The Fourth Tale - The Tale of The Three Soldiers - Day 16
The Tale of The Three Soldiers
The children laughed and giggled. They loved listening to the stories Nicholas had to tell. He always did the voices and jumped around the room acting out the different parts. He got sad when they got sad and when the story was funny, he laughed with his great, booming laugh. You were always going to enjoy a story when Nicholas told it.
"OK, now, run along. It is almost dinnertime and your parents will be looking for you. I am sure there are chores to do. If not, I have some cleaning that needs doing." Everyone quickly scattered, except for Sophia and her little brother Hector. She was the smartest of the group and always had questions. Nicholas knew that was why she was so smart. The more she asked, the more she knew.
"Saint Nicholas. May I ask a question?" She was always polite.
"Aks keshon?" Her little brother echoed her.
"Of course my dear, what is it?" Nicholas smiled warmly. His eyes twinkled. Sophia's questions were guaranteed to be fun.
"Saint Nicholas, is it really true that no matter how small you are you can do big things? I mean really true, not just something that big people tell little people to make them feel important?"
"Fee imptant?" Hector snuck over to the table where there were some of the cookies that Nicholas left out for the children.
"Well, it is true that it is harder for children to do big things, but it is not impossible. Sometimes there are things that only a person your size can do. Sometimes there are things that you notice that grown-ups won't. Most importantly, you never know how God is going to use you. What you do might be used to do something bigger. "
" But, how can I, living in Myra, do anything important? All the important people live far away and do important things in important places. "
"imptant place usus." Hector stuck a second cookie in his mouth.
"Well Sophia, it does sometimes feel like we live far away from anything that matters. Let me ask you something, when your mother tucks you into bed at night, is that important to you?"
Sophia nodded yes.
"And when your daddy picks you up in a big hug, is that important too?"
Sophia's eyes got kind of teary. Her daddy had been sick and hadn't been able to pick her up lately. She really missed his hugs.
"Sophia, sometimes an important thing is a small thing. Sometimes it is a hug, or holding your little brother's hand when there is a big storm. You may someday go to a far away place, but even if you don't and you live your whole live here in Myra, the things you do and the people you love are important. Love doesn't care how big you are. When we love each other, we are making the world a better place. I can't think of anything more important, and I know that is something that you can do. "
Sophia liked Nicholas. She liked how he always took her questions seriously. She usually liked his answers too.
"Is that why you are always saying that we have to love. Love God, love people, just love?"
"yus wuv." Hector's cheeks were bulging from where he had stuffed the third cookie into his mouth.
"Yes my dear. Up, Around and Love. Those three things are the most important things. I am glad you are listening so closely. I am always impressed with how smart you are."
"Thank you. I will do my best to do big things and I will love like you teach us too. I think we need to go now. Good-bye Saint Nicholas!"
"bye santi kulas" Hector grabbed one more cookie as he ran out the door.
"Good-bye Sophia! Good-bye Hector!" Nicholas chuckled to himself as he cleaned up after the children. What a good question. He believed what he told her, but he wondered. Could he be of more use if he was teaching in a bigger city? Maybe if he could teach the emperor himself? He knew that Myra was where he was supposed to be, but sometimes he wondered if he couldn't be doing something bigger, helping more people, bringing more joy. He chuckled again. He needed to take his own advice. Love the people where he was. You never knew what big things could come from the small things you did. Nicholas poured himself a glass of milk and ate the last cookie. Big things in small packages indeed.
-----
Lykos was not a happy man. He had worked for years to get where he was. He was a practical man, with goals. He wanted to be the most important man in the empire. He couldn't be the emperor, but he could be the emperor's most trusted adviser. Of course, when you were born in a faraway town, you couldn't just wake up one day and be important and famous. It took work and planning. Just getting to the capital city of Constantinople had taken years. But Lykos was dedicated. He did whatever it took. If he needed to lie, he lied. If he needed to steal, he stole. There wasn't a thing he wouldn't do. If you had what he wanted, he took it and it was your fault for not holding on to it more tightly. Lykos would be the emperor's right-hand man, or die trying. And now, after all these years of planning, stealing, scheming, after all of his hard work, it was about to be undone by these three young idiots.
They showed up in the capital a few months ago and began telling the story of their adventures in the military. How the emperor sent them on an expedition to protect his people and how good of a job they had done. There had been parades! There had been feasts! There had been parties and new clothes and fancy houses! And now, no one could speak to the king without talking to them first. How was he supposed to be the most important adviser when these three had taken his place?
The worst part was, they were honest. No amount of money, no amount of lies, would get them to do something that they thought was wrong. How crazy was that? He had always been able to trick people into doing what he wanted them to do before. But these three guys, impossible!
He hated them. He hated everything about them. He even hated their names, Nepotianus, Eupoleonis and Ursus. What preposterous names. Those names were so horrible, they didn't even call themselves that. They had silly nicknames for each other, Nepo and Eupo!
Oooohhh. He hated them. Somehow he had to find a way around them. He had to get them out of the way. He was the Master Of The Forces after all, the highest ranking general in the emperor's army. Surely there was someone he could talk to. Lykos thought about all the people he knew, and all the people that owed him favors. With the right amount of money he knew one government official that would do anything. Maybe, if he had the man say the right lies, this would turn out OK after all.
------
Nepo, Eupo, and Ursus were sitting in the throne room. They were listening as the different government officials came and made reports to the emperor. These had been an amazing few weeks. Parties and parades and now they sat in the throne room, listening to the inner workings of the government. They couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.
"Come forward and present your business to the emperor!"
Nepo, and Eupo leaned forward in their chairs to hear better while Ursus cleaned his sword.
"My most gracious emperor, I come before you with some horrible news! You know me and how I have served you, so long and so well. Recently I have heard of a conspiracy that has formed against you, O most powerful emperor!"
A gasp was heard throughout the room. Nepo began to look around to see who looked the most guilty. Eupo scooted his chair nearer so as not to miss a single word. Ursus froze in place and held his sword at the ready. If there were traitors about, he would be the first to volunteer to catch them.
"Yes, your highness. They have created a plot amongst themselves. They sit near you and pretend to work for you, but in reality they take money to do dishonorable things and make people think they are in charge. Once they are powerful enough, they are planning to kill you and take over the empire!"
The emperor leapt up from his throne. Hi face was bright red with rage and he shook his fist.
"Who! Who!" he shouted, "who dares attack the emperor! Who dares defy me in my own throne room. Point them out to me that I may punish them as traitors deserve."
Everyone in the throne room was talking to each other, looking around to see who it might be. The palace guards stepped in front of the doors to keep anyone from escaping. The man in front of the king turned and pointed.
"There they are sir. The so-called battle heroes. Nepotianus, Eupoleonis, and Ursus. These are the men I have seen plotting and scheming!"
Nepo, Eupo and Ursus looked at each other stunned. Before they could make a move the palace guard had their arms pinned to their sides.
"Take them to the Dungeon!" the emperor declared. "Let them rot in there and think about who is the most powerful person in the empire!"
And without another word, the three officers were dragged away to the palace prison.
-----
Some days passed with the three officers in jail, but Lykos wasn't satisfied. It wasn't enough for them to be in prison, he wanted them to no longer be a threat. To put it simply, he wanted them dead. Lykos went to talk to his government official again. He told him to tell the emperor that even in prison the officers were trying to overthrow the government. Even with them in prison the emperor wasn't safe. When the emperor heard this he was angry. He ordered that the officers be killed the next morning. Lykos smiled when he heard this, finally he would be free of them and be able to take his place as the King's main adviser.
The prison warden, on the other hand, was not happy. He knew the three officers and didn't believe a word of the lies about them. He quickly went to their cells and told them what was happening.
"I'm so sorry, but you are to die in the morning. Pray to whatever God you believe in and get ready for the end of your life."
Nepo, Eupo and Ursus were worried. Ursus, pulled on the bars of the prison cell. Even with all his strength he couldn't make them budge. He wailed in frustration. Eupo sat on the floor, his head in his hands. His mind kept racing, trying to figure a way out of the predicament. No matter what he came up with, there was always a problem with it. He could make the best plans of anyone, but with this, there was no way out. Nepo sat and thought. Was there anyone that could help them? Anyone he could send a message to?
"Eupo, who can help us? Can you think of anyone?"
"I can't Nepo. There is no one. Who would help three innocent men against the emperor? Who would even believe us?"
"After all the men we have fought with, I cannot believe no one would stand with us!" Ursus paced back and forth with rage.
"They are all too afraid." Eupo said, "Who is willing to stand up against the Emperor? No one is that brave."
"I know one man who would." Nepo looked up at the others. "I know one man who would speak up to the emperor in defense of three honest men."
"You do? Who? Who would defend us?"
Ursus bellowed, "Who Nepo? Speak up! Answer Eupo! Who can we send word to and get us out of this terrible mess?"
"No-one. There is no-one we can send word to. The only man I know of that would stand up for three innocent men against the emperor is..."
And then all three remembered at the same time.
"Saint Nicholas!"
"He would speak up for us!"
"If only he were here"
"He would stop this or fight them off!"
"But he's in Myra"
"He's too far away"
"There's no hope." Ursus slumped to the ground.
"No hope," echoed Eupo, "I just don't see a way out." He slumped down on the floor next to Ursus.
"He's in Myra. We're here. God help us, we're doomed." Nepo got down on his knees and began to beg God to save them.
-------
Nicholas, was trying to sleep but his dinner was giving him a stomach ache. He had been given such nice spices by a friend and he might have used a little too much onion in the tuna. Or maybe the sour yogurt had gone too sour. Either way, he was having trouble sleeping. He walked over to his doorway and peered out at the night sky. So many stars, so many people, such a big empire. His mind wandered back to what Sophia had said to him. Was there any way he could be of influence to the emperor? Should he leave Myra and go to the capital city? Is that where he should spread his message of love? He didn't know. All he knew now was that he needed some sleep.
As he went to bed his mind continued to wander. The only people he knew in the capital were the three officers. He wondered how they were doing. It had been awhile since they came through here. They were good men and he wished them well. That was his last thought before he finally fell asleep.
-----
Nicholas opened his eyes and looked around him. He saw stone walls. He saw prison bars. He saw darkness. In that darkness he saw three men. They did not look happy. Nicholas walked through the bars and over to the men.
You may ask me, how did Nicholas walk through the bars. I do not know. Nicholas didn't think about it either. Some say this was but a dream and it is in the nature of dreams for unexplainable things to happen. Some say that Nicholas' spirit flew to the prison and a spirit can go wherever it pleases. Be that as it may, Nicholas never stopped to wonder about it. Nicholas simply saw the three men and recognized them. These were the three officers. He considered them friends. So he rushed to their side, through the metal bars.
"Nepo, Eupo, Ursus! What is happening? Why are you in prison?"
Nepo, Eupo and Ursus lept to their feet. They could not believe what they were seeing. Saint Nicholas lived in Myra, very far away. How could he possibly be here? How could he be talking to them? Maybe they were losing their minds.
" Nepo, do you see what I am seeing?"
"Yes Eupo, I see Saint Nicholas, Do you see him too Ursus?"
"I do not believe my eyes, but I see him, standing before me, in his pajamas."
"If the three of us see him, then I can only believe that he is here."
"Yes, yes, of course I am here. Tell me now, why are you in prison?"
With that Ursus began to wail and slid back down to the ground. Eupo bent down to comfort him. Nepo looked at Nicholas and began to explain their situation. He told him the whole story, about the parties and parades and then how they hand been accused of something they had never done.
"We love the emperor and would never be his enemy. But now, he has ordered we shall die in the morning."
During the whole story, Nicholas' face got redder and redder. Nicholas was normally a jolly person, but this kind of injustice made him angry.
" Don't worry, I'll take care of this" he said and turned and left the prison cell. As he walked out he floated up and through the ceiling. The Three officers sat and watched him go.
Nicholas floated up through the palace, through the kitchen, through the throne room and finally up into the emperor's bed chamber. He stood at the foot of the Great man's bed.
"Constantine! O Great Emperor! Wake up!"
Now, needless to say, the emperor Constantine, was not used to strange men entering his room in the middle of the night and yelling at him. He looked around the room for his guards, but they were all outside the door and didn't know what was happening inside. He quickly tried to take command of the situation.
"What are you doing here?"
"I am here because you have been tricked into doing an evil thing. In your prison you have three men, officers in your army. They are good men, loyal to you, and have done nothing wrong. Free them at once! If you don't, bad things will happen to you and your Empire! "
"Who are you to speak to me this way?"
"I am Nicholas of Myra, the people call me Saint Nicholas, I am the overseer of the church there."
With that Nicholas dropped through the floor and out of the palace. He walked and as he walked he floated across the town to the house of the government official that had lied to the king about Nepo, Eupo and Ursus. He went to his room and stood at the foot of his bed.
"Wake up, O evil man full of lies. Wake Up!"
The official woke up and looked around. He didn't have any guards and was afraid a thief was attacking him in his home.
"What? Who? What?" He said. He obviously was not as quick-witted as the emperor had been.
"You have lied to the emperor. You have betrayed good men. You have done it for money and for no other reason. You have not loved God and you have not loved those around you. Now tell the emperor what you have done or bad things will happen to you!"
The government official was terrified. No one had known that he had lied. No one had known about the money that he had been paid to lie. Those were all secrets. How had this man who snuck into his house known?
"Y-Y-Yes," he said, "I will tell him. I will tell him. But, who? Who are you? Who are you?" He was so frightened he was repeating himself.
"I am Nicholas of Myra, the one they call Saint Nicholas."
And with that Nicholas left, so quickly that he disappeared before the man's eyes.
-----
Nicholas sat up in bed. He had been having such strange dreams lately. This one had been about some fishermen in a storm. He had told the storm to quiet down and it had. He tried to think back and remember how long this had been going on. It had started with that question from Sophia a few weeks ago. He had been thinking about how he could help people far away, and that night he dreamt of visiting the emperor in his palace. Ever since then he had strange dreams of helping people. But, they were just dreams. Maybe they meant he was supposed to leave Myra and go out into the world to help people. He wasn't sure. Nicholas got out of bed and began preparing breakfast.
He had just placed it on the table when there was a knock at the door. Nicholas wondered who would be knocking at breakfast time.
"Nepo, Eupo and Ursus! How great to see you! I have wondered how you have been my friends." Nicholas invited the three officers in. As they sat down for breakfast they began to tell Nicholas their story. They told him how they had been accused of treason against the emperor. They told him of how they had been thrown in prison. They told him of how he, Nicholas himself, had visited them in prison, then the emperor in his bed chamber and then the lying government official at his house, during the night.
"The next morning the emperor called us into the throne room. He asked us if we were wizards using some sort of black magic. We told him 'No, of course not'. Then he told us about how you visited him that night. So we told him all about you and how you are an honest and holy man."
Eupo interrupted Nepo, "Then you won't believe what happened next. The government official came rushing into the throne room. He was still in his pajamas, right there, before the emperor and everybody. He fell down before the emperor and told him the whole story, how he made everything up and how you visited him that night too!"
"Then the emperor," Ursus spoke up, "pardoned us right on the spot. He apologized, said he had made a mistake, listened to bad advice. But he said not to thank him, to thank you, because you had saved our lives."
"And then he promoted us to commanders in his army." Nepo finished the story. "He told us our first mission was to come here and to give you presents as a symbol of how thankful he was to you for keeping him from making a terrible mistake."
With that, Ursus opened a big sack he had been carrying on his back. Out of it spilled golden treasures, the likes of which Nicholas had not seen in a very long time.
Nicholas was stunned. He couldn't believe it. His friends had been in serious trouble, far away, and somehow he had been able to help. His feelings were all mixed up. He was happy they were safe and happy to see them again. He was shocked that the emperor knew his name and sent him gifts. He was overwhelmed that he was able to help. Nicholas smiled at his friends.
"Sit let's eat. Let us pray and thank God for his blessings. He has done great things for all of us." Nicholas and his three friends crowded the little table. He looked around and realized that mostly he was happy. His friends were here and it was a happy day. Strange dreams or not, at least something good had come of it. They began talking about how they could love those around them. Maybe they could use the gifts to help the poor and needy of Myra.
Right then, there was another knock at the door and he heard people shouting for "Saint Nicholas". He opened it and saw some fisherman. They began to tell him a story about how he had rescued them from a terrible storm. Nicholas stepped back in shock. If all his dreams had been real and all those people showed up for breakfast, then he was going to need to get a bigger table.
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