Snekker Andersen og julenissen Andersen, the Carpenter and Santa Claus A Norwegian Christmas Story by Alf Prøysen Translated by : Eric Mathiesen, 1999 Once there was a father called Andersen, the Carpenter and he had a lot of children, like fathers usually do. One Christmas Eve, he slipped out of the house while his wife and his children cracked nuts and played games. He was on his way down to the woodshed, where he had a Santa Claus suit and a sled with a huge sack of Christmas presents. Andersen put the costume on and pulled the sled, with all the presents out into the yard. But it was so icy that Christmas Eve that  Andersen slipped and fell, right on top of his sled - and the presents and away they went - down the driveway towards the main road. Close to the main road, another man with a Santa suit and sled was coming. "Watch out!", yelled Andersen, and tried to steer out of the way. But he couldn't see very well with his mask on, so they collided and fell off the side of the road, both of them. "Oh, excuse me!", said Carpenter Andersen. "Excuse me", said the other man. "Looks like we are running the same errand" said Andersen, the carpenter. "I see you've got your Santa suit on, too" he said joyously. He put his hand forward and introduced himself: "I am Andersen, the carpenter." "Santa Claus, here" replied the other, and shook hands. "Huh, anything you say. Well, I guess you can allow a joke or two on Christmas Eve, "  Andersen said laughing. "Absolutely," said the other. "And if you agree I'll go and give your children their Christmas presents, and you can visit mine. But you'll have to take off that silly Santa suit."   "How should I dress up then?" asked Andersen. "There's no need for disguises, my children see Santa all year long, but they've never seen a real carpenter. Every Christmas I say to them, 'If you behave, then Andersen, the carpenter, will come on Christmas Eve while I'm out giving presents to all the children'. But this is the first time I've run into you. Why don't trade jobs tonight? Then my children won't have to be alone on Christmas Eve." "Sure," said Andersen, but I don't have any presents for your children." "Presents?" asked Santa. "Aren't you a carpenter?" "Well, yes," said Andersen. "Just bring some wood and some nails. And maybe you have a knife?" Of course, Andersen had a knife and he found some small pieces of wood in the woodshed. "Now, you can follow my tracks into the woods," said Santa, "and I'll take the sled and the sack and knock on your door. You live on the second floor, don't you?" "Thats right," replied Andersen.   Santa headed for the carpenter's house and Andersen followed Santa's tracks into the woods. He didn't have to walk far, just past a couple of spruces, a rock and a tree stump. Behind the tree stump, three little knitted caps stuck up. "Here he comes, here he comes," said Santa's three children, and raced off toward a blown-down spruce tree with it's roots in the air. When Andersen got to the other side, Santa's wife and children stood there waiting. "Here he comes, Mommy! Here comes Andersen, the carpenter! Look at him! Isn't he tall?" "Now, now, calm down children," said Mrs. Santa. "You sound as if you'd never seen a real carpenter before." "But we never have seen a real carpenter before!" yelled the children. "Step right in Mr. Andersen." "Yes. please, do come in," said Mrs. Santa, and lifted up a branch. Carpenter Andersen stooped and followed them into a cozy room with a stone floor and small chairs made out of stumps and beds made of moss with blankets of tyttebær*. In the smallest bed, lay a baby whilst Old Grandpa sat in the corner, nodding his head. "Do you bring a knife? Do you bring wood and nails?" The children were all begging and pulling at Andersen. "Now, now, let Carpenter Andersen get inside the door before you start pestering him," said Mrs. Santa. "Have a seat Andersen!" "Are there strangers here?" croaked the old man in the corner."This is Andersen, the carpenter! shouted the largest boy into the old man's ear horn. "Our grandpa is so old he never gets out anymore. He'd be very pleased if you'd go over and say hello to him."  Andersen shook Grandpa's hand -  it was like touching bark.   "Now you better sit down Andersen," said the children. "Do you know what you are going to make for me?" asked the oldest boy and smiled with one tooth showing. "You are going to build a sled, do you know how? A small sled to play with?" "I can try," said Andersen. And soon the sled was finished. "Now its my turn," said the second oldest child. "What would you like?" asked Andersen. "A doll's bed," said the girl. "But, do you have a doll?" asked Andersen. "No, but I can  play with the wood-mouse's babies sometimes and the baby squirrels as much as I like," said the girl.   "They love to play dolls. Now please make me a doll's bed." Andersen built a doll's bed. "What would you like?" he said to the smallest child, who just stood there looking shy with three freckles on his nose. "I don't know", whispered the boy. "Oh yes he does - he knew very well before today - Say it!" said the other children. " "A spinning top", whispered the smallest boy. "A top it shall be!" said Andersen, and he made a spinning top.      "Now you have to make something for Mommy," said the children. Mrs Santa had been watching the whole scene and she was hiding something behind her back. "Quiet children," she said. "Just tell me what you'd like me to make," said Andersen. "Ok," said Mrs Santa and showed him what she had been hiding behind her back. It was a wooden spoon. It was old and full of splinters and had a giant crack, so you couldn't eat soup with it. "Can you fix this?" "Hmmm," said Andersen, and scratched his head with his carpenter's pencil which he had behind his ear. "I think I'll make you a new spoon, instead." So Andersen carved a new spoon out of a root he found just outside the entrance. When he had finished, he went back out and found a long, straight stick that was bent at one end and began to carve it. The children asked over and over what it was going to be, but he didn't say a word until he was done and the stick became a beautiful walking stick. "There you go, Grandpa!" shouted Andersen and handed the cane to the old man. And finally, he picked up all the shavings and turned them into a little bird and hung it over the baby's bed. "This was way too much" said Mrs. Santa. "Thank you very much, Andersen. Children, thank Mr. Andersen! This Christmas is one we never will forget!"     "Thank you, thank you!" all the children shouted. Grandpa came toddling across the floor and said "Many thanks indeed!" Just then Andersen heard someone outside, so he said, "Thank you, too and Happy New Year!" He hurried out. There stood Santa Claus with the sled and an empty sack. "Thanks for the help, Mr. Andersen," said Santa. "What did the children say when you came?" "Oh, they were very happy. What about you? I hope my youngest boy wasn't afraid of you?" "No, far from it" said Santa. "He thought I was you. He kept on saying, 'Sit on lap, Daddy!'" "Well, I'd better get home," said Andersen. It had started snowing, so he could barely see his old tracks. "Well, lets see your presents!" he said to his children when he got home. They just laughed. "You've seen them before!" they shouted. "You saw them when you were dressed up as Santa!" "No, I went to see Santa's children and made them some Christmas presents," said Andersen. "And where do they live?" asked the children, and laughed even more. "A little bit that way and little bit that way," said Andersen, pointing. It was snowing even more - and soon, all the tracks left by Santa and Andersen, the carpenter, were covered.....    Back to home page