Frederick Wiegand

The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental, with the sole exception of the character of Saint Nicholas, who is based upon the iconic patron saint of children and travelers, believed to be a historical personage who lived from 270 to 343 AD. This story imaginatively re-creates his young manhood, and should be taken as fanciful storytelling rather than as fact. In Jerusalem, Nicholas encounters and helps three people. The first is a marketplace prostitute named Magda, who converts to Christianity on a journey with Nicholas to Bethlehem. The second is a rug merchant who is threatened by a desert bandit and is on the verge of suicide. Nicholas persuades the man not to lose hope and purchases his supply of rugs. The third person is Shekem, a Jew who survives as a thief and is in the city illegally-as the Romans are now in control and have given Jerusalem the Roman name of Aelia Capitolina.

Giftbringer tells the story of young Nicholas, a boy growing up during the turbulent years of the late Roman Empire. Only child of wealthy par- ents, Nicholas' yearnings for a life of ease, finery, and splendor lead him into a series of mishaps culminating in a wild chariot race through the Mediterranean countryside. Through many trials, including a ravaging plague, Nicholas learns the hard way that it is better to give than to receive, setting the stage for a series of secret Christmas gifts that will ultimately establish his reputation asthe greatest giftbringer the world has ever known.