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Speaker 1: Once upon a time so long ago that everybody has

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forgotten the date. In a city in the north of

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Europe with such a hard name that nobody can even

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remember it, there was a little seven year old boy

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named Wolf, whose parents were dead, who lived with a

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cross and stingy old aunt, who never thought of kissing

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him more than once a year, and who sighed deeply

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whenever she gave him a bowl full of soup. But

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the poor little fellow had such a sweet nature that,

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in spite of everything, he loved the old woman, although

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he was terribly afraid of her, and could never look

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at her ugly old face without shivering. As this aunt

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a little Wolf, was known to have a house of

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her own and an old woolen stocking full of gold.

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She had not dared to send the boy to a

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charity school, but in order to get a reduction in

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the price, she had so wrangled with the master of

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the school, to which little Wolf finally went. That this

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bad man, vexed at having a pupil so poorly dressed

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and paying so little, often punished him unjustly, and even

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prejudiced his companions against him, so that the three boys,

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all sons of rich parents made a drudge and laughing

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stock of the little fellow. The poor little one was

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thus as wretched as a child could be, and used

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to hide himself in corners to weep. Whenever Christmas time came.

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It was the schoolmaster's custom to take all his pupils

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to the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and to bring

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them home again afterward. Now, as the winter this year

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was very bitter, and his heavy snow had been falling

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for several days, all the boys came well, bundled up

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in warm clothes, with fur caps pulled over their ears,

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padded jackets, gloves and knitted mittens, and strong thick soled boots.

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Only little Wolf presented himself, shivering in the poor clothes

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he used to wear both weak days and Sundays, and

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having on his feet only thin socks in heavy wooden shoes.

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His naughty companions, noticing his sad face and awkward appearance,

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made many jokes at his expense. But the little fellow

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was so busy blowing on his fingers, and was suffering

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so much with chilblains, that he took no notice of them.

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So the band of youngsters, walking two and two behind

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the master, started for the church. It was pleasant in

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the church, which was brilliant with lighted candles, and the boys,

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excited by the warmth, took advantage of the music of

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the choir and the organ to chatter among themselves in

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low tones. They bragged about the fun that was awaiting

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them at home. The mayor's son had seen just before

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starting off an immense goose, ready stuffed and dressed for cooking.

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At the alderman's home there was a little pine tree

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with branches laden down with orange sweets and toys, and

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the lawyer's cook had put on her cap with such

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care as she never thought of taking unless she was

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expecting something very good. Then they talked too, of all

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that the christ child was going to bring them, of

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all he was going to put in their shoes, which

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you might be sure they would take good care to

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leave in the chimney place before going to bed. And

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the eyes of these little urchins, as lively as a

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cage of mice, were sparkling in advance over the joy

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they would have when they awoke in the morning and

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saw the pink bag full of sugar plums. The little

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lead soldiers ranged in companies in their boxes. The menagerie

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smelling of varnished wood, and the magnificent jumping jacks in

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purple and tinsel alas little Wolf knew by experience that

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his old miser of an aunt would send him to

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bed supperless, but with childlike faith and certain of having

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been all the as good and industrious as possible, he

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hoped that the christ child would not forget him, and

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so he too planned to place his wooden shoes in

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good time in the fireplace. Midnight mass over, the worshippers departed,

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eager for their fun, and the band of pupils always

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walking two and two and following the teacher left the church.

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Now in the porch, and seated on a stone bench

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set in the niche of a painted arch, a child

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was sleeping, a child in a white woolen garment, but

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with his little feet bare in spite of the cold.

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He was not a beggar, for his garment was white

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and new, and near him on the floor was a

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bundle of carpenter's tools. In the clear light of the stars,

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his face, with its closed eyes, shone with an expression

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of divine sweetness, and his long curling blond locks seemed

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to form a halo about his brow. But his little

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child's feet, made blue by the cold of this bitter

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December night, were pitiful to see the boys so well

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clothed for the winter. Weather passed by, quite indifferent to

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the unknown child. Several of them sons of the notables

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of the town, however, cast on the vagabond looks, in

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which could be read all the scorn of the rich

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for the poor, of the well fed, for the hungry.

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But little Wolf, coming last out of the church, stopped

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deeply touched before the beautiful sleeping child. Oh dear, said

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the little fellow to himself, this is frightful. This poor

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little one has no shoes and stockings in this bad weather.

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And what is still worse, he has not even a

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wooden shoe to leave near him to night while he sleeps,

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into which the little christ child can put something good

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to soothe his misery. And carried away by his loving heart,

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Wolf drew the wooden shoe from his right foot, laid

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it down before the sleeping child, and, as best he could,

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sometimes hopping, sometimes limping, with his sock wet by the snow,

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he went home to his aunt. Look at the good

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for nothing, cried the old woman full of wrath at

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the sight of the shoeless boy. What have you done

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with your shoe, you little villain? Little wolf did not

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know how to lie, so, although trembling with terror, when

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he saw the range of the old shrew, he tried

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to relate his adventure. But the miserly old creature only

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burst into a frightful fit of laughter. Aha, So my

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young gentleman strips himself for the beggars. Aha, my young

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gentleman breaks his pair of shoes for a bare foot.

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Here is something new forsooth very well, since it is

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this way, I shall put the only shoe that is

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left into the chimney place, and I'll answer for it

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that the christ child will put in something to night

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to beat you with in the morning, and you will

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have all only a crust of bread and water tomorrow.

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And we shall see if the next time you will

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be giving your shoes to the first vagabond that happens along.

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And the wicked woman, having boxed the ears of the

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poor little fellow, made him climb up into the loft

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where he had his wretched cubbyhole. Desolate, the child went

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to bed in the dark and soon fell asleep but

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his pillow was wet with tears. But behold the next morning,

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when the old woman, awakened early by the cold, went downstairs, Oh,

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wonder of wonders, she saw the big chimney filled with

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shining toys, bags of magnificent bonbonds, and riches of every sort.

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And standing out in front of all this treasure was

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the right wooden shoe which the boy had given to

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the little vagabond. Yes, and beside it the one which

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she had placed in the chimney to hold the bunch

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of switches. As little wolf, attracted by the cries of

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his aunt, stood in an ecstasy of childish delight before

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the splendid Christmas gifts. Shouts of laughter were heard outside.

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The woman and child ran out to see what all

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this meant, and behold, all the gossips of the town

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were standing around the public fountain. What could have happened, Oh,

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a most ridiculous and extraordinary thing. The children of the

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richest men in the town, whom their parents had planned

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to surprise with the most beautiful presence, had found only

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switches in their shoes. Then the old woman and the child,

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thinking of all the riches in their chimney, were filled

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with fear. But suddenly they saw the priest appear, his

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countenance full of astonishment, just above the bench placed near

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the door of the church, in the very spot where

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the night before, a child in a white garment and

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with bare feet, in spite of the cold, had rested

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his lovely head. The priest had found a circlet of

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gold embedded in the old stones. Then they all crossed

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themselves devoutly, perceiving that this beautiful sleeping child with the

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carpenter's tools had been Jesus of Nazareth himself, who had

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come back for one hour, just as he had been

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when he used to work in the home of his parents.

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And reverently they bowed before this miracle which the Good

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God had done to reward the faith and the love

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of a little child and of little wolf's wooden shoes,