Once Every Year

In the spirit of our annual tradition of minor Christmas copyright infringement, a very short story by fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. He wrote this exactly-100-word story one year for his Christmas card; it was published in 1998, in his “Smoke and Mirrors” anthology.

Nicholas Was..

older than sin, and his beard could grow no whiter. He wanted to die.

The dwarfish natives of the Arctic caverns did not speak his language, but conversed in their own, twittering tongue, conducted incomprehensible rituals, when they were not actually working in the factories.

Once every year they forced him, sobbing and protesting, into Endless Night. During the journey he would stand near every child in the world, leave one of the dwarves’ invisible gifts by its bedside. The children slept, frozen in time.

He envied Prometheus and Loki, Sisyphus and Judas. His punishment was harsher.

Ho.
Ho.
Ho.

Merry Christmas, every one. (And pick up “Smoke and Mirrors” if you like good short stories – Gaiman’s story “Chivalry” alone is more than worth the price of the book.)

Addendum:

Okay, I just want to make clear that I’m greatly enjoying this holiday season, that I’m in fact NOT as much of a Christmas cynic as in years past.. but I do love this story. It has a beautiful balance to it, I love the ironic counterpoint, and I absolutely adore the fact that it’s exactly 100 words long. And given the merest fraction of an opportunity, I’d love to write something similar for our own cards (though probably couldn’t get away with it). There. Disclaimer made. 🙂