#B4 ,H[ ,CLAUS ,MADE ! ,F/ ,TOY

  ,TRULY \R ,CLAUS _H WISDOM1 = 8 GD
=TUNE B /R5G!N$ 8 RESOLVE 62FR ! LL "OS
( 8 [N RACE4 ,HE KNEW 8 PLAN 0 APPROV$
0! IMMORTALS1 ELSE !Y WD N H FAVOR$ HM S
GRTLY4
  ,S HE 2GAN AT ONCE 6MAKE ACQUA9T.E )
MANK9D4 ,HE WALK$ "? ! ,VALLEY 6! PLA9
2Y1 & CROSS$ ! PLA9 9 _M DIREC;NS 6R1* !
ABODES ( M54 ,^! /OOD S+LY OR 9 GR\PS (
DWELL+S CALL$ VILLAGES1 & 9 NE>LY ALL !
H\SES1 :E!R BIG OR LL1 ,CLAUS F.D *N4
  ,! "Y/]S SOON CAME 6"K 8 M]RY1 LAU<+
FACE &! K9D GL.E ( 8 B"R EYES2 &! P>5TS1
:ILE !Y REG>D$ ! "Y MAN ) "S SCORN =
LOV+ *N M ?AN _! ELD]S1 7 3T5T T ! GIRLS
& BOYS _H F.D A PLAYFELL[ :O SEEM$ WILL+
6AMUSE !M4
  ,S ! *N ROMP$ & PLAY$ GAMES ) ,CLAUS1
&! BOYS RODE ^U 8 %\LD]S1 &! GIRLS NE/L$
9 8 /R;G >MS1 &! BABIES CLUNG FONDLY
6HIS KNEES4 ,:]"E ! "Y MAN *.ED 6BE1 !
S.D ( *ILDI% LAU<T] FOLL[$ HM2 & 6"U/& ?
BETT] Y M/ "K T *N 7 M* NEGLECT$ 9 ^?
"DS & RCVD LL ATT5;N F _! P>5TS1 S T X
2CAME 6!M A M>VEL T S GDLY A MAN Z
,CLAUS DEVOT$ 8 "T 6MAK+ !M HAPPY4 ,& ^?
:O KNEW HM W]E1 Y MAY 2 SURE1 V HAPPY
9DE$4 ,! SAD FACES (! POOR & ABUS$ GREW
B"R = ONCE2 ! CRIPPLE SMIL$ DESPITE 8
MIS=TUNE2 ! AIL+ "OS HU%$ _! MOANS &!
GRIEV$ "OS _! CRIES :5 _! M]RY FR CAME
NI< 6-=T !M4
  ,ONLY AT ! B1UTI;L PALACE (! ,"L (
,L]D & AT ! FR[N+ CA/LE (! ,B>ON ,BRAUN
0 ,CLAUS REFUS$ ADMITT.E4 ,"! 7 *N AT
BO? PLACES2 B ! S]VANTS AT ! PALACE %UT
! DOOR 9 ! "Y /RANG]'S FACE1 &! FI]CE
,B>ON ?R1T5$ 6HANG HM F AN IRON HOOK ON
! CA/LE WALLS4 ,":^U ,CLAUS SI<$ & W5T
BACK 6! POOR] DWELL+S ": HE 0 WELCOME4
  ,AF A "T ! W9T] DREW NE>4
  ,! FL[]S LIV$ \ _! LIVES & FAD$ &
4APPE>$2 ! BEETLES BURR[$ F> 96! W>M
E>?2 ! BUTT]FLIES DES]T$ ! M1D[S2 &!
VOICE (! BROOK GREW HO>SE1 Z IF X _H
TAK5 COLD4
  ,"O "D SN[FLAKES FILL$ ALL ! AIR 9 !
,LAU<+ ,VALLEY1 DANC+ BOI/]\SLY T[>D !
E>? & CLO?+ 9 PURE :ITE RAI;T ! RO( (
,CLAUS'S DWELL+4
  ,AT NI<T ,JACK ,FRO/ RAPP$ AT ! DOOR4
  8,-E IN60 CRI$ ,CLAUS4
  8,-E \60 ANSW]$ ,JACK1 8= Y H A FIRE
9SIDE40
  ,S ,CLAUS CAME \4 ,HE _H "KN ,JACK
,FRO/ 9 ! ,=E/1 & LIK$ ! JOLLY ROGUE1
EV5 :ILE HE MISTRU/$ HM4
  8,"! W 2 R>E SPORT = ME TN1 ,CLAUS60
%\T$ ! SPRITE4 8,ISN'T ? GLORI\S W1!R8
,I % NIP SCORES ( NOSES & E>S & TOES 2F
"DBR1K40
  8,IF Y LOVE ME1 ,JACK1 SP>E ! *N10
BE7$ ,CLAUS4
  8,& :Y80 ASK$ ! O!R1 9 SURPRISE4
  8,!Y >E T5D] & HELP.S10 ANSW]$ ,CLAUS4
  8,B ,I LOVE 6NIP ! T5D] "OS60 DCLD
,JACK4 8,! OLD] "OS >E T\<1 & TIRE MY
F+]S40
  8,! "Y "OS >E W1K1 & C N FI<T Y10 SD
,CLAUS4
  8,TRUE10 AGRE$ ,JACK1 ?"\;LLY4 8,WELL1
,I W N P9* A * ? NI<T--IF ,I C RESI/ !
TEMPT,N10 HE PROMIS$4 8,GD NI<T1
,CLAUS60
  8,GD NI<T40
  ,! "Y MAN W5T 9 & CLOS$ ! DOOR1 &
,JACK ,FRO/ RAN ON 6! NE>E/ VILLAGE4
  ,CLAUS ?REW A LOG ON ! FIRE1 : BURN$
UP B"RLY4 ,2S ! HE>? SAT ,BL9KIE1 A BIG
CAT GIVE HM 0,PET] ! ,KNOOK4 ,H] FUR 0
S(T & GLOSSY1 & %E PURR$ N"E-5D+ S;GS (
3T5T;T4
  8,I % N SEE ! *N AG SOON10 SD ,CLAUS
6! CAT1 :O K9DLY PAUS$ 9 H] S;G 6LI/54
8,! W9T] IS ^U U1 ! SN[ W 2 DEEP = _M
"DS1 & ,I % 2 UNA# 6PLAY ) MY LL FRS40
  ,! CAT RAIS$ A PAW & /ROK$ H] NOSE
?"\;LLY1 B MADE NO REPLY4 ,S L;G Z !
FIRE BURN$ & ,CLAUS SAT 9 8 EASY *AIR 0!
HE>? %E DID N M9D ! W1!R4
  ,S PASS$ _M "DS & _M L;G EV5+S4 ,!
CUPBO>D 0 ALW FULL1 B ,CLAUS 2CAME WE>Y
) HAV+ NO?+ 6D M ?AN 6FE$ ! FIRE F ! BIG
WOOD-PILE ! ,KNOOKS _H BR"\ HM4
,"O EV5+ HE PICK$ UP A /ICK ( WOOD &
2GAN 6CUT X ) 8 %>P KNIFE4 ,HE _H NO
?"\1 AT F/1 EXCEPT 6O3UPY 8 "T1 & HE
:I/L$ & SANG 6! CAT Z HE C>V$ AWAY
POR;NS (! /ICK4 ,PUSS SAT UP ON H]
HAUN*ES & WAT*$ HM1 LI/5+ AT ! SAME "T
6H] MA/]'S M]RY :I/LE1 : %E LOV$ 6HE>
EV5 M ?AN H] [N PURR+ S;GS4
  ,CLAUS GL.ED AT PUSS & !N AT ! /ICK HE
0 :ITTL+1 UNTIL PRES5TLY ! WOOD 2GAN 6H
A %APE1 &! %APE 0 L ! H1D (A CAT1 ) TWO
E>S /ICK+ UPW>D4
  ,CLAUS /OPP$ :I/L+ 6LAU<1 & !N BO? HE
&! CAT LOOK$ AT ! WOOD5 IMAGE 9 "S
SURPRISE4 ,!N HE C>V$ \ ! EYES &! NOSE1
& R.D$ ! L[] "P (! H1D S T X RE/$ ^U A
NECK4
  ,PUSS H>DLY KNEW :AT 6MAKE ( X N[1 &
SAT UP /I6LY1 Z IF WAT*+ ) "S SUSPICION
:AT WD -E NEXT4
  ,CLAUS KNEW4 ,! H1D GAVE HM AN IDEA4
,HE PLI$ 8 KNIFE C>E;LLY &) SKILL1 =M+
SL[LY ! BODY (! CAT1 : HE MADE 6SIT ^U
XS HAUN*ES Z ! R1L CAT DID1 ) H] TAIL
W.D >.D H] TWO FRONT LEGS4
  ,! "W CO/ HM M* "T1 B ! EV5+ 0 L;G &
HE _H NO?+ BETT] 6D4 ,F9,Y HE GAVE A L\D
& DELI<T$ LAU< AT ! RESULT ( 8 LABORS &
PLAC$ ! WOOD5 CAT1 N[ -PLET$1 ^U ! HE>?
OPPOSITE ! R1L "O4
  ,PUSS "!^U GL>$ AT H] IMAGE1 RAIS$ H]
HAIR 9 ANG]1 & UTT]$ A DEFIANT MEW4 ,!
WOOD5 CAT PD NO ATT5;N1 & ,CLAUS1 M*
AMUS$1 LAU<$ AG4
  ,!N ,BL9KIE ADV.ED T[>D ! WOOD5 IMAGE
6EYE X CLOSELY & SMELL ( X 9TELLIG5TLY3
,EYES & NOSE TOLD H] ! CR1TURE 0 WOOD1 9
SPITE ( XS NATURAL APPE>.E2 S PUSS
RESUM$ H] S1T & H] PURR+1 B Z %E N1TLY
WA%$ H] FACE ) H] PA4$ PAW %E CA/ M ?AN
"O ADMIR+ GL.E AT H] CL"E MA/]4 ,P]H %E
FELT ! SAME SATISFAC;N WE FEEL :5 WE
LOOK ^U GD PHOTOGRAPHS ( \RVS4
  ,! CAT'S MA/] 0 HMF PL1S$ ) 8 H&I"W1
)\T "K+ EXACTLY :Y4 ,9DE$1 HE _H GRT
CAUSE 63GRATULATE HMF T NI<T1 & ALL ! *N
"?\T ! _W %D H JO9$ HM RJCG4 ,= ,CLAUS
_H MADE 8 F/ TOY4