Fifteen years in a childhood paradise

Mutter exclaimed: "Oh, Father Christmas, how nice of you to call in." Could this really be Father Christmas, I thought? He certainly looked like him with his long white beard, and large fur cap. But I wasn't too sure. I hung on to Klärchen with a firm grip.

Then I heard this deep voice asking us: "Have you been good boys, Günter and Dieter? Are you always obedient to your parents, to Klärchen and to the others?"

I couldn't say anything because I was far too frightened. All I managed was a very tentative nod. But then I remembered all my misdeeds in the past, there seemed to be so many. So I began to shake my head violently.

"No?" he looked me in the eye, "You have been naughty?" I said very hesitatingly: "Yes, Father Christmas."

He took off his big sack from his back and pulled out a small broom made from thin willow twigs.

"I think I'll leave that here, just in case you need to be punished," and he handed it to Klärchen.

By then we were even more frightened, but Father Christmas continued: "Have you learnt some Christmas carols, boys?"

"Yes" we said both together, hoping that that would make him more friendly.

"Well, then you had better sing one for me." And so we plucked up all our courage and sang, at first haltingly, but then with more confidence, a song that Klärchen had taught us:

"Morgen Kinder, wirds was geben, morgen werden wir uns freun, welch ein Jubel, welch ein Segen wird in unserem Hause sein. Einmal werden wir noch wach heissa, dann ist's Weihnachtsnacht."

Tomorrow children you'll get something, tomorrow we shall all be glad, Oh what joy, and oh what blessing there shall be in our home.

Only once shall we awake yippee, then is Christmas Eve.

By then Günter plucked up some more courage and said to Father Christmas: "Look, what I am making for Vater for Christmas! It's a letter opener."

Dutifully Father Christmas inspected his handiwork. He seemed to nod with approval: "That is good work, Günter."

Then he turned to me: "And what are you doing for Christmas?" I pointed to Klärchen and to the outline of a pussy cat for a book mark

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