Nicholas laughed silently to himself, a kind tender laugh, then reached down into his bag and filled the lonely little stocking up to the top, and then with a snap of his whip and the jingle of sleighbells he was off to the next house on his rounds.

      When Frederick opened the door on Christmas morning, he and his little brother found not one, nor two but three toys each. Right down in the toe of the stocking he found five large coins, enough to keep the whole family all through the winter. The boys shouted with joy, while their father almost sat up in his bed with the excitement. Their mother’s eyes although always bright, were filled with happy tears as she watched Frederick and his brother hugging close to their hearts, the first Christmas stocking.

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10b

         The next week the village buzzed with excitement. Something was happening up on the hill. The old miser had ripped the boards off the windows and doors. He had bought a horse and cart and had been down to the village to buy huge quantities of food. He had also spoken to the school teacher and within a few days Kathy and her grandfather were seen on the road leading to the school, the little girl’s face beaming up at the old man, her feet skipping along to keep up with him and her warm little hand tucked into his fist. All this because Nicholas had climbed down a chimney to fill ONE stocking!

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