The Adventures of Nicholas

By Helen Siiteri

On a frozen winter's night in a remote northern fishing village, a young boy
named Nicholas is orphaned when his father is drowned at sea. His mother braves
the raging storm to get medical help for Kati, the younger sister, and leaves
Nicholas to sit by her bedside. When the villagers arrive at the cottage in
morning, he learns that Kati has died of a fever, and his mother is killed by a
falling tree as she passes through the forest.

The fishermen's wives gather to discuss how Nicholas will be cared for, and
decide that if each family takes him in for one year, he will reach an age to
care for himself. So it is that Nicholas moves in with his first
family-for-a-year on Christmas Eve. He hides in a closet and cries himself to
sleep.

The next day, Christmas, is sorrowful for Nicholas but brightened by the company
of the family's children, two girls and especially Otto, who becomes Nicholas'
life-long friend. Nicholas has learned to carve by watching his father repair
fishing gear and as his father's knife is his only inherited possession, he uses
it to repair Otto's broken Christmas toy.

When a year passes and it's time for Nicholas to move on to another family, he
carves a doll and a chair for the girls and a toy sleigh with beautiful carved
runners for Otto. The children are so pleased with the toys that Nicholas
promises, "Next year, I'll know how to make better toys and I'll make you some
next Christmas, too." That is how every home where Nicholas the wandering orphan
stayed, he left gifts for each child and each child in every family came to
expect a Christmas gift from Nicholas.

The story proceeds to weave an incentive for hanging the first Christmas
stocking; for designing the first red suit; for replacing his old horse with
reindeer; for resorting to go down the chimney to leave gifts; for the occasion
of the first Christmas tree; and other favorite legends and traditions
surrounding Christmas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 28, 2004
• ISBN: 9781412228275

Helen Siiteri

Helen Siiteri adapted the Christmas tale from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Julie Lane when, between jobs as an actress, she was hired as a storyteller in the New York Public Library. Later on, she told her own version to her five children until the story became a favorite family tradition. The next step was to publish her adaptation in paperback until the book was finally placed "out of print." It is brought to you now after family and friends wore out their original copies and demanded a new printing to pass on to the next generation. With their children now grown, the author lives happily ever after with her husband, Pentti, in Sonoma, California.

Book preview

The Adventure of

NICHOLAS

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A Christmas Tale

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Adapted by Helen Siiteri

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Cover design by Eve Aspinwall

Special thanks to Kati Siiteri and Kiersten Kirkpatrick

for assistance in preparing this book for publication.

©

Copyright 2005 Helen Siiteri.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4120-3865-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4122-2827-5 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 07/08/2021

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DEAR READERS AND

STORYTELLERS

MANY are the legends and traditions that have been told about Christmas in snowy northern countries and we know how many of these legends have come to be. But The Adventures of Nicholas is a story such as you might tell if you wanted to combine all the warm and happy memories you like best about Christmas. I do not know of anyone called Nicholas who actually lived through these adventures, but his story is for all who believe in the spirit of Christmas.

So, draw close to the fire. I dedicate this story of Nicholas to you.

Your friend,

Helen Siiteri

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CONTENTS

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Nicholas, the Wandering Orphan

The First Home

The Race for the Sled

The Night Before Christmas

The First Christmas Stocking

His First Red Suit

Donder and Blitzen

The Naughty Reindeer

Nicholas Finds a Way

Down the Chimney

The First Christmas Tree

A Present for Nicholas

Holly Gets Its Name

The Last Stocking

The Spirit of Christmas

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NICHOLAS,

THE WANDERING

ORPHAN

A LONG, long time ago, in a village by the sea, there lived a young fisherman and his family—his loving wife, his small son Nicholas, and Kati, a baby girl. Their home was a little cottage built of heavy stone blocks to keep out the freezing north wind. It was a cheerful place in spite of the hardships, because all the hearts there were loving and happy.

On cold winter nights, after the fisherman had come home from his hard day’s work, the little family would gather around the fireplace. Father would light his pipe and stretch his tired legs. Mother would keep a watchful eye on the two children, her knitting needles busily clicking.

One night Nicholas was trimming a tiny piece of wood with scraps from his mother’s knitting, while Kati looked with wide blue eyes at the toy her brother was making for her. Mother smiled as she watched the children playing happily together. But Father shook his head saying, I’d rather see Nicholas down at the boats with me, learning to mend a net, than fussing with little girls’ toys. Now when I was his age…

Hush, whispered Mother. Nicholas is hardly more than a baby himself. Time enough for him to be a fisherman when he’s too old to play with his baby sister.

True enough, said the father. He’s a good lad, and he’ll be a better man for learning to be kind to little ones.

Life might have gone on in this way but for the happenings of one stormy night. Father was late, and Kati was sick with a fever. Mother knelt beside Nicholas and looked into his bright blue eyes. Kati is very ill, she said, and I can wait no longer for your father. I must go for the doctor myself. Sit beside your sister, Nicholas, and take care not to let the fire burn out.

Quickly kissing him, she wrapped a woolen shawl over