Dreamworks. I don't own these characters. SO BACK OFF!!!!!
"Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas"
Christmas Eve, 1518
Miguel walked down the cold winter streets of Barcelona shivering to the bone. His thin cotton shirt and his worn pants provided little, if any, warmth for him and he felt that if he didn't get to a fireplace soon he would turn into ice. Shielding his eyes from the bitter, stinging winds, he soon found himself entering the local pub.
A wave of warmth swept over him as soon as he passed through the doorway and he almost screamed with content and relief. He hung his wet hat and scarf on the hooks and asked the bartender for a tall glass of beer. He found himself a nice little table by the fireplace and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It was a Christmas list for Tulio, Rosalyn and little Maria, and it just so happened that he was just Christmas shopping. The only problem was that he had only two silver pieces, which was only enough to buy one present.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to find myself a sucker or two." he mumbled to himself.
As soon as he said that, an old man walked into the pub and hung his hat on the wall. He was about a foot and a half shorter than Miguel and had white hair and a white beard. He seemed to be a very joyful man, because he was smiling and he didn't even look half as cold as Miguel was.
"Barkeep, I would like a glass of the finest wine you have if you don't mind." The man spoke with a thick and deep Russian accent, which surprised Miguel, for he was such a small man, almost elf like. But what really surprised Miguel was when the man took out his coin purse that was nearly bursting with gold and silver. He watched carefully as the man placed three silver pieces on the counter and put it back in his jacket pocket, which could still be identified by the large bulge.
"Bingo." Miguel thought. The man was about to sit at a far table when Miguel said, "Old man, why don't you sit down here by the fire and get warmed up?"
The old man smiled and walked over to join him. "Ah, thank you. It is rather nippy outside, isn't it?"
"Yep..... I see you carry alot of money with you.... Y'know, that isn't really a smart thing to do, especially around this city."
The old man chuckled and his cheeks turned pink. "Do not worry about me, Miguel. I believe I can handle all of my money how I like."
"Well I hope so, becau-" Miguel was stunned to silence before he could speak again. "Hey, how do you know my name?"
"Oh, I have seen you and your friend's wanted poster quite a few times these past few days." the man smiled warmly. This made Miguel tense up and turn white. What had he gotten himself into this time? The old man sensed Miguels worry and said comfortingly, "Do not fret, Miguel. I will not tell a soul where you are. It's the least I can do in light of the holiday season. And I would also prefer you call me 'Nicholas' in the future instead of 'Old man'."
Miguel felt a little less anxious but now felt a little guilty. How could he rob this man of his money when he had shown him nothing but kindness. But, he thought, he could use it for something bad. I'd better find out more about him.
"So..... Why do you carry so much money around with you?" Migeul asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.
Nicholas took a sip of his wine before he spoke. "Oh, a little Christmas shopping. I can see by that piece of paper that you are doing the same, no?" Miguel nodded a little, feeling even more guilty than before. "I hope you don't mind if I take a look at it, hmm?"
Miguel pushed the paper towards Nicholas and he looked it over. "Ah yes. There's your partner in crime, Tulio... Rosalyn... and Maria... They seem like a lovely bunch of people." Miguel could feel the man's eyes on him, so he continued to look at the ground and not talk. "I am guessing that you were planning to swindle my coins, am I right?"
Miguel's shoulder's slumped. "Yes sir... I don't like to do it. I really hate it. But... I have nothing else to do. I'm nothing. Look at me. I have to steal to buy Christmas presents" Miguel wished he was back in the cold and not in Nicholas' company.
Nicholas' voice turned sympathetic. "Miguel, my boy. You are not nothing." Miguel shook his head. "No, it's true, believe me. I know many things about you.... You were orphaned at a young age... You saw many horrible things that a child should never see... You have suffered from so much pain... yet, everyday I see you with a smile on your face. I think that makes you something, for a man who was nothing would have given up on that life a long ago."
Miguel was amazed not by all he knew, but the way he made him feel inside. He had made him feel like he had when he was a child. Safe, happy and loved. Without realising what he was doing until he had done it, he hugged him and began to weep happily. He didn't care if everyone was watching him. He hadn't felt this touched in a long time, and it felt good to express his emotions. "Oh, Nicholas, thank you so much. That means a lot to me."
"It's no problem my boy. Now here..." Nicholas reached into his purse and pulled out a handful of gold coins. "Here's a little Christmas present from me to you."
Miguel was astonished. "Oh, I can't take this-"
"Please Miguel, it's Christmas and it's the least I can do. You deserve it." Nicholas smiled sweetly as he handed the coins to Miguel. "Besides, I really have to get going. It's Christmas Eve, and I'm going to be very busy tonight." He got out of his chair and headed for the door. "Have a Merry Christmas, Miguel!"
----------------------------
Christmas Morning
Rosalyn gasped when Miguel handed her his Christmas present. "Oh Miguel, it's beautiful!" It was a jade necklace with gold beads and a gold clasp. "It's the most beautiful necklace I ever saw! Oh Miguel how can I ever thank you!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged him tightly, then quickly began to put it on. Little Maria babbled as she played with her spinning top and Tulio was flipping through his new Bible.
"Miguel, how the heck did you afford all this?" he asked. But before Miguel could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Now who the heck could that be?" Tulio grumbled as he got up. When he opened the door, there was nobody there. "What the- Hey, look at this!" He bent down and picked up a basket full of brand new clothes. "WOW!"
Rosalyn pulled out a long, green satin dress. "Oh my God, it's lovely! This will go perfect with my new necklace!" For Maria, there was a pretty red dress with silk ribbons. For Tulio, there was a new pair of green pants, a blue shirt and a brown vest. And, finally, for Miguel, the was a flowing red shirt and a pair of khaki colored pants.
"Where the heck did this stuff come from?!" Tulio asked while modeling his new clothes in the mirror. Miguel looked through the basket and found a note. And it said:
"Dear Miguel, Never stop smiling and never give up on life. That's what makes the wonderful person you were and still are.
Merry Christmas, St. Nicholas"
Miguel stared at the note. "Saint?" he whispered. He looked at the card again, and a smile spread across his face. This was the best Christmas of his whole life, and it was all thanks to the little old man with the white beard.
The End
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
"Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas"
Christmas Eve, 1518
Miguel walked down the cold winter streets of Barcelona shivering to the bone. His thin cotton shirt and his worn pants provided little, if any, warmth for him and he felt that if he didn't get to a fireplace soon he would turn into ice. Shielding his eyes from the bitter, stinging winds, he soon found himself entering the local pub.
A wave of warmth swept over him as soon as he passed through the doorway and he almost screamed with content and relief. He hung his wet hat and scarf on the hooks and asked the bartender for a tall glass of beer. He found himself a nice little table by the fireplace and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It was a Christmas list for Tulio, Rosalyn and little Maria, and it just so happened that he was just Christmas shopping. The only problem was that he had only two silver pieces, which was only enough to buy one present.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to find myself a sucker or two." he mumbled to himself.
As soon as he said that, an old man walked into the pub and hung his hat on the wall. He was about a foot and a half shorter than Miguel and had white hair and a white beard. He seemed to be a very joyful man, because he was smiling and he didn't even look half as cold as Miguel was.
"Barkeep, I would like a glass of the finest wine you have if you don't mind." The man spoke with a thick and deep Russian accent, which surprised Miguel, for he was such a small man, almost elf like. But what really surprised Miguel was when the man took out his coin purse that was nearly bursting with gold and silver. He watched carefully as the man placed three silver pieces on the counter and put it back in his jacket pocket, which could still be identified by the large bulge.
"Bingo." Miguel thought. The man was about to sit at a far table when Miguel said, "Old man, why don't you sit down here by the fire and get warmed up?"
The old man smiled and walked over to join him. "Ah, thank you. It is rather nippy outside, isn't it?"
"Yep..... I see you carry alot of money with you.... Y'know, that isn't really a smart thing to do, especially around this city."
The old man chuckled and his cheeks turned pink. "Do not worry about me, Miguel. I believe I can handle all of my money how I like."
"Well I hope so, becau-" Miguel was stunned to silence before he could speak again. "Hey, how do you know my name?"
"Oh, I have seen you and your friend's wanted poster quite a few times these past few days." the man smiled warmly. This made Miguel tense up and turn white. What had he gotten himself into this time? The old man sensed Miguels worry and said comfortingly, "Do not fret, Miguel. I will not tell a soul where you are. It's the least I can do in light of the holiday season. And I would also prefer you call me 'Nicholas' in the future instead of 'Old man'."
Miguel felt a little less anxious but now felt a little guilty. How could he rob this man of his money when he had shown him nothing but kindness. But, he thought, he could use it for something bad. I'd better find out more about him.
"So..... Why do you carry so much money around with you?" Migeul asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.
Nicholas took a sip of his wine before he spoke. "Oh, a little Christmas shopping. I can see by that piece of paper that you are doing the same, no?" Miguel nodded a little, feeling even more guilty than before. "I hope you don't mind if I take a look at it, hmm?"
Miguel pushed the paper towards Nicholas and he looked it over. "Ah yes. There's your partner in crime, Tulio... Rosalyn... and Maria... They seem like a lovely bunch of people." Miguel could feel the man's eyes on him, so he continued to look at the ground and not talk. "I am guessing that you were planning to swindle my coins, am I right?"
Miguel's shoulder's slumped. "Yes sir... I don't like to do it. I really hate it. But... I have nothing else to do. I'm nothing. Look at me. I have to steal to buy Christmas presents" Miguel wished he was back in the cold and not in Nicholas' company.
Nicholas' voice turned sympathetic. "Miguel, my boy. You are not nothing." Miguel shook his head. "No, it's true, believe me. I know many things about you.... You were orphaned at a young age... You saw many horrible things that a child should never see... You have suffered from so much pain... yet, everyday I see you with a smile on your face. I think that makes you something, for a man who was nothing would have given up on that life a long ago."
Miguel was amazed not by all he knew, but the way he made him feel inside. He had made him feel like he had when he was a child. Safe, happy and loved. Without realising what he was doing until he had done it, he hugged him and began to weep happily. He didn't care if everyone was watching him. He hadn't felt this touched in a long time, and it felt good to express his emotions. "Oh, Nicholas, thank you so much. That means a lot to me."
"It's no problem my boy. Now here..." Nicholas reached into his purse and pulled out a handful of gold coins. "Here's a little Christmas present from me to you."
Miguel was astonished. "Oh, I can't take this-"
"Please Miguel, it's Christmas and it's the least I can do. You deserve it." Nicholas smiled sweetly as he handed the coins to Miguel. "Besides, I really have to get going. It's Christmas Eve, and I'm going to be very busy tonight." He got out of his chair and headed for the door. "Have a Merry Christmas, Miguel!"
----------------------------
Christmas Morning
Rosalyn gasped when Miguel handed her his Christmas present. "Oh Miguel, it's beautiful!" It was a jade necklace with gold beads and a gold clasp. "It's the most beautiful necklace I ever saw! Oh Miguel how can I ever thank you!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and hugged him tightly, then quickly began to put it on. Little Maria babbled as she played with her spinning top and Tulio was flipping through his new Bible.
"Miguel, how the heck did you afford all this?" he asked. But before Miguel could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Now who the heck could that be?" Tulio grumbled as he got up. When he opened the door, there was nobody there. "What the- Hey, look at this!" He bent down and picked up a basket full of brand new clothes. "WOW!"
Rosalyn pulled out a long, green satin dress. "Oh my God, it's lovely! This will go perfect with my new necklace!" For Maria, there was a pretty red dress with silk ribbons. For Tulio, there was a new pair of green pants, a blue shirt and a brown vest. And, finally, for Miguel, the was a flowing red shirt and a pair of khaki colored pants.
"Where the heck did this stuff come from?!" Tulio asked while modeling his new clothes in the mirror. Miguel looked through the basket and found a note. And it said:
"Dear Miguel, Never stop smiling and never give up on life. That's what makes the wonderful person you were and still are.
Merry Christmas, St. Nicholas"
Miguel stared at the note. "Saint?" he whispered. He looked at the card again, and a smile spread across his face. This was the best Christmas of his whole life, and it was all thanks to the little old man with the white beard.
The End
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!