Stockings and Christmas Story

Long long ago, there was a kindhearted noble, whose wife died of illness and leaving him and three daughters.

He tried lots of inventions, but failed, therefore he worn out his money. So they had to move to a farmhouse and his daughters had to cooking, sewing and cleaning by themselves.

A few years later, as the girl are going to marry, the father became depressed for he did not have money to purchase dowry to the girls. One night, after the daughters were washing clothes they hung stockings at the fireplace for drying. Saint Nicholas knew the circumstances of their father. He came in front of their house in the evening and saw everyone had fallen asleep from the window, also noticed the daughters' stockings. Then he took out three small bags full of gold from his pocket and dropped them on the girls’ stockings from the chimney.

In next day morning, the daughters awoke then they found their stockings filled with gold! It was enough for them to get married. Therefore, the nobleman was grateful to see his daughters to married. Henceforth he lived a long and happy life.

Later, the children all around the world had inherited the tradition of hanging stockings. And they think Father Christmas will put Christmas gift in their stockings. In some countries children have similar customs. For example in France, the children will put shoes by the fireplace.