When St Nicholas comes to Fairyland

The fairy folk love St Nicholas because in his life he cared for the children of his land, and far afield. They are happy that from where he lives on now he is able to nourish the lives of children all around the world.

The nymphs, elves and pixies like to tell the story which all the animals of the forest know. How as a young boy Nicholas helped his friend Ruprecht to learn to take care of a little bird and how Ruprecht grew to be a kind animal healer. 

Of course when St Nicholas comes to fairyland, he comes for the young gnomes and hobgoblins, the fairylings, elfins and spritelets, he comes differently than he might for human children.

His headdress is tipped back a little as a gnome’s hat, his beard is full of curls and he seems younger than the kind old man that the fairies have sometimes heard children sing about in their song

Kind old man St Nicholas Dear

Come to our house this year

Here’s some straw and here’s some hay

For your little donkey grey ♬♫♪♩♫

When he brings gifts for tiny shoes, even the biggest wooden clogs that the gnomes leave on their mossy doorsteps, St Nicholas does not need the help of a donkey to carry his sack.

Instead a dear snail adds St Nicholas’ treasures to the spiral on his back. By this honour the snail trails stary shimmer as he glides, carrying heavens gifts to small beings of flowers, puddles, tree stump and flint.

Whose little boot is waiting here

Does it belong to the soft white mushroom fey who has listened with delight to her Mama's story and is now gently saying goodnight

Or might it be the boot of a dancing sprite who will have magical dreams of flight tonight

Perhaps it fits the feet of these two wee boys who, far too excited to go to sleep, are working in the earth's crystal glow 

In the morning light who will joyfully reach for a warm red bundle being and who will peal the sweet orange fruit resting at the top of their boot?

❊

The tiny mermaid, who came to live in great great grandmother's

wave spiralled pot, has no need for shoes, so St Nicholas must find a different place to lay her gifts, and in the morning she will dance a watery swirl in gratefulness.

❊When little mossling whispers a special wish to the star of her soft shoe, she knows as all those of fairyland do, that wishes have a way of coming true

and after St Nicholas' magic night, there she finds all that her imagination could have brought to be, her very own acorn baby

With this blessing she shares in the loving of 

the earth’s children