Santa's Story

"Gather 'round kids, gather 'round." The deep bellowing voice rang into the cold air. The crunching of snow could be heard as thousands of tiny beings dressed in all colors, but the shirt and shoes or dresses, striped tights, and shoes always matched. The shoes each small being wore were fit tight to the feet, but had a curled toe. As they burst into the door, they sat down in the room with the fireplace in the back roaring and faced the jolly man sitting at the front. He looked nothing like Santa Claus other than the cheerful cherry cheeks, the shape of the face, and the cherry red cheeks and nose. He sat in shorts and a T-shirt. Suspenders held his shorts up on his thin body. He held a book and slowly flipped the cover so the book was opened.

"You know, I wasn't always Santa Claus. Here's my story."

Somehow the entire atmosphere darkened and then it faded into a dark night with stars.

"There have been many Santas over the years, but we always live hundreds of years longer than humans. That's because we are elves. However, the first Santa Claus was not an elf. He was a simple human."

The picture that the elves were seeing scrolled down to thin, gaunt man with a white beard. He was passing the house of a man and his three daughters. He overhead the man talking to his daughters."

The picture the elves were seeing suddenly changed to a humble house in which there were only some crudely made pieces of furniture and a fireplace.

"Oh, I am sorry my daughters. I know that you desire to marry, but I cannot afford your dowry. I would save the money if I had it, but what I make I must spend so we can eat. I don't know what I will do. As always, please, put your socks up by the fireplace so they dry."

The tall, gaunt, bearded man heard this story and he knew exactly what he needed to do. A few of his friends told him, "Nikolaus, you cannot do such a thing. You are only the bishop of Myra!"

"How dare you say I cannot do such a thing? I am a servant of God and servants of God do good deeds!"

On the night before Christmas, Nikolaus brought coins to the house. When he was certain that the father and all three daughters were nowhere near, he threw the money carefully into the window so that it landed in and near the stockings. He also left a note telling the father and daughters that the money was for the dowry.

Upon waking in the morning, the daughters cried with joy and hugged each other. The father collapsed onto the floor and when the daughters realized he had collapsed, they helped him back to his feet.

It was thought that in December 343, Nikolaos of Myra passed away. That is partly true, but the whole story is not known. His spirit was taken away from his normal body, but he did not go to heaven. Instead, his spirit was transported to the North Pole. From a place nobody knows, there was a sudden body inhabited by Nikolaos's spirit. When the body came to life, the only thing he could think about was giving things to people who needed them and also giving to children.

As he worked on these things, it was suggested that he only give toys to children that were good, but that being good could be very lenient. Also, that there was a huge difference between being a good throughout the year and doing a few naughty things throughout the year.

One day, after hundreds of years, after being married to another elf, after getting used to using flying reindeer to guide a sleigh, after going out on Christmas eve and other days along with at least a couple of helpers to keep traditions alive, he was getting tired and called to all of his children and the odd community of elves that had taken him in as their own.

"Now, children, I'll soon be passing away. This means that the world will need a new Santa Claus. In order to determine who will be the next Santa, we will have to have contests along with our busy year of toy making and practicing for Christmas. If you are interested in being Santa Claus, sign up on the sheet hanging on the door."

The next day Santa trials began. Each candidate had to wrap a gift, fly the sleigh, decorate a Christmas tree, and eat enough in the week in order to be a fat Santa. They all received scores on Santa Claus activities. The full score was not known until the next week as each candidate also had to lose the weight the next week.

A new Santa Claus was chosen by determining who had the highest score. Nikolaos, who was still Santa Claus, the said, "This, I am certain, will be my last Christmas. I can feel it in my bones, in my mind, and mostly in my heart. All of you help make the world a better place. You must keep it going once I am gone. Your elves will be the elves that did not become Santa and also all of your children, as I have learned with my lovely elf wife, elves easily get pregnant and give birth quickly, too. When you feel that a Christmas is going to be your last Christmas, you must hold the Santa contest to find the next Santa Claus."

Nikolaos acted as Santa for one more Christmas and he passed away quietly in his sleep. Mrs. Claus passed away with him. When the young elves reported for elf duty with Santa, his body along with Mrs. Claus's body were gone from the bed and it smelled like freshly baked sugar cookies. The young elves ran to the winner of the Santa contest to tell him the news.

He took his place as Santa and when he fell in love with a female elf, they married and she became Mrs. Claus.

"Now, this has been happening for hundreds of years, but the humans don't understand. There are humans that think Santa is as large as a human, but they should know that Santa is an elf. Sir Clement Moore said that Santa was an elf and he was correct. I tell you this story in a sad state because I have felt it in my bones, my mind, and my heart. This will be my last Christmas. Mrs. Claus and I will be leaving to wherever we go. Sometime after Christmas, you will find we are gone and only smell freshly baked sugar cookies. This means that Santa trials must begin. We will start them tomorrow. Please sign up on the sheet of paper on the door if you are interested in being Santa Claus."

The thin, undressed Santa closed the book as he watched the elves, many of them his own children, walk towards the door, some of them sauntering out of the house with their heads bowed.