By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller and Author
Moral of the Story:
Santa Claus shows us that kindness can grow into something magical. His story
reminds us that joy becomes brighter when it is shared and that giving from the
heart brings light to the whole world. Santa’s spirit lives wherever children
believe, hope, and love.
Long before reindeer flew across winter skies
and long before elves built toys in a workshop of sparkling snow, there was a
little boy named Nicholas who lived in a village far across the sea. Nicholas
was cheerful and curious. He loved the sound of bells and the feeling of
snowflakes melting on his cheeks. Even as a child, he carried a warm glow in
his heart that made the coldest winter seem gentle.
Nicholas loved watching people smile. He
noticed that a simple gift could turn a sad moment into a happy one. When he
saw an older man struggling to carry a basket, Nicholas hurried over to help.
When he noticed a girl shivering without warm mittens, he shared his own. When
he saw a family with an empty table, he placed apples on their doorstep at
night and ran away giggling so they would never know it was him.
Nicholas discovered something wonderful.
Giving made his heart feel full, as if a warm fire were glowing inside him. The
more he gave, the brighter that glow became.
As Nicholas grew older, the winters in his
village grew colder. Snow piled high. Winds howled through the trees. Many
families struggled to stay warm and cheerful. On one freezing night, Nicholas
felt a gentle voice inside his heart say, kindly and clearly, that he should
become a helper to every child who needed joy.
Nicholas wrapped small gifts in cloth and
tied them with a thin string. He walked quietly from house to house after the sun
went down. He slipped toys through cracks in doors. He placed little treats on
windowsills. He whispered blessings for safe and peaceful nights. The next morning,
the whole village buzzed with wonder. Children asked each other who could have
left such surprises. Parents shook their heads and said it must have been an
angel. Nicholas just smiled and kept his secret.
Years passed, and the glow in Nicholas’s heart
grew brighter until one night it shone so warmly that even the stars noticed.
Heaven itself saw Nicholas’s kindness and decided that his gentle heart should
live forever. So Nicholas was given a new home at the top of the world, where
snow sparkled like diamonds and winter never faded. There, he became Santa
Claus, the most joyful gift-giver the world has ever known.
In this new home, Santa met elves who loved
to make toys of every kind. They hammered and painted and polished until every
gift sparkled with cheer. Santa laughed his warm Santa laugh and filled the
workshop with happiness. He also met reindeer with strong legs and kind eyes.
One special reindeer discovered that joy gave him a glowing red nose, which lit
the sky like a lantern. Soon, the reindeer learned to fly, lifting Santa’s
sleigh high above the world.
Each Christmas Eve, Santa sets out on his
wondrous journey. He soars across the sky in his gleaming sleigh, delivering
gifts that bring warmth, hope, and delight. Every stop along the way is guided
by love. Every present carries a blessing. And every child who believes adds a
little sparkle to the magic that carries Santa from place to place.
Children often ask how Santa can travel the
whole world in one single night. The answer is simple but wonderful. Santa’s
magic grows stronger through love. When children believe with joyful hearts,
they create a gentle wind that helps Santa fly faster than any snowstorm. Their
excitement gives strength to the reindeer. Their kindness lifts Santa’s sleigh.
The belief of children is the very air that carries Christmas Eve across the
sky.
Santa’s magic also grows each time a child
shares kindness with someone else. When you help a sibling. When you clean your
room without being asked. When you comfort a friend. When you give away a toy
to make someone smile. Those moments send tiny sparks of magic into the winter
air. Santa feels each of those sparks and uses them to guide his sleigh through
clouds and stars.
Nicholas may have begun as a little boy in a
quiet village, but Santa Claus has become a wonder who lives forever at the top
of the world. He travels with joy. He brings hope to every home. And he keeps
watch over children all year long. Santa comes because he loves you. He arrives
because you believe. And he continues because kindness never ends.
So when you hear bells on Christmas Eve, or
feel a warm glow in your heart, or sense a little magic in the air, remember
this. Santa is near. Santa is real. And Santa’s joy is always ready to find
you.
Moral of the story poem:
Magic grows wherever kindness lives.
Love brings light to every winter night.
Santa comes to hearts that believe.
Giving makes the world shine bright.
Hope travels on gentle wings.
Smiles lift the Christmas sky.
Joy returns to those who share it.
Faith helps Santa’s sleigh fly high.
Discussion Questions for Parents and
Caregivers:
What part of Santa’s early story did you
enjoy the most, and why?
How do you think kindness helps Santa’s magic grow stronger each year?
What is one kind thing you can do this week to add Christmas magic to the
world?
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