“Merry Christmas, Father Santa Claus!Merry Christmas, Mother Santa Claus!Merry, Merry Christmas to all the World!�
“Merry Christmas, Father Santa Claus!Merry Christmas, Mother Santa Claus!Merry, Merry Christmas to all the World!�
“Merry Christmas, Father Santa Claus!Merry Christmas, Mother Santa Claus!Merry, Merry Christmas to all the World!�
ONCE upon a time there lived in Myra a good man named Nicholas. When he was a young man his father and mother died of the plague, and he was left the sole heir of all their vast estate; but he looked upon all this money as belonging to God and felt that he, himself, was merely the steward of God’s mercies. So he went about everywhere doing good and sharing his riches with all those who were in need.
Now there lived in that country a certain nobleman who had three beautiful daughters. He had been very rich, but he lost all his property and became so poor that he did not know what to do to provide for his family. His daughters were anxious to be married, but their father had no money to give them dowries and, in that country, no maiden could marry unless she had her marriage portion, or dowry. They were so very poor that they could scarcely get any food to eat. Their clothes were so worn and ragged that they would not go out of the house and their father was overcome with shame and sorrow.
When the good Nicholas heard of their troubles he longed to help them. He knew that the father was proud and that it would be hard to give him money; so he thought that it would be best to surprise them with a gift. Then Nicholas took some gold and,tying it in a long silken purse, went at once to the home of the poor nobleman. It was night and the beautiful maidens were fast asleep while the brokenhearted father, too wretched to go to bed, sat by the fireside watching and praying.
Nicholas stood outside, wondering how he could bestow his gift without being seen when suddenly the moon came from behind the clouds and he saw that a window in the house was open. Creeping softly to the open window, he threw the purse right into the room where it fell at the feet of the nobleman. The father picked up the purse and was very much surprised to find it full of gold pieces.
Awakening his daughters the father said: “See this purse which came through the window and fell at my feet. It is indeed agift from Heaven. God has remembered us in our time of need.�
After they had rejoiced together, they agreed to give most of the gold to the eldest daughter, so that she would have her dowry and could wed the young man she loved.
Not long after that, Nicholas filled another silken purse with gold and again he went by night so that no one should see him, and he threw this purse also through the open window. Then when the father saw this golden gift he again gave thanks. The money he gave to the second daughter who, like her sister, at once married the man of her choice.
Meanwhile the father was very curious to find out who was so kind to them, for he wished to thank the person who had come in the night to help them with these goldengifts. So he watched and waited night after night, and after a time the good Nicholas came with another silken purse filled with gold pieces for the youngest daughter.
He was just about to throw it into the room when the nobleman rushed from the house and, seizing him by his long robe, knelt before him, saying: “O good Nicholas, servant of God, why seek to hide thyself?� And he kissed his hands and feet and tried to thank him.
But Nicholas answered: “Do not thank me, my good man, but thank the Heavenly Father who has sent me to you in answer to your prayers. I am but His messenger to help those who trust in Him. Tell no man of these gifts of gold, nor who brought them to you in the night, for my deeds are done in His name.�
Thus the youngest daughter of the nobleman was married and she and her father and sisters all lived happily the rest of their lives.
The good Nicholas went about from place to place, and wherever he went he did deeds of kindness, so that all the people loved him.
One time he took a long journey to the Holy Land, and when he was upon the sea there came a terrible storm; so that the ship was tossed about and almost wrecked, and all the sailors gave up hope.
But the good Nicholas said: “Fear not, our Heavenly Father will bring us safely into harbor.� Then he knelt and prayed to God and the storm ceased and the boat was brought safely to the land. Whereupon the sailors fell at the feet of Nicholas and thanked him.
He answered them humbly: “Thank your Father who is in Heaven, for He is the ruler of us all. He it is who rules the earth and the sky and the sea, and who, in His good mercy, spared our lives that we may serve Him.�
When Nicholas returned from Palestine he went to the city of Myra, where he was appointed a bishop. After that he preached God’s Word and went about doing good all of his life. When he died the people said: “We will not call him Bishop Nicholas, but we will call him Saint Nicholas, for if ever there was a saint upon earth it was our good Nicholas.� And so to this day he is called “Good Saint Nicholas.�
And now in many countries, they tell the story of the good Saint Nicholas, and how he goes about the earth at Christmas-timebringing gifts of love to all who deserve them, and because he had put his gifts of gold in the long silken purses, our children to-day hang up their long stockings to hold his gifts; and when the children are very good he fills their stockings with sweetmeats, toys and trinkets, but if they have been naughty, they will find a bunch of switches, showing that they deserve to be punished.
We all know that on Christmas Eve Saint Nicholas will come in the night, for he never likes to be seen; and we know that he will always live,—for is he not the spirit of love? and love can never die.
So, every Christmas, let us give our gifts as he did those silken purses so long ago—without anyone knowing about it—and let our gifts be a surprise. Then we, too,can have the spirit of love and join in this celebration of Christmas with good Saint Nicholas.
IT was a cold night for that part of the world, and the shepherds who were out watching their flocks upon the hillside drew their heavy cloaks about them. They had built a camp-fire to give them warmth and as they sat in a group about the bright blaze they told stories to each other.
“You speak of the coming of the King, Grandsire,� said a young shepherd-boy eagerly as he leaned toward an old man who was talking, “tell us more about the King.�
“Yes, boy,� answered the old man, “Iwill tell you the tale as my mother told it to me.�
“Long, long ago, there was a shepherd-boy named David who wandered on these very hills near Bethlehem, keeping watch over his father’s sheep. David heard the story of the promised king who was to be sent from God to rule over all of his people, and David was so happy that he played upon his harp, and as he led the sheep through the green pastures and beside the still waters, he sang of God as the Heavenly Shepherd.
“When David grew up to be a man he became a king and wore royal robes and a golden crown upon his head and he ruled over all the people. After David, came King Solomon, and no king could rival the grandeur of his palace and court. Since then many kings have ruled over us, but thepromised King has not come upon the earth, and the songs of David have not yet been fulfilled.�
“Oh, how I wish that I might see the King!� said the boy earnestly.
“You are young, boy, and—who knows? maybe you will live to see the time when these prophecies come true. But I am old and weary with waiting and working and I may never live to see the promised King. Yet I know that the word of God will come true and that He will send His only beloved son to rule the earth.â€�
As the wind whistled over the hillside, the sheep huddled more closely together.
“Our little lambs will suffer with the cold,� said the shepherd-boy.
“No,� answered his father, “look at the way the mother-sheep lie closely about them,protecting the lambs with their warm bodies. No, the old sheep may feel the chill wind but they will not let their babies suffer.�
“Just look at my little baby lamb,� said the boy. “See it is curled up snugly by its mother. Oh! I do hope that no harm will come to it, for it is the tiniest lamb of the flock and I love it. Do you know, Father. I call it ‘Snow-white’ for it is like the white snow which we sometimes see on the far-distant mountain-peaks.�
“Come, boy,� said the father, “you have rested all day; so you watch the flock and the fire for a time and I will lie down here by Grandsire and take a nap.�
The boy lay upon the ground looking at the camp-fire smoke curling up toward the sky. Then he looked at the sleeping shepherds stretched out upon the ground, andas his eyes rested upon the old man, he remembered the story and said softly: “How I should like to see that King!�
The cold wind seemed to die down and the clouds went across the sky like a flock of scurrying sheep, leaving the stars twinkling brightly in the dark-blue vault of the heavens.
“How beautiful it is, and how still!� he said.
He looked again at the group of sleeping shepherds, and then he looked at the sleeping sheep. As he watched, he saw his little lamb stir uneasily.
“Poor little baby, poor little Snow-white, believe that it is lonely—I will hold it under my warm coat and protect it while the mother-sheep sleeps.â€� And so the boy lifted the baby lamb in his strong arms, and,opening his coat, he held it closely in his bosom, while the mother-sheep slept peacefully by his side. The boy forgot to watch the fire and it soon flickered and went out.
He felt a strange chill over all the land, and it was so still—so very still that he wished the men would awaken, or that one of the sheep would bleat, for he felt lonely and afraid and he knew not why.
Suddenly he saw a bright light flashing through the heavens. Was he asleep or dreaming? He sat up and rubbed his eyes. No, the light was coming nearer and nearer, down, down toward the earth. Then he saw that the sheep were stirring uneasily and he heard them bleating, for they were frightened from their sleep. The shepherds, too, were awakening.
“What is the meaning of this strange light?� said one.
“Has a star fallen from the sky?� asked another.
“See this golden cloud of glory resting over us. It is so dazzling bright that I dare not look upon it.�
The shepherds seized their staffs and some of them covered their faces with their cloaks, for they were very frightened. The old man went down upon his knees and looked up reverently while the boy stood motionless gazing spellbound at the radiant vision, for, as they watched they saw in this cloud of golden glory, a beautiful angel who came down, down to the earth and stood upon the hillside among them. When they saw this messenger from God the shepherds trembled with fear, and the angel said:
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, inthe city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.�
And, as the angel ceased speaking, suddenly the heavens opened and there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host who were singing and praising God, saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.�
Then the bright light was gone and the startled shepherds looked up long and earnestly toward the sky.
“Truly, it was a message from God,� said the shepherd, as he bowed his white head. “God has sent us this angel to tell us that the promised King has come.�
“But the angel said that the Babe was wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying ina manger,� questioned the boy. “Is it not strange for a prince to come to such a lowly palace?�
“Yes,â€� said the old man, “it seems strange, but we know that He is truly the gift of love from God—His only Son who has been promised to us for, lo, these many years. I thank God that my old eyes have been permitted to see this heavenly vision. Come, we must go in haste to find Him.â€�
“What gift of love shall we carry to the King, Grandsire?� whispered the boy.
“The most precious thing we own,� answered the old man, “that which we love the best.�
“But we shepherds have no gold nor silver, nor sparkling gems fit for a king,� said one of the shepherds. “What, then, can we carry to this child?�
“I know,â€� said the boy, as he looked lovingly down upon the little lamb which he was still holding in his strong young arms, “we can give this lamb—Snow-white; it is the purest and whitest little lamb from our flock. I love it and it is the best that we have to offer, and surely the good Father in Heaven knows that we are bringing our gift of love to the King.â€�
“The boy is right,â€� said the old man. “This baby lamb—the purest of the flock—is truly our gift of love.â€�
And so the shepherds went in haste down the hillside, the boy holding in his arms the baby lamb. Once it bleated softly, “Ma-Ma-a-a,� as though it called its mother, and the boy seemed to hear the mother-sheep on the hillside calling out, “Ba-ba-a-a,� as though she were calling her baby.
“Poor mother-sheep, she will be grieving for her little one,� said the boy to himself, “but if she could only understand she would be glad to give her lamb to the King.�
At last they reached the little town of Bethlehem, and they came to a low stable built upon the hillside, and there they found their King—a tiny babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, as the angel had said, and lying in a manger.
They saw the cattle standing near and Joseph watching over the Holy Mother Mary and the Heavenly Child.
This was no palace home; these were no royal robes of state, but the shepherds knew that the words of the angel were true and that this Babe was their promised king. The heavenly light was streaming from the face of the Holy Child and the shepherdscovered their faces, for they could not look upon its radiance. Then they fell upon their knees and worshipped the Child, and thanked God that the gift of love had been given to all the waiting world.
The boy looked on with wondering eyes, and then he held out the little lamb, and the Babe smiled into the eyes of the boy and stretched out His tiny hands as though He would take the lamb. Then the boy sank slowly down upon his knees by the Babe and placed at His feet the tiniest lamb from the flock—a gift of love for the Christ-Child.