Chapter 9 - Santa Claus is named

The story of Gammelnok and the bearded giant continues...

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"You think that's the only problem you have?" asked Gammelnok. "You have an enormous image problem as well."

Continuing to explain, indignantly, it went like this:

I was abducted by force, your helpers look miserable and you do not look the least friendly nor approachable.

You might get letters from around the world, but these kids have no idea what you or your helpers look like.

If they did, they would stop writing and save their postage to buy themself a present.

The Bearded Giant looked taken aback by this, looked pensive and at last asked if Gammelnok could help.

Thinking back at the colourful clothing the Saamis wore at festive occasions, it occurred to Gammelnok that an outfit in Red and White might be very cheerful and uplifting throughout the dark midwinter.

Liking the idea, the Bearded Giant issued orders for his helpers to stop making gifts and start making themselves and him Red and White outfits.

"You need to colour your beard white as well" demanded Gammelnok.

A few hours later, the transformation was complete. The little helpers look uncomfortable, but settled down to their tasks.

The Bearded Giant had managed to colour his large unruly beard white, and with a red cloak and red and white hat, looked quite friendly.

Gammelnok was quite pleased with the result, but asked them all to revert to their old clothes as this was mid summer and the clothes were intended for mid winter.

Cheers all round.

"So what exactly is your name?", Gammelnok asked the bearded giant.

Nicholas Nikolaevich came the reply. Originally from the Russian steppes and tundra further east from here.

My family disowned me and disinherited me because I could not abide with the way they treated our serfs and peasants.

They taunted me and called me Saint Nikolai. In the end I decided to leave and headed west. Finally ended up here and fell in with this band of small rouges. 

"Saint Nikolai, indeed" said Gammelnok. "That translates very well into Saint Nicolaus and from there to Saint or Santa Claus."

"That is settled then, you are Santa Claus from now on." said Gammelnok. The giant looked pleased having recovered from the indignity of having to leave his ancestral home as a no good aristocrat and ended up in Lapland as a benevolent giver of pleasure to hundreds if not thousands of children.

Next problem for Santa, as Gammelnok called him now, was how to distribute all the presents asked for in the short time available around Midwinter, to all the children of the world.

Could they reduce the number of present by examining the letters and see if the requests were from children behaving themselves or from little rascals who demanded presents instead of asking for them?

It appeared that the Helper in Charge had already done this, and reduced the demand significantly. Still, there where a lot of presents that had to be given out very quickly at Mid Winter.