"I want a fine red suit, Mrs. Arpen." he started. "You know the one the squire wears?" The woman nodded. "Well unfortunately I can’t afford such fine soft deerskin and of course I know I can’t have mine trimmed with real ermine, so what do you suggest?"

      The widow thought for a moment, then said, "We could get a bolt of strong homespun from the weaver which I could dye a rich red with rowan berries. As for the collar and cuffs, well pure white rabbit skin would look just perfect."

      "Done!" cried Nicholas, and he poured a handful of gold coins onto the table, "That should cover the materials and your work."

      "But that’s far too much." exclaimed the widow, "Why half of this would keep my whole family right through the winter."

      "Keep it woman." smiled Nicholas. "You’ve had a hard time and I’ll not be the man to die with a chest full of gold buried under the fire place.

      "The widow stood at her door and watched Nicholas drive away through the snow. "Now there’s a fine man." she murmured, the gold coins jingling through her fingers. "A fine big man." And so she bought the home spun which she died a beautiful bright red, but a strange thing happened. She had no pattern to go by as Nicholas was wearing the only tunic he owned, so the widow cut and sewed the suit with the image of a fine big man constantly in front of her. Nicholas was not a short man by any means but he was rather thin, and yet as Mrs. Arpen cut out and sewed the suit together, she knew she was sewing for a fine generous man and she made the suit to fit his heart instead of his body.

page 20

11b

   but could only hear the banging of shutters in the wind. He crept over to the side of the house where a vine covered one door and this made an ideal ladder to the roof. Being so fat and bulky and with the sack on his back it was hard work, but finally he puffed his way to the roof. This was the dangerous part as it was slippery with the snow and ice, and he had to hack away with his knife to make footholds. Finally a large shape loomed up above him. it was the chimney. Nicholas stopped and rested for a moment, then leaned over the edge and looked down the chimney into the inky blackness.

      "Just as I thought," he murmured, "the old miser lets the fire go out at nights.... even on such a bitter cold one as tonight." He climbed over the edge and began his dangerous decent, feeling carefully with his feet for the jutting bricks, pressing his hands flat on the sides and bracing his back against the wall. Slowly he inched his way down until he felt solid earth beneath his feet. He stepped out of the fireplace into a room almost as dark as the chimney. Gradually as his eyes became accustomed to the dark, he could make out a table and by groping in the darkness eventually found a stub of a candle, which he soon had lit. He drew out from the sack a bright blue woollen stocking, and filled it up to the brim with toys. Also he left nuts and lollies as he thought the hungry little girl wouldn’t have had treats like this for some time. Nicholas the hung the stocking on the mantelpiece, weighed it down with a heavy candlestick and stood back to admire the good job he had done. Just as he was about to blow out the candle Nicholas was startled by the sudden opening of a door and old Dinsler rushing into the room.

      "Sneaking into my house, are you? After my gold I suppose? I’ll show you what I do with thieves, I’ll show you!" The old man picked up a poker and swung it at Nicholas, who jumped to one

page 29