"Whurrrooooo! he breathed on that little piece of the Sun.
"But the little fire just laughed and leaped higher and higher.
"So he took a real deep breath this time, till he filled all his chest, and it stuck way out like the strong man's in the circus.
"Whurrrrrrooooooooooooooo!!!! he roared, but the little flames just danced in the air, as bright and as merry as could be.
"The more he blew the bigger grew the fire, and the sooner the people had their suppers.
"Then for years and years the old Giant stamped up and down the Earth, trying to put out those little pieces of the Sun. And he couldn't do it at all. Like their father, the Sun, the little fires just laughed at him.
"At last Northwind said to himself, said he: "'I know what I'll do, I'll get me some big grey wolves to put out those fires.'
"So a-hunting he went, up into the biggest forests of the world, so dark that people called them 'the Forests of Night.' And they were full of fierce grey wolves.
"With his strong hands he caught a hundred wolves and drove them back to his cave.
"Then one dark night when the people were sitting around their fires, so cozy and nice, he untied the wolves and roared out:
"'Wolves, put out those fires!'
"And the fierce grey wolves ran out of the cavern, and snapped and snarled at the little fires. But they couldn't put them out. So back they came to the cave, with their tongues hanging out and their tails between their legs.
"'Good-for-nothings,' roared Northwind, 'I'll get me some tigers.'
"Again he went stalking over the Earth till he reached the great deserts, which the people called 'the Deserts Without End.' Here he caught a thousand fierce tigers and drove them back to his cave.
"The next night, while the people were talking and singing around the little fires, he let the tigers loose.
"'Tigers,' roared he, 'put out those fires.'
"They ran out of the cave, making a terrible noise, and they raced up and down the earth, with their sharp teeth gleaming, and their tails lashing. At the fires they snarled, and growled, and roared, and tried to beat out the flames with their paws. But they were only burned for their trouble. And so the tigers too slunk back to the cave, with their heads hanging down and their tails between their legs.
"Once more the Northwind stalked forth and hunted through the highest mountains he could find, so high that people called them 'the Roof of the World.' Ten thousand lions he caught, the fiercest in all the Earth. He tied them together by their tails, ten at a time, and drove them back to his cave.
"And he sent them out too.
"'Lions, put out those fires!'
"Such a terrible roar those lions roared that the whole Earth shook. Through the forests they raced, leaping through the wild tree tops, lashing their tails, and shaking their shaggy manes. And they leaped at the fires, but they couldn't do any better. Those big lions just couldn't put the little fires out.
"Beside himself with rage was old Northwind now. So he sent them all out, wolves and tigers and lions wild, and he rushed on at their head.
"But never, never can they put the little fires out, so you needn't worry at all."
The Toyman stopped and Marmaduke listened.
"Hark!"
Yes, there were the grey wolves now, howling down the chimney. There were the wild tigers, snarling at the window panes and leaping at the door.
Hark! How the knobs rattled!
And there were the wild lions, rushing and roaring through the tree-tops.
And round and round and round the house raced old Giant Northwind himself.
But all the while, in the fireplace the little red flames danced merrily, never afraid at all.
Marmaduke jumped. Something was whining and scratching at the door.
Was it a wolf?
The voice he heard was too small and weak.
He knew whothatwas.
"Toyman," he shouted, "that's my little pet doggie, out in the cold. Those bad wolves an' tigers an' lions 'll eat him up."
So they ran to the door, the Toyman and little Marmaduke. And he wasn't afraid at all. And they let little Wienerwurst in, and saved him from the grey wolves and the wild tigers and the fierce lions of the Northwind.
Little Wienerwurst barked happily and curled himself up by their feet, in front of the warm fire.
After that Marmaduke spoke only once before he fell asleep.
"You never had any little boys, did you, Toyman?"
On the Toyman's face was a funny look as he answered:
"No, little feller, I never had any little boys."
Marmaduke reached up his hand and patted the Toyman's rough, kind face.
"Don't worry, Toyman," he said, "I'llbe your little boy."
Little Wienerwurst was sound asleep, so Marmaduke just had to fall asleep too, happy and safe in the Toyman's arms, by the little red fire that the wind could never put out.
THE END