YOW! Advent calendar – door number 6

As today is not only St Nicholas’ Day but also a Sunday, here’s the extended version:

Good evening to you all, young and old,
I am well known to you all.

I’ve come from out in the woods;
I must tell you, Christmas is truly here!
Everywhere on the tips of the fir trees
I saw little golden lights twinkling;
And up above, from the gates of heaven,
The Christ Child peered out with wide eyes;
And as I wandered through the dark fir forest,
It called out to me in a clear voice:
‘Knecht Ruprecht,’ it cried, ‘old fellow,
Get a move on and hurry up!
The candles are beginning to burn,
The gates of heaven have opened,
Old and young alike shall now
Take a break from life’s relentless chase;
And tomorrow I shall fly down to Earth,
For it is to be Christmas once more!’
I said: ‘O dear Lord Christ,
My journey is almost at an end;
I have only this one city left to visit,
Where there are nothing but good children.’
– ‘Do you have the little sack with you, too?’
I said: ‘The little bag is right here:
For apples, nuts and almonds
are what good children like to eat.”
– “Do you have the rod with you as well?”
I said: ‘The rod, it’s here;
But only for the naughty children,
It will strike them on the right spot.”
The Christ Child said: ‘That is as it should be;
So go with God, my faithful servant!’

I come from out in the woods;
I must tell you, Christmas is truly upon us!
Now tell me, what do I find in here?
Are they good children, or are they bad children?

I suppose the children are all well,
though they do sometimes show a touch of defiant spirit.

Well, well, for a defiant child’s courage
My long cane comes in handy!
Don’t you sometimes say:
‘Head down and trousers off’?

As a person sins, so shall they be punished;
The children are all well-behaved already.

Do they really knuckle down to their books,
Is reading, writing and arithmetic enough?

With all their might, they are learning to
We pray to God that it will finally succeed.

Do they also, according to old custom,
their little evening prayer in bed too?

The other day, in my little room,
A tiny voice speaking all by itself;
And when I stepped up to the door,
I heard her praying for all her loved ones.

So accept the Christ Child’s greeting,
cakes and apples, apples and nuts;
Do try a taste of his gifts,
Tomorrow you’ll have something even better.
Then, by the light of his candle,
the Christ Child himself will come to you.
Today he is still keeping watch in the heavens;
Now sleep soundly, and good night.