St. Nicholas Day Pajamas

Every year, St. Nick stops by on December 6th, leaves pajamas for the boys and some candy, and picks up their Christmas wish list.

This year, St. Nick (me) was up at 4:00 a.m. to lay David's pajamas by his bedroom door, when David, simultaneously, started heading towards our bedroom to let us know that the intercom key on our phone was stuck and he could hear our conversation.

We ran into each other in the pitch dark hallway, not expecting anyone else to be up and about at this hour . . . and scared the wits out of each other! The pajamas and candy went flying out of my hands. We were both so startled! Then we laughed and I handed him his present.

I went back to bed, now wide awake, wondering how long the intercom button in our room had been stuck . . . The possibilities are a bit unnerving . . . I mean, had we been snoring . . . ?

December 6 - St. Nicholas Day

And, full of faith, when at last she woke,
She stole to her shoe as the morning broke;
Such sounds of gladness filled all the air,
'Twas plain St. Nicholas had been there.

In rushed Piccola sweet, half wild—
Never was seen such a joyful child—
"See what the good saint brought!" she cried,
And mother and father must peep inside.

Now such a story I never heard!
There was a little shivering bird!
A sparrow, that in at the window flew,
Had crept into Piccola's tiny shoe!

"How good Piccola must have been!"
She cried as happy as any queen,
While the starving sparrow she fed and warmed,
And danced with rapture, she was so charmed.

(Excerpted from “Piccola” by Cecilia Laighton Thaxter)