Santa Claus is an immortal hero, the Most Mighty and Loyal Friend of Children.
As an infant, he was abandoned at the edge of the Forest of Burzee where he nearly became a meal for the lioness Shiegra. The Great Ak found him there, and commanded Shiegra to feed him instead of eating him. Ak mentioned his encounter to the Wood Nymphs and one of them, named Necile, went to the infant and brought him to her bower, breaking the Law of the Forest. Ak pardoned her and made a one-time-only exeption to the Law, allowing the human infant to be raised by immortals.
Necile named the child Claus, which means "a little one," but Queen Zurline dubbed him Neclaus, meaning "Necile's little one." Other variations of the name include Nicklaus and Nicolas.
Being raised among immortals, Claus made friends of the Ryls, Knooks, and Fairies. He learned the language of the beasts and the mysteries of the woods. He grew to be brave and innocent, with no knowledge of deceit or guile.
When Claus was a young man, the Great Ak took him on a journey during which he encountered other humans for the first time, and was especially intrigued by the children. His discussions with the wise Ak gave him a desire to help his fellow men. He left Burzee and settled in the nearby Laughing Valley of Hohaho to devote his life to the care of children.
During his first night in the Valley, the Knooks built a house from logs he had cut from dead trees. It had two rooms, the first containing a fireplace, a table and bench, and a cupboard. The second is a bedroom, containing a bed made with layers of dried moss. His firewood supply is maintained by the Knooks, while the Fairies provide him with all the tools, utensils, and clothing he needs. The Ryls keep his cupboard filled with food so that he doesn't have to plow up the wildflowers to grow his own. Claus lives and works alone, except for his cat, Blinkie.
Claus traveled to villages and towns, making especial friends of the children he met. He was welcome everywhere he went, except for the palace of the Lord of Lerd and the castle of Baron Braun.
One winter, while he was snowbound in the Laughing Valley, he idly took a piece of wood and carved it into the shape of a cat, using Blinkie as a model. This first toy was given to a little boy named Weekum, who came upon Claus's house while lost in a snowstorm. After scaring little Mayrie with a toy modeled after Shiegra the lioness, Claus decided that toys based on the likenesses of squirrels, rabbits, deer, and lambs would be less terrifying for youngsters.
Until this time, Claus had focused on the happiness of poorer children. But one day Bessie Blithesome, the daughter of the Lord of Lerd, came to ask him for a toy. At the advice of Necile and the Queen of the Fairies, he broadened his efforts to include all children, whether rich or poor. He made a model of Necile from clay and dried, painted, and dressed it. Then he gave it to Bessie who called it her baby. His next doll was a baby, modeled after Bessie, and was given to Mayrie.
As he distributed his toys, his fame and popularity grew, as did his own sense of happiness and fulfillment. But in so doing he incurred the wrath of the Awgwas who plotted his destruction. After two failed attempts at kidnapping him, the Awgwas began to steal the toys he made. (The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus)
Santa Claus was an honored guest at the birthday party of Princess Ozma of the Land of Oz. (The Road to Oz)