The Life and Times of Nicholas Claus

A Boy Named Nicholas

Once there was a little boy called Nicholas. Even before he was born, when he was still inside his mother's womb, Nicholas was full of imagination. He was bursting with ideas. In fact, Nicholas couldn't wait to be born, so he decided to come out of his mother's tummy three weeks early. 

Early on a frosty winter morning, Mr. Claus awoke with a start. It was December 25th, but as Christmas hadn't happened yet in Norfolk, it was just another day. 

"He's coming, he's coming!" shouted Mrs. Claus, from the other side of their king-sized bed. 

"Its three o'clock in the morning mother, who could be coming at this wee hour? How dare they disturb my sleep!" cried Mr. Claus, still half-asleep.

"The baby, you silly man, the baby's coming out!" replied Mrs. Claus, as she huffed and puffed, sweat sliding down her forehead, her face as round and red as a big balloon. 

"That's ridiculous," said Mr. Claus. "He's not due for another three weeks. He can't come out now, it's much too early. We're not ready!" 

Then, standing up tall and using his most stern fatherly voice, Mr. Claus pointed a bony finger at Mrs. Claus's tummy and said, "Young man, you must not come out, you must stay inside for three more weeks, or I'll—"

"The midwife, get the midwife! And hurry, he's nearly out!" screamed Mrs. Claus, so fiercely that Mr. Claus finally awoke to the seriousness of the situation. 

"Yes the midwife, must get the midwife," he panted. "Straight away, I'm going my dear, hold tight." Mr. Claus grabbed up his hat and pulled it over his foot, then shoved a boot on top of his head and dashed out into the snow. 

Luckily the Claus's lived in a small, remote village, tucked inside a valley that was surrounded on all sides by towering mountain peaks. All the neighbour's homes were squeezed tightly together, as if to keep warmer that way, so the midwife lived just two houses away.

Promptly bumping her head on the ceiling of her attic bedroom, the midwife was out the door in a flash, and by Mrs. Claus's side within two minutes. Just in time to catch the Claus's new baby as he slid out onto the bed and screeched at the top of his lungs, letting everyone in the whole village, perhaps even the whole world know that Nicholas Claus had arrived.