WS 7 SWEET & G5TLE1 =!
NYMPHS KNEW NO EVIL & _! HE>TS 7 PURE &
LOV+4 ,HE 2CAME ! PET (! =E/1 = ,AK'S
DECREE _H =BI45 B1/ OR REPTILE 6MOLE/
HM1 & HE WALK$ FE>.SLY :]"E 8 W GUID$
HM4
  ,PRES5TLY ! NEWS R1*$ ! O!R IMMORTALS
T ! NYMPHS ( ,BURZEE _H ADOPT$ A HUMAN
9FANT1 & T ! ACT _H BE5 SANC;N$ 0! GRT
,AK4 ,"!=E _M ( !M CAME 6VISIT ! LL
/RANG]1 LOOK+ ^U HM ) M* 9T]E/4 ,F/ !
,RYLS1 :O >E F/ C\S9S 6! WOOD-NYMPHS1
AL? S DI6]5TLY =M$4 ,=! ,RYLS >E REQUIR$
6WAT* OV] ! FL[]S & PLANTS1 Z ! NYMPHS
WAT* OV] ! =E/ TREES4 ,!Y SE>* ! WIDE _W
=! FOOD REQUIR$ 0! ROOTS (! FL[]+
PLANTS1 :ILE ! BRILLIANT COLORS POSSESS$
0! FULL-BL[N FL[]S >E DUE 6! DYES PLAC$
9 ! SOIL 0! ,RYLS1 : >E DRAWN "? ! LL
VE9S 9 ! ROOTS &! BODY (! PLANTS1 Z !Y
R1* MATUR;Y4 ,! ,RYLS >E A BUSY P1 = _!
FL[]S BLOOM & FADE 3T9U,Y1 B !Y >E M]RY
& LI<T-HE>T$ & >E V POPUL> )! O!R
IMMORTALS4
  ,NEXT CAME ! ,KNOOKS1 ^: DUTY X IS
6WAT* OV] ! B1/S (! _W1 BO? G5TLE &
WILD4 ,! ,KNOOKS H A H>D "T ( X1 S9CE _M
(! B1/S >E UNGOV]NA# & REBEL AG/
RE/RA9T4 ,B !Y "K H[ 6MANAGE !M1 AF ALL1
& Y W F9D T C]TA9 LAWS (! ,KNOOKS >E
OBEY$ 0EV5 ! MO/ F]OCI\S ANIMALS4 ,_!
ANXIETIES MAKE ! ,KNOOKS LOOK OLD & WORN
& CROOK$1 & _! NATURES >E A BIT R\< F
ASSOCIAT+ ) WILD CR1TURES 3T9U,Y2 YET !Y
>E MO/ USE;L 6HUMAN;Y & 6! _W 9 G5]AL1 Z
_! LAWS >E ! ONLY LAWS ! =E/ B1/S
RECOGNIZE EXCEPT ^? (! ,MA/] ,WOODSMAN4
  ,!N "! 7 ! ,FAIRIES1 ! GU>DIANS (
MANK9D1 :O 7 M* 9T]E/$ 9 ! ADOP;N (
,CLAUS 2C _! [N LAWS =BADE !M 62COME
FAMILI> ) _! HUMAN *>GES4 ,"! >E 9/.ES
ON RECORD ": ! ,FAIRIES H %[N !MVS
6HUMAN 2+S1 & H EV5 3V]S$ ) !M2 B !Y >E
SUPPOS$ 6GU>D ! LIVES ( MANK9D UNSE5 &
UN"KN1 & IF !Y FAVOR "S P M ?AN O!RS X
IS 2C ^! H WON S* 4T9C;N FAIRLY1 Z !
,FAIRIES >E V J & IM"PIAL4 ,B ! IDEA (
ADOPT+ A * ( M5 _H N"E O3URR$ 6!M 2C X 0
9 E WAY OPPOS$ 6_! LAWS2 S _! CURIOS;Y 0
9T5SE 62HOLD ! LL /RANG] ADOPT$ 0,NECILE
& H] SI/] NYMPHS4
  ,CLAUS LOOK$ ^U ! IMMORTALS :O ?R;G$
>.D HM ) FE>.S EYES & SMIL+ LIPS4 ,HE
RODE LAU<+LY ^U ! %\LD]S (! M]RY ,RYLS2
HE MIS*IEV\SLY PULL$ ! GRAY BE>DS (! L[-
BR[$ ,KNOOKS2 HE RE/$ 8 CURLY H1D
3FID5TLY ^U ! DA9TY BOSOM (! ,FAIRY
,QUE5 H]F4 ,&! ,RYLS LOV$ ! S.D ( 8
LAU<T]2 ! ,KNOOKS LOV$ 8 C\RAGE2 !
,FAIRIES LOV$ 8 9NOC;E4
  ,! BOY MADE FRS ( !M ALL1 & LE>N$ 6"K
_! LAWS 9TIMATELY4 ,NO =E/ FL[] 0
TRAMPL$ 2N 8 FEET1 LE/ ! FRLY ,RYLS %D 2
GRIEV$4 ,HE N"E 9T]F]$ )! B1/S (! =E/1
LE/ 8 FRS ! ,KNOOKS %D 2COME ANGRY4 ,!
,FAIRIES HE LOV$ DE>LY1 B1 "K+ NO?+ (
MANK9D1 HE CD N "U/& T HE 0 ! ONLY "O (
8 RACE ADMITT$ 6FRLY 9T]C\RSE ) !M4
  ,9DE$1 ,CLAUS CAME 63SID] T HE AL"O1 (
ALL ! =E/ P1 _H NO L NOR FELL[4 ,6HM !
=E/ 0 ! _W4 ,HE _H NO IDEA T MILLIONS (
TOIL+1 /RIV+ HUMAN CR1TURES EXI/$4
  ,& HE 0 HAPPY & 3T5T4

9999 ,"S P H SPELL$ ? "N ,NICKLAUS &
    O!RS ,NICOLAS1 : IS ! R1SON T ,SANTA
    ,CLAUS IS / "KN 9 "S L&S Z ,/4
    ,NICOLAS4 ,B1 ( C\RSE1 ,NECLAUS IS 8
    "R "N1 & ,CLAUS ! NICK"N GIV5 HM
    0HIS ADOPT$ "M1 ! FAIR NYMPH
    ,NECILE4






