"Never mind. I’ll finish the last stocking for you," said the man. "Just leave the presents and go home to bed, but hurry before the children wake up and see you."

      Nicholas, thinking of his warm comfortable bed, handed over the stocking and presents and wearily headed outside.

      A few minutes later a little boy in his pyjamas stood in the doorway. "What are you doing daddy?" he asked in a disappointed tone. "I thought it was Nicholas who gave us the toys."

      The child looked ready to cry but his father reassured him, "Your Nicholas is getting old," he said, "and sometimes we fathers have to help him, but remember, it’s Nicholas who leaves the toys for you."

      "That’s alright then," said the little fellow. "It isn’t half as much fun if you think it’s your mother or father who leave the gifts."

      "I should say not," said the father very sternly, "and you must never doubt Nicholas. Why he would be so hurt at a little boy thinking he didn’t fill the stockings that he might never come to his house again. Wouldn’t that be terrible?’

      "Yes," whispered the boy in a frightened voice. "What would Christmas be without Nicholas?"

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So for the last two weeks of his stay with the Bavran family, Nicholas worked secretly in the dark storeroom, hiding his knife and wood whenever he heard anybody approaching. He struggled furiously during the last few days so all the gifts could be finished by Christmas morning, because, it was Christmas when the Bavrans had taken him in last winter and now the time had come that he must be passed onto another family.

      The children wept quietly as Nicholas packed his meagre belongings and Mr. Bavran, waited to take him to the home of Hans the rope maker. The little orphan drew from out of his bag the rough little toys he had made and on seeing the children’s delight in their gifts he was so happy that he didn't feel like crying himself. A lovely glow spread over his heart when he saw their happy faces and heard their cries of thanks.

      "Next Christmas I shall be able to make you even better toys." said Nicholas, an air of determination in his voice. "Just you wait and see!"

      With this promise, Nicholas now six years old, bravely left them, his small figure turned away from the happy scene to face the uncertainty of the year ahead with the new family. His face was sad, yet his bright blue eyes were warm with the thought of the happiness he had left behind.

      "Well," he thought to himself as they approached the rope maker’s house "maybe the five children here will be just as nice to me as the Bavrans and I can make toys for them too. Christmas can be a happy time for me even if it’s my moving day."

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