Chapter Four

THE EVENING BEFORE CHRISTMAS

      After the crowd of villagers had dispersed on that merry Christmas day of the sled race, Nicholas was stopped at the door of the cottage where he had spent the last year by a lean, dark looking man who looked as though he had never smiled in his life. It was Bertram Marsden the wood carver of the village, who all the children called "Mad Marsden" because he lived alone, rarely spoke to anybody and chased the children away from his door with black looks and harsh words.

      "You haven’t forgotten have you Nicholas that you move to my house today?" Marsden asked gruffly.

      Nicholas looked up. Oh no, he hadn’t forgotten, and he well knew why Marsden had offered to take him in for the last year of his life as a wandering orphan. The only reason he was willing, even eager, to feed and clothe Nicholas was because for almost five years now he had watched the work he had been doing with his old pocketknife, and realised that Nicholas would make a very good and cheap apprentice for him.

      Once again Nicholas packed his few belongings onto his new sled, said a grateful farewell to the family he was leaving,

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      Nicholas looked up from his work and saw a little figure flying along the road, right past his cottage and into the forest.

      "That looked like Holly," he thought startled. "No, it can’t be. She’s not well yet. Besides," he shook his head sadly, "The poor little thing would be too terrified to go into the forest as it was dark enough for goblins," he said with a chuckle.

      An hour later however, he was interrupted from his work by Holly’s frantic mother. "Oh, I thought she was here," she cried.

      "When I came home and found her gone, I was sure I would find her with you. She’s still so weak and look, it’s beginning to snow!"

      Nicholas was soon pulling on his bright red coat and fur trimmed cap. "I’ll find her, don’t you worry." He looked out at the grey afternoon sky filled with black clouds. Already the air was filled with millions of snowflakes, scurrying and tumbling in every direction.

      "I know where to look," said Nicholas. "I’ll take the small sled with Vixen and we’ll have Holly back here before the snow covers my path."

      Holly meanwhile had found the red berries and her joy on seeing the cheerful little bush almost chased away the thoughts of what awful things might be lurking behind the huge tree trunks or hiding on the bough, waiting to spring down at her. She gathered a large armful of the berries and started back again, her heart beginning to pound as the light inside the

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