The Three Kings visit Herod 129 The Journey of the Three Kings 133 The Arrival of the Three Kings 137 The Adoration of the Magi (1) 141 The Adoration of the Magi (2) 145 The Adoration of the Three Kings 149 The Child’s Twelfth Night Dream 153 Father Christmas 167 Father Christmas (another conception) 171 The Old and the New Christmas 175 Bringing in Old Christmas 179 The Christmas Waits 183 Jongleurs announcing the birth of our Lord 187 Going to the Pantomime 191 Mute admiration 195 Santa Klaus comes to grief on an automobile 199 “No, I don’t believe in you any more” 203 Santa Klaus 207 Santa Klaus up in a balloon 211 New Year’s gifts in a French workingman’s family 215 French children gazing up the chimney for gifts 219 Silenus and Bacchus 223 The bambino 225 Santa Klaus on New Year’s eve 227 The investigating committee 229 St. Nicholas unveils 231 THE STORY OF SANTA KLAUS CHAPTER I WHO IS SANTA KLAUS? If you go to England you will find many people there who have never heard of Santa Klaus. Only the other day a leading London paper confessed that it could not understand why a magazine for children should be called St. Nicholas. Now if you were asked the question which heads this chapter do you think you could answer it so as to make an Englishman understand who Santa Klaus is? Could you also explain what connection Saint Nicholas has with children? Of course you might glibly reply: “Santa Klaus is the Dutch diminutive (or pet name) for Saint Nicholas, and Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of boys and girls.” But the Englishman might want to know more than this. Perhaps you yourself would be glad to know more. It is for the purpose of supplying you with information that I have prepared this little book. Let us begin with the legends which concern this holy man and see what help they will give us. I say let us begin with the legends, because history itself tells us little or nothing about the saint beyond the fact that he was Bishop of a town called Myra in Asia Minor and that he died about the year 342. Legend fills out these meagre details with many a pretty story which throws a kindly light upon the character of good Saint Nicholas.