The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a fantasy book written by L. Frank Baum (author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), and published in 1902.
Baum dedicated the book to his son Harry Neal Baum.
This biography of Santa Claus is told in three parts. The first deals with his infancy, telling how he was raised by the Wood Nymphs in the enchanted Forest of Burzee. The middle section narrates his manhood: how he became the friend of children, how his enemies the Awgwas were defeated, and how many of his Christmas traditions began. The final part deals with his old age, and how the Mantle of Immortality was bestowed on him.
Although it is not part of the Oz series, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is connected to the mythology and the Land of Oz. Santa Claus himself visited the Emerald City as an honored guest at Ozma's birthday party in The Road to Oz.
Characters[]
- Ak
- Awgwas
- Baron Braun
- Bessie Blithesome
- Blinkie
- Bo
- Fairy Queen
- Flash
- Flossie
- Frost King
- Glossie
- Gnome King
- Jack Frost
- Kern
- Kilter
- King of the Knooks
- King of the Light Elves
- King of the Ryls
- King of the Sleep Fays
- King of the Sound Imps
- King of the Wind Demons
- Lord of Lerd
- Mayrie
- Necile
- Nelko
- Nuter
- Peter the Knook
- Prince of the Knooks
- Prince of the Ryls
- Queen of the Water Sprites
- Santa Claus
- Shiegra
- Spirit of Death
- Supreme Master
- Twilight
- Weekum
- Will Knook
- Wisk
- Zurline
Chapter list[]
Youth[]
- Burzee
- The Child of the Forest
- The Adoption
- Claus
- Claus Discovers Humanity
- Claus Leaves the Forest
Manhood[]
- The Laughing Valley
- How Claus Made the First Toy
- How the Ryls Colored the Toys
- How Little Mayrie Became Frightened
- How Bessie Blithesome Came to the Laughing Valley
- The Wickedness of the Awgwas
- The Great Battle Between Good and Evil
- The First Journey with the Reindeer
- "Santa Claus!"
- Christmas Eve
- How the First Stockings were Hung by the Chimneys
- The First Christmas Tree
Old Age[]
- The Mantle of Immortality
- When the World Grew Old
- The Deputies of Santa Claus
Adaptations[]
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985), Rankin/Bass stop motion TV special
- Who Stole Santa? (An episode of The Oz Kids)
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (2000), Universal animated movie
- Shonen Santa no Daibouken or "The Adventures of Young Santa", 1996 Japanese anime series.
- The Chronicles of Oz audio drama podcast adapted the story in 2020