The Adventures of Nicholas Read Free Page B

an embroidered bag, but I guess any kind would be all right. You hang it outside the door on Christmas Eve, and Nicholas the woodcarver knows there’s a child inside and leaves a toy.”
    The tired mother sighed. “Things like potatoes and flour come in bags, child, and those are things we haven’t seen for many days. It sounds like nonsense, anyway. I’ve never heard of anyone who gave away toys to poor children, and I’m sure this Nicholas doesn’t either.”
    But Jon was not able to forget about Nicholas. He thought of how happy and excited his friends in the village sounded when they talked about the woodcarver. Nicholas wouldn’t pass by a child’s house just because he was poor—not if he saw a bag hanging outside.
    By Christmas Eve, however, Jon had just about given up hope. There was no way of finding or even making a bag in time. As he made a neat pile of little Peter’s clothing, he picked up a long, woolen stocking and said jokingly, “Now this could hold a gift just as well as any old embroidered bag…”
    “Jon!” little Peter cried. “Why are you staring at my stocking? What are you going to do with it?”
    “Do with it?” Jon shouted. “I’m going to hang it outside the door!”
    Much later that evening, Nicholas, laughing silently and chuckling to himself, filled the stocking right up to the top with enough toys to make two little boys very happy. The next morning, young Peter, reaching down into the toe, found five large pieces of gold, enough to keep the whole family comfortable through the winter. The mother’s eyes were bright with happy tears, and the father almost sat up in excitement.
    But it was Jon who hugged close to his heart the very first Christmas stocking.

 
     
     

    “I’m not as fat as I might be.”

HIS FIRST RED SUIT  
    QUIRE Kenson, the richest man in the village, came driving up to Nicholas’ cottage one day with an order to carve a new chest for his youngest daughter, who was planning to be married. Nicholas heard the sound of silver bells and reindeer hoofs on the snow, and when he opened his cottage door he saw a shiny red sleigh drawn by two beautiful reindeer. They were called Donder and Blitzen—thunder and lightning—because they traveled so swiftly.

    While Nicholas was listening to the Squire’s directions about the size of the chest, he was secretly admiring the fine suit of red deerskin his visitor was wearing. As he made a note of the instructions, he missed no detail of the Squire’s outfit: the short coat belted at the waist, and the trousers tucked into shiny boots. Soft white ermine trimmed the collar, cuffs, and the bottom edge of the coat. A warm red hat, also trimmed with the expensive fur, fitted closely over his ears.
    Long after the Squire had driven off behind the flying hoofs of Donder and Blitzen, Nicholas’ thoughts were still on the beautiful red suit. “There’s no reason why I can’t have one too,” he thought to himself. “I have all my winter supplies, and the wood for the shop is paid for. And there is still a bag of gold coins left over that I will never be able to spend. The Widow Aspen can make good use of the coins. They say she is very clever with a needle. I think I’ll drive over there and see what can be done. I’ve gone around looking like a poor orphan, instead of a prosperous woodcarver, long enough.”
    So Nicholas hitched up his old horse, who was getting slower and slower as the years went by, and paid a visit to the Widow Aspen.
    “I want a fine red suit,” he explained. “You know the one the Squire wears?” The woman nodded. “Well, I can’t afford to have all that deerskin dressed and prepared, and I know very well I can’t have mine trimmed with real ermine. Now what could you suggest?”
    The widow thought a moment. “Well, we could get a good piece of homespun from the weaver, and I could dye it myself. I have a wonderful red dye made from boiling the red rowanberries. And I’m sure we