MsCharlotte's Stuff: Christmas

Chapter 11: The Door In The Wall

Claus held the dying Tweedleknees in his arms. The elf had said he would live if a stone would weep. But whoever heard of stones weeping?

Claus glared around at the rocky boulders jutting out of the snow. "Weep!" shouted Claus wildly. "Weep for Tweedleknees!"

But the great stones stook frozen and dry in the wind.

Claus carried the elf into a nearby cave. It was cold there, too, but the stone walls cut off the wind. Claus built a fire and tried to warm the elf. He melted snow in a tin cup he carried on his belt. When the water boiled he used it to wash the small puncture in the palm of the elf's hand.

Then Claus sat there staring gloomily at nothing. Presently, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "They're weeping!" he shouted. "The walls are weeping!"

Now it could have been that the warmth of the fire and the steam from the boiling water caused moisture to form on the frozen rocks. Whatever the cause, tiny streams of water ran gently down the walls. There was no denying it; the stones were weeping!

Tweedleknees opened his eyes. He sat up. He stretched. He was well.

Claus was so happy to see the elf return to life that he did not scold him for his carelessness with the dagger. But Tweedleknees was gloomy. "All our weapons are gone. How can we fight the Pigwidgen now?"

"We'll have to use our wits," replied Claus.

"Alas," said Tweedleknees, "that is one thing I have in short supply."

"We shall see when the time comes," smiled Claus. "Now let us get where we are going or neither magic nor wits will do us any good."

So on they traveled northward. Snow swirled around them. Wind whistled around their ears. Tears froze in their eyelashes. Icicles hung from their chins.

"If the Pigwidgen lives in a land of frost and never-ending snow this surely must be it," said Tweedleknees.

Claus cried, "Look! Look!"

Tweedleknees squinted through his frozen lashes. All he could see was snow, snow, snow. "It's like a solid wall," he grumbled.

"It IS a wall!" exclaimed Claus. "A solid wall 30 feet high."

"Then we're there!" whooped Tweedleknees.

"But how do we get in?" wondered Claus.

"Simple," retorted the elf. "We'll climb in."

But the wall was straight and smooth. They could not get even a finger hold. They heaped up mounds of snow but could not reah even half way.

Claus said, "There must be a door."

They searched the length of the wall. They went down the side and around the other side. There was no door.

"What a stupid place to live," sputtered the elf. "You can't get in or out!" He kicked irritably at the wall.

A small square of wall jiggled slightly at his kick. "It moved!" blurted the elf. "It's a door!"

Claus and Tweedleknees fell to their knees and scraped the snow from the wall. There was a tiny door no higher than Tweedleknees' waist. In the center of the door was a tiny keyhole.