At the North end of the world, further than anyone has traveled, is a land filled with children. It's filled with children because no one ever grows up. They play a great deal of the time with dolls and tin soldiers, and every night at 7 o'clock they have a bowl of bread and milk and go to bed.
This story is about their Christmas Season. It is a grand event, being so close to the North Pole with ice and snow everywhere. Grandfather Christmas lives nearby, his house leans against the great wall. Grandfather Christmas is his name in the Great Walled Country, we know him as Santa Clause.
He loves the little children behind the great wall of ice and one great thing about having Grandfather Christmas for a neighbor is that in the Great Walled Country they never have to buy Christmas gifts, every Christmas Eve, before he delivers gifts to the rest of the world, Grandfather Christmas goes to the Forest in the back of the Great Walled Country and fills the trees with candy, books, toys and all sorts of good things. When night comes the children wrap up snugly and go into the forest to gather gifts for their friends. Each one goes by themselves as to keep their gifts a secret. No one ever thinks to take a present for themself, and the forest is large enough that no one sees their presents and there is enough for everyone.
But one year, many years ago, the children in the land had a strange Christmas. A visitor came to the land, an old man who was the first stranger to succeed in getting over the wall.
When he met the King and heard about their Christmas celebration he had this to say, "Why take so much trouble, and act in such a round about way? Why not go out together, and everyone get his own present? That would save the trouble of dividing them up again, and everyone could pick out just what he wanted for himself!"
On Christmas Eve, when the clock struck 10, everyone sang carols then wished a Merry Christmas to the person next to them. This year the King felt the carols where not as merry, and the childrens eyes did not shine as gladly, but there could be no reason for this, since everyone was expecting a better time than usual. So he thought no more of it.
Only one person wasn't happy about the new tradition, Inge who's sister was a cripple and wouldn't be able to go and gather presents for herself. He worried what she would do, for the King ordered they gather gifts for only themselves. He didn't ask anyones advice but silently decided to not obey the proclamation.
Ten minutes after the children had set off to gather gifts they were found with tears on their faces, they had never seen such a christmas before. No Presents. After hours of weary searching they came across Inge carrying a bag overflowing with gifts. They were astonished and couldn't believe their eyes, he hid the contents of his bag so they wouldn't see they were for his sister. "I left more behind than I brought away," he said. There they are, I can see them from here."
But when the children followed his footsteps to where he had been they saw nothing, perhaps he had filled his bag with cones from the tree. On Christmas day there was sadness in the Great Walled Country, but those who went to the house of Inge and his sister saw plenty of books, dolls and beautiful things. Everyone went to the King and it was decided they would pay a visit to Grandfather Christmas, to see why they had forgotten them.
"Oh sir, it is us from the Great Walled Country, the King has sent us to ask why you forgot us."
Then Grandfather Christmas said this, "The presents were there, but they were not intended for children who were looking only for themselves. I am not surprised you could not see them."
The Proclamation was made next year, that everyone was to seek gifts for others.
I know this was a little long, but it's one of my favorite Christmas stories.
