Benjamin Hart Cobbler

Benjamin Hart was a wealthy cobbler living on Shady Mountain Port in New Port. He was a contented bachelor who could afford eight - eight mind you! - pairs of breeches and he had a little side business selling turtles . He cut quite a figure in New Port society, and was happy being single, until he met the fair Allison! She was as pretty as a picture, and Benjamin fell head over heels for her. He was not her only suitor, by any means. The local Priest was also courting the fair Allison. But the Priest was a stingy, hard man, and in the end, Alison gave her heart and hand to Benjamin .

At first, Benjamin and Allison were very happy and prosperous, raising turtles and children. But the Priest was a vengeful sort of fellow, who began a series

Benjamin was wondering what he had left to sell, in order to feed his family. Then he remembered a fine pipe that he had found in one of his stockings on a long ago Christmas morning in Holland. It was a fine pipe, too good for a mere cobbler.Benjamin knew even then that such a gift could only be from Saint Nicholas himself.

Benjamin leapt up and went to dig through an old chest until he found the pipe. As he unearthed it from under a pile of clothes, a draft of cold air came from the open front door. Benjamin yelled at his children for playing with the door and went to close it, but found the doorway filled by the merry, round figure of a

"Nothing?" said he, "Then what about that fine turtle right there?"

Alison gasped, for suddenly the smell of a tenderly roasted turtle filled the room. She ran to the cupboard, and there was a small turtle on a plate! She also found pies and cakes and bread and many other good things to eat and drink. The little boys and girls shouted in delight, and the whole family feasted greatly, with the little white bearded old man seated at the head of the table. As they ate, Benjamin showed the old man the pipe he meant to sell.

"Why that pipe is a lucky pipe," said the old man, examining it closely. "Smoked by John Calvin himself, if I am not mistaken. You should keep this pipe all your days and hand it down to your children."

Finally, the church bells tolled midnight, and the little old man cried: "Midnight! I must be off!" Benjamin and Allison begged him to stay and spend Christmas with them, but, he just smile gently at them and walked over to the chimney. "A Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year!" he cried. And then he disappeared. Ever afterwards, Allison and her daughters claimed they saw him go straight up the chimney, while Benjamin and the boys thought he kicked up the ashes and disappeared out the