SYNOPSIS: Oonik has asked Santa to visit the Ice King and talk him into ending the continuous winter. Santa was at first hesitant about taking the assignment, but finally agreed. Santa's helper still is not convinced it's a good idea.

CHAPTER SEVEN
BURNING THE TOYS

Crooked-legged Tweedleknees jumped up and down in a rage.

You cannot leave Santa Land! He cried to Santa Claus. "Who is going to invent toys and show the fairies how to make them? Who is going to get things ready for next Christmas?"

"Do be quiet. Patrick Tweedle-knees," ordered Santa. "You know very well there may be no Christmas if the Ice King freezes up the whole world."

"But it's dangerous!" shouted Tweedlekees. He turned and shook his tiny fist in Ooniks face. "oh, you! Why did you ever come here with your big fat ideas?"

"Don't mind him," said Santa taking Oonik's arm. "He makes a big noise to cover up his kind heart. Come, let's be on our way."

"How will you travel, may I ask?" persisted Tweedleknees. "The reindeer are gone."

Santa said, "Well, I'll think of something."

“Keotuk can take us!” spoke up Oonik. “Keotuk’s my dog. He can take us anywhere. Except – “ he dropped his head. “Except I have lost my sled.”

"Why, that's nothing!" exclaimed Santa. "I can make us a sled."

"Nothing of the sort," said Tweedleknees huffily. "I'll make the sled. I'm the chief sled-maker around here, please remember."

Santa chuckled. “Very well. Have it ready in an hour’s time. Now Oonik you go with Tweedleknees and I’ll go see to Mrs. Claus.”

Still grumbling, but anxious now to show what he could do, Tweedleknees crawled up the pile of hay with Oonik behind him. They started down the ladder with Tweedleknees Oonik found that going down the strange contraption was much harder than going up. When he had one half way he made the mistake of looking at the ground. His head whirled, he missed his footing, and slipped down on Tweedleknees head.

With a whoosh they came tumbling to the ground.

"I'm sorry!" cried Oonik jumping to his feet.

Tweedleknees lay motionless in the snow. “Are you hurt?” cried Oonik in alarm. But Tweedlknees lay like one dead. Suddenly Keotuk bounded up. Eagerly he licked the dwarf’s face. Instantly Tweedleknees leaped up.

"What is that thing?" he shouted in horror.

"It's Keotuk, my dog," said Oonik. "He's only trying to help you."

Tweedleknees drew in his breath. It seemed he was about to let out a torrent of abuse and Oonik's knees shook with fear. But Tweedleknees merely sighed.

"Come on," he said huffily. "But please don't walk close to me for goodness only knows what you might do next." And he marched glumly away with Oonik obediently trailing 10 feet behind.

Presently they turned into the door of a long low building nearly covered by snow. Oonik…….(missing line).

At one end of the room a group of silver-winged fairies huddled around a stove that held no fire. In the middle of the room there wree long tables, row on row, and on the tables were such toys as Oonik had never seen or heard of.

There were kites and wagons and skates and baseball bats. There were fire engines and boxing gloves and doll houses and toy drums.

Oonik's eyes popped and he stood with his mouth wide open unable to move or speak. But Tweedleknees marched up to the fairies and said, "Bring me tools and wood. I have a sled to make."

The fairies, shivering and clattering their teeth, shook their heads. "There's no wood to build a fire to keep warm by. How can we find you wood for a sled?"

Tweedleknees snapped his fingers. "Use the toys for firewood," he said. "And I'll take these wagons apart to build a sled.

"What?" cried the Queen Fairy in consternation. "Destroy the toys we've already made?"

"Santa himself is going to settle things with the Ice King," said Tweedleknees importantly. "When he comes back there'll be summer again for sure and when the ice melts we'll find wood enough for a mountain of toys."

Next: Oonik builds an igloo.

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