Free The Adventures of Nicholas by Helen Siiteri Page A

counted the women present. “There are ten of us here. If we each agree to take Nicholas for a year, that will take care of him until he’s seventeen. Chances are he’ll run away to sea long before that!”
    The good women, having provided for Nicholas, turned their thoughts to the Christmas feast which was to be celebrated the next day.
    So it was that Nicholas came to his first home-for-a-year on Christmas Eve. The kindly Vogels tried their best to help the lonely orphan. But on Christmas Day Nicholas curled up in a dark corner of the storeroom, and with heartbroken sobs mourned for his mother and father and his little sister Kati.
    It wasn’t long before the door opened. “What do you want?” asked Nicholas. “Go away, Otto, and leave me alone.”
    “My boat’s broken,” cried Otto, “the new boat I got for the Christmas feast. Father’s gone out and Mother can’t fix it.”
    Nicholas brushed the tears from his eyes. “Give it to me,” he said. “I’ll fix it for you.”
    “Come in here where there’s more light.” Otto pulled the orphan gently by the arm, and Nicholas went in where there were lights and children and laughter.
    As the year passed, the little boy slowly forgot his grief in the busy, happy life of the Vogel household. Otto and his sisters played with him, quarreled with him, and came to think of him as their very own brother. Nicholas returned their love and was not too young to appreciate their kindness.
    All too soon it was time to prepare for a new Christmas Day, and Nicholas knew he would have to move on to a different home and family. He wondered how he could thank the Vogels for the happy year he had spent with them.
    The only things he owned were the clothes he wore, an extra coat, and the jackknife that had belonged to his father. He couldn’t give any of these things away, and yet he wanted to give some small gift, especially as he was leaving on Christmas Day.
    Nicholas remembered an evening long ago when he and his father had whittled small toys for Kati. “I can do it if I try,” he thought. “I can make toys for them.” And he worked quietly in the storeroom, using every spare minute in order to finish by Christmas morning.
    The toys were finally ready. A doll for Margret, a little wobbly chair for Gretchen, and a toy sleigh with beautiful curved runners for Otto, his playmate.
    On Christmas morning, as the children sadly waved good-bye, Nicholas handed the gifts to his friends. They took the little toys, shouting and dancing in surprise and happiness.
    “Well, I’ll be going now. Good-bye, Margret and Gretchen. Good-bye, Otto. Next year, I’ll know how to make better toys. And I’ll make you some next Christmas too.” And with this promise Nicholas started out to face another year, smiling bravely, his blue eyes bright and shining in the sharp north wind.

 
     
     

    “What do you want?” asked Nicholas.

 
     
     

    “Well, well. A snowball fight!”

THE RACE FOR THE SLED  
    N the years that followed, each Christmas Day was a happy one for Nicholas, and for all the children he met, in changing about from house to house. Nicholas did not forget his promise to the Vogels. Each year on Christmas morning he made a special trip to their house, and to every house where he had stayed, leaving gifts for the children. So it happened that each child in every family came to expect a Christmas toy from Nicholas.

    As he grew into a tall, strong lad, there were many things he learned to do besides make toys. He helped the men with the boats, mended nets, and watched over the younger children for the busy mothers. The little ones followed wherever he went, and he saw that no harm came to any child in his care.
    During the long winter, Nicholas went to the village school. This particular winter day, when he was fourteen years old, he heard about the race for the sled with steel runners.
    “There’s going to be a race on Christmas morning,” Otto explained, “starting