Writing Practice: Finding a voice: The Santa Society

Niclause looked dejectedly at the two coins, and silently took them from Klaus.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

Klaus took of his hat, and started to tell the tale, quietly at first, but becoming more animated by the end.

"Then before I realized what was happening everyone was slapping my back, calling me 'Saint Klaus' and congratulating me on rescuing the little girl. I didn't think it would be right to tell one person they could have the cookie for free then tell everyone else they had to pay!" He shrugged. "Up till then, so many people has passed them by, I didn't think anyone else would want them anyway... " He fell back into silence and sat on a stool, hanging his head again.

Niclause shook his head sadly, and despite his woes he had to laugh a little at the irony.

"So as soon as they were free everyone loved them," he said, rolling his eyes. He sat down too, and held his head in his hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do Klaus." His voice started to shake. "I'll lose the bakery. My family will be on the street."

Klaus shook his head. "No, no," he said. "This was all my fault. I will pay for the cookies."

"I cannot let you do that Klaus. You already had to pay for the costume, and also I owe you for the days work! I can't blame you for helping a little girl, I would have done the same thing."

"But I can't let you and your family live on the street, eating twigs and berries, I would would be ashamed of myself!"

Niclause shook his head. "There's nothing we can do now. I must bake as much as I can, to sustain my family and to sell for money. Thank you Klaus-"

"Niclause listen-"

"There's nothing more to say. Don't worry, I don't blame y-"

"No no, Niclause: LISTEN. Do you hear that?"

Niclause stopped and listened . He could, very faintly, hear the sound of voices. It sounded like many voices far away for coming closer all the time.

Klaus looked up at Niclause. Then, very slowly, he went to the door and pulled it open.

Outside, coming up the street, they saw hundreds of people. Men and women carrying children, all laughing and smiling. But when they caught side of claus, they all started cheering, and yelling, "Saint Klaus!" and started rushing forward with bags of coin jingling in their hands.

"Do you have more of those cookies?" he heard somebody shout.

Klaus was taken aback. "You want to BUY the cookies?"

"They're delicious!" shouted a woman. Niclause raised his head at this unexpected praise.

"I want to give them as gifts to my children!" shouted a man.

Niclause, his eyes wide and disbelieving, stared out at the crowd as they shouted the name "Saint Klaus" over and over again. He stepped up beside the red suited man, and whispered out of the side of his mouth, "I think you should put the hat back on."

He did.

The Crowd erupted into cheers.