Chapter Nine The First Christmas Trees Very close to Nicholas’ cottage was a thick grove of pine trees, tall, beautiful dark trees that lifted their branches high up into the sky and formed a perfect shelter for the ground underneath. Scattered in among the larger trees were a cluster of firs, brave little trees, which kept their sturdy branches green all through the cold northern winter and came through each heavy snow storm with their shiny needles still pointed towards the sky. The children used to play in this grove, because no matter how stormy the weather was outside, here they could find a warmer, more sheltered spot away from the bitter winds. In the summer time it was a charming place, with the sharp keen scent of the pine trees and the soft murmuring of their branches in the breeze. Nicholas loved this little grove, for in order to get there, the village children had to pass his cottage, and hardly a group went passed his door without one or more of them dashing in to say "Good day" to their old friend and to watch him at work at his fascinating toys. One day as Nicholas glanced out of his window, he noticed a group of children running from the grove. As they became closer he could see that they were frightened and as they ran page 32 |
10a |
"Well,
it should be embroidered really, but I suppose any sort
of bag would do. We have to hang it outside the door on
Christmas Eve, and when Wilhelm wakes up tomorrow there
will be a beautiful toy in it for him. Nicholas the wood
carver does it for all the children of the village and I
thought if there was only some kind of bag around
here..." His mother sighed, "Things like flour and potatoes come in bags and those we haven’t seen for ages. Goodness knows, with all my other worries, I have no time to embroider a bag or even make one. Anyway I’m sure this Nicholas person wouldn’t come to poor little children like you. Now go and get Wilhelm ready for bed. That might take your mind off your silly ideas." So sadly Frederick was forced to abandon the idea of putting a bag outside the door for his little brother’s Christmas gift, but he couldn’t forget about Nicholas. He thought about how he looked, such a kind, jolly man there out there by the forest. He felt sure Nicholas wouldn’t pass a child’s house just because they were poor. He thought and thought, and while sitting by the fireplace helping his little brother undress, he pulled of his warm, bright and woolly stocking. As Wilhelm held it up he said jokingly, "Now that would hold some kind of gift just a well as any embroidered bag. And why not?" he murmured to himself. "Why not indeed?" and with one leap he flung open the door and soon had the stocking tied to the door. Once again this Christmas Eve, everything in the village was blanketed with white snow, sparkling under the bright winter moon. No lights were showing in the village and everyone was asleep... except Nicholas, of course, who was busy going from house to house leaving bulging bags filled with gifts. At Frederick’s doorway he paused. In the bright moonlight he saw a funny object dangling on the door. A child’s woollen stocking! page 17 |