CHAPTER SIX
A TALK WITH SANTA

Oonik ran down to the barn. The door was blocked by snow. He knew someone was inside because he could hear voices and every now and then the tap of a reindeer's hoof.

Oonik went around to the side of the barn. There he found a ladder leading up to an enormous window high above. He had never seen a ladder before. He climbed it fearfully. When he was near the top he looked down and when he saw Keotuk way below he grew so dizzy he almost fell. Shutting his eyes, he went up the rest of the ladder and climbed in the window.

He found himself at the top of a vast pile of hay. At the bottom of the pile was Santa Claus. He knew it was Santa because he was fat and round and wore a red suit and had silvery whiskers. But he didn't look gay and merry the way Oonik had always pictured him. He looked sad and worried.

He was talking to a crooked-legged dwarf with large, flappy ears and the two of them were gazing unhappily at eight skinny reindeer.

"It's no use, Tweedleknees," Santa said. "I'm going to let them go. I can't keep them here to starve."

"If only they eat meat," grumbled the crooked legged dwarf. "Or cookies. Or vegetables. Or something."

"They want moss," murmured Santa Claus. "They can't understand why summer has not come. I'll turn them loose. They can go somewhere where there's bound to be summer in August as it should be."

"But what will you do when Christmas comes?" exclaimed Tweedleknees. "With no reindeer how will you make your rounds?"

"I don't know," Santa shook his head. "Perhaps there won't be Christmas any more. Who knows? Anyway, I'm turning them loose."

"We'll never get the door open protested Tweedleknees. "It's blocked by snow."

"They can fly out the window," replied Santa. That is if they still have the strength to fly."

"Come now," he said gently, patting the reindeer. "Fly away and find some summer feeding ground."

The reindeer looked around uncertainly and then tapping their hooves three times on the floor, they flew gracefully upwards straight to the window where Oonik sat.

"Wait, wait!" cried Oonik rising to his feet. "Don't let them go!"

But it was too late. The reindeer brushed past him, one by one, into the sky.

Then Santa called out, "Who on earth are you?"

Oonik slid to the bottom of the pile of hay. He landed with a plop at Santa's feet. "I'm Oonik the Eskimo Boy," he said. "And I came to you because my people are being destroyed by the Ice King's anger."

"Ah," said Santa, "so are we, my boy. And it is the same everywhere. Only yesterday I had a letter from a child who said that though it was August she had not yet had a chance to use the bathing suit I brought her last Christmas. Another child wrote that he was still using the ice skates I brought to him. So you see, the whole world is cold.

"But you must stop the Ice King," cried Oonik.

"I?" said Santa.

"Of course! You are the most powerful, the bravest, the wisest one on earth. You are the only one who can stop the Ice King."

Santa pulled his pipe from his pocket and slowly filled it. "Tell me," he said. "How shall I stop the Ice King?"

"Why," said Oonik simply "by going to him and telling him to stop."

Now the crooked-legged Tweedleknees growled, "What nonsense! If Santa went to see the Ice King who knows what might happen to him!"

"I'll go too," protested Oonik. "I – I could help!"

"You," snorted Tweedleknees.

"Hush, Tweedleknees," said Santa. Then he looked for a long time into Oonik's eyes. At last he said, "Very good, son. We will go."

Next: Burning the Toys