Years had passed and Fred had traveled all over Europe, teaching himself languages such as French, Flemish, Hungarian, possibly Italian, and of course, he already knew how to speak English and German. He collected coins, 30 or 40 of them, from each country he visited and made himself a wooden box to keep his treasures in. He was now 20 years old and was living in Germany now for about three years, and had met someone on the streets...

FLASHBACK...

Fred Lay was walking the streets of Oberspeltach, Germany. A kingdom of Baden Wurttemburg, southeast of the city of Stuttgart, Germany. Someone in the crowd spotted him...

"No...It couldn't be him...He's in America...It couldn't be him. Could it?...Maybe it is." A young, 22 year old man with golden-blond hair, thought. Something in him decided to call out to the man.

"Fred!...Fred Lay!" He yelled across the street.

"Wh-what?" Fred muttered and was looking all around him for the voice who had called out his name. He heard it again and saw a man running across the street and up to him.

"Sir, you just looked so familiar to me...Are you Fred Lay?"

"Ummmm...yes...I am."

"Goodness!" The man exclaimed. "What's your middle name?" He asked quickly.

"John..." Fred replied, looking at the man strangely. "Look,...you seem to know me...but I'm not entirely sure if I know you, sir."

The man ignored that comment and continued to ask Fred questions. "When is your birthdate?...Where were you born?"

"My adopted parents told me I was born here, in Oberspeltach...on September 30th of..." Fred began to say.

"Adopted! You were adopted! An older couple, the Becks...they live in America. Iowa Territory. Correct?"

"Yes..." Fred answered, still looking at the man like he had grown two heads! "How do you know so much about me?...Who are you, sir?"

"Fred...I'm your brother! Leonard!"

Fred studied the man's face. He looked very similiar to himself, but the man looked older by a few years. Fred began to remember letters he had received when he was a boy. They were from Leonard and Barbara. Mr. Beck would read them to him...A light came on in Fred's mind. This WAS his older brother, Leonard Lay.

END OF FLASHBACK...

Fred had reconnected with his older brother and his little family. He got to meet his two nieces, Anna and Elisabeth. He grew exceedingly close to Anna, and young Anna soon took to him like frosting on a cake!...Fred wanted to surprise his nieces on December 6, also known as St. Nicholas Day. He had on his warm, red coat and his red woolen cap and he had a walking stick in his hand. He wore a fake, short, beard made of sheep's wool. He had dyed the beard so it would match the color of his golden blond hair. It was his version of St. Nicholas, for the real St. Nicholas sported a long, flowing white beard and wore a bishop's miter and cloak, and he carried a bishop's staff...Fred had a large sack slung over his one shoulder. He knocked hard on the door. The door soon opened and there stood two young girls, dressed in nightgowns and nightcaps. Both girls had long, wavy, light brown hair that reached down to the middle of their backs. They stood there in their bare feet, looking in wonder up at him. He smiled at them and his grayish-blue eyes twinkled and sparkled.

"Santa Claus came early this year, Anna!" Four year old Elisabeth whispered to her five year old sister.

Fred laughed, which made his eyes sparkle. "I'm not Santa Claus!..."

"Yeah! Santa's round and jolly!...He's just skinny and jolly!" Anna giggled.

"I'm St. Nicholas!"

"Are you Santa's brother?" Elisabeth Lay asked curiously.

"Why, sure I am!...I'm also Santa's helper! My older brother says you little girls have been extra good this year, but let me just check my special golden book!" He said, setting his things down by the kitchen table and pulling a chair out and he sat down and pulled out a small gold-colored book.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Both girls shouted in excitement and were scrambling, trying to climb up on Uncle Fred's, or should we say, 'St. Nicholas'' lap.

"Girls! Girls! You mustn't crowd St. Nicholas!...His book is very special and only he should see it! It holds all the good and bad deeds of all the little boys and girls!" The girls' mother told them. Fred smiled up at his sister-in-law. She sure saved his hide on that one! All his little gold book was, was his travel journal.

"How does it get in the book?" Anna asked.

"Santa Claus records it." Leonard, the girls' father, spoke up.

"And how does he know if we've been good or bad? Does Jesus tell him?" Elisabeth asked.

Leonard smiled at his daughter. "You know what Sissybeth, I think you're right."

"Bible even says, dear, '...the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good'..." Leonard put his arm around his wife. They both looked on at 'St. Nicholas', checking his golden book.

"Let's see now...Anna Lay...Does well in her studies...Helps Ma with certain chores...Keeps her room neat and tidy...Is good and obedient to both of her parents..." Fred pulled out her stocking filled with goodies and gave it to her, to which she said thank you. "You're welcome, Anna. You been a very good little girl this year." Fred said, winking at her.

"Now...Elisabeth Lay..." He said glancing at his golden book. "Ah-ha...mmmmhmmmm...ah-ha...Oh my! What's this, I see? You said an unkind word to your sister on March 3? On her birthday!...For shame, Sissy." 'St. Nicholas' said sadly. Elisabeth put her head down.

"Now don't you be doin' that!...You been very good the rest of the year! But bad deeds come with bad presents, so I have to give you this." He pulled out something and placed it in her hand.

"A potato?" Elisabeth muttered and stared down at the not so nice gift.

"What do you tell 'St. Nicholas' for your potato? Its still a gift, Sissy." Leonard asked his young daughter.

"Ummm...Thank you."

Fred winked at her. "That's not all you get Sis, you've been very good the rest of the year. You still get this." He said, taking a woolen stocking, bulging at the bottom with goodies, and handed it to Elisabeth.

"Thank you, St. Nicholas!" The girls both said and each gave him a hug. "You're welcome girls..." Fred said. He winked at little Anna who was grinning at him. Fred lips formed into a smile.

"Bridget...St. Nicholas has a little something for you too." Fred said to his sister-in-law. She came over and he began to ask her questions like if she was a good little girl all year as well. It made the woman laugh, seeing Fred's silliness, and his costume that he wore. His beard looked so silly! That was just Fred's humor...He began to laugh and his jaw jutted out and he looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. He pulled out a package out of his sack and gave it to her. Bridget began to open it.

"Oh...What a wonderful shawl! Thank you, Fre...I mean, 'St. Nicholas'" She said, smiling at him. She went over and hugged him and gave him a kiss on cheek.

"Hey Leonard! St. Nicholas didn't forget you!" Fred said, throwing a gift a him.

"Thanks." He said, laughing. He opened the present, which was a black silk ribbon tie.

"I, ummm...thought you could use that. I assumed y'all go to church on Sunday's." Fred said.

"We do...Why don't you come with us this Sunday..." Bridget asked.

"I appreciate the offer...but this guy hasn't darkened a church door in years...Haven't gone since I was about 12 or so."

"Just consider it, please."

Fred knodded slightly. He turned his attention to his nieces, one on each knee. He smiled at both girls. Elisabeth was curled up against his chest, falling asleep. Anna smiled up at him, as Fred was bouncing her on his knee. His 'beard' fell down slightly. Anna smiled widely and her eyes lit up, she had thought that St. Nicholas was Uncle Fred. Fred raised his eyebrows and smiled at her, but then put a finger to his lips. "Shhhhhh..." He winked at little Anna, who giggled at him and helped him fix his 'beard' for him.

"Ma? Can we open our stockings from St. Nicholas yet?" Anna asked. The girls were so excited in seeing St. Nicholas, they forgot to open them!

"I'm sorry Anna, you'll have to wait until the morning...Elisabeth's already asleep, and you know how she gets when she is woken up!" Her mother told her gently.

"I think I'll put her to bed...The girl's deadening my thigh!" Fred laughed, standing up and rubbing his thigh. "I'll bet she weighs as much as three sacks of cornmeal!" He said and pretended to limp his way up to the loft, carrying the four year old. Young Anna laughed at her uncle and followed them up to the loft. Fred put Elisabeth in the trundle bed and Anna got in beside her.

"Good night Uncle Fred..." Anna whispered and hug his neck.

Fred smiled and tapped Anna's cute button nose. "Its St. Nicholas...remember?" He whispered back and winked at her. She grinned up at him. "Good night, kiddo." Fred said, blowing out their small bedside lamp and turning around. He was about to walk down the ladder when he heard Anna whisper, "Night...Uncle St. Nicholas." That made 20 year old Fred smile and he climbed down the ladder to join his brother and sister-in-law for an evening cup of hot coffee before bed.

"You were so good with the girls Fred..." Bridget told him. "You make a good St. Nicholas."

"I was happy to do it...Though, I thought I was gonna be in some deep hot water with Anna when she noticed my 'beard' drooping!" Fred laughed. "Though, she seemed to enjoy knowing it was me." He smiled, starting to take off his 'beard.' "Gosh I'm glad to take this thing off!...Its itchy!" Fred started to chuckle, and it seemed to be contagious, as Leonard and Bridget started to laugh as well.

A/N: St. Nicholas Day is a European tradition. In Germany, St. Nicholas put the good children's goodies in an old boot. If the children were naughty, they received a bundle of sticks and twigs, or a potato, such as little Elisabeth had. My family celebrates St. Nicholas Day every year on December 6th, by my mother filling a wool stocking with fruit, candy, nuts and soda pop, and as a kid and even now, she'll put them on the porch and in front of the door, so we would find our gift from 'St. Nicholas' later that day. In past years, when we woke up on December 7th (My late great grandfather, Joseph Edward Walbrun's birthday) we would find our gift from 'St. Nicholas'. :) Today is December 6th. So a happy St. Nicholas Day to all my readers!

Fred J. Lay, my great great grandfather, did in fact travel around Europe before coming to America. He taught himself French, Flemish, Hungarian, and possibly Italian. He collected coins from each country he visited. He gave them to his grandson, Dale F. Walbrun, my grandfather. He gave me some of the coins (and some to my cousins), and taught me a little of each of the coins. Pretty cool!